Cartagena, Monday

Mon 1502 Back at hotel, been back maybe 30-60 mins. Have this feeling I "shouldn't" be here, I should be out "doing something". But fuck "should". I need to avoid putting pressure on myself. I've got plenty of time and even if in retrospect today is *completely* wasted (which I don't think it is) I can afford to lose a day or two. (Even if I'm not a juvenile or ambitious. :-) )

I woke up a few times in the night, hips hurting a bit (perhaps mattress is a bit thin) but I didn't sleep too badly on the whole. Intermittent worries the hotel/this room is a complete firetrap but it doesn't appear overly heavily furnished and it's probably fine.

I did go down for breakfast about 830. Two or three couples down there during my time there, I think one of them French and the others native-Spanish-speakers. No one showed any inclination to speak to me or vice versa. Breakfast just a cup of coffee with milk (think I had a choice here, but that was suggested and fine by me) and a very dense bread roll with margarine, but that's all fine, and considering it's included in the already low price I'm not complaining.

I think I then faffed about in room skimming electronic guide book etc before heading out about 945. Plan was vaguely to walk round the old city walls and quarter the streets to get the feel for the place and find supermarkets/cheap restaurants.

I feel a bit better about the place than I did yesterday. It *is* very touristy though, in the sense that nearly every building is a shop or restaurant with a tourist orientation and there are loads of street vendors (fixed or ambulant) as well. It is undeniably attractive though.

I didn't generally feel unsafe or hassled as I walked round, with one fucking annoying exception and its mental ripples. I was walking along a relatively deserted bit of Avenida Santander (on the coast, by the walls) and some guy called out to me in English to ask where I was from. I said "England" and kept walking and he called out "which town?" and I called back "London" and kept walking. That was that, except maybe an hour or two later (after lunch) I was going down a semi-deserted street in the old town not by the coast and he accosted me again. I felt a bit fucking vulnerable, he did all the welcome to Colombia spiel, culminating in him (after holding it to my nose for me to smell) trying to give me a "free" bracelet of coffee beans. At that point I just said "thanks but I'm not interested" and walked off, but I felt a bit edgy. I am probably overreacting here, but I really hate these people who abuse the rules of social interaction (cf Robert Cialdini's "Influence") to " trap" you, and although I don't specifically know how the "free" bracelet would end up fucking me over I'm 99% sure he's not just a really friendly chap of modest independent means who likes meeting new people and giving them free trinkets to fill his days.

I'm now a bit scared I'm going to run into him again (after the first at-a-distance encounter he hadn't really annoyed or threatened me that much, plus I thought he'd never see me or remember me again) which bites.

I went into a coffee shop shortly after this (they had prices up - 1.8k for a (smallish) americano seemed OK) and although it was *probably* fine I felt really suspicious after the encounter with coffee bracelet bloke. Woman taking my order asked me if I had change when I tried to pay with a 5, I dredged out a load of change and she then asked me (which I understood, but thought I hadn't) if she could take my change and give me a note. I felt obliged - which I didn't like - to let her do it, and although she *probably* did do it honestly I can't help but feel she may have miscounted on purpose. Obviously the sums here are trivial but - even if it's probably irrational - I do feel very vulnerable (admittedly mostly in a "victim of petty predactory acts" way, not "victim of violence" way) and uncomfortable. (Oh, I also dropped 0.5k in tip jar and I have a feeling due to me feeling awkward as hell I might have handed over 2k in coins for the coffee instead of 1.8k.)

To some extent I just need to surf on top of these minor emotional waves, but right now I feel a bit fucking uncomfortable and awkward. I also feel a bit "what the hell am I going to do to fill my time?". I came back via a supermarket (2x1.1 litres bottles water for 2k).

Jumping back in time, I tried to look at the menus on the outside tables at a few cafes in various squares but was always accosted by a "helpful" waiter or waitress before I could really get a proper look so I just apologised and walked off when I got accosted.

I did find (and then struggled to re-find; I was trying to keep my bearings but it's hard, but I did generally avoid pulling phone out) a cheapish restaurant during the morning's walk and went back there maybe 1ish for lunch. Might have been called Alaine's but not sure; I dropped a pin on Google Maps anyway. It was down at the bottom of a sort of passage with a beauty salon at the front (luckily the woman touting for the beauty salon told me it was down there without me asking; I was feeling a bit surly and over-touted-at at the time - which I'm not proud of, but I'll be honest - but I did at least thank her and try to be pleasant). Got carne asada for 12k and a limonada natural for 2k - both very nice. Waitress asked me if I wanted the limonada natural "normal de azucar" as though that was a choice (not normal *o* azucar, as I heard it) but I just said "si" and she did the "dumb tourist, OK, con azucar" routine. Flushed with success at getting some decently priced food I did order a beer after, figuring it would be cheap there if anywhere. It was OK but not cheap - a probably 330ml bottle of Aguila cost 5k, which is what I'd seen in some mildly expensive looking cafes the other day.

