Cartagena Trip

[Dennis in CA]

I recently returned from spending 10 days in this gorgeous city & decided to share some things with everyone here.  Altho this was my second visit to Colombia, this was my first visit to Cartagena.
The first thing that I noticed was the hot, humid climate upon stepping off the plane -- more so than in Cali.  But I adjusted quite fast & the nights were pleasant.  
As far as comparisons between Cali & Cartagena go, I would agree with those here that have said that the Calenas are, overall, prettier.  However, make no mistake, there are PLENTY of beautiful women in Cartagena.  The Cartageneras appeared to be less sophisticated and a bit more genuine than their Calena sisters.  Probably because the Cartagena agency scene is much smaller than in Cali.  When comparing the 2 cities for scenic beauty, history, great restaurants & SAFETY there is no comparison because Cali can not compete with Cartagena.  I loved the sights & the relative ease & safety getting around the city.  Please understand that you still need to be aware of your surroundings ALL THE TIME, but the safety factor is much better in Cartagena.  The sites are awesome & must sees are the Monestery (best view of the city), the Castillo & claro the Old City.  The beaches are ok -- way too many vendors & not the best sand.  
The hotels in Cartagena are great, with the Santa Clara being numero uno.  Other great places to stay are the Hilton on Bocagrande -- great pools & private beach; the Admiralte -- great bar at the top floor with an awesome view; and the Hotel Caribe -- gorgeous grounds with deer, monkeys & parrots there, nice pool but there were many families there & not many single ladies.  I stayed at the Caribe & recommend it as a reasonably-priced, good, clean, safe place that has all the amenities, even hair dryers in the bathrooms.
I attended the Latin Destination tour party.  The owner, Gloria Blakely, is a great gal who really gets to know both the men & the ladies personally.  She has an office in Orlando & one in Cartagena; she also has affiliate offices in other Colombian cities.  Her staff in Cartagena are all great ladies who are fun to work with.  The party was on a Saturday nite & held at the Caribe.  There were approximately 75 ladies there & about 10 gringos.  Talk about great odds!!  After the party, many of us went into the Old City to a great disco (Baluarte) that sits up on the old wall of the city.  It was just one of many great nites in that beautiful city!!
One of the benefits in this venue is that you make some great friends along the way & this trip was no different.  I hooked up another fellow Californian, Roberto from LA, which made the trip alot more fun.  We became great friends in a short period of time & we both felt as if we'd known each other for years.  A recommendation to make your trip more enjoyable is to try & go out in groups, especially if you haven't found a special lady yet.  I found that a group of 4-6 people out for an evening is alot more fun & makes it easier to relax, especially if the ladies do not speak much English -- and many do not.  Fortunately, Roberto speaks good Spanish which improved mine several-fold while I was there.
The nites in Cartagena are spectacular.  The old city is so rich with culture, beauty & history that it is like something out of a movie.  The plazas are awesome with outdoor dining, live entertainment & music, excellent food and, of course, lovely Cartageneras that are very friendly & fun to be with.  And, just like their Calena sisters, most of them LOVE to dance!!
For those of you considering a trip, do it!!  You will not be sorry.  I know I will be returning as I made many good friends down there that I look forward to seeing again.  Good, genuine people that are happy to have you as their guests in their fine city.  Houndog introduced me to a great guy down there who speaks excellent English & can  help you with just about anything you need if you are heading down there.  I also met a few others while there as well.  If you are interested in their names, send me an email & I'll be happy to help.  
Altho there were 2 guys that got engaged while I was down there, the odds of finding "the one" in a week are pretty low.  Most of the ladies that I met are not interested in that kind of whirlwind relationship either.  Most want to get to know the guy, which means multiple trips.  But, hey, I can think of worse places to visit.
Lastly, while checking out the albums in the AFA office, I noticed the photo of the "scamlady" about who much was written here recently.  I mentioned it to the manager & he removed her photo from the album while I was there.  Don't know what happened after that.
I really can't say anything bad about Cartagena because it's a great place to relax & enjoy the culture while searching for the lovely lady of your dreams.
Buena suerte a todas....
D

