Cartagena

When walking the streets of the Walled City you can't help but feel as if you have stumbled onto the scene of an old classic film set somewhere in colonial Spain. You aren't sure what the film is about, but you are sure the storyline is full of history, passion, turmoil, and beauty. 

The fact that the Walled City is a tourist destination does not detract too much from its charm or sophistication. And the romance! Horse drawn buggies, strolling guitarists, rhythmic dancers thrashing their bodies to the beat of street drummers; you begin to wonder if the city is all for show. To a degree, yes it is. But there's a deeper significance that touches the souls of those who pass through her walls. Colombians recognize this, and revere it. It's evident in the 3 different wedding parties we pass by within our first hour there, in the old men sitting outside the childhood home of Gabriel García Márquez selling their original watercolors, and the ladies sweeping their doorways, some of the last remaining private homes, vestiges of yesteryear. A vast majority of the people who eat and sleep within these stoic walls are tourists, because only a tourist can afford the price tag that comes with all the elegance. The city's spirit, however, transcends material wealth. Her heart remains her history, the brute strength felt deep within her stones her foundation. 

If you tire of the vendors and crave something less polished, a whole different world awaits you outside the walls. A working city with equally impressive energy. Just be weary of taking the bus from the Walled City to the main bus terminal across town. Five miles took 70 minutes. If the bus driver has a newspaper in hand as he lets you on his bus, be prepared. It's gonna be a long commute.