CHAPTER 11

BELIZEAN GROVE:

THE WORLD’S ULTIMATE OLD GIRLS’ CLUB

In Cartagena, Colombia, inside the walls of the old city sits a monastery. Inside the monastery sits a chapel whose high ceilings and heavy gray stone offer protection from the sun. Now, just as 400 years ago, there are no windows, no distractions—just silence.

Beyond the chapel are terraces overlooking the sea, where bougainvillea cascades over balconies and warblers sing with wrens. And a courtyard where ladies succumb as their hair curls in the breeze. They lean back in straw chairs, uncross legs beneath lunch tables, smile indulgently at toucans that strut and lunge for bites of their salad and ceviche.

These women, who seldom relax and reflect, have traded business suits for ...

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