Stepping out of the Groove: Cartagena, Colombia

We arrived in Cartagena, Colombia on the 4th of July. We were thinking about our friends back home in Ouray at the Mountain Rescue breakfast as we were stuck in a tube at 35,000 feet traveling from Madrid. Admittedly, I cannot say that I really missed scooping up eggs to the tourists for the first time in 16 years. I did miss schooling Khris Dunham for the upteenth time with water pistols, but there will be future opportunities for that annual beat-down.

Getting into Colombia was a cinch. No visas to obtain. Easy immigration screening. Friendly locals. We chose to come to Colombia (1) because we had never previously travelled here and (2) it has a bit of edginess to it by reputation (3) it will likely very soon be the world travel du jour destination similar to Myanmar. Once mainstream travelers figure out that it is a safe and friendly place to visit, it will get swamped with tourists who have been waiting for years to come due to the real and perceived threats to safety. Colombia is kind of like France in that it has it all: beaches, mountains, architecture, lush farmland, great food. It won't be long before it gets 'discovered'.

Cartagena is our first stop. It has an interesting mix of faded glory and revival. The old city is a classic collection of colonial architecture. Some of the buildings look first class with boutique hotels. Others have crumbling facades that point to a previous era of prosperity. The first picture below is of the building called "Club Cartagena". If you look closely, you can see vegetation growing out of the seams in the granite blocks. The facade is fantastic, but in disrepair and in need of a paint job.

The primary limiting factor for us right now is the heat. Ambient air temperature is mid 90s, but the humidity is also mid 90s. You walk outside and you immediately are soaked in your own sweat. It does make you appreciate the cool, dry climate of SW Colorado, that's for sure! We get out each day to explore for 4-5 hours and then we hide in our air conditioned apartment and recover.

Our original intention post-Cartagena was to go to nearby Santa Marta and do the 5 day Ciudad de Perida (aka Lost City) trek. However, I told Joanie that there is no way I am hiking 5+ hours each day in this kind of heat/humidity with no relief at night. I am sure it is spectacular, but I also know that I flat out cannot manage this kind of heat. I'm out! So...we instead are heading up into the hills of the "Coffee Triangle" near Salento. The elevation is 6200 feet, the temps are cool and the area is renowned for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. Perfect.