Holidays

Hello all

Sorry for not updating my blog for 3 weeks! The reason is my mum and sister came to visit me so I have had a couple of weeks hanging out in the more touristy parts of the city, sunbathing, swimming and sightseeing. It was great to experience Cartagena as a tourist as living in a city is very different to visiting one, and all the more special seeing it that way while showing my mum and sister the wonders of this historic city. Cartagena is known as the “pearl of the Caribbean” due to it’s well preserved old colonial centre and the well maintained “castle” and “popa” an old convent that looks over the city from the highest point.

Sue on the balcony of the apartment

During the first week of our holiday we were blessed to have the use of a very nice apartment in the main holiday strip, we had a fabulous unspoilt view of the old town, air conditioning and nice pool. After a day of pampering on sat and meeting the other YWAMers Sunday, on Monday we set out to see the old town taking a walk around in daylight then a coach ride in the evening. Tuesday we ventured to the Volcan El Totumo a volcano of mud outside the city. The Volcano is apparently 2300m deep and is full of mud that supports your weight so you don’t sink – Sue and I tested this theory by trying to sink but we just popped back up! It is said that the mud of the volcano leaves you 10 years younger, so mum proceeded to plaster her face with it! The tour we booked ended up being just the 3 of us so a taxi driver (Pedro) picked us up and drove at great speed meaning we were there 30mins before any coach trips so we had the whole crater to ourselves, apart from Pedro, the massager guy and photographer watching us!! Pedro enlisted the services of the photographer since our muddy hands made it impossible for us to take photos. When the first coach trip arrived we got out and went to wash off in the nearby lake, where we were met by 3 lovely local ladies who washed us thoroughly to the point of taking our swimming costumes off leaving us naked under the muddy water to wash them out too (being in tankinis we were able to preserve some modesty by refusing to take the bottoms off!) However we and our tankini tops were very clean.

In the volcano

Included in the tour was a meal at a beach front restaurant, well the setting was nice but the table and the service were bad, not only that they charged us double as we were 3 gringas! Thankfully for us as it was included in the tour, although we paid the extra at the time the tour agent gave us the money back. The food wasn’t even that nice and def not worth the money.

On Wednesday we had a lazy morning and then went to the old town to visit some museums, Sue wanted to go to the modern art gallery but it was closed so we went to the Palace of the Inquisition which I had wanted to go to for some time, however it wasn’t as good as I had been told, rather boring and the only thing I learnt about the inquisition in Colombia is that they really didn’t do anything! No one was ever sentenced to death and very few of the torture tools on display were actually ever used here!! The upper part of the building is a museum charting the history of the city which was interesting but all in Spanish so not that interesting to Sue or mum. Then we went to the Popa, a convent on the top of the hill that overlooks the whole of Cartagena and holds the virgin of the Candelaria, who is the patron of the city. Nice views and lots of golden idolatry.

Listening to the audio guide at the castle

Thursday we stopped by our youth group and then went to the Castillo de San Felipe, the other main landmark, a 16^th century fortress built and re fortified over 200 years to protect the city from the French and British and later during the war of independence the Spanish – unfortunately as they had built it they were able to take it and the city had to wait a few more years and the arrival of Simon Bolivar for complete independence. A new improvement to the castle is an audio tour which they didn’t have the last time I went so this time I could actually know what it was I was looking at! Friday was spent at El Refugio, mum and sue came to the service of Kids Church and met all of our kids, and I had to take part as we are at the limit of staff at the moment.

Mum and me in the jungle

Our room with a view

The second week started with a 5 hour bus trip to the neighbouring town of Santa Marta and the national park Tayrona. This is a tropical rainforest park with spectacular beaches, though due to strong waves and currents it isn’t safe to swim in all of them. Being a forest there were also lots of insects who came to visit us in our luxury Ecohab on the side of the mountain. The “hab” was circular with a terrace below with 2 hammocks and a bathroom then upstairs to the bedroom with a double bed and 2 mattresses on the floor, the windows all around the room could be opened but we just opened the doors at one side that overlooked the amazing sea view. We spent most of the 2 days we had there chilling out in the hammocks only on the Sunday morning going to the beach to enjoy the few hours of sun before it clouded over again – well it is a RAIN forest! But we managed to all get a little burnt oops! And mum, who really can’t help herself went for a swim in the safe bay but still ended up being rolled onto the shore by a particularly strong wave! Thankfully she wasn’t hurt, and it did look very funny! In the afternoon on Sunday and Monday afternoon we also went for short walks through the jungle areas.

our other room with a view

After a night back in El Refugio Wednesday morning we went off to the Isla De Piratas, one of 27 small islands in the archipelago of the Islas del Rosario about 90mins off the coast of Cartagena. We were 3 of only 7 people going to the island that day and of 4 who stayed the night there. Trip Advisor had very different reviews of the island it seemed to be a marmite type of place and I can see why. If you are expecting a modern well maintained 5 star hotel you will be disappointed but if you want a rustic island paradise then you will be very pleased. Our suite in a cabin on the shore not only looked out over the crystalline waters of the Caribbean but had steps down to them from the terrace so you could go for a swim from your own room. The only other guest for the night was a Colombian/American lady in the room above us was really good fun and it was a pleasure to pass the time from 3.15pm when the day trippers left until 10.30am when the next days daytrippers came with her.

Dinner with our new friend Juana

One mini adventure was when My flipflop disappeared off the step down to the sea and when swimming around the corner of the island didn’t retrieve it I asked Sue to help me to go out in search of it in a kayak that was available for our use. Miraculously I spotted it just out to sea so Sue heroically paddled out to get it! Also, having checked with the hotel staff (Alberto – receptionist, waiter, barman, porter, maintenance man) who said it was safe to swim all around the island if she so wished and was a good swimmer, we let mum loose in the Caribbean! However, having survived the traitorous waters of Tayrona without injury she managed to swim into a rock and graze her knee!! We really didn’t want to come back the next day after 36 hours in that paradise, however return we did, back to the hustle and bustle of the Historic centre of Cartagena for a day of souvenir shopping and then a joint birthday party in the evening at El Refugio for me and Johanna. We had to leave the party early due to having to be at the airport early in the morning and it was a sad farewell but all in all it was a fabulous holiday for me and I hope them too. Sue admitted to me that Colombia had surpassed her expectations. The Tourist propaganda that says “the only risk is not wanting to leave” is so true, especially for me!