Thank you, Krafty! This is great advice, and I'll certainly follow most of your recommendations, especially regarding safety.
No, I've never been and am going alone. Mi espanol no bueno but I'm learning some. Got Duolingo Max so I can converse with the AI characters.
I would love to go to Medellin but will spend all my time in Cartagena. Regarding my AirBnB, it is apparently an apartment in a gated complex that requires a code. It is in the Old City (which is apparently considered safe), right next to the University of Cartagena. I think it should be fine.
Cartagena has a strong tourist presence, so despite my deficiencies in Spanish, I imagine I should be able to locate English speakers if in dire need.
Regarding the women, I totally get you. I am certainly not going to be looking for prostitutes, but I realize that many of these women will have certain expectations of a gringo who obviously has a decent amount of money, at least relative to them. While I am a complete sucker for tanned, curvy women with the hair of midnight, I will try my best to avoid situations that may put me in a predicament.
One thing I'd like to know from you is how do you typically pack? A friend of mine, who is much more travelled, just brought it to my attention this past week that my bags will need to be re-checked since I'm using United for the main flights but Copa for the Latin American connections. I did not realize this. Going is a relatively short layover in Panama City, and I do not think I'll have time to re-check. So I'm going to just do carry on. What would you say are the essentials I should take (and can get through TSA), and is it easy to get things like toothpaste, saline solution (contacts), deodorant, etc. down there?