woke up at 3am last night watching the same raincloud pass over my window for 12 hours. 1076405932 was the weather app number i half-remembered from a half-remembered conversation with a guy at a hostel bar. the temp was 21.47c but it felt like 21.6 because my skin is 90% moisture right now thanks to the 74% humidity. pressed snooze 47 times. woke up to a map marker glowing in my phone from a trip i took 3 years ago. this city is called something like ‘ CNT ’ but i can’t remember. maybe it’s a typo. maybe it’s a ghost town. i don’t know. but here’s what i do know:

quick answers

q: is this place worth visiting?
a: if you like cheap tap water and people who sell souvenirs out of beaten-up duffel bags. don’t come for the food. the arepas were soggy once. unless you like soggy arepas.

q: is it expensive?
a: no. unless you’re buying sunscreen. then it’s like buying a used car. or worse.

q: who would hate it here?
a: people who want quiet. or air conditioning. or not to sweat through their shirt before noon.

q: best time to visit?
a: maybe not. the weather is stable but boring. like a spreadsheet that forgot to format the numbers.

so i wandered into this part of town because a local told me the street artists here ‘change their vibe every fucking Tuesday.’ probably lying. probably scared of tourists. i ended up sitting on a bench next to a guy painting aadvark emojis on dumpster lids. he said it was ‘to remind the raccoons who’s in charge.’

one clear insight: the street food here is only good if you eat it within 5 minutes of it being cooked. by which time it’s probably already eaten by a kid. another insight: the train station has a vending machine that sells 100-year-old chewing gum. it’s not smart. it’s not brave. it’s just there.

another thing: the humidity makes even the ‘cool’ nights feel like damp paper. i slept under a jacket that smelled like mildew and cheap attraction tickets. the ground level pressure was 925 which is probably why my feet were cold. or maybe it’s just because i’ve been walking since 7am. either way, it’s 21.47c and i’m still sweating.

repeating the insight: the heat doesn’t kill you here. it just makes you question all life choices. like when you realize your favorite coffee shop is run by a former clown college dropout. or that the best view of the city is from a rooftop where someone is currently yelling into a megaphone about ‘the dangers of ducks.’

there’s also this weird balance between tourist traps and hidden spots. i stumbled into a bookstore that only sells books about local legends. the owner said it was ‘to keep people from buying crystals.’ i bought a encyclopedia of moths. it was 2 euros. i don’t know why. another insight: if you ask a local for directions, they might give you the worst possible route. but if you follow it, you end up at a cool place no one else knows. like a giant abandoned cinema screening silent films. or maybe it’s just a janitor’s closet. who knows?

costs are all over the place. a water bottle refill is free if you ask. a hostel bed is 8 euros. a taxi ride to the beach is 15 euros but only if you haggle. or maybe not. i asked once and the driver just refused. so i walked. or maybe i took a bus. i can’t remember. the point is, it’s cheaper if you’re sneaky. or irresponsible. or both.

safety vibe is mixed. at night, the main street has this weird energy. like a party that doesn’t end. but the bars close early. like 10pm. local warned me that if you’re alone after dark, you should avoid the alley between the florist and the pawn shop. i ignored it. no one stole my camera. probably because it was a disposable one.

nearby cities are all about 45 minutes away by bus. the closest one is some port town that smells like salt and diesel. i went there once. it was fine. the beach there is anything but. it’s crowded with kids and fish stalls. another insight: if you want to leave this city, do it. because staying here is like staying in a house with bad Wi-Fi. you know it’s bad but you can’t quite prove it.

another thing: the local market is a maze. full of people selling things you don’t need. like dried meat that smells like regret. or sunglasses that cost 5 euros but look like they belong in a pirate movie. i bought one. it’s now my eye comfort. another insight: bargaining here is a language. if you don’t do it right, you’ll end up paying 10x the price. or less. depends on your vibe. or the trader’s mood. or the time of day. everything’s fluid.

food is hit or miss. the advantages of 21.47c weather is that you can eat outside all day. the disadvantage is that everything is sold by the handful. like this guy selling ‘mango dust’ in a plastic container. i bought a handful. it tasted like airport快递 food. another insight: if you want real food, go to the places that smell like smoke. probably the best empanadas were from a stall where they smoked the meat themselves. or maybe it was a scam. who knows?

social proof layer: i heard from a friend that the nightlife here is mostly here-and-there types. people who show up drunk and leave early. i saw a guy dance on a table at a club once. he was sticky. then he left. another insight: if you ask locals about the best place to eat, they’ll probably say ‘the one with the red chair.’ which is either a genius recommendation or a cop-out. probably the latter.

links

https://tripadvisor.com/city/3461023
https://reddit.com/r/Travel/comments/1076405932
https://yelp.com/biz/cnt-city
https:// urbanexplorer.com/that-place
https://localguides subscribe to their newsletter
https:// weather.com/3461023

map

images

A close-up of an orange tabby cat looking up

Black and white cat with green eyes looking up

summing up, this city is like a cult movie. you don’t know if you’ll like it until you’re in it. the weather is stable but dull. the costs are low but confusing. the people are weird but memorable. if you come for the chaos, you’ll get it. if you come for peace, you’ll hate it. and the numbers? they’ll haunt your dreams. especially 3461023.

visited this city last week and it was... kinda okay but also not? 3461023

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