Day 6 - Cartagena (Candlelight Vigil?)

Today has been my most relaxing day thus far. Of course it started with an early morning, which was a bit harder since I was up late yesterday. I headed to the Olympico (another grocery store, which I'll have to go back and take pictures) to grab some food items and snacks. Well let's go back to this grocery store. Talk about grab your own meat?! All the meat was chillin'. I saw a butcher assist some folks but I saw this lady reach in and pick up a rack of meat. Wowza. It was kind scary and cool. Does that make me too modern, iono. But I'll return with pics before I leave Cartagena (hopefully).

So anywho, I made an exec decision to do the island tours to Rosario Islands and Playa Blanca on Saturday and the Mud Volcano on Sunday. I am super pysched about the weekend.. and I am doing the Chiva (party bus) tonight. So I need to save my strength and stay out this wicked sun!

However, I did have this delicious crepe filled with peppers, onions, cheese, and tomatoes from Gato Negro. Delicious! A reasonably priced and filling brunch. It may be worthy of a return visit!

 


So the chiva.. the chiva.. see pic.

Did I mention that Colombians be on their hustle yet? If not, I sure  meant to! So we load the Chiva at 8:00pm. They had the auadacity to drive around for over an hour. Hell, they could have just picked Diego and I up later. Rushing us for no reason. Oh wait, we were helping to make the chiva look full.

Now the problem with this is that until it's filled we do not get our rum. So let's back up.. the chiva is the party bus in Cartagena. They ride around the city for about 2-3 hours, give each row a bottle of rum, a live band on the back rows, and then conclude the evening at a club.

So by the time the party starts I get sleepy. You know I can't sit still too long. Anywho they present us the bottle of rum.. 

Now Diego and I look at each other and say we can drink this by ourselves. It doesn't help that they packed all these people on each row. So being the "sensible" people we are.. We fill our cups more than half to ensure we can at least get one good drink. About 15 minutes later, the bottle is GONE! WTH.. Did I pay for one drink, lol. 

Then this beautiful thing happened, one of the people on our row handed the bottle to the "host" and he exchanged it for another bottle. *eyes grow big*. Now we are in business. This continued until the end of the night. Now what's funny about partying in Cartagena is the more senior people party with the more less senior people. And I believe they may have been Cartagena Wasted, reliving their glory days. 

 

 

They made a couple of stops, where I got to take (read: pay for) a picture with some folks clearly on their hustle, lol. and we were fed some kinda stuffed something.

 


So at nights end, we are taken to a club. Now this was hilarious, because clearly the club that all the chivas drop their customers off are clubs in desparate need of business, but I needed yet more pics!

Now what I have noticed about the clubs in Cartagena they are super super nice, but some can be dead as all get out. No worries, we had intentions of going to this other place, but here are some pics of its fanciness..

 

I am super crunk about this and all of a sudden the city of Cartagena experiences a massive blackout. I mean not a single light on anywhere around us. This is how catastrophe happens! I clutch the heel of my stiletto because I am ready to take someone out. Gotta be vigilante, no?! Well whatever, I still saw an opportunity..

So we end up back at the club from Thursday and by now I am dead tired to the world, lol. This club was pure entertainment because one of their power sources were those long white candle sticks. I suppose they had a generator on the top floor and pushed everyone up that way.Can you say a sardine experience? I was actually surprised to see grown men sitting in chairs in the middle of the floor mad cause you were standing to close to them, lol. We head back downstairs and I am soo dead, I call it a night. I know, I know, I suck. It's the long days or maybe I'm secretly old?!

 

 You know as I reread this entry, nothing really happened today yet it's still long *sighs* will try and reduce come next entry!

But I did get a not so good pic of the plaza prostitutes..