We woke up in the old city on Wednesday morning. The vehicles were not supposed to be here before Friday, which was perfect, given that there was a lot to see around. The first thing we did was to move to a cheaper hotel, located in the center of the city. We settled on the Centenario hotel (not in the guides, but recommended, US$30 a night). The place is located in the old Getsemani district, outside of the walls of El Centro.
The climate was pretty hot, with 31 degrees C during daytime (88 deg. F), but a nice breeze was blowing every night, which is the best time to walk around.
It took all day Friday and Saturday to get all the paperwork done, and as usual, the temperature was not making things easier. Finding someone who could unload the containers and then a customs officer in the port can be time consuming.
Employees of the port were nice and helpful, served us coffee, and indulged our presence during these two long days. At the end, the unloading fees amounted to app. US$ 300, which bring the shipping cost around the Darien to US$1,250.
Since we had some guaranty money to get back on Monday, we stayed in Cartagena through the week end, and just walked up and down the cobbled streets of El Centro, where the upper classes lived in the past, and probably still live.
There, we visited the San Pedro Claver Covent. San Pedro, a Jesuit monk also called the ‘Apostle of the Blacks’ spent his life ministering to the slaves brought from Africa. The building was charming, and there are some interesting paintings (portraits) as well.
The Naval Museum also merits a visit, with captioned models of pirate attacks from the 16th century. Building equally interesting.
The Gold Museum is free, and you should go if you like jewelry. I was more curious about the archeological side, and liked the explanation about agricultural methods used in the country.
At the end of the day Saturday, when we got our trucks back, we moved to Boca Grande, another Cartagena district along the beach. There, we paid US$5 a night to camp in a parking lot, across the street from the sea.
On Sunday night, I met with Frank, whom’s brother Alberto helped in the past with parts and shipping quotes.
Frank spent two hours pointing out roads I should take to reach Bogota. Good guidance helps in Colombia, for safety and also to save money, as toll roads are everywhere, and those are not cheap. Gas is also a bit more expensive than in the U.S., at US$ 3.10 a gallon. In Panama, gas prices were similar to the U.S.
Eventually, on Monday we resumed our travel, and took the Southeast road to Bogota. Colombia is a big country compared to all the small ones we crossed in Central America, and we are probably here for more than a week. It should take us 3 days to get to the capital in the mountains.
Is your French road crew sticking together now through SA? Cartegna looks very elegant and hot. Congrats on making it through to another continent!
Nice going, Nic & Nadia,
hope you make it safely thru Colombia.
Ejoying your blog thoroughly.
On New Years we met some people here in Ohio that moved from Colombia – the lady’s name is Pilar. So I told her you’re heading there.
Good luck,
W
Floods and landslides in Peru at Machu Picchu, Nick. The railroad and road going up to the site is cut off. A couple of tourists were killed in the flooding. Be careful out there, you guys.
http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-399164
Cartagena looks just as I remembered it. Did you run into Gabriel Garcia Marquez while there? Nah he was probably hanging with his buddy, Fidel Castro. I’ve never been to Bogota but I hear is a lot like Quito (I’ve been there). If you plan to pass through Guayaquil when in Ecuador let me just inform you that it is a LARGE city with nightmarish traffic. And this being the hot season you will encounter bright sunny days with temperatures in the 90’s, in the shade. By the way, did you know that the composer of the music of the Ecuadorean national anthem was a french man? Antonio Neumane from Corcega, in 1869. Just some trivial shit that comes to mind. Take care Nick and Nadia.
Love the photos (as well as the writing). Cartagena seems to have very unique architecture. Very pretty. It’s surprising that gas costs as much as it does there with Venezuela just to the east. Wishing you both (and all your new friends) a safe journey.
I’m loving the photos. For some reason I’m finding your travels and experiences more interesting the further on you get. Wishing you much luck on the remainder of your trip. Looking forward to future posts.
Hey Guys! Beautiful architecture, reminds me of being in the alleys in Amsterdam. Also beautiful buildings there. Have you run into any thugs yet? It has to be kinda scary in all the places that you’ve visited so far. Looks as though you have done quite a bit of research of the cities before leaving. Hope the truck does well with all the hot weather. (I did notice you still had to prop the hood open).
I guess Nadia’s cash is still holding out. Does she plan to stay on longer than SA?
I liekd the that picture of the busses as well as the others. You good at saving money. Pray for your safety.
Hey Nick!
I was checking out on your map (using the weather channel and zooming). It appears that you may be behind on your schedule to make the world trip in a year. I know you got a few weeks behind, but are you making the progress that you anticipated? Let us know, as we enjoy seeing your journey and want you to complete this mission.
Marti,
I am behind. Not sure yet how it will work with seasons in Africa…
I am just loving reading all your adventures, May the Lord be with you thru your trip!