Day 7.
Cartagena Walled City just after sunrise on the morning of day 7.
Bocagrande stretching out into the distance in the soft early morning light.
Looking down on the Naval Base
Bolívar of the Colombian Navy (
Armada Nacional de la República de Colombia).
Santa Cruz Manga Island with the sun rising behind Mount Popa in the distance.
Yachts moored at
Club de pesca de Cartagena Marina.
Apartment high-rises on the island with the tip of
Bocagrande visible on the top right.
The sun now well above the horizon with the
Club Nautico Cartagena bottom-left.
Looking north with Mount Popa on the far-right. On the top of the mountain is the Convent of Santa Cruz de la Popa, dating from 1607.
The sun beaming across the Port of Cartagena.
And looking west with the Walled City in the distance.
Heading back towards the barrio of
Getsemani.
Club de pesca de Cartagena Marina below again.
The leafy and bohemic neighbourhood of
Getsemani has been described as the hippest 'hood' in Cartagena.
I then went for a jog along Playa de las tenazas. The high humidity definitely made for lots of perspiration!
And then back to
Hotel Boutique las Carretas for a decent breakfast.
With a freshly cooked waffle from the kitchen.
Just after 9am I met up with my guide, Alejandro, in Plaza de Los Coches. After a short walk to the bus station we headed north along Avenida Venezuela.
After about 15 minutes we arrived at
Mercado de Bazurto.
Cartagena's labyrinthine central market, it was a big sprawling mass of stalls, sights and shoppers.
Some marijuana and coca muscle balm. Alejandro bought me some as a souvenir but stressed that it would be very likely to not be legal to take home!
I probably could have visited without a guide but Alejandro was essential to navigate through the maze of shops and stalls and I would have definitely missed half it of without him.
Alejandro checking out some music records for sale.
He explained that
Champeta is a type of music that is popular in the city and that originated in the early-1980s from Cartagenans of African descent.
Comida.
Alejandro then took me to a famous poster artist in the market that paints the posters for all major Champeta music festivals. For a few pesos he offered to paint a personalised poster for me to take home too!
Pinceles.
La Esperanza. We then continued our walk through the markets.
It was great to wander about and mingle with the locals doing their shopping.
Rascador de cabeza.
Carnicero.
Bullicioso.
Once we reached the fruit markets Alejandro bought a few exotic fruits I had never heard of to taste and try.
Eggs.
Vegetales.
La Esquina / The Corner.
Fresh armadillo's for 60,000 pesos or $20 each.
Seafood for sale as we head south through the markets and close to Cienega Las Quintas.
El pescadero.
Pescaderia / Fish Shop.
Next we visited a place simply called
La Cocina / The Kitchen. There were several pans filled with oil heated by burning wood and were cooking fish from the next door fish markets.
Visited by Anthony Bourdain while filming his TV show,
No Reservations, Alejandro said that people could buy a cheap meal of fried fish and yam for 5,000 pesos or ~$1.60.
Picking up the now completed poster as we wandered back through the markets.
Just before leaving we headed to a fresh fruit juice stall.
And a tasty mango smoothie to rehydrate after a fun and eventful walkabout!
We then headed back to Avenida Venezuela to catch the bus back to the Walled City.
Back at Plaza de Los Coches where I thanked Alejandro for the exciting and very photogenic morning.
I then headed upstair to the
Juan Valdez Café to recaffeinate. Founded in 2002 by the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia as part of a marketing campaign to promote fair trade coffee to help Colombian Coffee farmers, the chain has since grown to over 300 stores in 13 countries.
And enjoying the view of Plaza de Los Coches below with an iced coffee and a chocolate brownie.
After the coffee and cake I went out for some more sightseeing. Looking down onto the Walled City.
Traffic at the interesction of Avenidas Santander and Blass de Lezo.
Bocagrande Square Mall and the Hyatt Regency on the left in
Bocagrande.
Santa Cruz Manga Island behind.
And the city of Cartagena streching out beyond.
A panorama off the coast of
Bocagrande.
The southern half of
Bocagrande.
Beachfront hotels facing the Caribbean.
El Laguito / The Lake at the southern tip.
Two jetskis zipping past Plaza Bocagrande Centro Comercial.
Back in the Walled City again with an unrestored building awaiting some TLC.
Puerta.
Canastas.
Pinturas.
KGB.
A food market by Plaza de Los Coches.
And where I bought some coconut sweets for a few pesos.
A statue of
Simón Bolívar on horseback in Plaza de Bolívar.
Calle 26 after a sprinkle of rain.
In the evening I headed to a Mexican restaurant for taco's.
While being serenaded with some Mexican music!
