Exploring Cartagena

Old and New Cartagena: Part of the old walled city, with the high-rises of Boca Grande in the background.

We have spent several weeks exploring the lovely Cartagena, Colombia.  We've wandered all over the old walled city, the skyscraper and hotel ridden Boca Grande peninsula, as well as a variety of other outlying areas, while accomplishing a few necessary projects.  Our explorations have included a fun visit from my mom and her husband John, walking the walls around the old city, ogling the beautiful colonial architecture, checking out some of the emerald/jewelry stores, a visit to a local dentist for Brady, a dingy exploration of the nearby container port area, and searching for new deep cycle batteries in the industrial sector of the city.

An interesting building on every corner.

Colombia produces 70-80% of the world's emeralds, so emerald shopping in Cartagena is de rigueur. 

 Brady examines some uncut emeralds at Lucy's Jewelry shop.
(Lucy is on the far right, John at the back, Belinda on the left.)

Cartagena street scene.

Taking a horse-drawn carriage ride is also a tourist "must-do".  So, of course we did.  Jamie picked the carriage he wanted based on the dapper hat worn by the driver.

Jamie gets to sit in the driver's seat after a carriage ride.  And also got to wear his hat.

John and Belinda joined us for a fun filled week of old city exploration.

A horse and carriage awaits a newlywed couple.

Romantic architecture.

 The boys (especially Jamie) seem to have a Colombian fan club.  Must be the blond hair. 

Everywhere we go, people stare, point, and smile.  

Sometimes they touch Jamie's hair, and ask if it's real.  

Some of the older women appear to want to gobble him up.  (He is pretty cute.)

                                                                       This teenage girl begged the boys to pose for a photo with her.

Cartagena is a busy port, with tugs and container ships operating 24 hours a day.

Cargo ship on the way out to sea.

Fresh veggies for sale in old town.

The other side of the tracks.  Or in this case, other side of the harbor.





We spent a day exploring Castillo San Felipe de Barajas.
It's big.

Castillo San Felipe de Barajas.  It's big.

We think he said, "Can't a guy get a decent
day's sleep around here?"  But maybe not.
Our Spanish isn't that great.

Construction on the fort began in 1536, and continued over the course of the next 200 years.  And, it's big. Really, really big. 

We tramped all over the entire structure, which includes miles of secret tunnels.  At the end of one tunnel we ran into several bats.  It was really cool to see them up close.  (I hear a few of you screeching in horror.)  They were freaked out by us and flew away. 

View from San Felipe, with Bocagrande in the distance.
The flag is enormous...maybe 30 feet long.

Tramping around the fort under the enormous flag.

Exploring the tunnels.

The 360 degree view from atop the fort was spectacular.

Folk dancers performed at the top of the fort.

The top half of Castillo San Felipe.  I might have mentioned, it's big.

By far the easiest way to get around this city is by taxi.  The cabs are all tiny, cheap, easy to hail, and ubiquitous. 

Tiny, cheap, ubiquitous taxi.

 In fact, taxi driving appears to be the number one form of employment around these parts.  And, they all got the same memo: drive as fast as possible, use your horn every chance you get, and make three lanes out of two at every intersection.  

Speed racer, for $3

Interestingly, out of the thousands of possible cab drivers, we have managed to catch the same couple of drivers several times.  The one we nicknamed Mario Andretti has driven us three or four times, and may well have the largest driving huevos I’ve ever experienced, sandwiching his little cab into the tightest spots imaginable, at full speed...while surrounded by dozens of other cabs and motorcycles all attempting to do the same thing.  That there is not a fatal accident every minute is amazing, but we’ve never even seen a minor fender bender.  

And the cost?  Usually about 6000 pesos, no matter how many passengers.  That’s right, most anywhere in the city, for the equivalent of about three dollars.   

A BIG taxi.

If, however, you are hurt in this city and find yourself in the back of an ambulance, don’t expect the same speedy service.  It appears that the cabbies don’t feel the need to get out of the way for wailing sirens.  If you are hurt and need to get to the hospital fast, take a cab.

Stacks of colorful bolsas (handbags) for sale in old town.