Essential Spanish phrases

The costeño all-purpose opener — 'so?', 'well?', 'go on then'. It carries an entire conversation depending on the tone, and you will hear it fifty times a day.

'What's up, cousin?' — the standard Caribbean greeting between men. Costeño Spanish drops the final s ('¿qué má'?'), which is the single biggest adjustment coming from Bogotá.

'Wow / bloody hell' — a purely coastal exclamation of surprise. Harmless, ubiquitous, and instantly marks you as someone who has actually lived here.

The air conditioning, which in Cartagena is a topic rather than an appliance. '¿Tiene aire?' is the first question about any flat, office, taxi or restaurant.

The December-to-March trade wind that drops the humidity and makes the city genuinely pleasant. Locals count the year by whether the brisa has arrived.

'What will you charge me to…?' — Cartagena taxis do not run meters, so you agree the fare before you get in. Ask a local what the trip should cost first.

Shaved ice with fruit syrup and condensed milk, sold from carts on every plaza. The correct response to three in the afternoon in Cartagena.

A fried maize arepa with an egg cooked inside it — the coastal breakfast, best from a street stall rather than a restaurant.

The women in bright dresses carrying bowls of fruit in the walled city. They are descendants of San Basilio de Palenque and they charge for photographs — agree the price before you lift the camera, not after.

Cartagena's own Afro-Caribbean music and dance, born in the barrios rather than the walled city. The picó sound systems that play it are a serious local institution.

Help! Dial 123 for any emergency nationwide; 119 reaches the fire brigade directly and 132 the Red Cross ambulance service.