The Colorful City of Cartagena

Two posts ago, I titled my post a tale of two cities.  I could have used the same title for this post given how contrasting Medellin and Cartagena were.  However just like Medellin, Samantha and I enjoyed ever second of Cartagena.

Cartagena is a colorful colonial city that sits on the northern coast of Colombia facing the Caribbean.  The Old Town of Cartagena is the gem of the city that is extremely well preserved from it's days being bombarded by pirates in 1600's. 

La Bocagrande is Cartagena's mediocre beach that is lined with high rises where much
of it's citizens live.  However, there are still plenty of neighborhoods outside of
Old Town and La Bocagrande that are very third world. 

Cartagena is right on the Caribbean thus a fortified wall with cannons was
a must a few centuries ago to ward off attacks by pirates.  

Every where you look is a building boasting another color which makes for a perfect backdrop for "model"
photoshoots. 

There is a number of plazas throughout the city and none is more famous than Plaza Bolivar named after
one of South America's most famous figures. 

A little bit outside the Old Town is the Castillo San Felipe de Barajas.  The massive fort sits atop a hill and was used
for centuries to protect Cartagena...except those few times it fell. 

One of the best parts about Cartagena if not the best is the sunsets and there is no
better place to watch them than the wall surrounding the city.  There are plenty of people
selling dollar beers for you to enjoy as the sun sets over the sea. 

Yet the best part about Cartagena is just getting lost in the narrow streets of the Old Town.  Around every corner is a
picture perfect view.