Our final stop on our nearly month-long trip – from the Coast of Maine to Philadelphia to Colombia South America – was Cartagena. This port city on Colombia’s Caribbean coast presents a wonderful historical juxtaposition…Its old walled city dates back to the 16th century with lively plazas, cobblestone streets and colorful colonial buildings. Just a couple of miles away along a scenic peninsula is an ultra modern area called Bocagrande that reminds us of Miami Beach. With a tropical climate, the city is a popular beach destination. Reachable by boat are Isla de Barú, with white-sand beaches and palm trees, and the Islas del Rosario, known for their coral reefs.
We were fortunate to be able to stay in a lovely condo in Bocagrande through our connection with Home Exchange. It was on the 17th floor of one of the high-rises overlooking the water and with a panoramic view from a rooftop pool. We felt very spoiled in that regard and it made the last days of our trip very relaxing and special. There is a great running/biking path that skirts the entire periphery of the area and there are nice cafes and other small businesses dotting the neighborhoods.
Our first full day in Cartagena was our scuba diving day! Ruthie (our resident scuba expert) did research and arranged for a morning boat outing that left dock within walking distance of where we were staying and the company and crew turned out to be fantastic. An equally wonderful treat was that Andrew – after 40+ years hiatus – was able to take a quick refresher and dive with us! The four of us (Andrew, Ruthie, Alex and I) were paired with a lovely young man who brought Andrew up to speed on all the basics, and then took us four on two dives. The water was not cold like the Pacific Ocean I trained in, so we only wore 3mm thick wetsuits and jumping in was easy. We did get to see some sea life – rays, a cute little seahorse, a crazy-looking sea spider, and our guide speared a lion fish, that are known predators out of control in this area so killing them is allowed to help keep the ecosystem in balance. The biggest treat though was swimming through a shipwreck and an underwater sculpture garden.
Honestly, this dive experience was a real turning point for me. I have only done a handful of dives since being certified late last year, but I am now starting to feel much more comfortable and confident in my skills and ability to maneuver underwater, breathe calmly, and really enjoy the scenery! I am so excited to get to dive in December in even warmer and clearer water in the Florida Keys and Grand Cayman…and diving with my loved ones makes it all the more special.
Our second day was full of exploring the old walled city of Cartagena. What a colorful and lively place! It is very apparent that the city has made concerted efforts to welcome visitors and have them feel comfortable and safe. We saw loads of police quietly patrolling and visibly present in the areas where people naturally gathered in big numbers – quite frankly this was comforting but at no point in our entire Colombia visit did we feel unsafe. Having traveled to so many countries already it seems that plain common sense is generally all that is needed to not be victimized by whatever bad influences exist. We read the travel advisories from the US State Department, we don’t take shortcuts through back alleys, we don’t “advertise” ourselves as tourists in the way we dress and how we interact with locals…so far, so good.
Some of the highlights of our time in the old city were:
A couple of meals at a scrumptious restaurant called Zaitune. Since both Ruthie and Alex need to stay on a gluten-free diet, this place had some awesome appetizers, entrees and desserts that were both original and fit this bill. The atmosphere and service was 5-star and we even were treated to live music while we ate.
Wandering through the cobblestone streets we were treated to some incredible wall artwork and gloriously vibrant paint jobs on the buildings – a feast for the eyes…
We also witnessed a demonstration by Colombian young activists who were trying to get the message across that if you don’t vote (you are asleep) your voice will not be heard. Not too different from the movement we have in the US, right?
Adding to the charm of this ancient city were horse drawn carriages that give rides to any comers, and regular festivals of local favorites – in our case, a festival featuring every kind of sweet you could think of!
In all, our time in Cartagena was delightful. Good food, great company, fun activities, and wonderful people-watching. It was a super close to our weeks long adventure.
Until next time – hasta luego!
Esther
Living La Vida Loca 