I am genuinely confused because all that comes to 19k and that was written on the bill, but then the final total was 24k.The waitress had gone by this time (she had told me to pay at the caja) and I peered at the bill and decided that was probably the tip/service, though it seems a large percentage. I could maybe have asked at the caja but I didn't have the nerve/confidence that it wouldn't seem rude somehow (eg sounding like "you're charging me 5k for service, WTF?" rather than my intended "I'm a tourist, I don't know how this works, is that 5k the service charge?") so I just handed over a 50k and took the full 26k change. No idea if that's wrong or not.

I might well go back there - it's not as cheap as Diego's, but they have cutlery and it's a moderately pleasant semi-covered outdoor area - but I did spot some other similarly priced places in the street to the south as I left.

Oh, in the morning I did go into/shove my head into a couple of churches, but both had priests " doing something" up at the front so although it didn't stop most people I didn't really like to be wandering round looking at the building, statues, etc and ignoring him.

I have been snapping a few photos with my camera during the day anyway.

Is that about it? Oh, before lunch I popped into a pharmacy on some nice little square and (in hindsight) massively overpaid at about 2.5k for a cold 600ml bottle of Cristal (not a fancy brand) sparkling water. But it did go down a treat.

I think that's all the "what I did so far today" stuff written up. On with a modest bit of abstract/pop-psychological rambling. Or maybe a shower first.

1621 I don't know, maybe I just need to get used to being a tourist again. Although it feels like I've been abroad for weeks already, this is day 4 or 5 and it's only my second (part) day in Cartagena.

I will probably head out in 10 mins or so and go have a mildly overpriced coffee at one of those places south of the hotel and maybe a beer and come back slightly after dark. I hope I don't regret this.

1914 Back. Went out maybe 1715ish, despite reading some stuff on web (eg MG) which made me worry a bit about being out in Getsemani after dark. But I just went round the corner to Plaza de la Trinidad and to Cafe de la Trinidad. Alternated 355ml cans of Aguila (5k, 4%) with espressos (3k). Had three of each; was going to go anyway but the waitress (who had seemed mildly amused at my altenating drink order) told me the outside tables were going to be for food after 7pm so my third coffee would have to be last. Menu said there'd be a 10% tip so I knew in advance (and web reading had suggested this), so paid the 24.6kish with a 50k and took all change. (I asked if could pay by card but there would have been a 3k surcharge, so I didn't. Not that it was high level stuff but at least my Spanish was up to all this.)

During first beer a group of youths sitting in square opposite shouted "Harry Potter" across at me; wasn't insulted but felt bit edgy in case they hassled me. Maybe 15 mins later they came round and did a "personalised" rap song at me; it was entertaining although I did feel mildly intimidated. I gave them 10k, they asked for more but I told them 10 or nothing and it was all cool. I subsequently saw them and some other groups doing similar things for other people; I think it's far less personalised than it seems and any white guy with glasses is deemed "Harry Potter" .

Not long before I left a couple of guys did a Michael Jackson tribute act in the square; that reminded me of being in Copenhagen and seeing that MJ tribute act while the real MJ was missing. They came round with a hat just before I left and I gave them 2k.

Was pleased to see three tables at the Solar bar opposite occupied by other Billy No Mates (2 blokes, 1 woman). TBH I don't mind being on my own a lot of the time, as long as I feel safe.

Walk back was fine (and it's like two minutes away), a lot of people on street. Feel a little bit of a sad git now I'm back in room alone but not much really. It's good to have gone out and overcome a bit of that fear about being out after dark (it would surely have been insane to get a cab back that distance).

Did note the moon was very old or very young (couldn't tell which due to it being on its side as we're practically on the equator) early on, and as the sky darkened it became more prominent and I could see the earthshine on the "dark" part of its face. I tried to use it (just as an academic exercise) to work out which way north was, but my technique relies on working out where the sun is then using that to determine north, and that sun->north technique only works in high latitudes. I will have to read up/think a bit more and see if that's a fundamental limitation or just something lacking in my mental model.

That reminds me, if I didn't already say, that in Bogota I had started to form a mental model on how to tell direction using satellite dishes. (In the UK they virtually all point to slightly east of south - 5 o'clock if you superimose a clock on a compass rose.) A bit of empirical observation and some (possibly incorrect) thought suggests that if the arm inside the dish points nearly straight up all bets are off, but if the arm is closer to horizontal it points either east or west.

During my random wanderings today I tried to keep my bearings - though I wasn't worried as it was all so touristy and I had loads of time before dark and could always check my phone in a coffee shop if necessary - but it would have been really handy to be able to tell compass direction to keep myself straight. A wrist compass would have been super useful. I don't think the sun tells you much near the equator unless it's practically dawn/dusk when you can infer it's *approximately* east/west respectively.

