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Cartagena, Colombia

Safety

Safety in Cartagena, Colombia
What do other Racers need to know in order to be safe? Current safety protocols/precautions in place? Any relevant issues/concerns? Any precautionary suggestions?

People’s Opinions

  1. Our host continually made it clear that the area of San Francisco was very unsafe. We were not able to go anywhere without our host. It felt limiting at times to our desire to minister to the community. We were confined to the house during the day with the host was at work and then in the evening we would go out and play sports. Everyone seemed to look mean, but with a smile, wave and a “hola” they seemed to be more receptive. There was a lot of gang activity and there were three fatal shootings while we were in the area. We did not feel threatened, but wanted to respect what Alex knew of the barrio.
  2. Cartagena, YWAM is very safe. Walking around in the daytime by yourself is fine, but always have someone with you at night. We didn’t have any problems with theft in the old city or at the beach. The taxi drivers might try to up the prices if you’re not careful.
    cartagena
  3. As previously stated, San Francisco is not safe. We were asked to keep our valuables out of sight, which included jewelry. Basically the idea is “make them believe you have nothing to take”.
  4. San Francisco, where the Alex Rocha Youth Center is located, is pretty unsafe. Don’t walk around alone, always travel with the host and his family. Lots of gang activity. Just be smart.
  5. This is a very dangerous place, and barrio San Francisco has a reputation for being the most dangerous barrio in Cartagena. Don’t go anywhere without a contact or their representative.

Ministry Summary

Ministry Summary in Cartagena, Colombia
Breakthroughs? Suggestions? Concerns? On a scale of 1-4 (1 being not at all, 4 being absolutely) how strongly would you recommend another World Race team go to this ministry location & why?

People’s Opinions

  1. As limited as we felt by the safety concerns in the area the community and kids were very receptive. We were able to play with kids outside of the house and go play sports in the afternoon. Alex stated several times that while we were playing sports it hindered numerous fights from being started between different kids, so that was encouraging. We wanted to go out and pray for people in the community as well but were unable to until later in the month- but when we did get the chance we loved it. God taught us so much regardless if the living situation was the most ideal.
  2. YWAM, Cartagena ministry gave us lots of options. We had lots of variety. We cleaned up the river, did intercessory prayer, cooked, went to Palenque, and got to learn from the YWAM staff and students. Palenque was the biggest part of our ministry during our time at YWAM. We held church services, played with the kids, and did door to door ministry. We would highly recommend any team to work with YWAM. The only challenge we encountered was that it was hard to cultivate team unity with 60 plus people living with us, so I would not recommend it for the first month of the race.
  3. Teaching English was the main part of ministry at the Alex Rocha Youth Center, but we also played sports with the neighbourhood kids and helped out with Sunday School at Alex’s foundation (however, we didn’t have/attend a formal church service). We would definitely say 4 – this place is worth coming back to! Alex definitely needs the help.
  4. The Rocha family is amazing. Very easy to connect with. I would recommend getting on Mercy’s good side, since she can seem intimidating. But she is beyond amazing. The ministry was 24/7, but so rewarding and impactful. Bring ideas for fun ways to leanr english. Like our american songs!
  5. We worked with the Alex Rocha Youth Center, which was a lot of fun. We mainly helped teach English with Alex, and we did several events in the community that drew a crowd through dane and music and then we would share the Gospel with the people there. Our team became good friends with a group of break dancers (aka “b-boys”) who came to the English class. We would cook lunch for them sometimes, but mostly just hang out, help them practice English, and then we would go into El Centro to watch them dance and support them. We really got to befriend and love them all month, and share the Gospel with them too. it was a cool month to make the most of our free time and really just do ministry by living life with people.
  6. 4! This was my FAVORITE month on the Race so far. I have never felt more needed. There were so many children that were either neglected or abused or both, and we got to love on them all month. We got to play sports and just hang out — it was like ministry 24/7 even when we were cooped up indoors. I felt like I belonged, even though we were in the ghetto and we were like the only white people. PLEASE come back. PLEASE. And love on my brother JJ. Jesus is chasing hard after him. There is a big battle for his soul because he is very special.

Lodging

Lodging in Cartagena, Colombia
Where did you stay? What were the accommodations (sleeping arrangements, toilets, showers, etc.)? Cost (per person per night in USD), Contact info.

People’s Opinions

  1. We stayed at the Rochas home, which was also the foundation for the youth. Me and my wife stayed in the classroom and the rest of the team was in the room next to us. We slept on the floor with sleeping bags and pads. It was very hot so AC was nice to have. The mosquitos were somewhat of a problem so maybe bring a mosquito net. Also limit eating in the rooms due to ants and mice. The bathrooms were not bad, cold water but pretty good!
  2. The YWAM base was very nice. It was dorm style living. Running water, regular toilets, cafeteria meals. We shared rooms with YWAM students, but we each had beds. We had no air conditioning, but we had a fan. It was very hot all through the day and night.
    ywam base
  3. We stayed at the host’s home in San Francisco. It was an air-conditioned room where we set up our sleeping pads. We had two (!!) of our own bathrooms with showers and flushing toilets. We had to buy our own toiletries and toilet paper and keep the bathrooms very clean — Mama Mercy was very strict about that. We had our own kitchen with a stove and a fridge where we could cook our own meals.

