Cartagena, Colombia 2019

After traveling for three months, I have now had the time to come back home to Memphis, TN and reflect on my trips (hence the reason this post is 3-4 months past the time I took the trip). However, with this being said, Colombia has completely changed my view of the world and how I view stereotypes and people. Upon making plans to travel to Colombia, everyone (including friends, family, and co-workers, along with fellow students) advised me NOT to go. I was told "be safe" and "its so dangerous" and "the cartel is there" along with a slue of other comments that not only made it difficult for me to be excited, but also started to make me doubt my travel plans. Despite the growing anxiety, I remained hopeful for the trip. Upon arriving in Colombia, my eyes were opened to the poverty that exists in some places; however, I was also able to see the true beauty of the land and natural resources that were available. The whole trip I stayed in a number of hostels ( I will get into that process in my next post). In Cartagena, the hostel was downtown and was very close to the main square, which was perfect because we were able to walk everywhere! My friend Claire and I took on this adventure as two female travelers, not only to defy the previous held stereotype that female travelers need a male companion, but also to break the stereotype that "Colombia wasn't safe". While every city and country has crime and dangerous areas, tourism is 100% possible in Colombia, and the country has beautiful sites to offer.  Cartagena has beautiful churches, colorful streets, and amazing food. Similar to Europe, most of the dining is in outdoor cafes and features local cuisines accompanied by rice and beans or "patacones" (a type of fried plantain with salsa rosa/ketchup-mayo). While in Cartagena, it is important to note that the bar life is like nothing I have ever seen before. Clubs are open almost 24/7, not closing till 6 am, and some keep going until noon the next day. While the popular style of music is reggaeton, discotecas do feature EDM inspired hits. Since the language of the country is Spanish, I was enthralled with being able to practice my Spanish and further immerse myself into the culture. Cartagena is known for dancing and fun, and while in the city I was able to take salsa and cumbia lessons (both dances which originated in this country). Furthermore, Claire and I were able to go island hoping to all the local islands around Cartagena, while also snorkeling and taking a boat that made us fear for our lives (LOL). In Cartagena, we met some of the most amazing people who went out with us every night and even accompanied us on many of our trips. The basic group consisted of two 35 year old friends taking a boy's trip, three girls from Georgetown on their graduation trip, Claire and I on our spring break from college, three random guys all on spring break and/or taking gap semesters, two girls from Villanova that happened to be in the same sorority as me, and various girls from South Africa, Germany, Amsterdam, Switzerland, Peru, Argentina and Italy. With such a mix of people, my mind was opened to new cultures and the cultural barriers and stigmas were broken down to real human interaction experienced first hand. With the various dance clubs and lessons teaching me how to dance salsa, cumbia and "peggando," I feel I got the entire Cartagena experience from meeting the locals to seeing all the site-seeing spots and getting a killer tan. Cartagena was by far my favorite city in Colombia, but mostly because this city felt like home with the love and acceptance I felt from the people around me and the locals in the city. You can feel the love within the streets.