OK , I will
I arrived in Cartagena last night to meet a woman for the second time. I have a date with her tonight and depending on what happens, I may stay in Cartagena for a few days or I ll go back to Baranquilla tomorrow, park my butt on the couch in the Howard Johnson hotel lobby and see if I can chat up laidies coming out of the AFA socials tomorrow and the 6th.
Cartagena is the most expensive city in Colombia...and I didnt start to tenjoy it until I figured out how to live when I was here.
Barrio Getsemani is a colorful collection of narrow streets populated with low cost hotels and hostals. I like Gesemani because I meet interesting people form the frugal but smart travel set and the backpacker universe. This morning, I chatted with a 27 year old German girl from Munich, attractive but big in the Valkyerie syle, she wanted to practice her English and I wanted to enjoy chatting with a young woman...and that s as far as it went. I talked to a young American couple who live in an apartment building across the street from my building in New York City where I grew up 45 years ago...and I got a current reality check and shock about prices.
In Getsemani you can rent a single room with a fan for 25,000 pesos and I ve done that when I arrived late wanted a room and had no plans. Its not a big room or elegant.......but its a room. This morning I went back to my favorite hotel in Getseman, Hotel Villa Colonial at 55-30 Calle de la Maravillas a room with a bath, double bed and a fan is 40,000 pesos and I like the atmosphere. At the end of the hallways on the second and third florros are open balconied terraces with couches and a table....
When you come to the coast, you can survive the nights with high speed fans, you dont need air conditioning
From Getsemani to the Old City os 5.000 by cab and my strategy when I date in Cartagena is take women out to quiet restaurants on side streets in the Old City, but limit lodging expenses. Let me also recommend Cafe de la Luna on Calle Media Luna the main drag in Getsemani, a place that serves good chow and not terribly expensive. This morningIi had steak and eggs, toast and coffee for 10,000 pesos and lunch was a large green lettuce and tomato salad and a coke for 7,000 pesos.
That s about 9.00 USD for two good meals.
it s easy to drop 200 or 300 US a day in Cartagena but ,its a lot more fun to have a decent hotel room, eat two meals, take a woman ou tfor athird and see if theres any chemistry for a bit more then 60 dollars.
Have a good day, all!
Dennis
