Flying to Cartagena made sense since that would mean we make our way south and end in the capital, where our connecting flight to Canada would be. We did have a layover in Bogota before continuing on to Cartagena, which meant we arrived late at night and went straight to bed upon our arrival. Our first morning we could feel just how hot and sticky it was going to be in late March in this country. In this part, anyway. Callum did some research and found a suitable breakfast establishment serving waffles and pancakes and we made our way on the busy narrow streets. The colours of all the houses are painted in cheerful, zesty hues and we enjoyed taking pictures of these abodes, as well as the larger architecture in the main part of the city.
While in Cartagena, we slowed our travel pace and took time to enjoy air conditioning, internet, and walking in flat places only. We went to the Parque Centenario and saw monkeys, lizards, and sloths in the tree branches. This was a neat experience, to see a sloth “in the wild” since we wanted to see one so badly in 2017 when we were travelling through Bolivia but failed to. The sloths have likely been rescued from elsewhere and placed in the park for their own well-being, but they are largely left to their own devices so they are indeed “wild”. It was so cool seeing them! In this same park we also witnessed a dance group sweating out some beats, and on another day, a kids rollerblading race. I love capturing these moments of daily life when we travel.
We did do one boat trip to the islands, and here is what I would recommend to other tourists: this is good enough. Unless you’re a millionaire and can afford to stay somewhere swanky, the islands are not really worth your time and effort to get to them for a stay. It is good enough to do a day trip or two to be on the water, do a bit of snorkelling, and lounge in the sun and shade. We did a tour that did all of that, and it was a nice day out.
There were however, a few downfalls: the size of the boat was quite petite, so there was really nowhere to walk around or a chance to change your seat or even shift in your seat for more comfort. The captain flew through the water, making it impossible to really enjoy being on a boat since we were hanging on for dear life for most of the ride. When we stopped to do some snorkelling, the current was quite strong and we weren’t given flippers, just a mask. I was quite perturbed. Flippers are what make me strong in the water. I can manoeuvre in the water without fear when I have flippers. The current would have caused only a minor inconvenience if I had flippers. To top it off, the masks were poor quality which made the whole experience challenging and unenjoyable. I had to wear a lifejacket and bobbed around like an apple in a barrel, not really able to see anything. I love snorkelling so this was a huge let-down for me.
Our next snorkelling spot was much better, with the water being a bit choppy, but the current non-existent. I was able to swim without a lifejacket and managed to see quite a lot of neat fish and corals without much effort. We were taken to a couple different islands, the first one being rather boring and not very picturesque. Callum seemed to think the view was great and he was happy. I was bored and went back into the water with my snorkel gear and saw some baby seahorses, five or six different species of fish, and some kelp while awaiting a snack.
Our final stop was another island where we were served a lunch. First though, I got back in the water. I figured it may be my last chance to snorkel for the year, until we get back to Perth, Australia (where we live). The lunch was typical South American fare: simple grilled fish or chicken, rice, a few veggies. Some sort of sugary drink which we avoided since we couldn’t be sure how clean the water was to make it.
All in all, an enjoyable time was had in Cartagena. I wish we had seen more sloths and there is one photo of the women dressed in their yellow, red and blue frilled dresses that I wish I had been brave enough to take. I wasn’t, so I will describe it here. These women are all throughout the city and offer to take a photo with you for a fee, of course. They are like the typical Colombian women with baskets of fruit on their heads. We didn’t get a photo but saw so many of them, of varying ages and sizes throughout Cartagena, sometimes in groups, sometimes solo. When we were making our way through the town, at one point we walked by a whole line of them, all sitting in old school chairs in a single file, each digging into their chicken and rice, laughing and chatting away, all enjoying their collective lunch break. Picture an old crumbly building painted in some pastel shade as the backdrop, cars and motorbikes parked in front of the women. I should have just snapped the picture, but I didn’t want to be rude. This is the thing. I take thousands of photos. I can’t even hazard a guess as to how many in the last 6 months…but you always think about the shot you didn’t take, and that’s one of them for me. Here is a photo of other people who paid for the privilege:
Travel Bugs 