My husband and I traveled to Cartagena, Colombia, as the tail-end part of a three-week long trip that also included Morocco, Spain, and Disney World in Orlando, Florida. In hindsight, it does not seem that adding another stop after Disney World was the brightest of ideas. As much as we love Disney World, its constant presence of germ-ridden children combined with the area's high humidity make it a perfect storm for the spread of the common cold. So, yeah...mental note: do not do any further traveling after Disney World, in the not-so-outlandish chance that you catch a cold while there. I was not coughing, thank goodness, which made the flight to Cartagena less daunting, and quite frankly, I was glad not to have to fly with a contagious cough (which NEVER makes you friends on a flight, and for good reason). When we checked into our beautiful hotel, San Pedro Hotel and Spa, in the heart of la ciudad amurallada, Cartagena's walled old city, I went straight into the bed and took a nap.
Cartagena is hot and humid. For me, it is unbearably so. I do not tolerate extreme heat and humidity well, especially not while sick. Thus, I spent the next three days with my husband holed up in our fancy hotel room for the large part of the mornings and afternoons, only to briefly explore the city at dusk in search of dinner. From what I understand, night time is when Cartagena comes alive, however. We encountered young men walking around strumming guitars or rapping to reggeatón beats. Each block had a different sound, and the experience of walking through Cartagena's streets during the evening was highly immersive. The explosion of colors that characterize the buildings in the walled city, and the distinct sounds Spanish-Caribbean culture ensure a memorable experience for the senses.
It is a shame that I did not feel 100 percent during the three days I spent in Cartagena, but I am glad that I did my body a favor and rested in bed much of the time. However, it is for this reason that I did not take many photos as I normally do while traveling. A short two-hour flight from Florida, though, means that I can easily return to Colombia's Caribbean ciudad antigua in the future.
Nos vemos la próxima, Colombia.
Hubby posing for me.
I am visibly under the weather.
Our gorgeous room in San Pedro Hotel, with colonial-era details. The name of our room was Sueño, which translates as "Dream."
Our room included a private jacuzzi.
Outside of our room, Sueño.
Details found in the lobby of San Pedro Hotel and Spa.
© Amanda Raquel 2018