Cartagena de Indias
Cartagena de Indias lies on the Atlantic coast at the far north of Colombia. It was founded in the 1600s by the Spanish and is a town renowned for its history of pirates, slaves and luxury trade. The town is built up as a fortress, a result of the constant attention it received from pirates that roamed the Caribbean.
I arrived fairly late at the dubious-looking bus station in Cartagena. I grabbed a cab driver who insisted he knew where my hostel (North Star Backpackers) was. 30 minutes later I ask again if he is sure with which he responds by saying his friend will know. We go into the old town area and meet some dude who can speak English. He promptly hops in my taxi and starts telling me he has never heard of the hostel but he is a certified guide in the city and can help me out with any tours I want to go on... not really what I needed at the time. Eventually after asking a load of people we find the hostel. I am disgruntled by the fact that he tries to overcharge me on the ride especially after being so useless at taking me there.
Anyway, I checked in and met Pedro, one of the family members who runs the hostel. The heat is humid and stifling but luckily the rooms have air-conditioning (only can be switched on in the evenings). I met Damon (Eng), Raymundo (Brazil) and Bernardo (Brazil). We went for some drinks at Club Havana and Mister Babilla in the old town which turned out to be a lot of fun!
The next day I took a morning stroll with Damon on the Bocagrande promenade. It was a Sunday so it seemed that most of the townspeople were on the beach having a good time. The beach was fairly unimpressive and we soon tired of the wind and sand getting everywhere. The skyline was also fairly different. Despite there being no clouds there was a definite haze in the air making it difficult to have clear views or get good pictures. I put this down to the high humidity and not pollution, but then again I am no expert.
The beach in front of Bocagrande... generally unimpressive
Later that afternoon Riverdance, Helena and Marie arrived back from Taganga. We walked around the Old Town which seemed to be very expensive in comparison to everywhere else we have been. The architecture is beautiful and we wandered through the various plazas and avenues. Lunch was taken at the Crepes and Waffles eatery followed by much needed helados (ice cream). We returned to the hostel and found out that air conditioning is only switched on from 7pm in the evening until 11am the next day. We sweated out the next few hours until 7pm. Dinner was at the local Kokoriko chicken chain. Feeling a bit peckish, I ordered an entire roast chicken. It was pretty incredible and reminded me a lot of my weekend chicken lunches back in SA. They even supply you with plastic gloves in anticipation that you will be using your hands a lot!
The clocktower marking the entrance to the Old Town
Spanish architecture is prevalent in the Old Town
One of the many Plazas
Here I am getting fully stuck into my chicken dinner.
Damon, Ryan (Aus), Jim (Canada) and myself decided to go to the famous Playa Blanca (White Beach). This place is only accessible via boat. We hop on a small tourist boat with an impressive outboard engine. In 45 minutes we are at a beautiful beach lined with palm trees and an azure ocean. Upon setting foot on land we are assaulted by locals trying to sell jewellery, prawn meals (camarones), coconut cocktails (CocoLoco) and offering massages. Brushing off the attention and moving down the beach we found a quiet spot where we hired some snorkeling gear and explored the small offshore reef. There was a surprising array of fish considering how small this reef was. Our trip also included a complimentary lunch, a traditional fish, rice and patacone (smashed platanos) dish which was excellent.
An old Spanish fort guarding the entrance to the main bay area
These kids somehow thought racing the boat would earn them a tip
Playa Blanca
Jim (Canada) and Ryan (Aus) with 2 Peruvian girls at our beach site
CocoLoco... check. Snorkeling gear... check.
Lunch
We lounged away the rest of the afternoon drinking CocoLoco and watching a crazy dude climb up an absurdly high palm tree. I got a great head-to-toe massage (no happy ending included) for only 4 quid for 40 minutes. All too soon it was time to head back. The ride back was arguably the highlight of the day. The wind and swell had picked up and provided some excellent opportunities for our boat to launch into the air off the crests and crash hard onto the next oncoming wave. There was some spectacular airtime experienced and our backs and bums were definitely a bit sore after bouncing off our wooden benches repeatedly.
A crazy guy climbing palm trees to get us another CocoLoco
This isn´t me but I had a similar treatment
Back in Cartagena
The next day was the 21st of April... almost my birthday!! We needed to do research into finding a vessel to take us to Panama. After a morning spent bikini shopping for the girls (oh yes please!) we head off to Club Nautico on the advice of our German Tango friend, Gerald, from Buenos Aires. We walked into the club, spoke to a few people and check out a a few boats... none are really ideal. I did however have a tasty bagel from an American woman who worked there. We are told to come back later that day to chat to a fellow called Manfred who knows most of what is going on. I headed back to the hostel whilst the girls continued to the old town. Later on we visited the club again and were introduced to a few nice captains and got a good idea of what the trip is about.
