We Have Safely Arrived in Colombia, the Country
We landed in Cartagena around 10:30 after a quick hop over from Panema. Customs delayed us just long enough that Nate serendipitously arrived at our exit right as we did, despite his flight being delayed over an hour. I was not questioned about my American contraband: three Four Lokos and a bottle of Franks Red Hot. We hopped in our cab, were to our hostel by midnight and quickly settled into a small private room with two beds and a fan, all we could want. After a quick stop at the corner store for some Aguila, we headed out for a walk, dodging groups of happy bumblers clearly returning from a bar crawl and settling into a small but well-lit square where several other travelers were reveling in the end of their evening. We sat and sipped, enjoying the evening reunion as Nate regaled us with the adventures of his travel. Of course the adventures of nearly six months travel are not a one drink endeavor, so we meandered to the corner bar where Courtney polished off his Spanish and ordered up three chairs outside and a round of drinks. This small random bar on this small random square served up a mojito better than 95% of those I have had in the States, despite it being well passed closing time. When actual closing time approached, we paid and headed on for a walk into the old city. I’m surprised to see how many people are still out and about, although some of them are “women of the night” and men who somehow wake up as we pass by to offer “una cerveza.” After getting a taste of what we will see tomorrow in the daylight, we settle into our hostel, thankful for the fan.
