Cartagena: Day 3

Last day in Cartagena before moving on to Medellin.

Allan got up early to head out and take pictures of all the sites in the daytime without any humans in them. After being woken up by the girls sharing the bed above us when they returned around 04:00, he was extra careful not to be quiet. After a successful photography trip, he returned to the hostel to sleep a bit more.

We decided to finish off part of the recommended Lonely Planet walking tour starting at Plaza Santa Domingo. In the plaza is a statue of a woman by Botero called La Gorda Gertrudis. His statues are all over Colombia. In our research for Medellín, we’ve learned there's a whole park and museum full of them. This statue is made of bronze, so I'm sure you can imagine which parts of the woman are shiniest...

Down a few blocks from the plaza and statue is Cartagena Cathedral, Parque Fernández Madrid and Iglesia de Santo Toribio. All were quite similar to the styles we had seen in earlier churches and plazas in Colombia.

Before we had to head back to the bus station we went to the Museo Histórico de Cartagena - Palacio de la Inquisición. The inquisition was a big part of Cartagena's history for a couple hundred years until Bolívar got rid of it when they gained independence. The Spanish Inquisition is an unsavory part of Catholic history. The ways in dealing with people who didn't believe the same as Catholics via torture and imprisonment (and death) was horrible and I didn't realize the inquisition was such a big part of South America just as it was in Europe. The museum also held exhibits about the formation of Cartagena and how it came to be the city it is today. There was a photography exhibit showing the lives of people in Cartagena. I really loved those pictures.

After the museum we went for lunch back in Getsemaní at a healthy-bowls place. It was delicious and we were so glad to nourish our bodies with fresh ingredients and vegetables after all the arepas and empanadas.

To end the day, we went back to the bus station to catch the night bus to Medellín... only one more night bus to go after this one (I hope).

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.もっと詳しく