[Houndog]

... in response to Cartagena Trip, posted by Dennis in CA on Jul 28, 2001

Dennis, Thanks for the Great Trip Report and follow up comments. Sounds like you had a fun and inspiring trip, judgeing from the enthusiasum I'm reading. I thought I heard a rumor you had met some ladies that were more special than others ? LOL..Hope that rumor is true and things work out ;-).

I agree with all you say. Cartagena is a really cool place to visit...and maybe even live in or retire to some day. I think the ONLY reason it's not traveled more is the lack of a B&B Type Agency. Cartagena does require a little more Planning and Free Lancing than Cali with it's well developed MOB Industry. But for those willing to Pre-Plan by arranging for some of the Translator/Guides to get the ball rolling and help out, Cartagena certianly has plenty of beautiful down to earth, sincere women. In fact I met plenty of Just Plain Old GOOD PEOPLE there.

And you made a Great Point...maybe the best point...MAKING FRIENDS...here, there and all along this journey not only enhances the Fun Factor....it helps to keep the Adventure on track and the problems to a minimun IMO.

Thanks for taking the time to post and let us know if those rumors of amor work out ;-).

Regards, HD

[Dennis in CA]

... in response to Re: Cartagena Trip, posted by Houndog on Jul 28, 2001

HD:
Yes, it really was a great trip!!  It sounds as tho your spys are quite good; I did meet some really neat ladies there, and yes, a couple were more special than the others.  So, I'll keep you posted on developments as they occur....LOL.
And thanks for all yours & JunFan's great field reports & advise on Cartagena -- it helped alot & was much appreciated.
D

[JunFan]

... in response to Cartagena Trip, posted by Dennis in CA on Jul 28, 2001

.....is telling the truth.  Glad you had a good time.  BTW, if you are buying emeralds in Cartagena, the jewelry store in the Hotel Caribe is one of the best that I found.  I had lunch with the owner and he is a very nice man.  He also owns a couple of other emerald stores in the old city, and his emeralds are good quality

There are pics of Santa Clara, Santa Theresa and the Hotel Caribe grounds on my web page.  Santa Clara is definately the nicest place in Cartagena, hands down.

Nice report.

Mike

[Dennis in CA]

... in response to This guy...., posted by JunFan on Jul 28, 2001

Mike:
I had a great time & can't wait to return.  I checked out a few emerald stores while there but didn't buy this trip.  You're right about the jewelry store in the Caribe.  I found a couple good places in the old city as well.  I couldn't believe the prices!!
Another reason that I love Cartagena is it's the BEST place to return to visit family.  And, fellas, don't forget that she has a family there that you will have to visit occasionally.  So, while you're there try to make friends as well as searching for your lady because it really pays off down the road.
D

[dmohio]

... in response to This guy...., posted by JunFan on Jul 28, 2001

Mike,

I have visited your site several times in the past. You and HD have given me great info before, on this board. This prior info and your pix provided the determination to try to work things out with the girl from Barranquilla. Thank you for your prior help.

(I have tried to post this minutes ago, but apparently failed. Please forgive me, if it shows up twice.)

[JunFan]

... in response to Re: This guy...., posted by dmohio on Jul 28, 2001

Well, it's finally good to know in the last week that there are some people here who can cut thru the BS of those who try to undermine HD & I on here.  We just want to share our experiences so that others may find that which we have. Sure, all of us don't always agree but that is why you must avoid getting caught looking at the trees but rather see the forest.

How do you think we figured it out? There were those before us who provided us the same information and I owe them much.  Soon, I won't be on this board as much so it will be up to you guys to pass the information you now posses to those gringos who are yet to take the first step and get off the fence.

