Well friends, I am officially living in lovely Cartagena. It is a truly beautiful and vibrant city – until you travel south of the Walled City. I’ve always been a believer in finding beauty in unconventional places, but it certainly a bit rougher once you get out of the tourist hubs. I completely understand why every told me there are two Cartagenas: one for tourists and ex-pats, the other is real life.
Taking a ride through the Walled City with Magnolia.
The view of the coast and Boca Grande from the Wall.
A shot of the Centro.
Barrio Getsemaní, just outside the Walled City, but same lovely architecture.
I’m living next door to my school (literally, my bedroom window overlooks the courtyard. I leave for the day to take a siesta and am lulled to sleep by the sound of screeching/giggling girls playing) with a family of four: My host parents Jesus and Alba, and my host siblings, Jesus (21, and in university) and Marie Alejandra (16, just about to graduate from high school).
My new bed.
My new, messy closet.
The kitchen.
Living room.
I feel so lucky to be in this arrangement. The whole family is incredibly welcoming and laid-back, I heard a never-ending stream of “tranquilo, tranquilo”s my first few days, when I would ask how they liked things done, etc. They’ve gone out of their way to accommodate me and to ensure I’ve got a handle of the area and how to get to major spot and to make sure I’m involved in activities (my host brother just invited me to start playing volleyball with a group of people in the evenings).
I’ve had quite a few good conversations in Spanish which has made me feel 100x more confident in my ability to learn the language – it’s slow coming and there are still times when I kind of throw my hands up and say ‘lo siento, no entiendo’, but they’re becoming fewer and farther between – it’s this constant immersion thing.
And to top it all off, my friend Magnolia, met through my family in Barranquilla, and I spent the last two afternoons bumming around the Centro, eating fresh fruit and arepas (and in my case, too many desserts…) and even went to an art exhibit/presentation on sound as a means of narration (though I was too tired to even try and keep up with the panel).
In general, I think Cartagena suits me well and I’m really excited to start exploring more, get to ‘know’ the beach one of these days, and keep plugging away at the Spanish. And the fact that I get to eat ANYTHING I WANT makes me unspeakably happy.
Oh, and we officially became volunteers.
Swearing-In Ceremony
From Cartagena with Love,
Sarah
Bonus, some adorable niñas from school. I had to open her pony malta while they questioned me about who knows what. I think there was a birthday in their class today, thus the princess tiaras.
From Colombia with Love 