Hotel LM Cartagena

... of town) to get the necessary paperwork to import the car into Colombia. There we ran into some friends we had met in Panama who were doing the same thing. We had been in Cartagena for 8 days because their ship had broken down and their car was late. On top of that, their shipping company sent them to the wrong port! They were living the horror stories we had read so much about. Luckily, our experience wasn´t that bad. I won´t bore you here with all of the ...

... dipping by most of the group and another early turn in by me. As I drifted off to sleep, I could still hear them in the water. The next morning, I sat with Rod and we talked about being the old men in the group. We also watched a storm roll by the island and waited to see what the day would hold for us. I had already determined that I was going to go back to the mainland because I could not handle another day of doing nothing. So, after sitting in the shade all day, some of us ...

... there way through the continent. After a few pirate attacks they built a wall around the city to protect it and all the plunder they had stolen from the indigenous folks. The old town is basically the area inside this old walled area. It contains all the usual spanish buildings, numerous churches, tiled roofs, balconies, etc, etc. Its pretty damn impressive to be honest, and just like all the other colonial towns wouldnt look out of places dropped in the middle of spain somewhere. The ...

South America - safe and sound!

It was a shame to leave Boquete, I was beginning to feel like a local. I was recognised on the streets and made some Panamanian and ex-pat chums. But, as I said, the rainy season was beginning and the feet began to itch again so I headed off on a night bus to Panama city. The plan was sound... but it could have gone rather wrong. I saw on the news at lunchtime that the highway was closed due to a blockade (they´re always striking ...

Hi, We have been in Cartagena for over a week now, after enjoying a 3.5 hour, air conditioned ride on a small bus from Santa Marta. Cartagena has tons of history associated with it, so I'm not sure where to start. Esthetics: Again, we are located next to the Caribbean. However, good beaches are relatively inaccessible, unless you take a boat to Playa Blanca or other beaches that are likely to be crowded. The core of the city consists, in part, of ...

... moving on to find bigger fish to fry, we make out with a 40 Soles fine and continue on our way again.


Beyond the outskirts and riding up out of Lima, the few houses below look like shoddy counterfeit Lego. On the blank background of the desert they stand out like blown pixels on a computer monitor.


Unbelievable as it may be, we are pulled over 50 kilometres further up the road by Highway Patrol for yet another drummed up infraction. We show our officer the depleted ...

Today we visited a mud volcano which was about 1hr bus ride from Cartagena, never done anything like this before, after stripping down to our swim wear we climbed up some steps to the mud and got in. Really weird feeling, the mud was very thick and also there was no bottom and we could stand straight in the mud without sinking. We also had a massage in the mud which was very relaxing and which also meant that ...

... the ocean background. I just didn´t want to take my camera out, I thought it was too likely to cause me to "lose" it. To put it politely. Our hostel was about 2 blocks from the beach, the real Caribbean beach. I stayed here too long, just felt like I was in quicksand, and couldn't escape. The good fish, beer, etc. Oh well. I had read about Sta Marta and Taganga, so I had to go check it out.

... but it just doesn't warrant all the chatter out there among the traveling masses. Perhaps starting rather than ending a South American trip here would provide a different experience.

*Perhaps not a lowlight, per se, but I don't think I would choose to return to The Galápagos again anytime soon. The Ecuadorian government needs to get itself together and enforce much stricter ...