Good Times in Plaza de la Trinidad
Flight from JFK to Cartagena: $159
Hostal with complimentary fresh juice every $9
Nighttime in Cartagena: Priceless
I had been to Cartagena a few times before and like most visitors, fell in love with the city after about 6 seconds of being there – its sultry climate, its beautiful old town, those dudes selling single cigarettes out of briefcases. But I’d only been there during the daytime, never was I there after the sun went down. Never did I get to stroll along the cobblestones that make up Gestamani, never did I get to join in the party in front of the church at Plaza de la Trinidad, never did I get so wasted off aguardiente that I’m pretty sure I pissed myself but I told myself I just spilled something. Never that is until the night of June 12, 2013.
Upon arriving I dropped off my backpack at a little place on Calle de Las Palmas which would be my bedroom for the next few days. The lady of the house pointed me in the direction of Plaza de la Trinidad and I was on my way for my first night in Cartagena de Indios. Luckily the Plaza was just about a 45 second walk from my little abode and when I arrived the party was just getting under way.
Nighttime in the plaza de la trinidad is a gringo’s dream; friendly locals laugh and share beers, happy street vendors dole out tasty treats that would never make it past a health food inspector in the states, and that cigarette dude makes a killing. Within a minute a lady sold me a beer from a cooler and I was talking my best spanish with some guys who were well on their way to a hangover the next morning.
Where Obama’s Secret Service Found Some Fun
Mis Amigos, Juan y Miguel
Then my new friends, Juan and Miguel, passed me a plastic water bottle that was not full of water. It was aguardiente. And then it all gets fuzzy. I remember being shown where Obama’s secret service guys partied, I remember eating mayonnaise with a hotdog underneath and I remember saying “esta bien” alot. It was the most fun I had outside of a church since my Confirmation.
Gringo Nomad 