We left the Darién-Gap behind and have happily arrived in South America!
The 100 km gap in the "Panamericana" between Panama and Columbia has consumed quite an ridiculous amount of money and time - but in the end we succeed: as soon a the box containing our Archie was sealed we caught an AIRES flight from Panama-City to Cartagena. (For details on the shipping process, look at "Info&Tips for Travelers" - "Shipping").
As it will take some time before we can reunite with Archie we rent a room in a lovely B&B in the old part of town. From here we stroll for hours and hours through the lovely colorful streets of Cartagena.
Founded in 1533, Cartagena became quickly a very important harbor on the Caribbean coast since many treasures from Peru and Mexico were stored here initially until being shipped to Spain. The galleons loaded with gold did not go unnoticed and attracted infamous pirates such as Sir Francis Drake. After several attacks on the city of Cartagena the Spaniards proceeded to turn it into a massively fortified harbour.
Surrounded by impressive walls, the old part of Cartagena seems not only to have resisted the pirates of the Caribbean - but also the rigors of time. While admiring the colonial architecture with its colorful churches and green squares we feel like being sent back to the 16th century.
However, the fairy tale atmosphere disappears quickly when a cruise ship arrives and hundreds of corpulent tourists fill the narrow streets. Actually, it is not so much the tourists that take the magic away - it is rather the swarm of pushy souvenir sellers that descend upon all foreigners. Authorities estimate that every cruise ship passenger spends about 100,- US while on shore. It does therefore not surprise us that the locals try to get a piece of that sizable pie.
We are not really interested in buying souvenirs - but the local cuisine has a lot of interesting dishes to offer! Apparently the locals have successfully resisted the US American influence (Mc Donalds & Co.) and have retained their own traditions. At every corner delicious fruit smoothies and local snacks are for sale - often we actually do not know what are eating but it is always very tasty and we did not encounter any stomach problems so far!
Not only is Cartagena de Indias a very beautiful city - it is also a very hot city. During day time temperatures climb up to 35°Celsius (in the shade) with the consequence that a few tourists are alone strolling through the winding streets. However, after sunset, temperatures drop to 24°C and that is when the city comes back to life! Bars and restaurants open their terraces, streets are filled with music and all family life now takes place outside the houses.
The atmosphere is cheerful, so far we have not noticed any of the crime that Columbia is so notorious for. We are enjoying ourselves while drinking probably the best mojitos and caipirinhas we ever had in an authentic "Havanna Bar" in town. There is nothing we can do but wait anyway - Archie is still held hostage on a container ship and thus we are grounded in Cartagena for the weekend.
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