Cartagena - Day 1

This was a looong day.

We made our way back to the palomino townsite via (mom, earmuffs) riding the back of two motorcycles, which we were starting to get pretty accustomed to now. And from there we stood on the side of the road until a bus came by. An hour later we were in Santa Marta again at the bus station trying to find passage to Cartagena. At this point we really hadnt dealt with bus stations and all our rides were either hired vehicles or hailing a bus passing by. As soon as we got there we were ushered into a line and into buying a ticket. What we didn't realize was that there are several different bus lines all with different prices, schedules and.. yes, speed. We chose..... poorly.

We should have arrived in Cartagena in about 4 hours. But we did it about 7 due to our bus company choice. Saved a few pesos and lost a few hours. Arrived at the outskirts of the city and found a taxi to the old town. Our driver picked up a friend along the way which felt a bit concerning at the time but was just giving him a communal lift with us.

Didnt arrive in old town until around 7 or 8pm. We had some places earmarked but they were all full. Settled for something pricier but felt very safe there. Kristin spotted a tavern advertising craft beer, which drew us in like flies to poo lol. Ended up meeting a Texan guy there who knew of a great restaurant nearby with great local food, so off we went. He was 100% bang on, and probably the best meal of the trip. The one thing colombians do really well is a stew-like soup. Amazing.

The three of us headed back to the craft beer place, and this time it was far more lively with a big group of guys dominating the noise. I forget how, but we infiltrated this large group and discovered they were all in Cartagena for a brewers convention from Cali, Colombia. Before we knew it, we were best friends, taking over the bar, and pouring our own pints. They lead us to another craft pub that also made their own beer and thats where we finished the night. -SPRead more