The sights of Cartagena

Cartagena has a beautiful old town. Dispensing with the map and just wandering aimlessly around its narrow streets, sheltered from the sun by overhanging balconies is a wonderful way to spend at least a couple of days.

There is a wealth of churches, museums, courtyards, bars and shops to poke your nose into. Cartagena is firmly on the tourist map as it is a favourite stopping point for cruise ships, but you can easilly avoid the over monied middled aged American tourists. Mind you, sightseeing in Cartagena is considerably more expensive than in Bogota, where many attractions are free. Being on a dwindling budget, I tried to be selective.

Starting outside the old walled town, I took a motor taxi to La Popa hill, which has a monastery on top. My guide book says not to walk up the winding road as it is not safe...there were a few shacks on the way, but it was hardly a shanty town. The motorbike struggled to get up the hill, but if you are con solo it's cheaper than a taxi, an you get the thrill of weaving in and out of traffic, and buses whose drivers were clearly oblivious to our presence! The entrance fee (US$2.50) to the lovely old ground floor cloisters is just about worth it. Great views. You can make out the old walled city, Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, and Bocogrande, which is the main beach resort area with high rise hotels.

From there I took another motor taxi to the imposing Castillo San Felipe de Barajas. This is worth the entrance fee of US$5 to walk around it's intact battlements, and through the maze of tunnels connecting cannon rooms and different parts of the fort. These tunnels were obvioulsy built for people who had had less protein and calcium in their diet than me!

So, why the massive defensive forts and walls? I didn't know that Cartagena was the principal port where gold and silver from Spanish South America was stored than then transported by fleets of galleons to Seville. French and English pirates such as Sir Frances Drake attacked Cartagena and the Spanish Galleons, with full support of Queen Elizabeth I. Later in 1741 the Brits bombarded Cartagena for 59 days but could not break the defenses. If the siege had been successul the history of South America would have been very different.

Now a look around the old town. The old Palace of the Inquisition, yes, the Spanish Inquisition, is well worth the US$3.50 entrance fee. The Inquisitor was a powerful man, and I think must have had some sadistic tendencies to watch whilst people were tortured, having been accused of heresy against the Catholic Church, witchcraft, being gay (although gay was used in a different way then!). etc. Basically anyone that the Catholic Church didn't like or thought a threat were tortured in various inventive ways until they either died or gave the answer he wanted.

After a busy morning the Inquisitor would retire to his garden...perhaps to reflect on his day's work?I moved on to the public garden of the Plaza de Bolivar - there's that name again! Here's am arty view of the fountains and trees from the Palace of the Inquisition.

The Churches of Cartagena are not that interesting, just more heavilly gilded Spanish Colonial style. I did wander into the Santo Domingo monastery on, surprisingly, Plaza Domingo, which is a restored old convent, and free to wander round. It had a free contemporary photographic exhibition.

So that's a whistle stop tour of Cartagena! Oh, it's also a big "party" town too! I was lucky to get into my hostel Casa Viena in the Getsemani district in the old town...it doesn't normally take bookings and is always full...and US$4 a night! Good communal areas. Just aswell, as I seem to have an infected foot from a burst blister - can that happen?! The blister was from dancing in Bogota last weekend, so no partying in Cartagena. Besides, I have been told that Santa Marta has the highest concentration of gay, lesbian and transexuals in Columbia! Columbia's Brighton - now, that sounds like my sort of place! I am heading there next after a night at Playa Blanca...if I can hobble to the ferry tomorrow!

Love from Chris x