RE: Need a Breakdown on Cartagena, Colombia
Thought this would be as best a place to start as any. I am a 5' 11", North American, mid- 20's, skinny, almost fluent level of Spanish, graduated from University a few years back. I have modelled in the past and people here often ask me if I have modelled in the past. I have been living in Latin America now for almost 1 year. I started in Guadalajara, Mexico last January, and after a two week bus-trip through Central America, I arrived in Colombia in May. After traveling a bit I have settled in Cartagena to teach English. Here are my thoughts on this city so far. A note before you begin to read: I saved up quite a bit of money to live in Latin America for a while, but most of these funds have been used up. I am by no means balling on a budget and this is my perspective from living as a regular Colombian, not a gringo with US dollars.
First thing that I believe everybody mentions when they come to the Caribbean coast of Colombia, is the heat. Where I am from, it only gets this hot for maybe a week a year. The temperature here is constantly a toasty 30 degrees celsius. There was one day a couple months back where the temperature reached 40 degrees. For this reason Cartageneros dress extremely casually. One might think that this would be an excellent opportunity to dress sharp and outclass the regular Colombian men, something that I have thought about a lot. Only problem is that you are more than likely going to sweat through your dress shirt and blazer within 2 minutes if you attempt this. Your best bet is to head to one of the local shopping malls (Caribe Plaza, Mall Plaza Castillo are the best ones from my experience) and find some nice linen shirts and pants.
A second thing to know about Cartagena is that it is the most expensive city in Colombia. Taxis are more expensive, food is more expensive, cool shit like dance classes are more expensive. If you're on a budget like I am, this is probably the last place you want to come to.
Areas to live: Bocagrande, Castillogrande, Centro, Manga, Getsemani, Crespo
While it is the most expensive city in Colombia, I find the prices for renting an apartment in one of the nicest neighbourhoods like Castillogrande or Manga is chump change compared to what you would pay for a much shittier place in Vancouver or Toronto, or any other high-end city in North America. When I was looking, I saw nice 1 bedroom apartments for between 1,500,000 COP to 2,000,000 COP. This is even cheaper now if you are a gringo with American dollars where $1 USD gets you 3,000 COP. As of right now, I am living in the real part of the city, the non-postcard part of the city. Why? Well, where I work is on the outskirts, and to get from Centro to there is about an hour without traffic, an hour and a half with traffic. While you may have good intentions and want to do like me by living outside of the rich and gringo infested area, I advise you, it just isn't worth it. Your status will be much higher by living in Bocagrande, Centro, or Getsemani, and all busses lead to el Centro. My personal opinion would be live in Getsemani or El Centro because this is where all the action happens. The best nightlife is here, and the best daygame spots are here.
Girls
I think they are gorgeous. One thing about living in the real part of Cartagena is I believe I see a lot more of the regular girls, and a lot less of the frumpy gringo backpacker girls which infest El Centro. I feel like the quality is fantastic. There is quite a mixture as well. Cartagena has a huge African influence as noted by the dances such as Champeta and Mapale, and especially by the women. There are some beautiful dark women here, as well as some darker skinned and lighter skinned trigeñas. You are more than likely not going to see the white skin that Bogota and Medellin are famous for. Boobs are not spectacular, I have been told that is what girls from Bogotá are famous for, but the hips and asses are quite impressive, with tiny waists to accentuate them. These are not difficult to appreciate as the heat forces most girls to wear extremely light tops and short shorts. Biggest critique of the women here is they have one of the unsexiest walks I have ever seen. It seems the heat forces them to walk more like a man than a feminine woman. Another critique of not just the women, but all Cartageneros, is they have some of the unsexiest voices I have ever heard. Very brutish, loud and rough. Living outside the El Centro, there are a lot of IOI's from girls, mostly because I am the only gringo living in this area. The girls here are not as cultured as those in Bogotá, so rattling on about your travels, accomplishments, and cool stuff you have done will likely just go over their head. Child-like game is needed as well as a conversational level of Spanish, unless you are a sex god like Linux.
Stuff to Do
If you live in the El Centro area you should find tons of stuff to do. There are at least two dance school in the walled city, as well as the office for the kitesurfing school. The closest gyms to El Centro are located in Caribe plaza which is in the Pie de la Popa area and Centro Comercial Bocagrande. Both are Bodytechs and the most expensive gyms in the city. I have heard you need a minimum 3 month membership to join, but once you have it you can go to any bodytech in Colombia. There are tons of crossfit places located around the city. If you train Mixed Martial Arts, there is a gym located behind Castillo San Felipe that has classes of Muay Thai, BJJ, and Boxing called Sparta. Anyplace located in El Centro will be charging gringo prices, same goes for restaurants and bars.
There are a couple beaches located in the city, those include Bocagrande, Castillogrande, and Boquilla. I prefer Castillogrande because there are less gringos and it is a bit quieter. These are not the nicest beaches, the nicest ones are located outside of the city and include Playa Blanca, and Isla Rosario. Boat trips will cost about 150, 000 COP and the boats leave from a special dock that is located between the convention centre and the walled city.
The best place in the city for dates is El Centro. You can easily find a nice café or bar, have a drink, and then go for a walk around the wall. Outside of El Centro, cafés are almost non-existent and I have really no idea if Cartageneros have a version of dating. Most buy beer from a corner store and get drunk listening to vallenato on the street.
As for night life there are a few spots. If you are on a budget, your best spot is Plaza Trinidad which is located in Getsemani. There is reasonably priced food, and tons of locals and tourists just hanging around getting drunk. Not the classiest place, but it is very busy. Close by is Calle 24 which is home to the famous Mr. Babillas. There are 3-4 more clubs on this street. In El Centro there are also quite a few clubs, one that girls always tell me about is Fragma, which is in front of Café del Mar. It plays mostly electronic music and is famous for its dress code and not letting black guys enter. The last palce which is outside of the city is the area around Centro Comercial La Castellana. There are a lot of clubs here, but all the girls have told me they prefer to go to El Centro, even if they live in this area.
Conclusion
There is a tiny part of the city which is very beautiful, but once you leave this, it is one of the most disorganized, chaotic, and loud cities I have ever experienced. The people, while friendly, funny and outgoing, can drive you crazy at times for their lack of manners, decency, and brutishness. For the most part, none have been outside of Cartagena and only know this one tiny place. I feel as though if you know Colombia well, have good game, and speak good Spanish, this is an oyster waiting to be opened. If you are making your first trip abroad, don't speak Spanish, and have beginner game, it will be easy to get swallowed up by the prostitutes and swindlers that inhabit this city. People talk about Colombian being a lot safer than what is reported in the news. While this is probably true, I felt much safer in Northern Mexico (Guadalajara) than I have in all of Colombia. People constantly advise to not walk alone. Don't go out at night alone, Don't take mototaxis. Don't trust anybody. It gets a bit tiring after a while. Not a good place to come solo. Better to have a wolf pack. I am here for a few more months, till June probably. If you come to the city or need advice, let me know. This is just a portion of what I could say about Colombia.
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