Beautiful Cartagena

---

The outskirts of Cartagena seem much as the other places we have seen on our journey so far, but as you get to historical centre and also can see Bocagrande with its high rise you realise that Cartagena is a different place. The old colonial historical centre is beautiful, guarded by a fort outside the walls, and the walls themselves to keep pirates at bay. The temperature again is very warm, once out the front of the hotel we were thinking of staying at it´s not long before I get "hey Aussie" by a conspicous local. After a hotel little bit more expensive than we would have liked we wanted to check out a couple of others close by, our conspicuous local by the name of Carlos thinks he is our chauffer, he shows us peoples business cards telling us how cool he is and says to try these different hotels all very near (mind you the same ones we were going to check ourselves) He is like one of those little brothers that won´t f off. He tells me this is is job?!? What taking foreigners to hotels that they were walking in to anyway, he talks to the receptionists for us, but we didn´t ask him to, I haven´t got the gaul to tell him where to go. He tells me he can get anything we want, no thanks, and eventually I have to give him some pesos for a great job he did in finding us this hotel!
The hotel in nice, with TV and air conditioning (just the way Deb likes it!), and I was soon to meet other Carlos like characters who wanted to offer me the best gear they had. Not offering to Deb but more to me because I looked Aussie, surely all the Aussies going to Cartagena aren´t all drug users! It´s making life tough for those who just want to relax and enjoy without being offered drugs at every plaza!
Still Cartagena was amazing, we strolled the streets, eating snacks and fruit from the stalls and trolleys and sat in a few cool bars playing music. Men wheel around trolleys with coffee thermostats and I soon came to love the cafe tinto. The second day was a holiday so the streets were very quiet but gave us good opportunity to explore. The people here dress differently, more formal and the women look like they are dressed to impress.
Our receptionist was a nice guy, only spoke Spanish but we had a good couple entertaining conversations, particularly when we booked a tour through him! We did the Isla de Rosario a group of 27 tiny islands in a coral reef, the water was crystal clear, Deb went to the aquarium for a dolphin show whereas I took in a bit of snorkelling on the coral reef, which I have to say I really really enjoyed. Its been a while since I have done any snorkelling but I really enjoyed it. It took us to another beach also on the Isla de Baru called Playa Blanca (there is a similar theme with every beach). Now this beach really was the Caribbean beach we had pictured, crystal clear waters, warm temperature and coconut palms. I was happy to eat another grilled whole fish and finally discovered the deep fried plantain it comes with is actually a large green banana.
We spent one night out in Cartagena in a few clubs, people dance very differently, more salsa dancing in pairs but was an entertaining night. We think age must be getting the better of us. A recommended tour is the Rumba on a Chiva (an old bus) complete with band and drink. Sounds great, but I must be getting old. We opted for a more expensive meal out instead and treated ourselves to a couple of good old burgers at the Hard Rock Cafe!
We were in a supermarket one day and I asked the worker about a fruit I had seen but didn´t know what it was. He opened it for us and let us try one. Granadilla it was called. Absolutely delicious, like a passoinfruit but tastes different. Deb likes to chew the seeds, but I tell her she is eating it wrong. She doesn´t like that!!
We took a trip to the Fort of San Felipe just outside the city walls, which had some nice views, seeing Cartagena new and old and also some tunnels throughout the fort. Our final full day in Cartagena was a tour to Volcan de Lodo El Totumo. Now this was something different, and Deb was happily surprised and really enjoyed this trip. The volcano itself is more a mound, about 15 metres high. The top of the volcano is only about 5m by 2m and full of warm mud. We spent a good deal of time in the mud rubbing it in. There were locals who masage you, very quickly and for a fee, which means they try and fit as many people in as they can, but it still was nice to be covered in the warm mud. It was very bouyant and you more or less float. You couldn´t touch the bottom and even to submerge yourself was near on impossible. I read later that it is meant to be 500m deep! We washed off in the small lake below and finally took a trip tp another beach for a dip in the warm Caribbean and you guessed it, another whole fried fish, plantain and rice, but I have to say I am still enjoying.
Deb is enjoying Cartagena she discovered the "Exito" supermarket and was happy to wander around (a long while) while I follow impatiently before she tells me to leave (Im sure you all know the scene). I´m sure I will be encountering the supermarket again in our travels. She nearly lost the rag once, she came back to me very riled up in the bus station on our way to Medellin. The constant pestering by people selling things, or trying to get us to buy tickets etc stc was beginning to wear on her as we waited, she went to a shop to buy things and as you know she likes a good look around. Everytime she picked something up the shopkeeper followed her around with an open bag, I can imagine the look on her face and her anger deepening. I think she didn´t buy anything just to annoy him!
We had a great time in Cartagena and our last glimpse of the Caribbean was hard to take, but it´s time to get some altitude and see the rest if Colombia!

---

Comments

[Eddie Newnham]

Honeymoon Adventure
Hi ! Looks like you're having a great time and the photos are fantastic. Hope you're both well Cheers Ed