cartagena trip report part 4

(continued) so the older brother (ob) and I started talking, it was mostly he asking me questions and I answering them. He asked me about what I
liked to do on my days off, what kind of sports I liked, about my family etc. Then I turned the tables a bit and started asking about him and
whether he was seeing anyone. My girl (CG) had told me that he had just started seeing a new girl but more importantly that he was looking to
settle down, he was being more serious in finding a girl to start a family. He was telling me about his girlfriend, what they did on the weekends and
then he started talking about his sister. He told me how special CG was and how difficult it was to find a woman like her today, basically he was
speaking up for his sister, not that I needed any convincing because I already knew what kind of person CG was, but it was nice to think that he
was backing her up without actually coming out and saying it, I knew he was letting me know that CG wasn't just any woman.

We talked some more, he said the brothers and I should spend some time together, I said I would be up to it the following week, but it was getting
late and I was planning on getting up early the next day (fri) to goto santa marta. Before I left I gave out the gifts I had mentioned earlier, they all
loved the presents. Everyone gave me a hug, including dad and both brothers. After I gave ob his gift, he said, "I don't know whether I should kiss
you or hug you" to which I replied, "why should I have to choose, why not both?" This killed them and I knew the night had ended on a high note.
While I was saying my thank yous and goodbyes, CG called a cab for me. She knew (only she, not the family) that my trip to santa marta was to
meet the "other" woman from barranquilla, so she asked me when would I be calling her, I told her when I got back early Sunday night, she said ok,
a hug and kiss on the cheek goodbye and I'm gone. The cab ride back to my apt was quick and all I could think about was how nice the night had
been, the family, dinner, conversation, everything. I got to my apt, got my stuff ready for the next day and went to sleep.

The next morning I went the terminal de transportes to take a Brasilla bus to santa marta. It's cheap, about $5, the buses aren't too bad, they're
air conditioned, with bathroom and they show a movie during the trip. Now, I don't know which way is better to goto the other cities from
cartagena, some say buy cab others by bus. I opted to take the bus like the locals, I didn't have any problems or complaints. The bus to santa
marta would stop in barranquilla, so I would pick up my friend (BG) and then continue with her to santa marta. Someone had told me not to take
the bus all the way to santa marta because I wanted to goto the Rodadero, which is another part of santa marta, so I asked the bus drivers
assistant to let us off near the Rodadero. We got off, got in a cab and asked the cabbie for hotel recommendations. He said the Hotel Sorrento, it
was affordable, clean and close to the beach, he was right. We got 2 separate rooms, this was agreed upon before we even left cartagena.
Remember that I went during low season so everything is cheap, the hotel was $25/day per room, a steal.

We immediately left our stuff in the rooms and went to the beach. The beach was clean, beautiful and the water was also clean and calm. The
water didn't have the color that I saw at the island of Bahru, but it was still nice. Anyway, we got under one of those canopies on the beach, $1
and talked and talked. BG is very talkative and easy going, we never had any of those awkward moments of silence when you scramble to think of
something to talk about, there was always something to talk about with her. After a couple of hours we decided to head back to the hotel, shower
and get ready to go out to dinner. We found a place up the block from the Sorrento( I forgot the name) but had a wonderful dinner. We both
ordered a combo plate that included chicken, chorizo(sausage), sobrebarriga( I think this is either pork or beef, I forget) with arroz con coco,
yucca, patacones and some costenitas(beer in a little green bottle). As you can guess, we ate and talked, this time she asked about CG and what
we had done in cartagena. I told her of the places we had been and made sure to tell her what my intensions were for this trip. I've always been
upfront and honest with both girls and I told BG that all I wanted to do on this trip was to meet them and see what kind of people they were. It is
one thing to write and speak on the phone, another to spend time and see how they were personally on a daily basis, not to mention how they
would see me, if they thought I was as nice in person as in the emails and phone calls. Afterwards we walked along the beach, there are so many
people out, strolling, listening to music and watching the street performers. We stayed out until about 11 when we were both getting tired and
decide to call it a night, we hugged and kissed each other on the cheek and headed to our rooms. The next morning we have breakfast at the
hotel, included in the room price. We had eggs and arepas with chocolate instead of coffee, all delicious. Afterwards, we took a cab to the city of
santa marta, walked around, talked, did some shopping, talked some more, then returned to the hotel around 1 in the afternoon. Then we changed
and went to the beach again as the day before.

Here is when it started to hit me, I'm with BG in santa marta but thinking about CG and when I would be with her again in cartagena. BG is nice,
very attractive but the attaction that I have for CG isn't there with BG. I feel bad for a minute when I catch myself thinking about CG, it isn't fair
to BG that I'm not all there for her, so I snap out of it and give BG all of my attention. We ate dinner at another place near the beach, great food
and stayed until it got dark. We enjoyed the live music and I did something with BG that I hadn't done with CG up until that point, we danced.
About dancing, I'm not very good but I made sure to learn the basic steps before my trip well enough that BG was surprised that I had it in me, we
had so much fun. She tried showing me a different step or two and I tried it, messed up a few times but we both laughed a lot. We stayed up until
1am then went back to the hotel. We thanked each other for a great day and evening, hugged each other, kiss on the cheek and said I'd see her in
the morning. We got up around 8, had breakfast again at the hotel, then took a cab to the bus terminal. Before heading back to cartagena I was
invited for lunch at her house to meet her family, which meant stopping off in barranquilla for a few hours. I wasn't nervous, having had dinner with
CG's family before leaving cartagena gave me confidence that things would go smoothly. To be continued

Great posts Vader.

One question to everyone out there in Gringo land. I have only made one trip to Bogota and I am no veteran. But, is it not really dangerous to be taking buses or taxis between cities?

I was under the impression that is how you get kidnapped.

Richard

Keep it up Vader.
Great posts!
Take care, Santa

[Junfan]

Vader,
I was in the archives and came across your trip reports from Cartagena...you had quite a saga going there. How did things ever turn out?

Mike