Escaped again

I've been keeping something from you...

For the last few days R and I have been relaxing on a beach somewhere far, far away from NYC to celebrate my birthday.

I originally thought the only way to welcome in a new decade would be for a bit of adventure, or as I call it, a trip to do some traveling (vs. vacationing). Like our most recent trips, I was still set on sticking to our hemisphere and after lots of consulting of route maps and research into up-and-coming places, I picked Cartagena.

I loved the way Bon Appetit described the seaside city as,

"A place where one can check out for a week or two of utter relaxation; but in recent years, it has also become one of the chicest and most action-packed weekend destinations on earth."

"It also doesn’t hurt that some of the best food in Latin America can be had there, whether it’s the piping-hot arepas (delicious cornmeal disks) sold by street vendors or the fresh seafood in its many world-class restaurants. Lots of picks to visit when you’re not boat-hopping on the islands, touring the Inquisition museum, or shopping for mochilas (colorful woven totes native to the area)."

Travel & Leisure also had good things to say:

"Take a dash of faded colonial grandeur, then add a dose of sultry nightlife and an influx of cosmopolitan travelers seeking the next great Caribbean hot spot...this emerging Colombian getaway delivers all this and more."

So, you might understand why I was so into it. As soon as I decided, I went about my usual scramble of researching to death: hotels, excursions, restaurants, cafès, etc—I have a massive Google Doc with all my notes, in case anyone's interested.

But then R pointed out that perhaps a week in a city, where the most charming bits can be covered in a few days, would be too much. He had a better suggestion: a proper Caribbean island that's lush, hilly, gorgeous and volcanic (that unexpected power looming beneath the surface calls to me—maybe that's why I felt at home in Sicily?), with a national product that I'm supremely interested in learning about and enjoying in all its forms. Combine that with a dash of glamour and luxury, plus the chance to do lots of hiking, swimming, and indulging in alluded-to national product, and I was sold.

Any guesses as to where we are?

{ First image (c) http://allinclusiveguide.wordpress.com }
{ Second image (c) Zach Stovall / Caribbean Travel Mag }