May 11. El gato negro.

In el gato negro you can have an excellent breakfast with real Columbian coffee prepared in a German way. The place is run by a worldwise grey-haired German lady, who manages it on her own. The place is open from 7am till 2pm and you can recognize it by the black cat on the door. As for the exact location, I don’t want you to feel you bought your guidebook for nothing, so I’ll refer to it at this point.

I walked up a hill today. It was so hot most of the other people in my hostel would hardly come out of the air-conditioned dormitory. I felt like I had to make a decent walk so I went out, passed the fort and went uphill. On the top, I enjoyed the view over Cartagena in an almost hallucinogenic heat. The view of the docks with the big blue cranes handling giant container ships gave me some sense of reality back. The trade that provides this little tourist paradise. I bought a water. I tried the last few types of fried dough-wraps I wasn’t yet familiar with. When I had tried them all, it felt like my time in Cartagena should come to an end soon. Fortunately it would. Back in the hostel, I cooked with David, who has traveled to almost every country. He keeps amazing me with his brightness. I (as most people do, I switch to myself at this point) should warm up some of my old sharpness of mind. Used to be a bright kid myself. It’s good to travel together and I’m looking forward to the sailing trip.