After Lima, the time has come for another country and that is why we went to Cartagena, where our trip to Colombia began! To get there, we first had to take a connecting flight via Bogotá. We arrived in Cartagena late at night and upon reaching our hostel, which was located in the centre, we could see an extremely nightlife oriented city. Lots of people hanging around and loud music everywhere. Despite the fact that it was already 1am , after making the check-in, we went to test the nightlife in Colombia for the first time.
On our first day, we went for a walk around the city to learn more about the area. The weather was extremely  hot and we could see the touristy side of Cartagena. We also felt a bit overwhelmed by the amount of people trying to sell us "the best watch", "the fanciest chain" or "the most valuable boast tour" in town. Besides that, we were a little shocked at how often we heard the phrase "I have everything" referring to their wide range of drugs. The centre was quite unique, especially for its colourful and well-preserved architecture, which reflected the original and authentic image. The centre is almost entirely surrounded by walls, although it is a car-friendly area. In the main square, called Plaza del Reloj, there is a small church over a path that leads to the commercial and residential parts of the city.  Worth mentioning, Cartagena is the main port on the northern coast of Colombia bordering the Caribbean Sea. Its full name is Cartagena de Indias, as it was founded by Spanish sailors who named the settlement in reference to the Spanish equivalent. As a former Spanish colony, it was a key port for the export of Peruvian silver to Spain and for the import of enslaved Africans. Another crucial role was a connection on the route to the West Indies.  As Cartagena is on the coast, we naturally had the curiosity to visit the beach. It took us about a 20 minute walk from our hostel. Walking towards the ocean we could see lots of skyscrapers right next to the ocean, which created a beautiful panorama of the city. This area is the Bocagrande district, where most of the city's tourist facilities are located, such as hotels, shops, restaurants and art galleries. Interestingly, the beaches there are made of volcanic sand that is slightly greyish in colour, making the water a bit muddy but super warm. This place is also famous for the best sunsets in the city and we were able to see blue and orange sky. On the last day, we did a tour to a nearby Barú Island. It is a super touristy and crowded place as it is the closest Caribbean island from Cartagena. The water there was crystal blue and it was definitely a good choice to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city.

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Dear Duo Pro Uno community,

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It's been over 21 days, and no less than 10000 kilometres of travel have offered us many magical moments in interesting and diverse places. To celebrate together the milestone we have reached so far, we are holding a little contest where you can win a surprising souvenir from our trip.

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Here is our question for you: 

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How many hours have we spent travelling so far (only counting bus rides/flights from one place to another)?

 

Let us know your guess by submitting the answer below until 01.02. 23:59.

 

The winner will be announced via private message.

 

The Duo Pro Uno team is already curious and in the meantime off to the next destination- Medellin!