Chilling at Club Nautico
That evening the girls gave me an amazing treat! They spent most of their day shopping around for food and drink to cook up a fantastic meal to help me celebrate my birthday! Mini baguettes with cheese and tomato are accompanied by crisps, salami, ham, olives and Kokoriko chicken. All of this is washed down with some excellent Trapiche wine, champagne with strawberries and rum ´n coke! I was in bliss and was really really grateful to have such great friends with me.
The Spread
Me and Luis who helps runs the hostel. Quite a legend
Bubbly with strawberries to round it all off
That evening, despite it being a Tuesday night, we made our way out into the old town to La Candelria. The night turned out festive and I fell asleep happily drunk and 26 years old.
Drunk, happy and 26 years old
The hangover wasn´t too bad the next morning so I managed to greet our new arrival, Angelica with a decent amount of grace. Angelica in case you haven´t read my Bogota/Girardot blog entry is the cousin of Lorena (a friend of mine from London). I stayed with her family over the Easter weekend and now she had come to spend some time in Cartagena. Diana her friend unfortunately couldn´t make it but we made the most of the day by visiting the Cartagena shoe monument (????) which supposedly signifies how people who moved to Cartagena in the old times forgot about the city as you would an old pair of shoes or boots. Next was the monastery on the hill overlooking Cartagena. I caught a picture with the resident celebrity 3-toed sloth. The hilltop vantage point gave some great views over the city and there was a lot of interesting history inside. We then moved onto the old house of Rafael Nunez, an ex-president of Colombia (1880s and 1890s). We had a tour guide who was studying history at university and knew a lot of South Africa and it´s past! The tour was excellent and we managed to see the house as it would have looked over 100 years ago.
The giant boots of Cartagena.
A sloth... he was a bit camera shy
The inner courtyard at the monastery
The locals were like vultures waiting for a load of fresh tourists to arrive on this busses so they could assault them with trinkets
The house of Rafael Nuñez
A parrot hiding in the bushes - I thought this was a bit unnusual
Our final stop was at the San Felipe Castle which is the biggest fort in Cartagena and was built to protect the Spanish riches from Pirates and British Privateers. The inside is filled with a maze of dark tunnels which are quite spooky to walk through and the battlements are lined with cannons. All of this trooping around was done in over 30 deg heat and 90% humidity which left us very hot and very sticky.
Castillo de San Felipe
We rounded off an exhausting day with lunch at Mirla restaurant in the Old Town where I had a delicious salad with pears and blue cheese.
The evening was spent dining at the Cafe del Mar restaurant which overlooked the ocean from the Old Town fortifications. As it got later we looked for another place to spend the night which turned out to be Candeleria again! Another fantastic night was had. The next day we were off to Taganga and Tayrona, a short bus journey up the coast.
Cafe del Mar... great place to have drinks and food overlooking the ocean
Me looking particularly sleazy
I arrived fairly late at the dubious-looking bus station in Cartagena. I grabbed a cab driver who insisted he knew where my hostel (North Star Backpackers) was. 30 minutes later I ask again if he is sure with which he responds by saying his friend will know. We go into the old town area and meet some dude who can speak English. He promptly hops in my taxi and starts telling me he has never heard of the hostel but he is a certified guide in the city and can help me out with any tours I want to go on... not really what I needed at the time. Eventually after asking a load of people we find the hostel. I am disgruntled by the fact that he tries to overcharge me on the ride especially after being so useless at taking me there.
Anyway, I checked in and met Pedro, one of the family members who runs the hostel. The heat is humid and stifling but luckily the rooms have air-conditioning (only can be switched on in the evenings). I met Damon (Eng), Raymundo (Brazil) and Bernardo (Brazil). We went for some drinks at Club Havana and Mister Babilla in the old town which turned out to be a lot of fun!
The next day I took a morning stroll with Damon on the Bocagrande promenade. It was a Sunday so it seemed that most of the townspeople were on the beach having a good time. The beach was fairly unimpressive and we soon tired of the wind and sand getting everywhere. The skyline was also fairly different. Despite there being no clouds there was a definite haze in the air making it difficult to have clear views or get good pictures. I put this down to the high humidity and not pollution, but then again I am no expert.
The beach in front of Bocagrande... generally unimpressiveLater that afternoon Riverdance, Helena and Marie arrived back from Taganga. We walked around the Old Town which seemed to be very expensive in comparison to everywhere else we have been. The architecture is beautiful and we wandered through the various plazas and avenues. Lunch was taken at the Crepes and Waffles eatery followed by much needed helados (ice cream). We returned to the hostel and found out that air conditioning is only switched on from 7pm in the evening until 11am the next day. We sweated out the next few hours until 7pm. Dinner was at the local Kokoriko chicken chain. Feeling a bit peckish, I ordered an entire roast chicken. It was pretty incredible and reminded me a lot of my weekend chicken lunches back in SA. They even supply you with plastic gloves in anticipation that you will be using your hands a lot!
