Cartagena, Colombia
Cartegena was the second stop on our journey and it was a big contrast to Quito: Hot, sunny, lively, and definitely touristy.
Some areas of town were a little run down...
And others, were gentrified and quaint.
The brightly coloured buildings really are a delight.
The iguanas seemed unfazed by the people and vice versa.
These women who sell fruit can be seen carrying the large bowls (see the table) on their heads! This lady was taking a load off and catching up on the news while waiting for a customer.
We were not brave enough to try the street fruit or iced lemonade even though they looked refreshing. We were tempted, and probably all would have been ok, but it was the very beginning of a long trip and having any kind of reaction to the food would have definitely been unwelcome!
Pretty architectural details. Notice the spindles on the balcony and also in the windows, in place of iron bars.
The fort by the sea.
This photo does not do justice to the scale of this place. The tree was very tall. I believe the arched doorway behind the tree would have been about 14 feet high. This was tucked away in a courtyard.
The local buses were all uniquely decorated, each with its own zany look. Sometimes there was so much stuff painted on the windshield, it must have been hard for the driver to see. I also wonder if it was legal!
Here you go, one of the ladies with fruit on her head!
Cartagena is a pretty city, no doubt. There is a distinct vibe and I imagine, if we were people fond of night life, we would have been pleased and fulfilled with the variety and flavour this place has to offer.
There are a number of buildings with similar structures and characteristic ochre yellow and white paint, that at one point, not realizing this, we became confused about our location....we thought we had returned to a spot where we had been, based on seeing the building, and later realized that, no, it is just another pretty yellow building with a clock!
While visiting the fort that sits atop a hill a little inland from the sea, we investigated some of the many underground tunnels that seemed like a labyrinthine rabbit warren. These were strategically placed to store weapons and ammunition and supplies, and to allow soldiers to quickly move from one location to another in a protected, and secretive way.
View from the fort
The place was not particularly pretty, but big, and definitely gave the impression that it could allow the people to defend their position.
Rare pic of us. Cartegena das Indias Fort, also known as Castillo San Felipe de Barajas
These photos are of one of the two beaches close to the old town. We were really impressed with how similar to Santos the sand, ocean and even wild life were.
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