Cartagena
de Indias (or ‚Heroica‘ because of the brave men and women, who defended the ramparts
and their city in 1815 during more than 105 days of siege) offered us a warm
welcome after a rather long sailing trip (that fatigued us more than we
thought). Settled in a nice hostel in ‘Getsemani’ (the ancient neighbourhood of
brothels and nightclubs), we could recuperate and stroll around the Old town
with its fortress (one of UNESCOs World Heritages). The only annoying thing
about ‘Getsemani’ was the fact that every 2 meters we were asked if we wanted ‘Coca’
or ‘Marijuana’. Nevertheless, we tried different kind of street food and
participated in a very interesting free walking tour. The rest of our stay we relaxed,
went to a local market and tried to find some shadow.
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| You have to take it easy in Cartagena. |
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| A great bar with live music: Havana Club in Getsemani |
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| Local worker with his carriage, who was really happy to be on a picture. |
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| Traditional balconies of the colonial heritage |
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Colourful
facades decorated with white or rose flowers: A nice balance between Mediterranean
brightness and Latin American kitsch.
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| They love sugar. On every corner you'll find sweets and candies (often with coconut and milk) |
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| Amazing paintings sold on the street. |
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The Latin
American equivalent of the American Academy Award 'Oscar': Since 1959 the Cartagena
Film Festival honours Latin American movies, TV shows and actors with a statue
called ‘India Catalina’ (inspired by an indigenous historical figure).
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| There are a lot of inspiring graffiti art works in the alternative 'Getsemani'. |
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| A cocktail or a little snack? |
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| Even for the cats, the temperatures are too high. |
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| Two unique characters of Cartagena. |
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| An alternative food truck in the streets of Getsemani. |
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| Relaxing on the public square during sunset. |
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| The appearance is quite important. Therefore you got at every corner a barber shop (for the gentlemen) and a hairdresser (for the ladies). |
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| What might be behind that mysterious door? |
Our next stop will be at the hometown of 'Pablo Escobar'.
