A Life Afar｜🇨🇴 Encountering Márquez in Cartagena

"It was inevitable: the scent of bitter almonds always reminded him of the fate of unrequited love." — Gabriel García Márquez, Love in the Time of Cholera In the 1940s, Colombia's literary giant and Nobel laureate Gabriel García Márquez (affectionately known as Gabo) worked as a journalist in Cartagena. His masterpiece Love in the Time of Cholera is set in this very Caribbean port city—now Colombia's 5th largest metropolis and one of South America's busiest harbors. Traces of Gabo still linger here today. 🏨 Hotel Casa San Agustin A boutique hotel crafted from three 17th-century mansions. Exposed wooden beams, weathered frescoes, palm-fringed courtyards, and a colonial-era pool create timeless charm. Centrally located in the Old Town with impeccable service. Don't miss their restaurant Alma—we dined there twice! Note: Street-facing rooms can be noisy. 📌 Book via official website | ~3,000 CNY/night 🍴 Celele Restaurant 🌟🌟🌟 🏆 #19 on Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants (2022) The only Cartagena establishment on the list. White Lotus-esque decor with artful plating, though flavors lean sweet-sour and subtle. More instagrammable than unforgettable. 📌 Reservations recommended 📍 Márquez Pilgrimage Sites • Homenaje a García Márquez: Mural of Gabo, Meme, and yellow butterflies (Getsemaní district—stay alert!) • Ábaco Libros y Café: Bookstore-café where Gabo wrote • Universidad de Cartagena Claustro de la Merced: Houses Gabo's bust and ashes • El Coro Bar at Sofitel Legend Santa Clara: His favorite haunt in this converted 17th-century convent 🌅 Other Highlights • Walls of Cartagena: 300-year-old fortifications with legendary sunsets • Pirawe Market: Handmade Wayuu bags, straw hats, and jewelry—our sole shopping stop We missed the Caribbean islands this time... but we'll be back! 🥰 #LiteraryTravel #CulturalWanderlust #TravelTheWorld #SouthAmerica #Colombia