Day 12: Breeze of Mango and Stone

Today I spent hours in the Plaza de los Coches, sitting on the edge of the square with a cold drink and my sketchbook open. The plaza was alive with color and movement, and I felt drawn into its rhythm from the beginning.

Horse-drawn carriages passed by, their wheels clattering on the cobblestones, while vendors called out with baskets of sweets and trinkets. The air was thick and warm, carrying the distant sound of music mingled with voices.

I quickly sketched a few scenes, capturing the arched arcades and vibrant facades of the colonial buildings around me. The sunlight cast deep shadows under the arches where people gathered, seeking shade from the midday heat.

A fruit vendor paused near my table, arranging mangoes and papayas in a pattern that seemed almost too deliberate. I captured his posture in my sketch, a reminder of the way life moves through this place with its own artistry.

As evening approached, the plaza began to glow under the soft lights of the lampposts. I left with a sense of the heartbeat of Cartagena - a vibrant, colorful presence that seems to breathe with the ocean breeze.