Panama Canal - Cartagena

12 November, 2023

Catalina Macaw

We arrived in Cartagena to a mostly blue sky, sunshine, and HEAT. Cartagena isn't on the equator, but as they say "you can see it from here." Having worked in pet shops and with exotic animals for many years when I was in college, it was quite surreal to see parrots and macaws in the wild. The cruise port has a large area with feeding locations with fences to keep the birds and humans nominally separated. Of course, when the birds perch on the fences the efficacy of the barriers are significantly diminished. Nevertheless, for those of us who appreciate the power and potential danger contained in the beaks of large hook-bills, being this close to this many wild birds is a remarkable experience.

If you're on a cruise and none of the excursions are particularly attractive, but you would still like to have a tour with some degree of structure, the Hop On-Hop Off Bus is always a solid option. It provides an overview of the walled city as well as several of the forts and defensive structures that secured the city from invaders for centuries. We've used CitySightseeing in multiple cities and have enjoyed good service. Their audio is informative but doesn't flood you with a constant stream of inane information just for the sake of filling space. Other than an occasional glitch due to stops being relocated due to local traffic closures we've never had any problems.

Navigating your way through the cruise terminal to the pickup area can be a bit confusing if you're not on a ship-organized excursion. We booked a private car and guide with Sion Tours via Viatour. We were picked up in a nearly new Toyota RAV4 that was immaculate both inside and out. Our guide spoke excellent English, so communication was easy. If you travel enough, one day you will end up with an "English speaking guide" who is less than conversant, which can make things both challenging and frustrating. Our driver spoke very little English, but understood a good bit from what I could deduce. As a team they were wonderful.

Convento de Santa Cruz

First we drove up to Cerro de La Popa, the highest spot in Cartagena. The road to the peak is quite winding, so if you're susceptible to motion sickness you may want to take precautions. The views are incredible and visitors quickly obtain an excellent overview of the city, making the visit well worth the trip. Vendors are present in the parking area, selling everything from souvenirs to bottled water. A well-preserved convent dating to 1606 is located at the peak, The architecture and history of the structure are fascinating, but don't take long to tour. The structure remained largely intact over the years thanks to the protection afforded by it's altitude above the city.

We wound through the city, passing the Estadio Mono Judas, a facility for developing young baseball talent, and the Old Boots sculpture on our way to the Castillio de San Filipe de Barajas. Built on San Lázaro Hill in 1657, this was the primary defensive structure to fend off invaders, built after Sir Francis Drake occupied the city for severalmonths in 1586. The structure consists of a vast network of underground tunnels supporting a series of interlocking parapets. The design was considered virtually impenetrable due to the challenges involved with taking a single battery without taking the entire structure. 

Castillo de An Filipe

The approach to the fort consists of a series of wide, open switchbacks and the walls are surrounded by a series of tunnels that could be imploded to thwart the approach of invaders. After it was no longer used for military purposes the fort was largely abandoned and fell into disrepair. It was largely consumed by vegetation and tunnels filled with dirt and debris until 1984, when it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the historic center of Cartagena. Since then it has been restored and, in addition to the tourist activity, it is used for cultural activities and private events. The peak of the castle affords an excellent overview of the colonial defense structure of the city to include the walls and sea level emplacements.  The interlocking city defenses, as well as the natural funnels created by reefs and peninsulas, made an attack on the city a formidable undertaking.

Idyllic Cartagena street scene

After departing the Castillo we went to a small shopping area in the city center. As is almost always the case, the shops we were directed to were owned by friends and associates of our guide. If you have a reputable guide (i.e. not a random person you found holding a sign on a curb) then this is generally a good thing, as an accountable guide isn't likely to risk their reputation by steering visitors to unreliable vendors.  If you're in Colombia and have an interest in emeralds, then this is your opportunity. While I didn't have any plans to purchase jewelry on this trip, we did find a nice pair of earrings at a reasonable price that I couldn't pass up. I made a pact with myself long ago that I would not buy marginal jewelry, so I don't buy often. Quality over quantity is my mantra in this regard. One of the shops was owned by our guide's neighbor, and their son, who was in his final year of high school, was working in the shop. Our guide said he had been working on his English conversational skills, so I happily engaged in a bit of negotiation with him as my wife selected various traditional Colombian items and pieces from local artists to take home as gifts. My wife purchased several Wayúu mochillas and the young man was offering a discount based on the quantity she was purchasing. He arrived at a price $10 less than what I calculated, and I corrected him. He insisted that I only pay what he asked - and I made a concerted effort to give him what I knew the fair price to be. After several rounds of back-and-forth we took our purchases and moved on to the next shop. After perusing hot sauces and chocolate in the adjacent shop, we emerged to find my young friend waiting on the sidewalk. He awkwardly explained that he under-charged me by $10, and asked me to make things right in the most diplomatic manner that he could muster. I smiled, and repeated the original calculations with him as I reached into my pocket and extracted the $10 bill that I placed there when I left his shop earlier. He smiled broadly and thanked me profusely for my understanding. I assured him that I was more interested in helping him than anything and encouraged him to just take the money when someone insisted on paying more than he was asking.

With about 15 minutes before final "all aboard" we arrived back at the ship in dire need of a shower. Despite the efficacy of the air conditioning in our guide's car, even brief moments in the equatorial heat produced a layer of sweat that then dried in an uncomfortable salty crust. Showered and refreshed,  we headed to the Schooner Bar.