Cartagena de indias is a beautiful part of Colombia, located in the North along the coast and has the most beautiful walled city. It's been preserved for tourism and locals alike to enjoy a romantic walk along the wall, have a sunset drink at cafe del mar, eat local street eats or sit and enjoy a fresh seafood meal at any restaurant. There are so many different sections to the walled city and it was always a new view when we went there.
We stayed at my friend's condo which had enough room for ten people, a pool outside our bedroom, a jaccuzzi, a pool at the back of the condo facing the beach. It was heaven and as she insisted, we enjoyed ourselves like it was an anniversary or honeymoon vacation.
We had fresh Ceviche from the beach carts daily with crackers and ceviche at every spot we could find. There were a lot of kite surfers on the water and lots of little tents to rent and sun bathe and even a man with horses you could rent for a sunset ride along the beach.
We were told to go and visit some of the islands off Cartagena, so we went to the local ferry and got tickets to Cocauso Island Resort that is part of the Rasario Islands. They are meant to be beautiful, unfortunately we were trapped in a resort that had no body staying there, a pool with loud music and a lot of access to swimming in the open sea. There were activities we could do to see the island but we'd have to pay a lot extra on top of what we paid for the ticket. So we opted for reading our books poolside and after a delicious lunch (plantains, fresh fish, rice, veggies and fruit) which made up for the "tourist trap" we sat sea side and enjoyed our last few hours there before riding back on the speed boat. 
With just a short week, we booked up one trip to experience Volcan de Lodo El Totem. Besides hanging out in the walled city, this was the number one best thing to do! It's an active mud volcano that is so buoyant, the only way to dunk your whole body in, is to have a guy push you down. We had the tour company pick us up and when you arrive, it looks like a little anthill that could have been man made, until you actually climb in. There are locals there ready to assist you and you get a massage in the mud and you get to hang out for as long as you want. There are lots of minerals in the mud that leaves your skin and hair feeling silky soft! It was like being a kid in a mud pitt and we had a lot of fun with our group. Once you finish in the mud, you climb out careful not to slip and walk down to a lagoon where the local "mammas" are ready to wash you down, all the way down in the water. They even take your bathers off and wash them for you as you sit in the mirky water.
After the mud volcano, we drove another 30 minutes to a beach for sun, impromptu yoga and lunch. I love that I can bring yoga with me everywhere and people want to practice. It was the first time for most of the group and they were so grateful for the class. I was engulfed in hugs after and it was great to share this gift. The local children even joined in on the fun and helped me sing at the end to bring the group out of savasana. It was a great day!
We were grateful for the short and sweet time in Colombia and the friendly locals there who welcomed us and made us feel at home.
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