Thank you for making us proud!!

[dmohio]

... in response to This guy...., posted by JunFan on Jul 28, 2001

Mike,

I have visited your webpage several times in the past. You and HD have given me great info before. I owe alot of the determination to try to work things out with the girl from
Barranquilla to you to. Thank you.

[dmohio]

... in response to Cartagena Trip, posted by Dennis in CA on Jul 28, 2001

I am overdue to report on a recent trip I took to Cartagena as well. I was meeting a person from Barranquilla whom I had previously met in November, on a tour. She is now a novia. It was a wonderful trip. I was in Cartagena from 6/29 - 7/10.

We stayed at Hotel Charleston for about 230,000 pesos and then swithed to the Almirante at 190,000 pesos, and finally stayed at Las Americas for 215,000 pesos. Almirante and Las America included buffet breakfasts, while the Hotel Charleston hit us for an extra 60,000 pesos for the least desirable of the breakfasts we ate. I had been told that early July was high season. Therefore, I did not negotiate these prices much, when making reservations. At least now, the high season looks like low season. I probably could have gotten 20,000 to 40,000 less at the Almirante and negotiated inclusion of breakfast at the Charleston. Las Americas probably gave us a standard package rate.

Of these sites, my novia and I liked Las Americas the best. It is near the most private beach, with the least bothersome vendors, and has some great pools and activities daily. While we were there, magazine photagraphers were shooting the contestants for "Senorita Del Mundo", a beauty pageant. Several dance troupes performed on Sunday.

The old city has a number of distinct shopping areas. I wound up looking for a few high quality but very small emeralds among the jewelry stores near Plaza Santo Domingo. Since there are currently no cruise ships comming in, the dealers were very flexible on price, especially when the dealers saw that we might be serious. But they have the extreme advantage of knowing quality and I believe they sold my new novia a collection of substandard rocks. Negotiations are in $US. I paid $325 for 5 small stones. I believe that if I had nerve and poker skills, the correct price would have been about $150. This appraisal was made by a dealer who made a late appointment with us, after we had purchased the stones elsewhere, and actually came to our hotel room with his inventory of emeralds in the quality class my novia specified.

A "tour guide" who spoke broken English and catered to my novia steered us to his acquaintences on both the jewelry shopping expedition and several boat tours. We were sold high end tours to Isle Rosario and several other island destinations off Cartagena. While the national aquarium on one island has some great sights, including dolphins, sharks, and huge turtles, the boat trips were very uncomfortable. The Colombian natives were smart enough to negotiate the admission to the national aquarium into their package rate, while the gringo soaked up 40000 pesos extra. An island with a private pool and sandy beach was our favorite trip of the three. However, the tour company only let us stay there for about 2 hrs. before saying we had to reload to go home. These island tours can be worth it if you negotiate the price of the aquarium into the tour, specify how long you want to be on the island for enjoying the beaches and pool, and pick a comfortable boat or at least a good seat on a standard boat. My back is still aching from several of our boat trips.

The tour guide also steered us to several flea markets and shopping centers outside of the old city. These alternatives were actually good deals for craftes, clothing, and souveneirs. He also took us to a good, but not great flower garden / arborteum about 10 miles outside the old city. We also visited San Felipe Castle (spectatular ---the biggest surprise outside the old city), the internationally known sculpture of the big bronze boots, and the well known, but in my opinion, overrated monastery.

The tour guide really performed well in terms of restaurant selection. The most well known place at which we ate, Cafe San Pedro, should not be missed. Terrific food, outside, near a bunch of great sculptures. We found this place without him. But he found a number of other great restaurants that do not have a big reputation, but have food just as good, and great ambience. There was a Cuban place with a courtyard near Cafe San Pedro and also several seafood places which this guide referred us to, which would be five star names in the US. My credit card bills for dinner for two never topped $20 and was usually about $15, after tip and conversion from pesos.