The clocktower marking the entrance to the Old Town
Spanish architecture is prevalent in the Old Town
One of the many Plazas
Here I am getting fully stuck into my chicken dinner.Damon, Ryan (Aus), Jim (Canada) and myself decided to go to the famous Playa Blanca (White Beach). This place is only accessible via boat. We hop on a small tourist boat with an impressive outboard engine. In 45 minutes we are at a beautiful beach lined with palm trees and an azure ocean. Upon setting foot on land we are assaulted by locals trying to sell jewellery, prawn meals (camarones), coconut cocktails (CocoLoco) and offering massages. Brushing off the attention and moving down the beach we found a quiet spot where we hired some snorkeling gear and explored the small offshore reef. There was a surprising array of fish considering how small this reef was. Our trip also included a complimentary lunch, a traditional fish, rice and patacone (smashed platanos) dish which was excellent.
An old Spanish fort guarding the entrance to the main bay area
These kids somehow thought racing the boat would earn them a tip
Playa Blanca
Jim (Canada) and Ryan (Aus) with 2 Peruvian girls at our beach site
CocoLoco... check. Snorkeling gear... check.
LunchWe lounged away the rest of the afternoon drinking CocoLoco and watching a crazy dude climb up an absurdly high palm tree. I got a great head-to-toe massage (no happy ending included) for only 4 quid for 40 minutes. All too soon it was time to head back. The ride back was arguably the highlight of the day. The wind and swell had picked up and provided some excellent opportunities for our boat to launch into the air off the crests and crash hard onto the next oncoming wave. There was some spectacular airtime experienced and our backs and bums were definitely a bit sore after bouncing off our wooden benches repeatedly.
A crazy guy climbing palm trees to get us another CocoLoco
This isn´t me but I had a similar treatment
Back in CartagenaThe next day was the 21st of April... almost my birthday!! We needed to do research into finding a vessel to take us to Panama. After a morning spent bikini shopping for the girls (oh yes please!) we head off to Club Nautico on the advice of our German Tango friend, Gerald, from Buenos Aires. We walked into the club, spoke to a few people and check out a a few boats... none are really ideal. I did however have a tasty bagel from an American woman who worked there. We are told to come back later that day to chat to a fellow called Manfred who knows most of what is going on. I headed back to the hostel whilst the girls continued to the old town. Later on we visited the club again and were introduced to a few nice captains and got a good idea of what the trip is about.
Chilling at Club NauticoThat evening the girls gave me an amazing treat! They spent most of their day shopping around for food and drink to cook up a fantastic meal to help me celebrate my birthday! Mini baguettes with cheese and tomato are accompanied by crisps, salami, ham, olives and Kokoriko chicken. All of this is washed down with some excellent Trapiche wine, champagne with strawberries and rum ´n coke! I was in bliss and was really really grateful to have such great friends with me.
The Spread
Me and Luis who helps runs the hostel. Quite a legend
Bubbly with strawberries to round it all off
Drunk, happy and 26 years oldThe hangover wasn´t too bad the next morning so I managed to greet our new arrival, Angelica with a decent amount of grace. Angelica in case you haven´t read my Bogota/Girardot blog entry is the cousin of Lorena (a friend of mine from London). I stayed with her family over the Easter weekend and now she had come to spend some time in Cartagena. Diana her friend unfortunately couldn´t make it but we made the most of the day by visiting the Cartagena shoe monument (????) which supposedly signifies how people who moved to Cartagena in the old times forgot about the city as you would an old pair of shoes or boots. Next was the monastery on the hill overlooking Cartagena. I caught a picture with the resident celebrity 3-toed sloth. The hilltop vantage point gave some great views over the city and there was a lot of interesting history inside. We then moved onto the old house of Rafael Nunez, an ex-president of Colombia (1880s and 1890s). We had a tour guide who was studying history at university and knew a lot of South Africa and it´s past! The tour was excellent and we managed to see the house as it would have looked over 100 years ago.
The giant boots of Cartagena. 
A sloth... he was a bit camera shy
The inner courtyard at the monastery
The locals were like vultures waiting for a load of fresh tourists to arrive on this busses so they could assault them with trinkets
The house of Rafael Nuñez
A parrot hiding in the bushes - I thought this was a bit unnusualOur final stop was at the San Felipe Castle which is the biggest fort in Cartagena and was built to protect the Spanish riches from Pirates and British Privateers. The inside is filled with a maze of dark tunnels which are quite spooky to walk through and the battlements are lined with cannons. All of this trooping around was done in over 30 deg heat and 90% humidity which left us very hot and very sticky.
Castillo de San Felipe
We rounded off an exhausting day with lunch at Mirla restaurant in the Old Town where I had a delicious salad with pears and blue cheese.
The evening was spent dining at the Cafe del Mar restaurant which overlooked the ocean from the Old Town fortifications. As it got later we looked for another place to spend the night which turned out to be Candeleria again! Another fantastic night was had. The next day we were off to Taganga and Tayrona, a short bus journey up the coast.
Cafe del Mar... great place to have drinks and food overlooking the ocean
Me looking particularly sleazy
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