MEDELLIN

From the airy pleasant new airport at Cartagena we took a Viva Colombia Airbus 320 jet to Medellin in the central highlands of Colombia. We landed in the green rolling mountains and breathed in the cool mountain air. We took a bus to the city which wound along 45 minutes through the countryside. Wondering why the airport was so far from town we soon realized it was the only flat spot around. Medellin is set in a deep mountain valley along the Rio Medellin at about 5000 feet altitude (1500 meters). Most everything is very clean and organized and they are known for their city planning. You can drink the water. Medellin gets a rap as being the capital of drug cartels and violent kidnapping, but this is all in the past, and Medellin is nothing like that, nor is anywhere in Colombia where we visited.

Viva Colombia Airlines at Medellin

We stayed at Black Sheep Hostel in the upscale district of El Poblado. We walked up to an entertainment area near Park Lleras and had a beer at Club Social and another at Café Tinto Tintero where they were having a group discussion of success vs happiness. We had dinner at the vegan restaurant Verdeo, where we had a delicious meal and a break from fried Colombian food.

Botero sculpture - Cabeza (Head) - Fernando Botero is the most well known Colombian artist.

We went on a five hour walking tour of the downtown area of Medellin. The guide, Pablo, was a passionate young man, who explained that “Paisas” (people from the Antioquia Medellin area) have the reputation as good bullshitters and crafty businessmen. These are the two primary qualities of a tour guide. We went to the government center and Plaza de Luz and along some commercial areas and stopping at the Metro train. Pablo explained how a hand grenade had been dropped from a walkway into a crowd where we were standing. Nobody remembers one hand grenade given the chaos in Colombia in the 80’s and 90’s. But Colombians are a happy lot, and Pablo’s explanation is selective memory. They don’t remember their supreme court being besieged, or the army killing 2000 civilians and claiming they were guerillas (Falso positivos), and on and on. No, they remember Colombia beating Argentina 5-0 to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. That’s worth remembering.

Girls clowning around at the old train station.

Statue presenting how Medellin was founded

Plaza de Luz - Pablo in red shirt explaining how it has changed.

Towers in Plaza de Luz. They're lined with LED lights.

Botero sculpture - Man on a Horse - His style is alternative proportions.

Pretty lady sitting on a  Botero statue - Mujer con espejo (woman with mirror)

Botero sculpture blown up by a bomb on June 10, 1995 in San Antonio Park. The artist insisted it not be removed.

Replacement of the Botero "bird" sculpture located next to blown up sculpture.

We had lunch along Pasaje Junín at Restaurante Hacienda. Curtis had the traditional meal called bandeja paisa. It consists of a calorie busting combo of finely ground meat, white rice, lots of beans, a slab of pork belly, spicy chorizo, black pudding chorizo, a fried egg, a fried plantain, a slice of avocado, and an arepa. To top that off we went downstairs to a tea room and had coffee and wedding cake or black cake which is like fruit cake with a fancy decorative white frosting.   

Restaurante Hacienda. Curtis had the traditional meal called bandeja paisa

Bandeja Paisa

Medellin has installed aerial trams and outdoor escalators to serve poor neighborhoods that are on steep hillsides. To counteract gangs they have located shining new libraries along transit lines in the worst neighborhoods. They are trying to include the poor who tend to be the 4 million internally displaced people of Colombia, who were pushed off the land, mostly by war and narco-terrorism.

Elevated section of the Metro train

We took the clean and sparkly Metro train to the Metro Cable, and then up to a second tram (4.6 km long) which took us into Parque Arvi nature preserve at about 2600 meters (8500 feet) altitude. We walked around and it started raining. Some horse mounted police came along and said the place was closing. As a diversion, one young policeman took us on a tour of their brand new horse stable located in the police “fortaleza de carabineros”. The horses were beautiful and included Belgians, Arabians, and many horses from Argentina. 

Metro Cable loading area at a Metro station

Metro Cable

Inside a gondola on the Metro Cable

Metro Cable Terminal in Arvi Park

Sheri petting a horse at the police stable

CARTAGENA

Moonrise over Castillo Grande from our hotel in Cartagena

From Palomino we took a local bus to Santa Marta. The driver was Joe cool and he knew everybody and shouted out all along the route and did everything except drive the bus. We took a taxi to the bus station and caught a direct bus to Cartagena. We were doing pretty good with not too many stops when a rock cracked the windshield right in front of the drivers face. He called ahead and pulled onto a side street in Barranquilla and the windshield was replaced. Curtis strolled around a little. It was hot and humid and there were a few run down shops and a card room that was so hot that all the tables had been pulled out to the sidewalk and men were playing cards all around. It looked like hearts or the like and some players were very happy and others not so much. The windshield only took about 40 minutes and we were off. They came around the bus with arepas filled with a fried egg, a local thing. That and a Pepsi was $4000 pesos ($2.00).

