Cartagena, One Day
The Colombia Collection, Part C
Cartagena was an awesome experience, though getting there took an interesting process I had to let myself go through. Much like I've been doing lately with a lot of things.
My day started with a walk from where I was staying, in Manga, a neighborhood close to the ciudad amurallada, the walled city. It was already very hot, and that alone was overwhelming before I'd even arrived.
When I stepped through the walls, the first thing I felt was complete and utter overwhelm. So many colors, so many people walking past. The buildings, though not tall, felt like they were leaning in on me. The heat. The mix of smells, food from the street vendors, one thing blending into another. Sunlight and shadow everywhere, and color on every surface, the buildings, the plants, the people. I felt like I couldn't even breathe. It was a lot. And there I was, standing in the exact place I had wanted so badly to be.
The way I've been living lately, I watched myself move through it even while I was living it. So I gave myself a break. I stopped at a small cafeteria and had some delicious bread and a drink. I just sat there a while, watching people walk past outside, watching others come in for the same warm bread I was eating. That pause gave me the space to start over.
From there, the day opened up. I spent it wandering into different places, letting myself get inspired. The Cartagena Gold Museum is small, but the pieces inside are rich and marvelous. Mostly, though, I just walked, through street after street, taking in the views, the historic buildings with their color, the flowers and plants growing out of every wall and balcony they could find. The fruit stacked!. So much beauty carried inside such small, ordinary things.
