Cartagena
Havana
© Tom Cockrem
18 | TRAVEL
A place of struggle and renewal
A place of womanly affirmation
Although parts of Colombia have been plagued by guerrillas and narco-traffickers, the seaport city of Cartagena is considered a safe haven. This modern city is a monument to Spanish colonial architecture, with narrow streets that wind through plazas, monasteries, and palaces. The houses—painted vivid reds, greens, and blues—are draped with bougainvillea and hanging potted plants. Guitarists serenade diners at the outdoor cafes in the Parque de San Diego, while Plaza Santo Domingo hosts art exhibitions. Cartagena’s fruit juices and smoothies are the tastiest in the Caribbean. Street stalls blend passion fruit, guanabana, citrusy lulo, and fleshy zapote with milk or yogurt and heaps of cane sugar. Look for arepa vendors too: These cornmeal pockets can be stuffed with your choice of cheese and egg or chicken, and are hot, cheap, and delicious. Hit
Despite the history of Fidel Castro’s ruthless policies, smiles are vibrant in Cuba, gaits are fluid, movements are rhythmic. There is a sensuality that transcends physical appearance. It is an attitude, it is infectious, and it is most viscerally experienced in a rumba club. In clubs throughout the island, you’ll find musicians pounding away on bata, bongo, and conga drums while revelers undulate on the dance floor. On Monday nights, drop by Dulce Maria Baralt between O’Reilly and Callejon del Chorro in Habana Vieja. During her “Sweet Maria’s” gatherings, a band plays old rumba songs as the crowd passes around communal bottles of rum and beer. Another group to catch is Las Mulatas del Caribe, an all-female band that performs on Calle Obispo #213A. Be sure to head over to Cementerio Colon to visit “La Milagrosa,” or the Miracle Lady. According to legend, a young woman named Amelia Goyri de Hoz died in childbirth in 1901 and was buried with her baby snug at her feet. When keepers opened her tomb a few years later, however, they found Amelia cradling her daughter in her arms. Locals have called her the Miracle Lady ever since and consider her a protector of pregnant women. If you knock three times on her tombstone and make a wish, she’ll grant it—as long as you don’t turn your back on her as you leave. Hundreds of grateful pilgrims have left small plaques and tablets around her gravesite, thanking her for their milagros.
“Leap into the crater: It’s like swimming in cocoa.” the restaurants for some Afro-Caribbean/Latin specialties, like seafood poached in sancocho with a side of fried yucca. Take a day trip by bus from Mercado Bazurto to Cienaga del Totumo, which looks like a volcano but spews mud instead of lava. Climb the stairs to the top and leap into the crater: It’s like swimming in cocoa. Rinse off in the lagoon; dry in the sun; then do it all over. Or, head from Cartagena to the Rosario Islands, a short two-hour boat trip. These small coral islands are peaceful, and children will adore the open-sea Oceanario, where dancing dolphins steal the spotlight.
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