Cartagena: Day 2

Wow... Cartagena is HOT 🥵. The heat and humidity means you're just damp all the time. Now it makes sense why our hostel doesn't provide hot water in the showers.

Our day started with the Beyond Colombia walking tour of Cartagena (yep same company as Bogotá). We walked around the old town and saw a lot of the things we saw the night before. We learned about historical figures and how Cartagena was established and grew under Spanish rule and further when independent.

San Pedro was an interesting figure. He started the first hospital for slaves near a church dedicated to him. I was also surprised to see an intact statue honoring Christopher Columbus in one of the main squares when other similar statues in Bogotá honoring conquistadors has been ripped down.

After our walking tour (and a quick stop at the hostel for some AC) we made our way to the Castillo San Felipe de Barajas. This is one of the largest fortresses in the Americas. The Castillo is built over several layers with lots of tunnels and a few towers for defending. It was very sturdy and I can see why it was never conquered or destroyed. I do wish there was more information available about it around the grounds, because I feel I didn't learn very much history or purpose about the building.

We stopped for beers and headed to Baluarte de Santo Domingo again for sunset. This time we bypassed the wall and headed across the busy street to the rocks near the water. The Club Colombiana beers were not great, ass beers (think Heineken or Budweiser) some might say... but the sunset today was a lot better than yesterday so we were glad we made the effort to stop and enjoy it 🌅.

After some dinner, we wanted to try and experience some of Cartagena's teeming night life. We had a couple of failed attempts (recommended bars closed), but then decided to head for a rooftop bar. The Mirador Gastropub was trendy and right across from the clock tower. We had a tinto negroni and a beer (nice place, but pricey). The live music was great, especially when we moved away from the edge where the neighboring bar was playing bad rap music videos loudly.

After experiencing this side of Cartagena, we went over the bridge to Getsemaní for a taste of its night life. It was totally different. Where the walled city was chic and expensive, Getsemaní was streets full of people in plastic chairs drinking beers and blasting loud music out of nearby bars. It was totally different and felt like there were more locals there enjoying themselves. It was great to enjoy the music and a few drinks and take in all the different people and atmospheres. Probably one of my favorite excursions in Cartagena.

Allan’s deal(s) of the day: all sorts of street food from various vendors throughout the day for 10,000 cop to 15,000 cop (~£1.80 to £2.60).

The Clock Hostel & Suites
5/10
Facilities: 🙂
Comfort: 😕
Location: 😀
Cleanliness: 😀
Value for money: 😕
Staff: 🙂

Summary: Interesting dorm concept, poorly executed. If you want a decent sleep, this isn’t the place for you. Low bathroom to guest ratio.

Good: Great location in the centre of the walled city. Supermarket directly across the street for cheap water, beer, snacks, etc. Staff were pleasant.

Bad: Sofas in dorm. Sofas in the dorm encouraged other guests to socialise inside the dorm, despite there being ample common areas between the dorm and the suites and also downstairs. On our first night, two drunken girls sat chatting rubbish and watching nonsense on TikTok for hours, despite signs saying it was a quiet area from 23:00 and numerous requests in different languages from various guests to be quiet, leave, etc. Small double pods. If you’re a couple, go for two single pods. Two single pods are about the same price as a double pod, but you’ll get almost twice as much space (a double is only slightly bigger than a single). Bathrooms to guests ratio. Despite the dorm being only around 1/3 occupied (maybe a dozen guests), we had to wait for a shower each morning. I can only imagine what this would be like when the place was full. Dining space. Similar to bathrooms. Limited space at the dining table meant we had to wait for breakfast one morning. Czytaj więcej