Cumpleaños Cartagena
The Getsemani Neighborhood of Cartagena, Colombia
I turned 30 in Colombia!
I mentioned in my previous post that turning 30 had me scared to death. I knew I ran the risk of breaking down in tears of terror because I was closing this chapter of my life. Because of that I made sure I was as distracted as possible on my 30th birthday. What’s a better distraction than vacation?
For this birthday I decided to bring in 2 people who have known me since I was 15. These 2 people were best friends from high school who as of this year I’ve known for half of my entire life. (That’s still weird to be able to say.) I decided Cartagena, Colombia was the best place knowing they would most likely agree. Both of their families are from there. Although one’s family is from Cali, Colombia and the other’s family is from Armenia, Colombia, their Colombian pride runs deep. One of them even has a Colombian passport and stays there for weeks at a time. It was the perfect set-up.
We stayed at GHL Collection Armería Real in the Getsemaní, section of Cartagena. It was in the perfect location and just about everything was walking distance including the best restaurants and endless shopping. Our suite was 2 floors and included 2 bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms. With breakfast included and a rooftop pool, you can't beat this hotel.
The actual day of my birthday we rented a private boat to visit the Rosario Islands. We brought our own snacks, alcohol, and juices for the ride. It was the best way to celebrate. With just the sun and a beautiful ocean breeze, we laughed the entire boat ride. Our captain and his assistant were so helpful and honestly very amused by our silly and joyous energy. We are all 30 and we still act like silly high school girls when we’re together. The only difference is that we also talk about our kids, pets, husbands, fiancés, properties, careers, and student loans at this age.
Cholon Island, the party island, was my favorite. the boat docks in the middle of the water. You can either get out and swim or stay on your boat and listen to all of the music from each docked boat clash. It may seem loud and annoying but it was actually fun. I ate fried snapper for lunch which was great. Actually I ate so much fried snapper on this trip I was surprised I didn’t grow fins.
For my birthday dinner we went to Restaurant Alma, where I tried ceviche for the first time in my life. I don’t even remember what was in it. I do remember wondering why it took me so long to try such an amazing dish. My main meal was fried snapper, again, and it was equally amazing. The ambiance and the live music made Alma the perfect celebration spot.
We could not visit Cartagena without getting on one of the famous chivas busses. I can’t even find the words to explain how fun this bus was. Let me explain the concept. It is a colorful school bus with neon lights all over. There is no roof and there are no windows. The only seats are along the perimeter and there are a few poles throughout the bus to hold yourself up. There are some some busses that are labeled “standing room.” This means they fill the bus up to capacity and you stand or sit depending on what is available at your stop. Luckily we were the first stop so we had seats the entire time. You can bring your own snacks and liquor or pay for the option where they provide it. We paid for that option. This bus then drives around the city blasting music and honking every time it passes another chivas. That experience was truly unmatched. We danced with each other and anyone who was near us. We kept refilling our cups what Coca-Cola and whatever dark liquor they kept giving us bottles of. It was about a 4-hour experience that included hot sweaty drunk bodies despite there being no roof and windows. It sounds disgusting because it was. And we enjoyed every minute of it!
Afterwards the bus dropped us off at a night club which was less than a 5 minute walk from our hotel. We stayed there for about an hour with most of the people from the bus and we all split a huge bottle of alcohol. We danced and drank even more! I kept wondering, “Lindsay, who do you think you are partying like this? You know this is going to hurt in the morning.” And that, it did.
Another thing you must do if you visit is take a bath in Cartagena’s Totumo Mud Volcano. This is a volcano that is about 6,561 feet deep however the mud is so dense that you couldn’t sink or drown if you tried. Once we climbed the stairs to the top there were men who worked there to take our phones and act as our personal papparazi and men to assist us in getting inside the volcano. There were also men who massaged us with the mud as it is said to have healing powers. After our massages we walked to a nearby lake where women washed us off with their bare hands. That was an experience. Let’s just say they were very thorough. I must say this was a fun trip from beginning to end.
Volcano El Totumo in Cartagena, Colombia
I can honestly say that turning 30 was one of the best things I have done in the 30 years I have been on this earth. I’m not saying this because of the vacation. Rather the vacation isn’t the only thing that made it special. I had 2 friends I met freshman year of high school who cherish and love me enough to celebrate with me. I have my health and my education. I have my family, both biological and chosen. Most of all I AM HERE. The alternative to aging is not being here at all. And although death is ironically the most natural part of life, I’m not ready to leave just yet. So yes, I am grateful to be 30. And I was grateful to bring it in the way that I did, doing what I love, with people I love. Feliz Cumpleaños a mí.