I didn't look at my phone too much while I was out, doing my best to pseudo-meditate instead. I followed up on some pre-going-out thoughts I'd had about "what the fuck - seriously - do I hope to get out of travelling rather than staying comfortably at home?" . I thought it would be instructive to think over the more memorable bits of the 18-19 trips. On that basis, I hope to/enjoyed:

- improve my Spanish. But I also need to realise (and this works both ways) that "speaking good Spanish" and "finding things a bit uncomfotable/unfamiliar" are mostly orthogonal. Obviously being able to speak passable Spanish takes *some* of the edge off situations, because if things get really desperate I *can* communicate with most people. But even if I were completely fluent some situations are always going to be non-life-threateningly "uncomfortable" (eg how to get served etc in Diego's the other day)

- language exchanges - in different ways the semi-regular one in Xela and the one-off in Buenos Aires were both good

- studying Spanish/sort of getting "comfortable" in one place/having some regular "social" activity in Xela

- the hikes in Guatemala - even the one day trip to Pacaya was memorable, though the others were more so

- anything else?? I suppose the occasional social/drunken evenings when I "happened" to meet people stand out, in a mixed way (I could have handled them a bit better) The live music I attended in Xela (and elsewhere?) was also good, though mixed in with the aforementioned meeting people.

So I should be on the lookout for opportunities to do similar things on this trip.

I am vaguely thinking that though I feel a bit happier with Cartagena after tonight, it would probably be good to head on to Barranquilla and then Santa Marta soon-ish. I need to look into this (and whether it's useful/interesting to go to Barranquilla or just go straight to Santa Marta) and whether it's safe/practical to go by bus. I would then probably retrace my steps and end up back in Cartagena before flying on somewhere else. The fact that I would have another stint in Cartagena after B/SM means that I probably shouldn't extend my perhaps-already-overly-long initial stay of a week - even if in a few days time I decide I love it here I can choose to stay arbitrarily long after a B/SM side trip of however many days.

I should say that when I came back this afternoon my key wasn't at reception because the cleaner had it, and they had "made" my bed. This didn't happen at all in the hotel in Bogota. I had wondered if this might happen and refrained from adding my own combination lock to the door when I went out, but I put it on tonight since the cleaner had already been in. It doesn't add much security against anyone determined, but it would stop someone trivially taking my key from where it hangs in reception and coming in.

I've also locked the padlock through one of the bits of the lock on the outside of the door before coming in tonight; this wouldn't absolutely stop someone putting another lock on there (a thin one would still fit) and locking me in, but it would make it harder. I don't seriously think anyone would do this, but I see no real downside to doing this. (Maybe someone would mistake it for the door being truly locked from outside and not check the room in the event of an emergency or think it's unoccupied and try to break in, but neither seems likely.)

I think tomorrow I might try to arrange a tour for Thursday as my main goal, and if (as it probably will) time permits go to some museum or other as a secondary goal.

I called my parents earlier and my mum reminded me that apparently someone had told me just before I left India (and I had then told her) that I should just brush off people on the street who try to get into conversation (like coffee bracelet guy today) even if it seems rude. This does seem like a probably best solution, subject to circumstances (eg if truly deserted street at night, this might make things worse).

Got a bit of music on headphones as write this. Not pissed but had enough beer that this feels right.

2015 Finished reading Agatha Christie's "Nemesis" the other day. Not bad; I did like the device of reintroducing Mr Rafiel from A Caribbean Mystery, as he was a pretty cool character.

2033 Incidentally while Aguila (brewed in Barranquilla  IIRC) was 5k at that bar tonight, Heineken was something like 12k and Corona/Negra Modelo around 13k.

Very noisy parade kind of sounds coming from outside.

2050 I am wondering if all that coffee was prudent. I feel a bit jittery, maybe it's too long after drinking the coffee for it to really be the cause but I don't know. Oh well, just keep swigging water I guess.

2216 Did get a bit worried but the feeling has passed. Intermittent procession and car honking from outside, which is (irrationally) a bit frightening, like there's some kind of riot happening. Ditto also - especially bearing in mind how hard it is to hear anything over the fan running full blast in my room - when other guests tap on the door of a room opposite and I wonder if they're tapping on my door.

2249 I'm going to go to bed. I'm lying on it reading anyway so this makes little real difference except in intent, and that I'll have the thin sheet over me which is all the bedclothes provided or necessary. I'm not really tired but I could probaby sleep. I feel mildly hungry but not badly so; I don't know if this is because I've not eaten a lot or not. Breakfast was obviously small, lunch was nice but (like IIRC many meals in Guatemala) not huge, just borderline satisfying, but then I did have a largish and presumably sugary lemonade with lunch and then four beers over the course of the day which will have calories but probably not "satisfying" ones. I have also walked quite a lot. This isn't a problem, if I maybe manage to lose a little weight that's a good thing, I don't feel terrible and I can always go and indulge myself at some point (get some snacks from a supermarket, have two lunches, go order a big portion at KFC - who are fairly reasonably priced, from peering in this morning, incidentally - if this feeling of mild hunger persists enough to be annoying).