While the bumping, winding and ultimately delayed bus that spirited us from Bogota was a great way to see the beautiful Colombian countryside, it was distinctly not time efficient. I was quite happy we had arranged our onward journey to Cartagena, our final stop, by plane. One celebrity siting and a few hours later, we were on our way to the old town, listening in on our taxi driver who was cursing a blue streak and speaking with a boldness on the phone that seemed incongruent. It was a sharp change from our Medellin cabbie. The climate also distinctively shifted, from the cool and comfortable mountain highlands to the sticky and hot Caribbean coastline. We made it to our AirBnB in good time, finding it a converted office in a prewar building with soaring ceilings and an unmistakable cleaning solution aroma. We decided in short order that this would not do, and beat the pavement for an hour or so before finding another option, the charming and central Hotel Monterrey, a white stone building at the far end of the main plaza, opposite the old town. With a pool.

Cartagena is a smaller city, without the economic heft of either Medellin or Bogota. Instead it plies the tourist trade, showing off its handsome Spanish colonial core to both domestic and international tourists who wander the narrow, slightly offset geometry of the streets, all embraced within the thick and heavy city walls, protection from the sea and wandering privateers of years past. The greater risk now is being pressured into purchasing an overpriced tourist knickknack or being harried into other sloppy purchases. Outside of the old town, the gentrifying area of Getsemani retains something of a backpacker vibe, with lower pricepoints and more interesting storefronts. In evenings, the bars here spring to life and fill with a mix of Colombians and tourists, Vendors sell snacks outside the church plaza. It is a pleasant way to while away the time, with a bit of a Spanish-tinged New Orleans vibe.

We had debated the merits of visiting nearby beaches and islands, casting a somewhat wary eye at the touts offering tours and finding the local options a bit mystifying without a better command of Spanish. Instead, we asked ourselves what our goals were – to relax. Taking turns watching our valuables on the beach didn’t fit that bill. Our hotel’s rooftop pool, sans sand, very much did. The better (and certainly easier) option was to bring our books and a beer up to the beach chairs and take periodic dips. The skies in Cartagena are full of birds, from the dominating turkey vultures, sipping at the pool water, to the more austere frigate birds. A yellow-headed caracara set down from time to time, while pairs of yellow finches and parakeets would swoop past in frantic flight from time to time. I warned Hannah I may become a birder in years to come.

When not in the water, we did explore Cartagena. The museums and other various institutions are okay, with no clear standouts that really merited deep exploration. Rather, we found that the cultural lens served to better expose us to contemporary Colombia. Specifically, the cocktail bars filled with well-to-do Colombians featuring restored older buildings and contemporary drinks. Never enjoyed rum to the degree I did here at Alquimico or El Baron.

The farthest venturing we did in our quiet and relaxing days was to the Castillo, a half hour or so on foot through some of the less charming portions of Cartagena. The Castillo is a massive fortress set atop a high point, the defensive posture of the colonial city that existing before and the largest one ever built by the Spaniards in their new world colonies. Below the stone walls are a number of passages and hallways hewn into the fortress itself, various storerooms and cells that were a bit eerie to wander around but, on the other hand, shaded and cool on what was a very hot day. The view (and breeze) from the higher points were particularly welcome.

Cartagena was a lovely place for a last stop on the trip, a chance to decompress and worry a bit less. Streets in the tourist centre, even after dark, were safe and the nagging thoughts about personal security were less calling here. The three cities we saw in Colombia were all quite different, exposing and sharing different elements of the history and the culture here. Together, they were a great intro to one of the more interesting parts of South America, though again in a few weeks we could only scratch the surface.