Cartagena
Fleck
Sat 27 Oct 2007 00:55
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Just a news update, I havn't looked at any possible
inmail for a couple of days, but will do so tomorrow: hopefully at the internet
site at the Club Nautico. That's where the sailors congregate here in Cartagena.
It's ten pounds a week to use their facilities and their safe dinghy dock: a
steal if you will excuse the pun. Cheap food in their bar, and plenty of good
eating places nearby, so I shall not starve.
We left the five bays area, part of the Tayrona
National Park, a few days ago, and went to an anchorage off a Colombian Holiday
Resort called Rodadero. Next day we crossed the Mouth of the River Magdalena: a
remarkable event with miles and miles of brown river water with floating
vegitation, tree trunks, and other debris. Another boat, possible appropriately
named the Jedi, claimed to have seen a car floating out to sea, and two dead
cows. If you look at the Map you can see that this is some river, falling off
the Andes, just like the Amazon.Then spent two nights at an unmarked
inlet near Punta Hermosa. Protected from all but the rare westerly winds,
which is exactly what we got served up: spent a rocky night not far from a lee
shore and left at 4am for a dash down the coast to Cartagena. Turned out to be
the heaviest days rainfall of the year. There was not a bad wind, but shallow
water, and a nasty short sea which was very uncomfortable. The thing about rain
at sea is that you can't see. The North entrance to Cartagena is through the
Boca Grande: actually a small gap in an underwater sea wall about 50 feet wide
and 10 feet deep. Marked by two bouys, but we had less than 100 metres of
visibility. GPS is a real miracle however, and up they loomed out of the mist
right in front of us. It was a very exhausting day, and slept well last night.
Today taken up with 'Clearing In': customs and immigration. This is expensive,
and is done through a middle man, an agent, who seem to do sweet all for his
money. A lot of yachts here: some have been here for years, a few are travelling
east to the Caribbean Islands, but some, like us, are headed for Panama,
the San Blas islands, and then the Canal. Everyone says that the old town is
magic, so looking forward to seeing it perhaps tomorrow: there is also the
Colombian Museum of Modern Art: I'm a bit of an addict. Havn't been mugged
yet, touch wood, and a really good supermarket just down the road. Had a
lunchtime beer with a South African, so learned the bad news to his considerable
delight!!
Health update. Huge blister on thumb from fishing
reel trying to stop a fish running away with all my line (failed). blocked right
inner ear after filling my sinuses with sea water in Venezuela, malerone
preventing malaria so far!! Small blister on toe from my Jack Sparrows: exellent
on the boat, not so good for sight seeing (These are my 'Crocs', Hannah chose me
the badge).
Boat going well, Dinghy outboard playing up
yet again however, may have to get a new one in Panama.
More next week, Hope all is well with the rest of
the world.
Richard
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