Cartagena: Heat, Castle and Mud Volcano

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After a week of scuba, trekking and waking up early in the mornings, we decided that once we arrived in Cartagena we were going to take it easy. However, to relax in such heat might be easier said then done!

On Sunday we arrived in our hostel in the middle of the day and just took it easy as there is little opened on a Sunday in Cartagena. However, on Monday we were keen on walking the city to get a better feel for it, as it is a city full of little streets and alleys which are fun to get lost in. Therefore, we took coffee breaks, shopped and definitely passed some of the same stores and restaurants three or four times! At night we decided to go to this nice bar called Cafe del Mar which overlooks the water and is at the top of the walled city. It was a great lookout point, but also very expensive....$10 for a drink...which helped me to understand why Colombians say that Cartagena is the most expensive city in the country.

Today was our last full day in Colombia, and we spent the morning travelling to the Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, which is a fortress in Cartagena. The castle is located on a hill which allowed it to defend itself well from attacks from both sea and land. However, we did not explore much of the castle as it was soooo hot the castle was mainly outdoors. In the afternoon, we took a bus ride to the mud volcano of Totumo, which might be one of the weirdest experiences of my life. This volcano is approximately 50 feet high and 200 meters deep, and you go into the mud, which is clay-like and you float. It is said that the mud has medicinal benefits...but even if it doesn't is was still a cool experience!

So that is it for us in Cartagena! Tonight we have to pack our bags, as tomorrow we have a flight at 6 a.m. so we should leave our hostel at 4:30 a.m.....ouch!

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