Cartagena - great colonial city

  Cartagena, Colombia
Monday, March 12, 2007

The morning (late that is) after an evening with too much rum and cigars, I jumped on the minibus to get into Santa Marta, hoping to find a bus towards Cartagena. Bang, bang, smack, smack and 25 minutes after I was heading in the right direction. Perfect. The bus took over 5hrs though, so came to Cartagena 8pm in the evening.

The most popular backpacker place, Casa Viena, was full so I walked around the corner to Hotel Holiday. Perfectly alright, and with a good group of guests. The quality kind of medium, but very service minded staff. Met a couple of Norwegian guys (Thomas and Amunc) that I went out with, down to Avenida de Arsenal.

The historic (and walled) center of Cartagena is really beautiful and it said to look like it did 450 years ago. Walked around in El Centro, checking out Plaza Bolivar and other beautiful plazas. By many considered to be one of the most beautiful and magical cities in the world, and I must say I was highly impressed by the historic center, the city wall and the fortress San Felipe.

Castillo de San Felipe is a fortress designed by the Dutch
engineer Richard Carr and built in 1657 by the Spanish for protection
against pirates while shipping gold to Europe. Fun to walk around in the narrow and long corridors underneath the fortress. Not all of them are lit...[PHOTO_ID_R=img_6050.jpg
Plaza Bolivar is the most beautiful plaza I have visited in South America, mostly because it is 100% surrounded by original colonial building with white facades and balconies. Breathtaking! It is small and intimate as well, and you have the Palace of Inquisition just next to it.

The city wall took almost 200 years to construct, and it seems to be fully intact still. Amazing.

But, one of the best experiences when you are in Cartagena is to leave the city to go to seek out the mud volano.  66 km north of Cartagena lies Volcán del Totumo,
a 15m high mud volcano. You can enter the crater and take a mud bath
(entrance C$2.000), which is enormous fun and highly recommended.
Afterwards you pay a lady C$ 1000 to wash the mud off in the nearby laguna. A young helper (Alberto) takes care of your belongings (C$ 1000) and can also take pictures. At least he did for me. I travelled by myself, took 2 buses and a motortaxi the last bit. Perfectly fine, but not for the fainted hearted.

More muddy pictures from the mud vulcano II

The volcano is said to be 2300 meters deep, kind of adds to the thrill when you are in it. Incredible feeling sliding into the pool! One of the highlights of the trip, it is all about experiences isn't it?

Jumped on the bus (still with mud in my ears) to Medellin later that evening. 12 hours after...next entry.