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Trip Report: Cartagena - Part 1

After reading and responding to several messages on this forum, I thought I would add a trip report about my two trips to Cartagena. My trips to Cartagena were without a doubt, very eye-opening and provided me with cultural and personel experiences that I will never forget. I've had the opportunity to travel and live throughout the United States during my graduate education and have also travelled to Europe, Israel, and Japan, but my trip to Colombia was probably my most enjoyable trip ever. During my first trip, I knew absolutely no spanish (maybe a como estas here and a hasta luego there) but after my first trip, I became extremely motivated to learn spanish and now have a basic mastery of "travel spanish" that helped me during my second trip to Cartagena and my recent trip to Venezuela. Well, here it goes...

August 2003: 10 Days
February-March 2004: 15 Days

ACCOMODATIONS & SAFTEY
During both of my stays in Cartagena, I elected to stay in an apartment located in the tourist area of El Laguito. The apartment I rented was a very modern 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment located on the water with: full kitchen, multiple balaconies, cable TV (with the Yankee game in spanish), large living room, security at the front desk, airconditioners in all rooms and hot water for $55/night USD. I hear that the price increases to $60/night USD during the high season. Since I was travelling with my friend, the apartment was pretty affordable on my budget. Apartments and rooms can be rented at considerably less in the El Laguito/Bocagrande area as well as in other parts of city (e.g. El Centro, Getasemani areas). Regardng saftey, I live in NYC (grew up in Queens and live in Brooklyn now) so my perspective on saftey is a bit skewed after growing up in the "Bad Ole' Days" of the 1980's in NYC. In my estimation, Cartagena is EXTREMELY safe when compared to the current saftey level of NYC (safest large city in the US). During both trips, I stayed out very late and walked the streets alone on a nightly basis and never had a problem. I even felt so comfortable with my surroundings that I threw down shots of tequila with the men on the corner in my neighborhood. On the other hand, I've been warned that the barrios between the tourist areas and El Centro can be a little unsafe at night and have been advised to take taxis between these areas. I've also been informed that the outer barrios and suburbs at night can be dangerous for gringos and traveling with a Colombian who knows these outer areas is highly recommended. In general you should use basic street smarts and: NEVER change money on the street, make sure that your money and documents (e.g. passports, visas) are firmly secured to your person, and avoid all con men who speak excellent english who are dying to help you.

TRANSPORTATION: TAXI & BUS
Transportation is quite a bit different in Cartagena than in the US. In NYC, all taxis are metered and the only thing that you need to watch out for are overzealous taxi drivers who might try to drive in circles or take longer routes to increase fares. In Cartagena, there are no metered taxis and all fares need to be negotiated. I found that taxi drivers routinely try to take advantage of gringos and agreeing to the price of the fare before stepping into the taxis is HIGHLY recommended. For example, during my trips to Cartagena, the typical fare from El Laguito or Bocagrande to El Centro was approximately 3-4 mil pesos (approx 1-2 USD). A trip to the Castellana Mall (A big US style mall with just about anything you want to buy plus a movie theatre with recent movies) was about 8-10 mil pesos. Haggling and negotiating is way of life so get used to it. If you don't, you will pay 25-50% more. Taxis can be rented to travel long distances (between cities like from Cartagena to Barranquilla or Santa Marta) but I would recommend negotiating these fares with taxi drivers whom you get to know and trust (ask well mannered and honest drivers for their card or phone number) since many of these journeys can take 2-4 hours. Another suggestion regarding taxis is to use your fingers or pen and paper to communicate how much the fare should cost if your spanish is not very good. I had one experience where I had agreed upon a price of "ocho" mil pesos to get to the bus station and half way through the ride, the driver told me that I had agreed to "diez y ocho." As I started to argue with him, he began to take side streets and winding roads. I began to get a little nervous so since I was sitting in the front seat with him, I began screaming in his face and accused him of being a "Ladron" (robber). He seemed to be very offended when I accused him of being a ladron and subsequently calmed down, but told me in spanish that he thought I was a really crazy gringo for screaming at him in Colombia. I explained to him that he was a fool for trying to mess with a New Yorker. Upon arriving at the bus station, I paid him his "ocho" mil and then gave him a dos mil tip after he recommended taking a bus from the BRASAILA BUS COMPANY. His suggestion seemed very genuine and he was definately right!!! For only about a dollar more, Brasaila buses are fully airconditioned, fast, and had very comfortable large seats.

Part 2 Coming Soon!!!

By JWB on Jun 29, 2004, 20:14 in Friendly Talkzone.

elmodefoque says on Jun 30, 2004, 08:38:

cartagena trip report hey jwb, i'm a colombian living for the last 40 years in nyc. i travel back home frequently and i'm originally from barranquilla but love the hell outta cartagena. i usually divide my time between both cities. like you i never had any problem during my visit, but then again, i'm a colombian and to top-it-off I look like a freaking capo specially when traveling with my big young husky ex military nephews from barranquilla.
I enjoyed reading your comments and wanted to add a couple of my own. I usually stay at the “almirante stellar” or my current favorite “capilla del mar”, i like the funky atmosphere in and around the hotel. By far my favorite place to hang out at night is “tu candela” is more my age group with many visitors and tends to get pack with those young hot senortias.
If you get a chance visit barranquilla it has a hell of nightlife with bars and music all over the place, if you like that stuff. rene

I'll get there, when I get there!