Beach at Boca Grande outside Hampton Hotel

We arrived at the bus terminal in an area of heavy traffic congestion. We had a cab drive us for about an hour through complicated streets and heavy traffic to our hotel, Hampton Hilton, in the Boca Grande district. This area has high rise towers on the beach and is more the Colombian tourist area.

Clock Tower entrance to the old city of Cartagena

Metropolitan Cathedral from Calle Landrinal

The thing of interest in Cartagena is the colonial old town. It is a Spanish walled city filled with two story colonial houses. The area was settled about 500 years ago and was an area where the Spanish assembled their gold fleets. It has been attacked by pirates and ransomed by Sir Francis Drake. At one time the place was quite run down, but now it is alive and vibrant. Also burning hot with drenching humidity. We arrived at the main plaza, Plaza de Bolivar, as it was being overrun by cruise boat tour groups. Fortunately they cleared out and we visited the Palace of the Inquisition, the flower market, and Las Bovedas. We had lunch on Santo Domingo square. After that we cut out for a little beach time. At the beach by the hotel you could just lay there and have: a beer, a backrub, a shrimp cocktail, buy a bathing suit and sunglasses, and a guy would play guitar and sing.

Colorful shoes for sale on the street.

Handsome vendor who sold Sheri her hat

Courtyard at the Palace of the Inquisition

Old Cartagena has colorful houses with balconies.

Cool and shady interior courtyard.

Plaza Santo Domingo

Flower Market

Noon time street scene

Street typewriter service

Las Bovedas

A group of children walking along singing and faux playing cardboard guitars.

On Valetine’s day Sheri opted for the beer and body massage. After that we had a steak dinner at Carbon de Palo on Avenida San Martin in Boca Grande.

San Pedro Claver from a distance.

Castillo de San Felipe - An imposing Spanish fortress.

A tunnel inside the fortress.

Old cannon at the fortress on a burning hot day.

We went back to the old town on a Saturday, when during the day there are many weddings in the churches and at night there are fabulous receptions held on top of the wall and in upscale hotels. We had lunch at La Cevicheria near San Diego Plaza for a wonderful mixed ceviche (fish, shrimp, scallops, octopus) and Sheri had a bizarre open face chicken sandwich.

Wedding at San Pedro Claver church

You may kiss the bride.

Another couple outside Santo Domingo Convent flanked by dancers and being showered with rose pedals.

We opted for some beach time and took a bus to Playa Blanca on Baru Island. The bus started at Basurto Market which is a full 100% blast of humanity, grime, and commerce. From there we caught a ferry across Dique canal and then bartered for a car for a ride to the beach. It was Sunday and the beach was jamming with happy Colombians eating and drinking and playing in the water. We opted for a beach shack at Donde Chocolate, which had a sand floor and electricity for a fan starting at 7:00 pm. Most people seemed to be opting for hammocks (at $7.50 per night). The place quieted down at 4 or 5 pm when a lot of people left by boat. The water was warm and blue and the beach was white coral sand. We had the dish the locals were devouring; fresh grilled fish, coco rice, arepas, fried plantain, fresh lime, and a little dollop of salad.

Passengers on the ferry - got to be connected.

Characters on the ferry.

40 horsepower canoe propelled the ferry

Playa Blanca advertizing

Playa Blanca

Moms checking out kids in the surf.

Kids in the surf

Sunday at Playa Blanca

Our accommodation called Donde Chocolate

Folks snoozing early in the morning in their hammocks.

Playa Blanca beach bar.

Palapa at Donde Chocolate

Door to our room on the left - Cabana 2

Coming back to Cartagena we reversed our trip and the bus driver really had some balls weaving through heavy urban traffic, passing heavy trucks, and not cutting anybody any slack. We stayed at Cartagena Hilton which was like landing on a different planet. Glass walled air con room, huge balcony, four pools, private beach, and executive lounge.

Curtis on our balcony at Hilton Cartagena

Pools and beach at Hilton Cartagena

Pool side at the Hilton

Pool side at the Hilton

Pool side at the Hilton

Sunrise over Castillo Grande

Destitute person at San Pedro Claver church