Cartagena not too attractive from the air. Murky water riverlets and oil refineries.....could be approach to New Orleans. The topography looks swampy.   We de-plane to the tarmac and WHAM...the humidity hits.   

Luggage arrives quickly and we begin to worry about transport to the Centro / Old City.
Cabs are all Geo Metros. We'll need 3 cars with seven pieces of luggage and 5 persons.    
A porter hustles about trying to find a van and I find the Sofitel has an office in the airport, but a pretty hostess apologizes as they are the sales dept and no transport. The porter introduces us to a shady dude who promises safe passage w/ his "van"....but the Sofitel sales girl confronts him, tells us she has no idea who he is, hands us tickets for two taxis and tells us its much safer.    We drive by the nasty looking beaches of La Boquilla and Crespo...rough dirty swells and local families picnicing on charcoal-brown sand. Looks like pictures I've seen of Rio w/ high rise condos and long hard sand....but seedier.   So much for the guidebook recommendation of quick visits to these areas.   They try to play up fact that Cartagena has no beaches and a quick "launcha" boat will at least get you to a shoreline. NO THANKS!!.     
We approach the walled city of Old Cartagena. In front teeming buses/traffic & vendors.
Inside the stone portals there is sudden peace. Coral, azure, pink painted 15th Century buildings w/ stone balconies. 
Our arrival at the Santa Clara Sofitel. Check-in is easy...the girls in awe of the beautiful courtyard. The staff is dressed in period clothing, tophats, and the graceful old convent is incredibly charming. There is a combination of tidy antiquity mixed with 21st century modernity.   We are given 4 bedrooms adjoining on the 3rd floor overlooking the pool. The fight ensues....who gets what rooms ( of course the girls want their own).   We settle in to use the pool and enjoy our week-long new home.