The trip to Cartagena was really funny. Two hours with the bus from Taganga to Santa Marta. Six hours with the bus from Santa Marta to Cartagena. It was dark when we arrived. The next and last transport option, from the main bus station to my hostel – with a bicycle, but with a motor installed =) It looked nice, I had a big backpack on my back and a small backpack in front of me, between me and the guy – safety distance =) The taxi driver had also a small backpack in front of him =) heavily packed we drove safely to my hostel, like a heavy transporter =) I booked two nights at the three dogs hostel, the reason was only the name of the hostel =)
At the whole tour in south america I had never problems with the dogs there. On the contrary, I was a dog magnet =) it was funny, no matter why, but the dogs always walked around me, sometimes they even went on tour with me (for example in the atacama desert for over three hours). I only had one “problem” with a dog, that was in Taganga. The host dog was a little bit blind and crazy. One evening, the good boy couldn´t remember me and snapped me. It was more of a tweak than a real bite, but I had a nice bruise on my left thigh “loco perro”. As pain relief I got pancakes with mango and two beers =) nice deal =)
Some information about Cartagena:
The city of Cartagena is a major port founded in 1533, on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region. During the colonial era it was a key port for the export of Peruvian silver to Spain and for the import of enslaved Africans under the asiento system. It was defensible against pirate attacks in the Caribbean. It is the capital of the Bolivar Department, and had a population of about 1 million people. It is the second-largest city in the region, after Barranquilla. and the fifth-largest city in Colombia.
I had only one big goal in Cartagena, to find a sailing boat which will go to Panama. The main touristic way is to sail about five days with a official touristic boat to Panama. But the touristic way was, like so often, not my way =)
I arrived in Cartagena at Saturday. I walked around the beautiful city on the weekend, a sightseeing tour by myself.
It was a beautiful sunny monday next day and I decided to go to the main port of Cartagena. I spoke there with some local workers and asked them for a captain who will drive to Panama. After approximately two hours of asking and talking I found an Italian Captain, his name was Franco. A crazy, confused but a nice and friendly man, he looked like Robinson Crusoe. He told me that he will sail to Panama at Wednesday or Thursday because of the weather, the wind and the waves were to strong and big at the moment.
So I had two more days in Cartagena. What will I do. The hostel guy told me that there is a beautiful island near of Cartagena, where I can stay one or two nights in a hammock. The name of the island is “Isla Grande”. I will show you photos of this beautiful place at the next post.
Back to Cartagena it was time to check in =) I went back to my hostel and than with my whole stuff from my hostel to the main port.
At the main port I called the captain and he took me up with a small Dingi. After ten minutes I got on the sailing boat “Calypso”. The check in was completely. I looked forward to the sailing trip.
But unfortunately we were late again, everything was delayed by several days. The reason were: Two more couples came on board. One couple from Brazil and the other from Spain. They were both traveling with cars. The land rover and the van were brought to Panama in a container ship.
They got on board on Saturday afternoon. The next few days I helped Franco to make the ship clear. There were many things to do: drinking water, shower water, food, drink, diesel, fixing….. The crossing was cheap but you had to work for what was not discussed or clear in advance = (
On saturday we still could not take off, again of the weather. New plan, sunday morning and yyeeesssss it worked. After one week in Cartagena and after about five months in southamerica I leaved this continent.
So far I was really satisfied with the whole trip. It could go on like this. next stop, Central America, Panama.
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