We took a chiva ride our first night and wound up at La Escollera. I showed the latinos that Americans really can learn merengue and salsa, if the proper dance partner is available. (I had also practiced for two months before leaving for Cartagena. I think the practice helped as my new novia really warmed up after she saw I had at least a miniscule amount of rythm).  

On subsequent nights we hit 4 discos, including the famous Mr. Babilla (my novia was dancing on the bar table, with some wide-eyed extranjero spectators watching her and several sisters), Tuzcandela (sp), and our favorite place, just across the street from the Santa Clara hotel. The bar/restaurant catty corner from the entrance to the Santa Clara had the best music, ambience, dance floor, and food of any place to go dancing that we visited.

I'll try to post more info soon.

[Houndog]

... in response to Re: Cartagena Trip, posted by dmohio on Jul 28, 2001

Thanks for the Great Report...wow 2 Cartagena Trip Reports in a row...unbelievable. I guess the Best Kept Secret of Colombia is starting to get some of the Spotlight it deserves.

Dude...sounds like you were as busy as I was my first couple of trips. There really are SOOOOOO many things to see and do. Hope you got to see the Inqusition Museum in Simon Bolivar Square...something else. I think you named just about all the Big Stuff...I know you were busy...LOL.

Yea the boat rides seem to drag on...but they were fun...passing thru the original Fort Gun Outposts at the mouth of The Bay of Cartagena was really something to me..Oh yea...MEMORIES....:-).

 You two guys are making me yearn for another visit. Maybe I'll get lucky and my wife and I can get back home for Christmas....*sigh*....

Thanks for taking the time to post really.

Regards, HD

[JunFan]

... in response to Re: Re: Cartagena Trip wow 2 in a Row !, posted by Houndog on Jul 28, 2001

Somehow I just can't picture having Christmas in 90+ degree heat and 60% humidity...

[Dennis in CA]

... in response to Re: Re: Cartagena Trip wow 2 in a Row !, posted by Houndog on Jul 28, 2001

....is great!!  I forgot to mention what a great tour that is also.  And there are many things that I didn't see because there just wan't enough time.  But that's what "next trips" are for, right?
D

[dmohio]

... in response to Re: Re: Cartagena Trip wow 2 in a Row !, posted by Houndog on Jul 28, 2001

HD, thank you for the comments and especially, thank you for the information you and Mike provided several months ago which persuaded me to try a B/Q tour originally.  Your board notes and Mike's website also helped to plan the followup with a joint visit to Cartagena with the girl I met.

Best wishes to you as your life appears to be in the process of changing.

[JunFan]

... in response to Re: Cartagena Trip, posted by dmohio on Jul 28, 2001

When I got engaged down there, I let her pick out an emerald engagement ring that was 1.05 Karat for around 5 bills....Let me tell you, that emerald green sure does look good on that beautiful morena skin!!  You can barely buy a ring out of a gumball machine in the US for that.

Mike

[dmohio]

... in response to Re: Cartagena Trip, posted by dmohio on Jul 28, 2001

I promised the tour guide I would post his name on the Internet in case any new visitors from the US want to use his service. He was a nice guy, selected good but inexpensive restaurants, and showed us some sites away from the old city which we would not have ventured to see. Just don't buy any boat tours to the islands from him, as you can get better deals by just walking down to the marina and avoiding all middlemen there.

His contact info is: Pedro Velez Jiminez, Tel:669-8517 in Cartagena.

I believe that the only reasonably honest emerald dealer we ran into was Felipe Castaneda, at the Joyeria Coscuezn on Centro Calle de Ayos in the old city. You still need to bargain hard but the deals are there, due to lack of tourists.

I am planning to visit Barranquilla to see the new novia in October. We were thinking of flying to San Andres. Has anyone been there recently, or know of anyone who has been to San Andres recently? If so, how do we access good hotel deals or good airfares RT from Barranquilla?

Thank you for your help.