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JWB says on Jun 30, 2004, 08:49:

I Visited Barranquilla... Rene:

I visited Barranquilla during my last trip to Cartagena and didn't really see that much there. Maybe I visited the wrong sections and I visited during the day only. Where are the bars and clubs located? Can you recommend any specific bars/clubs and their locations? During my first trip to Cartagena I visited Tu Candela and had a GREAT time. A really cool place and the bar downstairs was really great too.

Jeff

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elmodefoque says on Jun 30, 2004, 09:11:

cartagena trip report jeff, check out this site from barranquilla with all the current hot spots.
http://www.lacheca.com

I'll get there, when I get there!

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seattlejames says on Jun 30, 2004, 15:54:

Rene....... I cannot get in to that web site.........Any chance you can write some stuff about Barranquilla about the nightlife....I have been to PIKUA, once. A disco.. Had fun.... Will be in Barranquilla in 56 hours or so.......

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seattlejames says on Jun 30, 2004, 15:56:

one more place Las Vaqueras........was there also.......although I do not remember it real well!! CALDAS!

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tiopipe says on Jun 30, 2004, 17:34:

Here's a few places to try Discos:
Mama ya lo sabe
La Metraca
Hotel El Prado...costly for Colombians, normal for Americans

Remember if you invite someone somewhere, that's code for you paying the tab!

Malls:
Buena Vista..newest, cleanest US style with marble everywhere

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elmodefoque says on Jul 1, 2004, 06:33:

cartagena trip report Jeff,
They don’t call barranquilla “curramba” (party!!!) for nothing. I stay in “el prado” which is a great hotel, may look expensive but is not and is located around calle 72 or 72 street, that’s very important because everything north of that street is like Miami with fancy neighborhoods and wealth that you can’t imagine, a little drug money buys very nice things. I live and work in USA but compared to many of them, I’m one poor schmuck! Stay away from old barranquilla, calle 60’s down, believe me you don’t want to go there, is one hell hole but I enjoy it. Sometimes I like to get away from the “pris pris” very plastic and rich barranquillero elite. Keep trying that site www.lacheca.com and you’ll see what I mean, just about all the women had work done and they look great. They’ve got very talented plastic surgeons. I think the hottest places to go is “la quinta” “frogs legs” and others that I can’t remember because most times I was already drunk when I reach those clubs. Barranquilleros like going to “estancos” (something like that) is liquor stores. 84 street is a long avenue or street that gets packed with fancy cars and loud music from both sides of the streets and thousand of barranquillero buying booze from the many “estancos” getting drunk all along the street before they head out to clubs. There was a place that my family took me to and it was amazing, I think it was called “Kilimanjaro” near Puerto Colombia or Salgar, right on the beach, the dance floor is just a few feet from the waves with tall palm trees overhead, deep blue sky with millions of stars and salsa and vallenato blasting all night into early morning.

I'll get there, when I get there!

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elmodefoque says on Jul 1, 2004, 08:16:

cartagena trip report
If you want to see passive, meek, humble indians and historic sites, barranquilla is NOT the place! You want a place that is loud with rambunctious "costeños” who never say no to booze with lots of great looking women that mesmerize you with their dance, come to barranquilla. The site www.checa.com is back up. click on “destapador’ and check out the clubs in the far right of the screen and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

I'll get there, when I get there!

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seattlejames says on Jul 1, 2004, 08:19:

hola check out this site....

http://www.ruta47.com/com/default.asp

they have lots of pictures of senor froggs and henrys....

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seattlejames says on Jul 1, 2004, 08:22:

help The site www.checa.com is back up. click on “destapador’ and check out the clubs in the far right of the screen

I cannot find destapador......

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seattlejames says on Jul 1, 2004, 08:36:

sorry to bother you... I will stay at the Magestic Hotel, I really like it...I like being the only gringo....For some reason...Than off to Cartagena for a few days...Than off to Rodadelo for a few days....than back to Barranquilla for a few days.....

Is Kilimanjaro a disco on the beach? I might try it tommorrow night!!!! AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH....I am so excited I could not sleep last night!

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elmodefoque says on Jul 1, 2004, 09:07:

yeah, kilimanjaro is a disco right on the beach. from la checa site home screen look toward the top and you'll see "destapador"
i wish i was in your shoes, i can't wait to go back to barranquilla, cartagena and rodadero. the only thing stopping me from returning is that i need a colombian passport with cedula which i don't have because i was too young when i left many years ago. i used to travel there with my american passport but they are not accepting that anymore. they practically told me to take my american passport and shove it, as a colombian i got to enter and leave with colombian passport.

I'll get there, when I get there!

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JWB says on Jul 1, 2004, 10:27:

Thanks for the suggestions Thanks for all the suggestions for places to go in Barranquilla. During my next trip in August, I plan on revisiting the city with my novia who lives in Cartagena.

Jeff

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