Day 11- Cartagena de indias (19/7/25)

 

Cartagena is a city that is rich in history and has a central part in the story of Spanish colonisation. It was the main port through which slaves would arrive from Africa, and shiploads of plundered wealth would leave for Spain. As such, walking through the city can sometimes feel like walking through a city in Spain. Narrow roads are lined with balconied houses, ornate windows and terracotta rooves.

I had a fitful night’s sleep as I couldn’t find the ideal setting for the air conditioning unit; I went from boiling hot to freezing cold several times. This isn’t the quietest hotel and my room’s position near the reception didn’t help either.

I rose early as I wanted to get out and explore before the streets became too hot. That was pointless because at 7am, it was already stiflingly hot. The air was thick with humidity and I was sweating profusely within a few minutes of leaving the hotel. Undeterred, I headed for the park just a few hundred yards away. The streets that were filled with people and loud music last night were much quieter. There were only street vendors out and about. Most shops and cafes were closed. On reaching the park, I sat on a bench in the shade, right in front of the obligatory statue of Simon Bolivar; I have yet to visit a town or city without one. , I bought a coffee from a vendor by the park gate and sat quietly, watching the world go by. I was approached by several vendors offering me water, cigars, fruit, handmade musical instruments, hats, football shirts and ice creams. They are not pushy here; a polite “no gracias” and they leave you alone. Some will come and sit with you, presumably hoping that you will soften and buy something. I had some interesting chats. Colombians assume that you are American if you speak English and are somewhat pleased when you tell them that you are from England. I have stopped trying to explain that I don’t live in London (where I think that they assume all English people live), and that I live in Devon. I just tell them that I am from London, it’s easier.

My plan was to visit two museums that were on a square within the walled city, which lies just beyond the park. They didn’t open until 9am, so I wandered around the narrow cobbled streets for a while.

The Museo del Oro de Zenu, was my first visit. It is not dissimilar to the Museo del Oro in Bogota, but much smaller. The focus of this museum is the indigenous tribes of the area just south of Cartagena. This is an area of flood zones and vast lakes form during the wet season. It is an interesting museum and had many exhibits that demonstrate the connection that the Zenu had with nature and the rhythms of the earth. It was free to enter and it was airconditioned, which was most welcome.

The second museum I visited was the Palace of the Inquisition. This required payment to enter. It had some interesting displays about the means by which confessions were forced out of the poor victims of the inquisition. The building itself is rather magnificent, but other than that, it was a little disappointing.

Back out on the square, there was a vendor making fresh lemonade. With the heat now rising to an unbearable level, I decided that I should have a drink. There is nothing quite as refreshing as a cold lemonade on a hot day, it was perfect.

I wandered back through the streets to the hotel. The heat was really starting to get to me, so I thought that I would freshen up a bit before going off to explore further.

The central zone of Cartagena is right next to Getsemani, where I was staying. It is, as you’d imagine, a very busy area. Stalls selling everything imaginable lined the roads. Cartagena is pretty but it is rather busy and noisy. It is a million miles away from the places that I have stayed so far.

I found a quieter area where I sat and had a pizza for my lunch. It was too much food really, but I was hungry by this point. With my belly full, I went in search of an ATM, as I was getting low on cash. That done, it was back to the hotel to cool off and get some rest.

As tomorrow is a travelling day, I decided to go out early and have a few beers. In the process of which I came across a wedding. Well, the wedding was obviously over, but the bride and groom were dancing along the road, being accompanied by a band and all of the wedding guest. A sort of first dance, but in the form of a parade. This obviously attracted a lot of attention and created a great deal of merriment. Shop and bar owners were all at their doors cheering and videoing it on their phones. It was a rather lovely moment.

After stopping at a bar for a drink, I picked up some water and another can of beer to drink on the terrace. That concluded my day in Cartagena. It is an interesting place, but I don’t think that I could have stayed any longer. I am glad I came, but it has been my least favourite stop on the journey.  Tomorrow, I have a 4-hour bus ride along the coast to Santa Marta. I’ve actually booked something rather special for my second day there. I am so excited about it that when I booked it, I had a huge smile on my face. It should be an amazing experience.