Our first trip to Cartagena was a dream. Before visiting a city like this, it's hard to imagine what it's really like by what other people say... you have to go there yourself to really experience it. I have a feeling that one trip is not enough and in each and every visit, the city reveals new and unexpected things.
The streets were definitely made for wandering and that's exactly what we did. Upon arrival, we dropped off our luggage at the hotel and walked around the walled city where 300 year old buildings lined the brick streets. We were charmed by the balconies, the street musicians, the clop clop of horse hooves. We stumbled upon Plaza Santo Domingo where we sat and had a few cold Club Colombias to take in the vibe of the place. Although still in Colombia, we felt like we were in another country.
Our hotel was just outside the walled city near the main entrance, at
El Torre del Reloj (the clock tower). See our hotel? It's the building in the picture looking through the arch...
Our amazing roof-top pool looking on to the
Catedral de Catragena
... and the sunset.
With Saturday being our only full day in Cartagena, we headed out early to Castillo de San Filipe de Barajas, the greatest fort ever built by the Spaniards in any of their colonies. From the fort, we could strategically see the places from where invaders repeatedly tried to attack. One story was told to us about the English where, over a period of several days, the people of this walled city watched as 130 ships from England gathered to try to take this important port city in the 1740's. 23,000 British soldiers and sailors were ready and willing to attack. In the end, 16,000 British died in battle, from sickness and disease and 800 Spaniards were killed.
We know how this story ended... the Spanish were able to keep a stronghold on this part of Latin America until 1810, when independence from Spain was declared.
San Felipe Fort with the new (left) and the old city (right) in the background.
After we were hot and sweaty from our morning tour around the fort, we headed 45 minutes north of the city to
Volcan de Lodo el Tutumo. From afar, it looks like the world's largest ant hill. However, it's a crater of a volcano where luke warm mud now slowly gurgles instead of lava and ash.
We floated in the mud for quite a while. As you can imagine, when first getting in the mud, we were a bit awkward and giggling nervously. Bit in no time, we acclimated to our new surroundings. Finally, they had to tell us it was time for us to get out.
We headed back to the city. After a good shower, we were ready for a tasty dinner. I cleaned my ears three times (over several days) before I stopped seeing mud on my q-tip.
We didn't eat here... it was our hotel at night.
On our final morning in Cartagena, we stepped into the walled city early in the morning to get pictures of the streets, plazas and buildings.
It's hard to go to a major city in Colombia and NOT find a
Botero statue... we spotted this one in Plaza Santo Domingo.
Boca Grande is in the background... it provides a distinct skyline to Cartagena... the new high rises in close sight of the old, colonial city.
This fabulous weekend was called for to help me ring in a new decade... 40 years!
