3 weeks in Colombia (August 2023) (page 2 of 2)

Day 22: Cartagena’s Old Town

A relaxed wake-up, breakfast at the hotel restaurant (included and very good), then we set off on foot toward the center of Cartagena. It’s about a half-hour walk. Even this early in the morning, it’s already scorching hot and humid. First stop at Rafael Núñez’s house—who, as everyone knows, is the local Rouget de Lisle. There isn’t much to see, but it’s a chance to check out a 19th-century Caribbean-style home.

We continue to the Indi Catalina monument, a statue of an indigenous woman honoring the area’s original inhabitants, before finally entering the walled Old Town. The Torre del Reloj and the various squares we visit are stunning. Sure, there are a lot of tourists, but it’s still manageable. You can tell—because it happens sometimes—that when a cruise ship unloads its passengers, the Old Town must get completely packed. The San Pedro Claver Church is gorgeous (the guy was a good dude, so the building dedicated to him is really interesting). Plaza Bolívar (yet another one) is under construction, but then the rain starts to fall. It’s going to be a downpour, so we take shelter in the Gold Museum, which is free and nice but way less impressive than the one in Bogotá. Once the rain lets up, we head back out and keep wandering through Cartagena’s beautiful streets, moving from square to square (not all of them are called Plaza Bolívar—one per city is enough!). We get closer to the walls—absolutely stunning. What’s less stunning is the rain starting up again, but this time it’s pouring! Since it’s around 1 p.m., we decide to quickly find a restaurant. No luck—none nearby, and there’s a taxi right there. We hop in to get back to the apartment and grab a snack there. About 600 meters from the place, the taxi breaks down—engine flooded by the massive puddles and the relentless rain. We didn’t want to get soaked, but that’s exactly what happens as we end up walking the rest of the way. And then—the accident! My backpack was in front to protect the camera, the sidewalks overflowing with water, and me walking pretty fast—I didn’t see the sneaky hidden hole, and *bam*—double sprain of my left ankle. I go down hard, of course. I know the pain, and I know exactly what happened. I limp the rest of the way back to the apartment in the rain. Ice, a painkiller, and I watch my ankle swell up like crazy. The bummer! The whole group is pretty shaken, but I decide to laugh it off. With all our travels, this is the first time something like this has happened to us. Hospital or not? Used to this kind of injury, I think it’s unnecessary. It’s not broken, so it’ll be fine. Since it’s still raining and morale is low, we stay at the apartment, and the others go grab some food from a nearby restaurant.

Thankfully, we’d already seen most of Cartagena’s highlights that morning. End of the day was quiet, and early to bed.

The plus: Despite the tourists, Cartagena’s Old Town The minus: My ankle

Day 23: Islas Rosario

Tough morning—my ankle’s gone through every color of the rainbow, and I can’t put my foot down. Today was supposed to be a catamaran day for snorkeling and swimming around the Rosario Islands. So, if I can just make it to the boat, the rest should be okay. We take a taxi that drops us off in front of the huge catamaran (this one didn’t break down!) and, with my hiking poles, I manage to board without any issues. The boat is really big—it must hold over a hundred tourists. There’ll only be about thirty of us, so plenty of space. It’s a bit pricey, but everything’s all-inclusive.

We leave the port of Cartagena—already worth it—and then sail for a good two hours toward the islands. We stop by a beach, and into the water we go. Not too hard for me since I can hold on to plenty of spots. Once I’m in the water, my foot doesn’t feel a thing. The water’s crystal clear, but as for fish or coral, it’s nothing special. That said, the setting around us is enchanting. We stay for an hour, then head off to another spot, even wilder and just as beautiful. No snorkeling here because the sea’s a bit choppy, so you can’t see anything underwater. But swimming here is amazing. From the boat, the young ones don’t hesitate to dive into that 30°C water. The return trip is really pleasant—we realize we’ve tanned like crazy. Some tourists look more like undercooked shrimp, but we’re all good. A taxi back, and I’m back on the apartment couch. We order in a meal, and the day comes to an end. An excellent day of relaxation, where we were pampered, and on top of that, it didn’t rain!!! My ankle’s still a rainbow!

The +: An extraordinary day The -: My painful ankle

Day 24: Cartagena, continuing with the surrounding areas

After waking up, I announce to everyone that I’m staying in the apartment in the morning because I’d planned to explore the outskirts of Cartagena, which involves a lot of walking, and that just wasn’t possible! My daughter stays with me while the other two head to Castillo San Felipe on foot. Apparently, it was tough for them—it was so hot. It’s worth it, but I don’t have all the details since I wasn’t there. Once they’re back, we eat some fruit, and I offer to drive them (an automatic car, so only using my right foot!) to the Convento de la Popa. I’d seen there was a parking lot near the entrance. With my walking sticks and some help, I should be able to visit the place. And sure enough, it goes as I’d planned. It was tough and took a while to walk around, but in the end, I don’t regret it—the view of Cartagena from the convent is amazing. Plus, it was my only outing of the day! After that, we head back, rest, eat, and then bedtime. The group’s morale isn’t great, and my ankle is getting more and more swollen!

