Day 1 in Cartagena – A Letter to Mi Novio – I’m Defs NOT a Solo Traveller
The first couple of my entries were recorded as emails to my guy I had at home, or en Español, “mi novio”. Although posting would be delayed, I thought it would actually be cool if instead of blogs like normal which I post, I post them as writing letters to him, but each one is a blog. Obviously I’d re-tailor them if it’s personal haha.
We kinda stopped emailing when he got Whats App on his phone, and communications between us got less frequent, but this is an email I wrote to him the day after I arrived in Cartagena on February 15th 2019.
Hey Baby,
I am writing this to you offline on my phone, and will email it to you later.
Right now I’m sitting across from the ocean and just sat down with a salad from this place that’s like a Subway. I was starving and thought I got a 10 percent discount for staying at Republica Hostel, but that’s after 6pm. Of course…
I’m pretty exhausted from today already.
After I talked to you on the phone in my room, I went to shower and was taking to a guy from Denmark and a girl as I was shaving my legs behind the stall.
They said they’d stayed at Casa en el Agua and it was amazing. I’m so excited to go tomorrow.
There it is. The one and only, famous, Casa en el Agua
I saw the video below of this place pop up on my Facebook news feed several months ago… I just reached out and they had an opening, and I took a huge risk, giving up everything to go there.
I was trying to find the port/Muelle where I need to go tomorrow but for sh*ts sake I am so over using offline maps. I’m hoping other guests from my hostel will go there tomorrow and I can tag along, or I’ll just take a cab.
I don’t exactly want to start my day being hustled by locals for hats and bracelets, horse and carriage rides, and fried food.
I hate getting hustled and feeling like a tourist. Hence again why I want to know a place and stay a long time rather than travel.
Exploring a foreign city myself is anything but appealing. I actually hate travelling alone. As you know, I’m social, but today was annoying.
One man with a suitcase full of knick-knacks has been following me and harassing me since this morning when I got my picture taken at the Fernandez de Madrid Square by a guy from Oregon. Oregon Man and I were talking and were rudely interrupted by “Hola!” and an obnoxious salesman holding cheap bracelets. I repeatedly replied, “No money. Broke ass bitch”. I need to learn how to say “Just cause I’m white does, not mean I have money,” and I’d love to have a shirt that says “DON’T HUSTEL ME”.
*FYI, I actually found a good translation:
No tengo dinero, soy pobre, viajo con un presupuesto limitado. Click the link for another hilarious blog
Translation: I have no money, I am poor, I travel with a limited budget.
The good thing is the locals are actually very nice and friendly, and a really lovely police officer lady tried her best to help me with directions, despite not knowing English. Same with the two ladies at the laundry place.
I spent 40 min at a laundromat trying to use google translate to see if I could bring laundry there. I need to get there before 3:30pm.
I want to do this walking tour at 4pm, but also I’m not sure if I’ll be too tired. If anything I may go take my laundry in and then just come back and chill by the pool.
It’s nice to sit and write this to you with the wind In my hair by the ocean. It’s relaxing and gives me time to think. I wish I got paid to do this.
It’s weird not having a laptop and I can’t Blog from my phone.
Cartagena is a beautiful city, but very crowded in the streets. I think Casa will be an unreal experience and there won’t be people hustling me shit… I’ll be the one selling tours.
Hopefully you get your phone sorted and I can call you later on the wifi with What’s App. Hope you had a good time at the gym too- let’s see how jacked you get by the time I come home.
Btw it’s now 2:40pm and I’m just about to send this as an email now. I bought some cereal and milk for like 20 bucks to eat back here at Republica. I’m going to drop my laundry then hang poolside with a frozen drink. Hoping they can drop my laundry off here so I don’t have to go back and get it. Screw the walking tour. I don’t care about history anyways. Why bother with the past when you have to worry about the future?
Love you miss you, Baby.
xoxoxo
Just in case you’re curious, I’ve seen him since I got back, and he did get pretty dam jacked in 6 weeks- I hardly recognised him.
Love from Lala.
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