Navigating the City
Transcaribe the public bus in Cartagena
Cartagena is a decent size city to me (it's the 5th largest in Colombia by population size), but it definitely shrunk as I grew more familiar with it, made more connections, and learned how to move through it using the many different forms of transportation. To get around Cartagena you have a couple of options, and it makes sense to use different modes of transportation depending on the time of day, how far you’re going, which direction you’re going, how soon you want to get there, how many people are coming with you, and how much you want to spend. I think familiarizing myself with the transportation options in my new city was super important, because once I learned how to move around, I felt more empowered to explore and felt a lot more comfortable, knowing that I knew how to do so safely.
Here's a bit about the different transportation options in Cartagena…
Walking: I am someone who enjoys walking for leisure, but it was not my go-to for transportation in the city. It's not a terrible idea to walk in Cartagena if your destination is nearby, but if not, walking will present some issues. Walking during the day under the sun, especially when it's at its highest point, is brutal, and during the day you’ll see a lot of people walking with umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun’s rays. I would only walk during the day to destinations within my neighborhood, or to get to some other form of transportation to take me the distance. Additionally, there's a Colombian saying, “no dar papaya”, that basically means don’t put yourself in the position to be taken advantage of. Per this advice, I learned that you shouldn’t do things like walk with your phone in your hand, and it also means you should use discretion when choosing where to walk, especially if you are by yourself.
Pedestrian bridge that allows you to safely cross above the road
Transcaribe: The public bussing system, affectionately called Transca by los jovenes, was a mode of transportation that I didn’t use consistently until I moved to Los Almendros and had a station close to my house. During that time, I used Transcaribe to come and go from the Center during the day because it was more affordable than calling a car, and both more affordable and more comfortable than going on moto. I really enjoyed taking Transca once I learned how to use it. It was a 30-minute ride where I could relax, listen to music, and get to learn more of the city as I looked out the window. The fare was 3.000 COP, so I didn’t have to spend too much for the ride either. The only downside was that the bus would take a while to show up, so it wasn’t the best option for when I was in a rush.
Mototaxis: Like I’ve mentioned before, these are guys (and some girls) who drive motorcycles as taxis. There is an impressive amount of motos in Cartagena, and I’d say it’s the only big city with such extensive mototaxi use. I used mototaxis to go to and from the university every day. It was a quick 10-to-13 minute ride and it was super affordable, between 4.000 and 3.000 COP. I also used mototaxis to go to and from the mall and my dance school which were both close to my house, but just a little too far to walk to them. Motos also came in handy for getting somewhere in a rush or for a rides home when my groceries are too heavy.
Moto ride, the sunset, and another pedestrian bridge
InDrivers: This was my go-to if I was going to someplace a little too far to reach by moto, when I was headed somewhere after the sun went down, and also if I didn’t feel like getting sweaty from being outdoors under the sun during the day (in moto or walking to the bus station). InDriver is an app kind of like Uber, but the difference is you say how much you want to pay and the drivers negotiate the price of your ride within the app. The minimum fare for all travel in a car (whether its and InDriver or Taxi or personal driver) is 8.000 COP. I used InDriver a lot when meeting with friends because you can order rides with multiple stops. This was perfect for picking-up or dropping-off a group of people.
Personal motos or drivers: This is a way you can plan your rides in advance. I had 2 trusty motos who took me to the university when I lived in El Campestre, then a mix of different motos who would take me when I moved to Los Almendros. Both car and moto drivers are always inviting you to save their number, and to write them when you need a ride, but when I couldn’t inquire in advance I usually opted to use motos that I saw in-person wherever I was, or I would call an InDriver just because it was faster that way.
Colectivo: This was an alternative for me when Transca was taking too long to arrive at the station and it was getting late. Moto and colectivos would often drive along the main streets and slow down at the bus stations, honk, and ask if you needed a ride. They would do this strategically and it worked on me many times after sitting for a while in the heat waiting for the bus to arrive. I would pay 4.000 COP for a colectivo from the south to the Center, and this ride was a lot more affordable than an InDriver because it was shared with up to three other people heading in the same direction.
A busetta from barrio Los Caracoles and a few mototaxis
Busettas: These are smaller buses that are elaborately decorated, and often have the name of a neighborhood across the windshield. The wild thing about these buses is that the doors never close. In each doorway there is a man who does a couple different things: he calls out to people on the street, announcing the route the bus is taking, he helps people on and off the bus, and when the road gets a little congested he usually gets out and starts directing traffic! I never used busettas in the city, but they are used by many people and often packed- the guy who works in the doorway also sometimes has the job of holding onto people, so they don’t fall out the bus!
Yellow taxis: These are always my very last resort. Taxis usually circulate the tourism zone (El Centro Histórico, Getsemaní, and Bocagrande) more than anything else and will shamelessly charge double or triple the going rate for rides, so I avoid them. Fortunately, official rates were recently published by the mayor’s office earlier this year to help regulate things, but I still prefer to use InDriver.
A ride in lancha from Cartagena to Tierra Bomba
Every form of transportation serves a purpose and adds to the vibrant landscape of the city. Lancha, speedboat, is another important form of transportation that people use to go back and forth between Cartagena and Tierra Bomba, Barú, and Las Islas del Rosario. I got to see a lot of Cartagena, in InDriver, in Transcaribe, and mostly en moto, so I really appreciate that element of the city. The moto culture has its benefits and drawbacks, but it was one of the really awesome and unique parts of my experience in the city. More on motos to come.
DISCLAIMER: This site (octaviachristopher.com) is not an official Fulbright Program site. The views expressed on this site are entirely those of its author and do not represent the views of the Fulbright Program, the U.S. Department of State or any of its partner organizations.