There She Goes…

Per Veronika, it’s in the Bible. So clearly I have no idea how this charming little neighborhood in Cartagena got it’s name. It’s about a 10 minute walk from the old, walled city. I walked there by myself this morning with only a few stares and one “Bella, muy bonita.” And the weird part, I did not feel unsafe. I even sat in the main square (Plaza de la Trinidad) waiting for Veronika to meet me and no one said anything to me. I kept having that thought “one of these things is not like the other.” Which is a little mental game I play with myself when I feel out of place. I try to look for the next “out of place” object or person to make sure I’m not the only one. Weird game, I know, but when you spend this much time alone, you can get, well, kind of weird.

Getsemani used to be really run down and full of drugs/crime/violence. It has since had a transformation and now you can find tons of hostels, cafes and the all delicious street food vendor. I’m down to my last 9 pesos and all I want to try is papas rellenas. I’m on a mission to eat one before I leave Colombia.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from Getsemani.

There’s lots of street art and graffiti but I still think nothing compares to Valparaiso. You be the judge!

Also, there are lots of fruit vendors. I’m not entirely sure (I couldn’t translate fast enough) but I think I saw a turf war happen over fruits! This guy was walking around yelling “hay pina, hay fruita, hay papaya” and I watched him for awhile.

As he started heading down one street, someone would yell right after him. It went something like this:

Man 1: Hay pina!

Unknown person: No pina!

Man 1: Hay fruitas!

Unknown person: No fruitas!

It was the funniest thing I’ve seen in awhile and I kept watching the man. As he continued down the street, he was still being yelled at (I’m assuming “unknown person” in my dialogue above) and even blocked taxi traffic on that street. Here’s what I think happened… fruit guy went on to someone’s turf and in a big f-you to the man yelling at him, he held up traffic with his cart while a line of taxis were behind him. You go fruit guy! My money is on you. Here are some more of the other vendors.

After walking around Getsemani, I decided to eat lunch in the area. I found this cafe called “Stepping Stone” and it had a really good business model. Responsible tourism they called it. They provide jobs to young people who have no options but crime/streets or to go “mainstream.” The young guys taking my order, serving me, and working in the cafe were really friendly and a little shy. Maybe they just thought I was “muy bonita.” And all proceeds from the cafe go to this foundation to help people. So I feel like I helped in a small way and had a really delicious meal at the same time. I would go there again – Cafe Stepping Stone.

I’ve finished packing and am now enjoying some cheap beer in my hotel room. Tomorow is ANOTHER country – that will be country #30 and I think I need to celebrate it somehow. So I booked a “tour” with a local guide who takes you around like you’re his friend and shows you all the cool places. I’m looking forward to it and hope that my drunk-on-Chilean-wine purchase is worth it. The reviews are all amazing for this “tour” and so far the owner has been really helpful in providing information.