Food / Meals

Food / Meals in Cartagena, Colombia
What did you eat? Where did you get the food? Cost (per person per day in USD)? Contact info (if applicable).

People’s Opinions

  1. We ate a lot of rice, beans, noodles, sandwiches, etc….we had to prepare the meals for ourselves. We would go to the local grocery store, but would have to wait when it was convenient for the host to go with us. We did very well on $4 a day.
  2. We eat with the students. It cost us $6 a day per person. They didn’t feed us a tremendous amount of food, but it was prepared for us.
  3. To keep costs low, we bought bags of water at Exito for 2000 pesos each, which was much cheaper than other options we found. There is a water lady down the street that the Rochas know that usually charges more, but agreed to match that price and got the water for us. Also, buying meat by weight rather than per piece will be substantially cheaper! For 6 people, we bought 1 kilo of meat per meal.
  4. Have Mercy teach you howto use her pressure cooker. Make beans!!! There’s a megatienda near the rocha’s home. Go there. Its cheaper. Make a schedule per week. Get creative and use local foods! Take advantage of the knowledge the Rochas have and the fresh fruit you get!
  5. If you go into town, some good places to eat are La Cevicheria (if you want to splurge) or you can find some really good cheap food at Plaza de la Trinidad. Get the patacones for 10,000 pesos and share, and there is a quesadilla place nearby where you can get quesadillas for 4000-7000 pesos.
  6. We cooked for ourselves most days — bought food from the Megatienda store in El Centro. We also ate at nearby lunch ladies often — there are a few women who cook from their homes or somewhere on the road and sell their food. One woman is Zenaida (not sure how to spell it) and then Abuelita next to the basketball court. Food is usually 5000 pesos or less per meal. Real cheap, real good. Also, the empanada lady and the avocado lady across the street! BEST avocados youll ever have.

Transportation

Transportation in Cartagena, Colombia
What transportation did you use to enter the country? Where were you coming from? What transportation was used to move throughout the country? Be sure to include the cost per person in USD and contact info if applicable.

People’s Opinions

  1. We flew into Medellin and from there we took a LONG bus ride of 13 hours to Cartagena. We decided the first trip there to go through the night leaving at 9pm and arriving around noon the next day- wouldn’t recommend it. The buses are very shaky and bumpy due to the roads and it was very hard to sleep. We took a trip through the day on the way back to Medellin which was better but still shaky. We used Expressa Brasilia, I believe it was close to $40 a ticket.
  2. We flew from the US to Cartagena. YWAM picked us up from the airport. The bus we took from the airport was 50,000 pesos ($17). We walked a lot around town. If we ever needed to go anywhere that wasn’t in walking distance we took taxis. It was between 8,000-10,000 pesos ($3-$6) per cab depending where you went.
  3. We flew into Cartagena from the U.S.A. on Spirit Airlines, which was economical, but just be sure to pay for luggage ahead of time and to print the e-tickets they send via email. IMPORTANT: You must have a return ticket booked when flying into Colombia (we had to book them before we checked in and then canceled them as soon as we arrived). To get to different areas of the city, we used taxis. There are ‘collectivos’ to get around the neighbourhood for 1000pesos/person, but don’t use them without one of the Rochas with you since they are considered dangerous! A few of us flew with VivoColombia Airlines to Medellin at the end of the month, which cost $50 roundtrip/person.
  4. We took taxis into El Centro, they should cost 8000 pesos most times, sometimes they will charge you 10000, but dont let them charge you more!
    We took Expreso Brasilia to Medellin for about 130,000 pesos per person at the end of the month. We took Copetran from Bogota to Cartagena for 90,000 pesos per person.
  5. We got in via Rapido Ochoa from Medellin – $50/person. Around the city, ask the contact for taxi info.

Medical

Medical in Cartagena, Colombia
Information on local hospitals / doctors / pharmacies. Where would someone go in a medical emergency? (addresses and contact info).

People’s Opinions

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Communication

Communication in Cartagena, Colombia
Did you have cell reception / Internet service? Where? Carrier / Provider, where did you get phones / SIM cards, cost? Country code?

