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Do you really want to start your day by bartering for a taxi ride? Someone who has your life in their hands going to the lowest bidder? Dave finds this fun. I do not. The day was hothothot – and our taxi driver said he had air conditioning … but when you bargain for your ride should you be surprised that the AC is achieved by rolling down your windows?
We entered the old city of Cartagena, which has a high wall all the way around the city, walled originally to keep out intruder. Also, the streets were built intentionally narrow and they wind through the city to confuse would be intruders. Cartagena is gorgeous with old architecture and boldly painted buildings, it is one of the oldest cities in South America. – When we entered, we turned right and apparently all of the tourists turned left – which is good … right? Well we were extremely white in a sea of Columbian people –we wondered through the streets – found fabric shops, a grocery store – which incidentally I love going into foreign grocery stores, I take photos and oogle over all of the items (except the raw animals cut up on ice for display – please someone call P.E.T.A.) which are so foreign to me.
We sat in a park while Dave had a beer and I had water or three. Then a coffee bar where Dave had Columbian coffee and I had – can you guess? Yes, another water. I found a music store where I bought three guitar picks crafted out of tortoise shell – which now I have enormous regrets over buying because I am sure it is illegal as heck. I bought a soup ladle from a kitchen supply store for $1.50 – then we turned down a street and we were in the tourist district. Just like the photos we had seen in many travel brochures, a church, shops and vendors who will not take no for an answer. A Columbian woman was dressed in a lovely orange dress, wearing bright red lipstick and a basket of fruit on her head - $1 for a photo – I gave her $2 because I know I wouldn’t want to be all dressed like that in the hot temperature - and she was breathtakingly beautiful. We did wind up purchasing some Chilean wine from the grocery store and getting a cab with air conditioning (yahoo) for our ride back. Columbia was pretty fascinating, but it did freak me out a tiny bit when we were in the old town district basically not knowing where the heck we were. All in all it was a extraordinary day; we walked on the uneven streets, smelled fresh coffee brewing, saw many fruit and vegetable vendors and mingled with the local people.
We entered the old city of Cartagena, which has a high wall all the way around the city, walled originally to keep out intruder. Also, the streets were built intentionally narrow and they wind through the city to confuse would be intruders. Cartagena is gorgeous with old architecture and boldly painted buildings, it is one of the oldest cities in South America. – When we entered, we turned right and apparently all of the tourists turned left – which is good … right? Well we were extremely white in a sea of Columbian people –we wondered through the streets – found fabric shops, a grocery store – which incidentally I love going into foreign grocery stores, I take photos and oogle over all of the items (except the raw animals cut up on ice for display – please someone call P.E.T.A.) which are so foreign to me.
We sat in a park while Dave had a beer and I had water or three. Then a coffee bar where Dave had Columbian coffee and I had – can you guess? Yes, another water. I found a music store where I bought three guitar picks crafted out of tortoise shell – which now I have enormous regrets over buying because I am sure it is illegal as heck. I bought a soup ladle from a kitchen supply store for $1.50 – then we turned down a street and we were in the tourist district. Just like the photos we had seen in many travel brochures, a church, shops and vendors who will not take no for an answer. A Columbian woman was dressed in a lovely orange dress, wearing bright red lipstick and a basket of fruit on her head - $1 for a photo – I gave her $2 because I know I wouldn’t want to be all dressed like that in the hot temperature - and she was breathtakingly beautiful. We did wind up purchasing some Chilean wine from the grocery store and getting a cab with air conditioning (yahoo) for our ride back. Columbia was pretty fascinating, but it did freak me out a tiny bit when we were in the old town district basically not knowing where the heck we were. All in all it was a extraordinary day; we walked on the uneven streets, smelled fresh coffee brewing, saw many fruit and vegetable vendors and mingled with the local people.
2 comments:
It hadn't occured to me that people would pose for pictures for money down there. But I guess it makes sense-an easy way to make a couple bucks off the tourists. Very smart.
So where's the picture of the lady? 8^)
Got your postcard the other day - thanks! It was great to see the pictures of the waterfall that you talked about.
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