19.03.2013 Arrived Cartagena, Colombia
Pandai
Tue 19 Mar 2013 00:00
Arrived in Cartagena after a long 28 hour journey with three stops! We
arrived in rush hour and the driving out here is something else!
We arrived at the marina in one piece and met the boat and the Chisholms
were on board having their breakfast so we arrived at just the right time
:-)
We spent our first day just unpacking, recovering from our flight and taking
in our surroundings. In the evening we all went into Cartagena old town for
a meal which was amazing. The city dates back to around 500-600 years ago
and is surrounded by the city wall. The streets are all narrow and there are
squares filled with street entertainers and people enjoying dinner. Horse
and Carts walk the streets transporting locals and tourists around the town.
It's like a maze and there is music coming from every direction, very lively
and full of character.
During our time in Cartagena we visited the Fort which was interesting to
see where prisoners were kept and how small, confined and dark their living
conditions were. It was scarily claustrophobic in places and there were
great views of the city at the top of the fort - as well as a very welcome
breeze!
As well as getting out and about in the city, there is quite a bit of time
taken up with maintaining and cleaning the boat to ensure it is ready for
passages.
We left Cartagena on 24th March en route to the San Blas islands stopping at
an idyllic Carribean island on the way.