DAY 6 - CARTAGENA, COLUMBIA - FEBRUARY 1, 2010

WE AWOKE SHORTLY BEFORE THE ENGINES STOP AT 7 AM. THE BUFFET WAS BUSY WITH PEOPLE TRYING TO GET THEIR BREAKFAST BEFORE JOINING A TOUR . IT TOOK US AWHILE TO FIND A TABLE ON WHAT WE LIKE TO CALL “OUR PRIVATE VERANDA, WITH INVITED GUEST.” AS WE FINISHED OUR BREAKFAST WE WERE JOINED BY A COUPLE FROM ST, PETERSBURG. AFTER A SHORT BUT ENJOYABLE CONVERSATION WE HEADED FOR THE ROOM TO GATHER A FEW THINGS FOR THE TOUR. OUR MEETING PLACE WAS THE DECK 5 LOUNGE.

ALL INDIVIDUALS GOING ON THE HORSE AND CARRIAGE TOUR WERE GIVEN A STICKER WITH THE NUMBER 3. WE ONLY WAITED A SHORT TIME AND WERE QUICKLY LEAD DOWN THE GANGWAY TO OUR AWAITING BUS AND GUIDE, JAIRIO.

OUR GUIDE LAID OUT THE TIME FRAME, FOR OUR 3 HOUR EXCURSION. HE ALSO FILLED US IN WITH SOME HISTORY AND FACTS CONCERNING THE CITY OF CARTAGENA.

CARTAGENA IS THE 4TH LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY OF COLUMBIA AND IT HAS BASICALLY 2 SEASONS, WET AND DRY. BASED ON WHAT HE SAID, IT IS ALWAYS HOT, VERY HOT. THE RAINY SEASON BRINGS AN AVERAGE OF 40 INCHES EACH SEASON.

THE CITY WAS KNOWN FOR ITS SLAVE TRAINING IN THE 1600. ABOUT 2 MILLION SLAVES ENTERED THE “NEW WORLD” THROUGH CARTAGENA COLUMBIA. NOW DAYS THE CITY RELYS ON TOURISM AND SHIPPING. EXPORTS ARE THE NUMBER ONE SOURCE OF REVENUE. OIL, ALONG WITH COFFEE AND EMERALDS EXPORTED TO OTHER COUNTIES, WITH AMERICA RECEIVING OVER 40 % OF COLUMBIAN COFFEE.

COLUMBIA IS THE 4TH LARGEST COUNTY IN SOUTH AMERICA AND IS OVER 90% CATHOLIC. SCHOOLING IS MANDATORY THROUGH THE AGE 15 AND MOST SCHOOLS ARE OPERATED BY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. SPANISH IS THE MAIN LANGUAGE YET THERE ARE 78 DIFFERENT TONGUES SPOKEN IN COLUMBIA.

OUR FIRST STOP WAS FORT SAN FELIPE WHICH IS BUILT HIGH ON A HILL WITH LONG STEEP SWITCHBACKS LEADING TO THE TOP. IT IS QUITE IMPRESSIVE AND REMINDED ME A LOT OF THE FORTRESS IN PUERTO RICO, EL MORO.

WE WERE ONLY THERE 10 MINUTES, LONG ENOUGH FOR PICTURES AND A HOST OF STREET VENDORS THAT CAN MAKE YOU “GOOD DEAL” THE FORT WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1657 AN ADDITION AND LARGE SLOPING WALLS COMPLETED THE ENTIRE PROJECT IN 1677.

IN ADDITION TO THIS FORTRESS, THERE ARE 2 OTHERS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE NARROW CHANNEL LEADING INTO THE BAY. A SHORT DISTANCE FROM THE SAN FELIPE WAS THE ORIGINAL “OLD CITY.” THE OLD CITY IS VERY COLORFUL WITH VERY NARROW STREETS AND LIMITED ACCESS BY SPECIAL PASS. MOST OF THE BUILDINGS HAVE BEEN REFURBISHED, PAINTED BRIGHT COLORS AND GO FOR A HEFTY PRICE TAG....WE ARE TALKING MILLIONS. ADDITIONALLY THE OLD CITY HAS A 7 MILE LONG WALL WHICH ALSO WAS BUILT FOR PROTECTION FROM PIRATE, LOOTERS NAD OTHER CONQUERING NATIONS OF THE TIME PERIOD.

THE SHORT NARRATED BUS TOUR ENDED WITH EACH OF THE 12 COUPLES PILING INTO THERE ON PRIVATE CARRIAGE AND AN HOUR, (50 MINUTES) RIDE THROUGH THE OLD TOWN. BESIDE THE TOURIST FROM OUR SHIP, ANOTHER SHIP, ADVENTURES OF THE SEA, WAS ALSO IN PORT. THE STREETS WERE A BUSTLING BEEHIVE OF ACTIVITY.

SEVERAL SMALL UNIVERSITIES ARE LOCATED WITHIN THE OLD CITY, IN ADDITION TO THE VENDORS AND MANY SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS. THE SMELLS WERE VERY INVITING BUT MOST OF THE AREA WAS NOT WHAT WE WOULD THINK OF AS CLEAN.

AFTER OUR CARRIAGE RIDE WE MET OUR GUIDE AND HE LEAD US BACK THROUGH SOME OF THE NARROW STREETS GIVING US THE HISTORY BEHIND MANY OF THE STRUCTURES, STATUES AND PLAZAS.

THREE AND A HALF HOURS LATER WE WERE BACK ON THE SHIP PREPARING TO HEAD TO THE POOL AFTER A BRIEF STOP AT THE INTERNET CAFE TO SEND OFF A FEW EMAILS.

I AM WRITING THIS AS WE READY OURSELVES FOR DINNER. ALTHOUGH I AM HAVING TROUBLE WAKING MUM FROM HER QUICK NAP.

WELL, WE MADE IT THROUGH DINNER AS ALL OF US TOLD OF OUR EXPERIENCES. AGAIN IT WAS GOOD LIVELY CONVERSATION. GEORGIA AND I HAD MADE UP OUR MIND TO SKIP DESSERT AND ONLY HAVE COFFEE. HOWEVER WE REMAIN FLEXIBLE IN OUR PLANS AND CAN BE SWAYED VERY EASILY. ALTHOUGH WE PUT UP A GOOD BATTLE, FOR ABOUT 5 SECONDS, WE FELL TO THE TEMPTATION OF THE RASPBERRY CREME BRULEE.

IT IS NOW TIME FOR THIS EVENINGS ENTERTAINMENT, A VOCALIST NAMED CLAUDE ERIC.