Street life in Cartagena, Colombia

Colombia first impressions and being rubbish backpackers

Our first week in Colombia has been stuffed with activity. We’ve wandered around colourful Cartagena, taken a very un-relaxing trip to Playa Blanca, baked in the scorching sunshine and stuffed our faces with the biggest avocados we’ve ever seen. The week has also been a battle to balance work with exploring (as always) and come to terms with the fact that we’re not really ‘backpackers’ anymore. Read on for our Colombia first impressions.

Cartagena Cathedral high above the colourful streets

Week one in Colombia, Cartagena and Playa Blanca

After leaving Miami, we touched down in our first Colombian destination: Cartagena. This former colonial port was a real surprise to us, boasting perhaps the most beautiful old town we’ve ever been to. We spent hours exploring its colourful streets where the buildings are painted in every vibrant colour of the rainbow and decorated with ornate wooden doors and pink and lilac flowers.




Colourful streets in Cartagena, Colombia

We climbed to the top of stone forts overlooking both the city and the glittering sea beyond, the spires and domes of the old town planted between the modern tower blocks that line the beachfronts. Seeking even more impressive views, we took an Uber (yes, they have Uber in Colombia) up to the Convento de la Popa, where huge black sea birds swooped over the hazy vista.

Cartagena, Colombia from Convento de la Popa

Taking a day off work we decided to visit the beach, and took a bus trip to Playa Blanca. The adverts showed topaz seas lapping a carpet of white sand but conveniently forgot to show that the narrow stretch of beach is packed with sunbeds and parasols and covered in flies. Between that and the blaring boom boxes (that’s a thing too in Colombia) as well as the smell of fuel from dozens of boats and jet skis, it wasn’t the most relaxing beach day we’ve ever had.

A very busy Playa Blanca, near Cartagena

One evening we met up with Kile and Ashley, fellow travellers we first met whilst living in Chiang Mai. A balmy sea breeze flowed through the streets as we sat in a square buzzing with people, buskers and street dogs, drinking Colombian beer and chatting about travel and our various plans as expats. It was one of those nights when you feel so at peace with the life you have.

Us with Kile and Ashley in Cartagena

Colombia first impressions

So, how have we found our first taste of Colombia? Here are a few of the random thoughts and observations from our first week here.

The avocados are intense! Let’s start by talking about the avocados. They’re these giant, lime-green affairs which mash into the creamiest bowl of goodness – and they cost just 50p per kilo! I can’t believe that I haven’t taken a picture of one yet, but that’s probably because we’ve been too greedily eager to stuff them in our mouths.

Avocado on toast at Epoca Café

So is the street life. Then there’s the constant sunshine and blue skies, the vibrant street life and buzz of yellow taxis and stalls selling fruit and Arepas, street-front bars and murals scrawled on walls. And the street dogs and cats – I’ve missed them!

Busy streets in Cartagena, Colombia

You need to speak some Spanish. So far, everyone we’ve met here has spoken to us in Spanish, so it’s super handy that Andrew speaks it well. It means we can understand what’s going on, make sure we’re not accidentally ordering a meaty dish, that we can give directions to the taxi drivers and connect with people more easily. After feeling constant guilt in Asia for only ever being able to master ‘hello’ and ‘thank you’, it’s great to be in a place where we can use the local language. Even I can communicate a bit and understand what’s going on.

El Torre del Reloj - The Clock Tower, Cartagena, Colombia

Cold showers are the norm. We haven’t had a hot shower yet in Colombia, and I’m not sure we’ll ever get one. This is fine really when the weather is so steaming hot, you need cooling down.

Cartagena Old Town, Colombia

It isn’t as dangerous as people make out. We’ve all heard the stories about drug barons in Colombia and the dangers of travelling in South America. That’s one of the reasons why I’ve always felt a bit daunted about making this trip. However, our first impressions of Colombia have been that it feels not unlike Asia. Perhaps it’s just that we’ve had some experience travelling, or that we’ve only been to touristy places so far, but we haven’t felt unsafe. The people  here are welcoming, touts aren’t too pushy, taxi drivers don’t try to rip us off and we don’t feel scared to walk around at night.

Most Colombians we've met have been very friendly

Still, it pays to use common sense. Sure, our apartment landlord did warn Andrew not to have his phone out in the street and there was some sort of brawl outside our apartment on a Saturday night which the police had to break up. However, that could happen anywhere and we’ve certainly experienced that kind of thing in London. In fact, we actually felt more uneasy in parts of the Philippines and in Kathmandu, when Andrew was close to being pick-pocketed.

Us in Cartagena, Colombia

Saying that, we have been practising common sense precautions that we would (or should) anywhere in the world. We don’t take too much cash out with us, keep some of our bank cards separate in case one lot is lost or stolen, and keep our valuables with us in a day pack when we travel on public transport.

Beautiful blue-painted house in Cartagena, Colombia

It’s slightly pricier than Asia. Our rough daily budget for South America at the moment is £50 for both of us. In Asia, we were roughly living on £35 and got a lot more for our money when it came to food and accommodation. You can take a look at our travel costs here.

Street vendor and horse and cart in Cartagena, Colombia

It’s noisy. So far, we’ve learnt that Colombian people love to play loud music. Then there’s the beeping motorbike horns and street life sounds – the noise level is almost on a par with living in Hanoi in Vietnam!

Picturesque doors and buildings in Cartagena

You need sun cream. Funny how your body so fickly forgets what 30-degree heat feels like and how soupy humidity just slaps you in the face, sapping all your energy. Still, after a dreary grey British January, I’m not going to complain about the endless Colombian sunshine and blue skies, it’ll just take us a while to adjust to the heat and, after some sunburnt feet and necks, to remember to apply sun cream in all those pesky places.