The plus: Having an apartment in the end was really great The minus: My ankle V3

Day 25: Back to Bogota

It feels like the end is near! We have a morning flight to arrive around 1 PM in Bogota. We return the car at the airport. The rental agent is surprised to see the driver getting out of the car with walking sticks and... well, walking like *something*—I couldn’t quite put my finger on what, but walking oddly, anyway. The airport is nearby. Right away, I’m provided with a wheelchair (I requested assistance for all flights). We go through all the checks with priority, and then we’re off to the Colombian capital. My father-in-law (he’s great) is waiting for us. We’d planned to visit Distrito Graffiti. The younger ones and the boss will walk, while I’ll go by car. No problem, since there was nobody around. The graffiti is absolutely stunning—each piece more beautiful than the last, and way more plentiful than in Medellin. We spend a good while there, then head to my father-in-law’s place, where I rest until evening. After that, we all go out to eat at a nice restaurant. It’s almost over!

The plus: The accident happened at the end of the trip, thankfully. The minus: It feels like the end... of the trip, of course!

Days 26 & 27: Return to France + Recap

Our flight is tonight at 11:30 PM. So I spend the day with my leg stretched out, just waiting for time to pass—me, the hyperactive one! Nothing much to say about this day with family (it’s a holiday in Bogotá). At the airport, I’m immediately put in a wheelchair. We say goodbye to everyone (my daughter and her boyfriend are staying a few more days), and my wife and I go through all the checks really quickly. The flight to Frankfurt is going to be long, and I’m a bit worried about my ankle. I don’t sleep at all. The flight attendants give me ice, and in the end, when we arrive in Frankfurt, it’s swollen but less than I’d imagined. A wheelchair is waiting for me at the plane’s exit. Then we take one of the electric carts to cross the huge airport, and I’m dropped off right in front of the departure gate. But here’s the problem: as long as I’m waiting to board, it’s fine, but when it’s time to get on the plane, I can’t. My wife scrambles to find a wheelchair, and she finally gets one with an attendant who keeps apologizing for the oversight. The one-hour flight to Lyon, and we arrive at 11 PM. Same thing—I wait for a wheelchair. The Lufthansa attendants tell me one is supposed to be there, but we’re in Lyon (France), and nothing’s set up. Finally, a young woman arrives with a wheelchair and takes me to baggage claim. She says goodbye because she’s not allowed to go any further. So my wife ends up with two big suitcases, two carry-ons, and me, the injured guy in a wheelchair. We have to take a shuttle to get our car and head home. Somehow, we make it to the bus stop. I explain the situation to the driver—that I’m in a wheelchair that isn’t mine and have no idea what to do once I’m on the bus. His response: "Anyway, it’s chaos here—just leave it at the bus stop." We’re far from Colombian service! We get home tired but happy about the trip.

Quick recap: Flights: Standard with Lufthansa. Cars: Great condition, driving was a bit bold, but overall great. Food: Good but not amazing—except for the fruit. Hotels: Great, especially considering the prices!!! Itinerary: Very packed but awesome—we saw so many beautiful things, met great people, and did tons of diverse activities. Climate: Really tough, especially because of the humidity almost everywhere. If I were to do it again: I wouldn’t change a thing except for the ankle sprain (which I could’ve done without) and maybe moving the Oceta Páramo excursion to the end of the trip when we’d be better acclimated to the altitude.

In my opinion, if Colombia keeps going like this, it’s going to become a major tourist destination fast. It has huge potential, incredible cultural richness, and stunning, varied landscapes. There’s a good chance I’ll go back (family reasons...) and I already know what I want to visit next. Three weeks won’t be enough—I had to make choices and skip some places, so... As for my ratings (the + and the -), they’re not on the same scale. The + is truly top-tier, and the - is often just nitpicking. Don’t hesitate to ask me questions—I think I can answer quite a few! Thanks for reading! A+

Hi Ellobo, I really enjoyed reading your travel journal and your humor. My wife and I are thinking about our next destination: returning to Crete (I loved it! 1 month in spring 2024), or Mexico (it’s been about 20 years), or Colombia (though at 80, it’d be less athletic than for you). I’ll keep an eye out and reach out if needed. PS: Take good care of your ankle!

Hi there, happy to help out. The country is so beautiful! Cheers,