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Published: June 29th 2017
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Geo: 10.4137, -75.5336
Today I held a three toed sloth and saw a wild toucan. If that's not the definition of a good day I dont know what is. Overall, today was a good day; a brief but decent and enjoyable introduction to Columbia and Central America. It didn't start on a particularly encouraging note. We set off from the ship on a guided walking tour of Cartagena Old City around 9am. Our bus was small but comfortable, the tour itinerary, promising, our guide Nick, not so much. Nick was a local, and appeared friendly. Unfortunately, he seemed to speak with a lisp and stutter. Further, his English was poor. Not a good combination for an English tour guide. Sadly we were lucky to pick up one in ten words on the 30 minute drive from the port to Cartagena. When we arrived there, by a large fort, that was the end of Nick. Sacked, fired, ratted out or retired I'm not sure which, how or who was responsible. Ultimately Nick sighed, introduced his replacement guide, and left the bus, with slumped shoulders, possibly to face reprimand, execution, or the prospect of a career change. Poor guy.
The new guide was an improvement,
articulate and informative. First stop then, the fort, and a chance for some photos. As impressive as the fort was, it wasn't to be the highlight of this particular location. 'Whats that animal there Kris?' Natalie says suddenly. Then and there, love at first sight. It did cost $5 but it was worth it. Our eyes met, and the three toed sloth and I just knew it was destined to nestle comfortably and lovingly in my arms. Its name does it justice. Its a strange looking critter, so ugly its cute. Extremely relaxed and lazy in nature, slightly curious, immobile and carefree. He lives in the comfort and relative safety of jungle treetops. Hes cuddly with coarse fur. His claws resisted as it was time to part, catching my shirt. What a happy moment.
Stop two, souvenirs. Thousands of people crawling over local goodies, not my idea of a good time. We got our standard magnet, requesting change from US Dollars in Colombian Pesos, to continue our foreign banknote collection. The local currency is Pesos, but its exchange is so bad (1700 is around 1AUD) they seem to prefer US Dollars. Nat also left with a nice pair of green
coral earrings.
Next, stop three and before long we were by the old city walls, to begin our walking tour through the streets of old Cartagena. It was a pretty area, with many colorful buildings decorated with ornate doors and flower laden balconies. On the downside I dont think Ive ever seen so many street vendors. Coke? Beer? Hat? Watch? Fan? No, no, no. It gets boring fast. There was one guy whose product was impressive. Hand painted art, on glass, done in 3 minutes and quality. If we had any money left we might have bought some. After walking through the city we came to the Museum of Gold, next to the Cathedral and Town Hall. This was fairly interesting, a video giving an overview of Colombian life. The vaults contained some impressive gold artifacts from South America.
A short walk on, back to the bus for a panoramic drive through the city along the coast and beaches towards the port. Rather than climb aboard, we decided to go for a walk to the port terminal. This decision paid off. Here in a jungle area, you could find a small aviary, cafe, shop and several wild local animals just hanging out;
Flamingoes, a giant lizard, maccaws and other exotic birds, best of all a toucan! There he was, just sitting on the boardwalk railing, curiously observing tourists. He was even kind enough to pose for photos. We picked up some small gifts and headed for the ship. Just as we climbed aboard, the weather changed, a tropical storm dumping down sleet, rain battering the port. By 4, we were on our way southbound, headed for the Panama Canal. It was a brief introduction to South America but one thoroughly enjoyed by both Nat and I.
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