The harbour in Cartagena, Colombia

Why we’re not really ‘backpackers’ anymore

A big thing we’ve been coming to terms with this week is the realisation that we can’t really class ourselves as ‘backpackers’ anymore. After one night in a noisy hostel in Cartagena that wasn’t even very cheap (£24), we cancelled our stay and moved into an apartment for a week instead. Gone are the days when we used to traipse around the streets with our backpacks when we first arrived in a destination, looking for the cheapest room, with a £10 per night budget.

Decorative shopfront in Cartagena, Colombia

Let’s face it, I’ve never been the kind of traveller who revels in local dishes and street food. I’ve always travelled as a vegetarian and although I’m not as picky as I used to be, as vegans now, we can’t just eat anything. This means that so far, we’ve spent more on food than we did back in Asia when veggie options and tofu were so plentiful. Here, we’ve had to seek out pricier western restaurants or cook at home.

Another church in Cartagena, Colombia

Another big issue is work. Instead of purely travelling off our savings, like we used to years ago, now we work as we go and try to at least break even each month, if not put a little bit of money into our savings. That means that we have to slow down. We need to plan in work days and rent apartments with good wifi and a quiet, comfy work space. We can’t whiz  around every few days, we have to plan around deadlines and travel slowly.

Street life in Cartagena, ColombiaSometimes I miss those days of being a simple backpacker, when travel was our full-time raison d’être. When we hopped around every couple of days and were out sightseeing all the time, with no real responsibilities. Overall though, I do prefer this way of travel. Maybe I sound really old, but we like having our own space now, we like peace and quiet, cooking and watching TV. We like working so that we can afford nicer hotels and to visit fancier restaurants.

We’re not really backpackers anymore, and we’re ok with it.

colombia first impressions

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What’s up next?

Wow, that was a long, rambly post! So, what’s next? We’re taking a week off in the mountains of Minca before we head to Medellin, Colombia’s second-biggest city, for a month.

16 Comments
  • Stefan Arestis
    Posted at 09:06h, 30 January Reply

    We loved Cartagena- despite being so touristy. We got engaged there last year. Have you heard about the donkey fucking custom in the coastal villages? Seriously it’s a thing there 🙁

    Medellin is awesome- you won’t be needing the sunblock cream and cold showers there as much!

    • Andrew Wyatt
      Posted at 15:40h, 30 January Reply

      Hi Stefan, no, we hadn’t heard of the donkey thing – sounds horrendous! Glad to hear that we Medellin will be cooler, so looking forward to seeing what it’s like. Hope you guys are well.

  • Kristen
    Posted at 14:45h, 30 January Reply

    I’m so happy you’re liking it! I can’t wait to see Colombia myself. I’m curious if you’ll prefer Medellin or Cartagena!

    • Andrew Wyatt
      Posted at 15:39h, 30 January Reply

      Thanks Kristen, we’re curious too, we’ll let you know!

  • Cam
    Posted at 17:19h, 30 January Reply

    What about safety in Colombia? Did you feel safe there?

    • Andrew Wyatt
      Posted at 15:21h, 31 January Reply

      Yes, so far we’ve felt very safe, although we’ve only been to touristy destinations so far. As mentioned though, we take common sense precautions as we would anywhere else in the world such as not taking too much money out with us, etc.

  • Patti
    Posted at 17:26h, 30 January Reply

    South America is not yet on our radar, I feel as if I still want to explore so much more of Europe before we head south. I find I am really missing Porto, but it’s all good. 🙂

    With that being said I’m enjoying visiting the region through your words and lens. And, I had to laugh (for obvious age reasons) about you feeling “old” these days in your travels because I completely understand. Embrace it and enjoy the tastes of spending a bit more for comfort.

    • Andrew Wyatt
      Posted at 15:24h, 31 January Reply

      Hi Patti, glad to be able to share our adventures with you. Ha, yes, we’re definitely ‘old’ travellers these days! I just can’t deal with noise and need my own space, we will embrace that though 🙂 We still talk about Porto and Portugal regularly too and we’re looking forward to returning again – maybe we’ll see you there again one day!

  • ride to paradise
    Posted at 20:34h, 02 February Reply

    great site and interesting posts

    thank you
    redcatadventures.com.au

    • Amy
      Posted at 16:02h, 04 February Reply

      Thanks for reading 🙂

  • John Reese
    Posted at 09:09h, 05 February Reply

    Hello Andrew, great post!You have shared a lot. I and my wife want to go there. How much safe these places?

    • Andrew Wyatt
      Posted at 13:40h, 05 February Reply

      Hi John, thanks for your comment. I guess it really depends on how you act, I’m sure you’d be fine if you stayed vigilant and used your phone discreetly for example. It’s like anywhere, use common sense and you should be fine. We’ve had no problems so far 🙂

  • Louisa klimentos
    Posted at 11:54h, 25 February Reply

    The coloured buildings are so vibrant and what an amazing place Back in the 1980’s There was a lot of drug problems and the USA promoted Columbi as a dangerous destination However it has changed over the years for the better I enjoyed reading your post live,e always Louisa

    • Amy
      Posted at 15:46h, 01 March Reply

      Yep, you’re right, Colombia has had a troubled past, things are on the turn though which is great news. Thanks for reading and commenting Louisa, I hope you’re well.

  • Ramees
    Posted at 06:23h, 15 April Reply

    Hello Andrew, excellent post! You have shared a lot. Last few days I plan Me and my wife want to go there. Can you confirm me how much safe these places?

    • Amy
      Posted at 17:09h, 21 April Reply

      Hi, thanks for reading. We found it fairly safe in Colombia, you just need to be aware of which areas you visit and take common sense precautions such as not carrying loads of money and valuables around with you. Have a good trip!

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