People’s Opinions

  1. At the Alex Rocha center we did not have internet (which was nice to deprogram) but it was also somewhat of a hassle when it came to getting information. We would goto a local coffee shop in “old city” which was about 15 minutes away. My phone was provided as a team leader and to our treasurer and we used “Claro”. Country code was +57
  2. The YWAM base has WI-FI downstairs. It is very slow but works. There are lots of places around town that have WI-FI. We got SIM cards at the mall for 8,000 pesos each. We recommend getting Digicel. Country code +57.
  3. We bought Tigo SIM cards at the Exito grocery store for 25,000 pesos/each. The country code is +57.
  4. At the Rocha’s, you won’t get wifi. But everywherein town has places.

Financial

Financial in Cartagena, Colombia
Location of banks or ATMs, notes about transaction fees, best places to exchange money, and other money related advice.

People’s Opinions

  1. We only used ATMs in the Old City, which charged a small transaction fee. Megatienda, Exito, and many other businesses and restaurants accepted credit cards.

Translators

Translators in Cartagena, Colombia
List any local translators – name and contact information, languages spoken

People’s Opinions

  1. Alex speaks great English (ask him how he learned!) His daughter Karen was a great resource as well we used. Myself and another team mate knew Spanish enough to communicate and get what we needed, but the family was a great resource.
  2. Alex Rocha speaks great English, and his daughter Karen speaks great English too. Hang out with John Alexander, Juan David and Bebe long enough and they will speak some english too. We went everywhere with Karen as our main translator 🙂
  3. Alex speaks fluent Spanish and English. Christian and Karen speak good English. JJ also speaks good English and has an impressive knowledge of slang.

Off Days / Fun Activities

Off Days / Fun Activities in Cartagena, Colombia
What activities did your team experience? Recommendations? List locations/contact info. Any locations to be avoided? Any extra safety tips for off days?

People’s Opinions

  1. One of my favorite memories was having Karen take us to “Gethsemane”, it is a local part of town that not a lot of tourists goto. We loved that as well as going to Old City, we went mostly for wifi and built a relationship with some of the workers at the coffee shop which was nice. We also went to two beaches, Boca Grande and Playa Blanca. Boca Grande was VERY CROWDED and people bombarded you the entire time to buy things…..Playa Blanca was a lot nicer and spread out, still a bit crowded but beautiful and not as many people asking you to buy things. We went with the family so that was really nice!
  2. If you get a chance go to La Playa Blanca go. We went snorkeling and spent the day on the beautiful beach. It was around $50 per person which included food, transportation, and the snorkeling gear.
  3. We visited the “Volcan”, which is basically a mud bath at the top of a big hill. We went early in the morning to avoid crowds and stayed for a solid amount of time with the place to ourselves. Some ladies scrub you down afterward, to make sure all the mud that got inside your swimsuit gets out. There are some not-nice bathrooms there that you can use to change if you want. Our host, Alex, arranged everything for us, and it cost 60,000pesos/person, plus tips. You can also bring money to buy snacks. Alex also arranged a snorkelling trip for our squad to Playa Blanca, which cost 120,000 pesos/person, but did not include lunch, snorkel gear, or beach umbrellas.
  4. We traveled into El Centro a lot — like three or four times a week. A lot of times we were hanging out/watching our break dancer friends perform, but we just enjoyed walking around the city. Karen was a great guide around the city. We also went camping one night at Playa Blanca which was a lot of fun. Get Karen to show you all the cool street art around the city!
  5. We went into the Old City a lot for off days. Alex is a tour guide and gives fabulous tours. We also went to the regular beach and to Playa Blanca – YOU MUST GO TO PLAYA BLANCA. It’s fabulous and the waters are crystal clear. And you can fish.

Other Important Contacts

Other Important Contacts in Cartagena, Colombia
Additional ministry opportunities, local pastors, etc. Relationship & follow up suggestions

People’s Opinions

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Tips

People’s Opinions

  1. Go to the mall for good Wi-Fi!! There is a fun arcade in the mall as well. Eat at Crepes and Waffles as often as possible.
  2. It’s important to shower daily and look presentable for ministry – kids have made comments about past groups not showering, etc. Also, keep an eye out – the kids sometimes will try to steal school supplies during English class. Don’t be afraid to be firm with the girls when managing the class.
  3. “Cositas” means “balls” in Spanish in Colombia. Don’t use it.

Additional Info

Additional Info in Cartagena, Colombia
Anything we’ve left out? Any additional suggestions to make travel easier for others?

People’s Opinions

  1. After our ministry we stayed for debrief in THE BEST hostel in Cartagena (Mi Llave Hostel in Old City)! They negotiated a good price for our whole squad (30 people) and we ended up extending our stay even! They loved us and we started great relationships with the owners, especially Alejandro! Full kitchen here. AC in the big room downstairs (holds 15), wonderful view for the room on the 2nd floor (holds 15). Third floor has AC as well. They have 3 MAC desktops to use! Wifi is pretty good too.
    Mi Llave Hostel in Old City
  2. Though our host doesn’t have a problem with it, many Christians consider dancing, drinking alcohol, and smoking to be extremely inappropriate behaviour, so be wise.