More San Blas!
Well, just one post wasn't enough to talk about how great San Blas was. We omitted, first of all, to mention the reason that the islands are such an untouched paradise. While technically part of Panama, the archipelago actually belongs to the native Kuna people. They have a long tradition as fierce warriors and guard their independence jealously, and as such have managed to maintain their autonomy. They have a rule that their land may not be sold to outsiders of the tribe and strict, matrilineal parentage rules that mean that hotel chains such as Club Med cannot buy or build on Kuna land. The result is that only people with small boats can get to the area, keeping it clean and pristine.
Hello San Blas!
On the sunny conclusion to a rather stormy day, we finally set sail for the archipelago of San Blas, just off the Panamanian border with Columbia and 200 nautical miles from Cartagena. After 40 hours of straight sailing, we arrived at the first of the islands just after breakfast. We jumped for joy at the sight: hundreds of untouched islets with white sand beaches, picturesque palms and coral reefs were waiting for us!
Bye-bye, Cartagena
Well, after 11 days relaxing in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, we are ready to move on. For our last day in the city, we went around during the midday sun to take pictures of the town and its important sights in the best light, which we have posted below. We are now taking a sailboat to Panama, with a couple of days stop for snorkeling in the San Blas archipelago and hopefully we will be in Panama city in six days.
The Beaches of Cartagena
Since by far the most time consuming activity that we engaged in while in Cartagena was beach going and swimming, we would be really negligent not to write about it a bit. Of course, there is not too much to say about going to the beach a lot other than, "we went to the beach a lot." It was not the best beach in the world (we just walked 45 minutes from our hotel every day to the beaches of Cartagena's resort area, Boca Grande) but we got to swim, play in the waves and get sunburned, nonetheless. We went pretty much every day, in the rain or the sun, choppy seas or calm, and even jumped in once during a storm. Oh, and we got the chance to try out our new waterproof camera.
The Museum of the Inquisition
The second museum in Cartagena is the Museum of the Inquisition, located across from the cathedral in the town center. Unfortunately, the museum was largely plundered when it closed during the civil war, and so it is more interesting for the building than what it contains.
The Zenu Gold Museum
The most interesting museum within Cartagena is, without doubt, the Zenu Gold Museum. The museum is dedicated to north Colombia's pre-hispanic peoples, with a special emphasis on the Zenu culture that produced some of South America's better gold work. It also had small but interesting sections on pottery and agriculture.
El Volcan de Lodo
Since one of our big goals during our stay in Cartagena was to relax, we did not take a lot of side trips, save one. The goal, of course, was to relax better by traveling! About an hour north of Cartagena sits one of the strangest things you can imagine: a mud volcano. Well, it is actually more of a geyser-type-thing than a volcano; however on its way to the surface the water mixes with the soil to create a warm, mucky mixture that oozes from the top of a 15 meter high cone.
Cartegena by Night
As we mentioned before, Cartegena is a place that really comes alive at night. The temperatures drop comfortably and the street side cafes and restaurants fill up with locals and foreigners alike, enjoying the city's perfect ambiance. We had a few nice evenings out, catching movies, eating great ceviche, Indian-fusion food and just wandering around taking pictures.
The Castillo San Felipe
Those of you who are really astute will notice that this is not the first time that we write about the Castillo de San Felipe: the first time was here, in Guatemala. But this time I am writing about a place has very little to do with the puny little castle to the north, but rather the homonymous fortress that overlooks the city of Cartegena. As we mentioned yesterday, this fortress is the biggest one that the Spanish built anywhere in their colonies. And it shows.
Cartegena, Colombia
From Quito, we finally managed to jump on a plane to a place that is a little bit more, well, vacation-y. That place is Cartagena, a combination of a beach resort and colonial Spanish town right on the Caribbean coast. The flight was well worth the cost. Cartagena's old town rises from behind its totally intact city wall with the stylish beauty and class of a Mediterranean port city. The brightly colored facades sport broad, flower-covered balconies that overlook the narrow, cobbled streets that once bustled with colonial business.