Same same . . . just different - 2 in Cartagena

“¿Por qué no los dos?” That was the question we eventually answered after researching the Cartagena stop on our trip. Should we stay within walking distance of the beach in the newer part of the city, or the more traditionally tourist based historic UNESCO recognised “Old Town/Walled City”, Ciudad Amurallada? As most outcomes for the 2 of us, a compromise: a week in one, a week in the other.

Unfortunately, Rio had other plans. (See previous blog post on travel delay)

Our first week was shortened to 4 nights in the beachside area of El Laguito in Bocagrande, one of the newer neighbourhoods made up of exclusive high-end hotels, gated high rises, working-class apartments and mid-range accommodation. Like Ipanema, our Airbnb was just a short few blocks from the water, but unlike Ipanema, there were no flags, signs or barracas setting each “beach” apart from the other. Same, same – just different.

The first wander landed us right in the thick of things with relentless vendors, crowded bar/restaurants and beach chairs exploding with holidaying families watching the sun slowly disappear. This was not the white sand and crystal clear water of the neighbouring coral islands. Instead, we were in a local spot with merchants trying to make a living and residents and travellers enjoying the music and food of this amazing South American continent. Much has been written online about the colour of the sand and clarity of the water on this coastal edge beach, but it only takes a bit of close inspection to realise the grey colour of the sand contributes to what looks like murkier water than those post card images you come to expect. After some initial hesitation, we relaxed into it and found a spot to watch the action. Erik was convinced he needed a massage by one of the women who pace the beach with oil and sand castle pails filled with water, ready to sooth those tired feet. Claudia ended with a sly grin and knowing wink concluding we were more than just “amigos”, but she was never able to convince the other part of the duo for “un masaje”. We munched on platanos washed down by local beer and later the unofficial travel beer: Corona. The short stay in El Laguito included more beach time - specifically a couple of nice afternoons at El Muelle, Erik’s first arepa and a head cold for Robert. A low stress life doesn’t mean perfect health, no matter what the blogs tell you.

Moving to the walled city revealed the look and feel we expected from the online travel pics of this area, only better. It really does look like a movie set, but this is not “Car-ta-hay-nya” as Michal Douglas famously mispronounced it in Romancing the Stone. This is “Car-ta-hay-na” and that movie was filmed in Mexico anyway. It is even more impressive in person and the immediate first impression is how pristine it all is. Whereas Bocagrande was a hub of activity with people of all walks of life, the Walled City is obviously aimed at a specific type of tourist with a bit of cash to burn or a backpack to store for a while. There is also a University population roaming the streets, but it all falls into two camps: those providing the Cartagena experience and those indulging in it. We felt so much more like tourists here and less like travellers, wandering shops, poking our heads into historic buildings and admiring the restaurants we would have had booked in for “date nights” if we weren’t on a budget.

From the palenqueras who now make their living posing for pics rather than selling fruit - to the stilt-walking jester and bead-clad-nautical-themed hostesses outside the Bourbon Street bar, this is tourism overload. There is a small element of safety concerns as in most tourist towns, but nothing like we’d gone through in Rio so we just wandered and wandered and wandered. . . and you never know what you will find as you turn the corner. One night it was the ficci festival and an open air showing of Hitchcock’s The Birds. Neither of us had seen Tippie Hedren on the big screen, but it was the mostly young crowd's occasional gasps and screams that provided the real entertainment in our short stop watching this classic.

One of the best mornings was an early walk around the wall, the entire perimeter of the Old Town. Streets were quiet around us and we hardly ran into another tourist except for the occasional jogger. Even the panhandlers weren’t reaching out. It was almost as if they were waiting in the wings for the curtain to rise. For one of us, it was a deja-vu moment back to the '80s opening shops on Royal and Bourbon Street. And for both of us, it was another reminder of how much of this Old Town reminds us of the French Quarter. Built by Spanish in two different periods, wrought iron verses wood balustrades, yet the comparison is unavoidable.

If you want to see a more balanced blend of the local and tourist vibe, we found it in Getsemani. This more earthy neighbourhood has some of the look of the Old Town, but includes a thriving student art scene, nightlife and local residential feel. AND a cool place to drop your laundry called Beer and Laundry. On our walk about, we stopped for a drink in the Plaza de la Santisima Trinidad. The fresh juices here in Cartagena are amazing, and there’s always a cold beer or some type of lime/coconut cocktail to down if you want something stronger while you people watch - which we did despite Robert's hacking from his cold.

Evenings and nights include lots of people dining in the streets, music and sunsets. We watched from the crowded Café del Mar once and from the more subdued Baluarte de San Francisco Javier another. Both good experiences and in both cases, the sun dropped as low as it could before disappearing into the marine layer. One afternoon before dinner, we headed up to our rooftop for an indulgent "cool" tub and some incredible light. Perfect relaxation. There’s so much dining here, you could stay for a month and barely scratch the surface. There’s something for everyone on every budget available. For us, a few stood out. We had one night of simple ceviche at Cebiches y Seviches overlooking the crowds near the clock tower. A few nights later we wandered in off the street for something more substantial at Zaitun where Middle Eastern meets Caribean. The live Salsa band was a bonus. Seviche was king and queen for us and we probably could have eaten it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Restaurante Pescadito was a great way to finish our dining experiences with the traditional Pescado Ceviche and a local favourite Cazuela de Mariscos. Imagine a combination of cioppino, bouillabaisse, seafood bisque or any of those other seafood stews served over mashed potatoes - yum!

We have a few more days here and have already planned visits to neighbouring islands. In planning our trip, we mostly chose to be near the beach and Cartagena followed that plan, but it is so much more than just surf and sand. Different to other beach cities and different in its old and new selves. Same same, just different.