Cartagena

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Cartagena is a port city on the northern coast of Colombia with a beautiful old town surrounded by colonial stone walls.

Our visit to Cartagena coincided with the rainy season. The first morning we ventured out of the hostel and were met a short while later with some very heavy rain. We thought it was going to be one of those short and sharp showers but it just kept on going. We joined the locals who were waiting it out under any shelter they could find but the rain kept on falling. Eventually we decided we would just get wet and go to the supermarket before heading back to the hostel. By the time we were on our way back the water was nearly up to our knees and all the shop keepers were trying desperately to keep it out of their shops and keep their stock dry. Each time a car went past it created waves which caused more problems for the poor shop keepers. We made it back to the hostel looking like drowned rats and were advised this was a normal day in the rainy season.

When it wasn't raining it was hot and humid in Cartagena, unfortunately our hostel didn't have a pool for cooling off. Even with the crazy weather I really enjoyed walking around the stunning old town with its perfectly preserved colonial buildings and little plazas. The old town is surrounded by Las Murallas, thick walls built for protection which are now a fantastic walkway with great views. We enjoyed sitting with a beer and enjoying the views from the wall.

We visited the Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas, located on top of the 40m high San Lázaro hill overlooking the old town of Cartagena. It was one of the strongest fortresses ever built by the Spanish Empire, construction starting in 1657 with multiple extensions over the years following.

We did a self guided audio tour of the fortress, and it was very impressive. The castle is in excellent condition with almost all areas open for access, including the underground tunnels. The fortress was attacked several times by both French and English privateers, before finally being conquered (through a seige) by the Spanish during Colombia's war of independence. The excellent design prevented it being conquered by force.

After the fortress we went to a mall for lunch and a milkshake to avoid the afternoon storm. We visited the museum of gold and archeology, it was a much smaller version of the Gold museum in Bogotá however it was much quieter and therefore more enjoyable.

We now leave Cartagena and South America behind and sail to Panama.

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Comments

[taracloud]

Thanks for the warning!
I really want blue sky photos of that gorgeous city, so I'll try to avoid the rainy season. Maybe there will be an El Nino this year, and Peru and California that need so much rain will finally get some. Have a great sail!