I've got two new favourite songs now thanks to Carnaval. They are so catchy. Have a listen. One in Spanish and one in Portuguese. See the YouTube videos below.
Cartagena, the most visited city in Bogota doesn't even have toilet paper in it's bathrooms at the Museo Del Oro (a major tourist attraction). How can this be? Does Colombia even want to be a travel destination? This situation is common in many public places. Most times you just pay the bathroom guard for the privilege of using the bathroom. Anywhere from $500 to $1000 pesos. The guard is (usually) a woman who sits in front of the public toilet all day and tell you how much it is to do your business. They also inquire as to your business there...so they can withhold or provide toilet paper. But I digress...
Woke up this morning to wait for the "private, door-to-door" service again. Again they came late. And again they just dropped me at the side of the road and pointed us in the general direction of the hostel. At least this time the driver of the bus hailed a cab. But there's no point in taking the private service if you have to pay for the cab anyways...I should write a strongly worded letter to the owner of Marsol. By the way...don't use Marsol if you're ever on the Colombian coast.
I finally made it to the hostel. Hot, tired and hungry. Which is a good start to the day. The hostel is surprisingly close to the "old city". I'm staying in the new city. Cartagena was a fortified city back in the 1500s. The Spanish used it as their main port for exporting the gold they stole from the Natives. Sir Francis Drake (British Navy Commander), a pirate to the Spaniards, a hero to the British, would steal the gold from the ships or the ports of the Spanish and take it back to England. I would love to be a pirate. Just saying...
Anyways, that's why they built a wall around the old city. To withstand attacks and cannonballs. It's a few metres thick. It was cool to think of the Spanish soldiers who stood where I was and saw the British ships firing on them. I would have been scared senseless if it was me, but it wasn't so I think it's cool. The main entrance to the old city is through the clock tower wall.
Before I got there though, I had lunch at this little hole in the wall restaurant. But it was some of the best fried fish I've had. I finally had the fried fish I was searching for on the coast. It doesn't look like much, but it's so delicious. Fish golden fried to perfection with smashed and fried plantains with a salad in a lettuce bowl. And a glass of limonada on the side to wash it all down.
I'm like The History Channel and The Food Network all in one. You can cancel your cable. I've just save you hundreds of dollars every year. You're welcome. You truly realize you are in a mostly Roman Catholic country when you see all the people walking around with grey spots on their foreheads. It's Ash Wednesday today. So there are services happening at all the churches in the area. Here's a church I passed on my way to the walled city.
Once inside the old city, the architecture changes. The roads change. The sidewalks change. It's like stepping back into colonial times for the most part. There are some buildings which are newer and take away from the charm, but for the most part, it's really nice.
Some of the oldest churches are here in Cartagena here. Below is the Church of Pedro Claver, the first saint of the Americas for his work with African slaves. The exterior stones are made from coral rock. You can see the porous formations in the second picture below. The other church is the Cartagena Cathedral. Enjoy.
This is a building outside the walled city. I just like how it looks. I'm going to a phosophorescent lake tomorrow. Should be fun.
Cartagena, the most visited city in Bogota doesn't even have toilet paper in it's bathrooms at the Museo Del Oro (a major tourist attraction). How can this be? Does Colombia even want to be a travel destination? This situation is common in many public places. Most times you just pay the bathroom guard for the privilege of using the bathroom. Anywhere from $500 to $1000 pesos. The guard is (usually) a woman who sits in front of the public toilet all day and tell you how much it is to do your business. They also inquire as to your business there...so they can withhold or provide toilet paper. But I digress...
Woke up this morning to wait for the "private, door-to-door" service again. Again they came late. And again they just dropped me at the side of the road and pointed us in the general direction of the hostel. At least this time the driver of the bus hailed a cab. But there's no point in taking the private service if you have to pay for the cab anyways...I should write a strongly worded letter to the owner of Marsol. By the way...don't use Marsol if you're ever on the Colombian coast.
I finally made it to the hostel. Hot, tired and hungry. Which is a good start to the day. The hostel is surprisingly close to the "old city". I'm staying in the new city. Cartagena was a fortified city back in the 1500s. The Spanish used it as their main port for exporting the gold they stole from the Natives. Sir Francis Drake (British Navy Commander), a pirate to the Spaniards, a hero to the British, would steal the gold from the ships or the ports of the Spanish and take it back to England. I would love to be a pirate. Just saying...
Anyways, that's why they built a wall around the old city. To withstand attacks and cannonballs. It's a few metres thick. It was cool to think of the Spanish soldiers who stood where I was and saw the British ships firing on them. I would have been scared senseless if it was me, but it wasn't so I think it's cool. The main entrance to the old city is through the clock tower wall.
 |
| Clock Tower |
Before I got there though, I had lunch at this little hole in the wall restaurant. But it was some of the best fried fish I've had. I finally had the fried fish I was searching for on the coast. It doesn't look like much, but it's so delicious. Fish golden fried to perfection with smashed and fried plantains with a salad in a lettuce bowl. And a glass of limonada on the side to wash it all down.
I'm like The History Channel and The Food Network all in one. You can cancel your cable. I've just save you hundreds of dollars every year. You're welcome. You truly realize you are in a mostly Roman Catholic country when you see all the people walking around with grey spots on their foreheads. It's Ash Wednesday today. So there are services happening at all the churches in the area. Here's a church I passed on my way to the walled city.
Once inside the old city, the architecture changes. The roads change. The sidewalks change. It's like stepping back into colonial times for the most part. There are some buildings which are newer and take away from the charm, but for the most part, it's really nice.
 |
| A guard post on the wall |
Some of the oldest churches are here in Cartagena here. Below is the Church of Pedro Claver, the first saint of the Americas for his work with African slaves. The exterior stones are made from coral rock. You can see the porous formations in the second picture below. The other church is the Cartagena Cathedral. Enjoy.
This is a building outside the walled city. I just like how it looks. I'm going to a phosophorescent lake tomorrow. Should be fun.
Alright, so from now on there must be some sort of Spanish or Portuguese song at the start of your blog, so I can play it while reading. Amazing! Loved that first song.
ReplyDeleteAnd as soon as you open your own pawn shop in SA and come up with a clever name, like Pawn Stars, then I will consider cancelling my subscription to the history channel!
And if I post here anonymously, why do I get an email everytime you reply to me...how does it know? HOW DOES IT KNOW WHO I AM!!!???? AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!