Celebrating in Cartagena

I was fortunate this year to spend my birthday in such a fabulous place as Cartagena, Colombia. It's a city that seems to always be celebrating with parties and music lasting all through the night, often accompanied by fireworks displays. Most weekends we have seen several weddings take place at the many churches and cathedrals scattered throughout the historic district. Tourists celebrating honeymoons, anniversaries, birthdays, or just the joy of being on holiday lend to the air of festivity. Horse drawn carts carrying revelers jostle for space with the crowds strolling along the narrow cobblestone roads as vendors selling their wares line the sidewalks with everything from cigars to handmade jewelry and leather goods. Often the merchants will keep their doors open late into the evening to catch those shoppers who dare not venture out during the heat of the day.

Chris looks the part here in the Cuban themed bar where we started with happy hour. Many of the bars are themed. We visited KGB bar, Cuban bar, and a fabulous Argentina bar / restaurant featuring some awesome steaks!

Bob and Irma of S/V Gaia

After happy hour we wandered down the street to a restaurant named 1621, which although unimaginative, is convenient for remembering the year the building was built. Originally, it was a convent. The three story building was constructed in a square with a very large courtyard in the center (think put a whole house in the middle of it size). Over the centuries it was turned into a private estate home and now it is a restaurant/ hotel and favorite place for wedding receptions. 

Restaurant 1621

Orchids and jasmin scent the garden of Restaurant 1621

We dined in the central garden by the old well surrounded by very large palm trees and orchids all dimly lit with candle light and the glow from the surrounding balconies. It was an ambiance that I have seen many American restaurants and hotels try to recreate, only to have it spoiled by fluorescent lights or emergency exit signs or some other modern contrivance. Here it was as if we actually stepped back in time. The service was wonderful and the wait staff spoke English too, a rare thing here. The food was probably the best dinner I've ever eaten in my life...a seafood stew over a bed of coconut rice. Our friends Bob and Irma from S/V Gaia, who have been one of our buddy boats cruising with us off and on since Mexico, joined us for dinner and we had a wonderful time. Afterwards we toured the city in a horse drawn carriage and watched fireworks and ate Italian Gelato. It was a fabulous celebration!

Happy Birthday Shawna!

Old World Charm of Cartagena, Colombia

Our month long stay here in Cartagena has been delightful! After many months of living so close to nature and learning to do without the conveniences of civilization, it was a radical change to suddenly find ourselves in the middle of the hustle and bustle of a city once again.

Cartagena, Colombia with Club de Pesca marina in center of photo

Walled city "old Cartagena" was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1984.

Thriving city surrounds the Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas (center).

We originally anchored out in the inner bay near Club Nautico, but the constant wakes from the passing boats was annoying, plus our insurance required us to be in a marina for safety considerations (although the anchorage seemed safe enough if you lock and lift the dinghy). We considered a mooring in Club Nautico but the boats there are tied bow and stern in "Med-moor" style... not a problem itself, but combined with a lack of dock fingers and overcrowding meant that we would be tied close enough to step from one boat right onto the next.  Our observations of the swaying rigging of the sailboats already moored there rendered this as too dangerous for our taste, so we checked out Club de Pesca just down the road.

Club de Pesca turned out to be a great place to stay. They have about 10 slips reserved for transients on the far northern dock, closest to the walled city. These are floating docks and although we backed in, there are dock fingers and ample space between boats to ensure a secure tie up. We are bow into the wind here so there is great circulation and minimal rolling, mostly just from the water taxis or occasional jet ski passing. The only downside with being near the walled city is that they never seem to stop partying and the music can go on until the sun starts to rise, but this is a problem throughout the anchorage and at Club Nautico as well. You either get used to it or get some ear plugs!

New Cartagena across the bay sits in contrast to the ancient walled city.

Walled city of old Cartagena mostly built in the 1600's it's now a World Heritage site.

Sirena at Club de Pesca

We were placed on the north side with a gorgeous view of the cityscape and arched stone bridge leading there. The marina itself is neatly kept and the staff most helpful. The restrooms and showers are clean and modern, much better than the run-down, broken-doored facilities at Club Nautico by far! Private security guards are on duty 24/7 and they walk the docks regularly checking everything. Laundry facilities are available, although not self serve. The cost for doing two duffle bags full is about 30,000 pesos, or $10 US. There is even a small shop at the end of the dock selling ice, booze, soft drinks and munchies in case you run out. Otherwise, grocery shopping is to be found a few blocks away right up the road from Club Nautico with a mini-super two blocks the other way towards the walled city. We even found a large US style (think CVS or RiteAid) Pharmacy on the corner next to the bridge. This is the first one of this style we have encountered like that since leaving the states over a year ago!

Our friends from S/V Gaia were at anchor for a while nearby before heading over to the outer bay to be hauled out for boat work at Ferroalquimar boat yard. We enjoyed dinners and hanging out with them as always.

Dinner with Bob and Irma of S/V Gaia.

Our new friends from Italy on S/V Elpis, a beautiful Koopmans 57

We met some interesting people and saw some beautiful boats while we were at the marina, including one very strange looking trimaran from Hong Kong.

It looked like a submarine, or perhaps a spaceship from a distance. 

The spaceship has landed! Over 100' long this was quite the attention getter.

But my favorite thing about Club de Pesca is the kitties...

This little ginger cat has doubled in size while we've been here. 

It's going to be awfully difficult to say goodbye to such a sweetie!

Momma Zoro as we call her gave birth to twins on my birthday!

Sweetie has the cutest little begging cry. 

I hope someone will come along and give her a nice home!

Walking the walled city of old Cartagena. The colorful buildings, cobblestone roads, churches, plazas, restaurants and shops can keep you busy for days!

Horse drawn carriages still traverse the walled city and an hour long tour (in Spanish, of course) will cost around 120,000 pesos ($40 USD). Taxis are plentiful and inexpensive. A ride form the pretty much anywhere near the marina to the walled city or surrounding area is 6,000 pesos ($2.00 USD)

Cruising to Cartagena, Colombia

In February we said goodbye to our friends in San Blas after a week long stay in beautiful Cambombia.

Unfortunately the native people show no inclination to keep their islands clean and many items like chairs and shoes and plastic items can be found littering the island and beaches. Most cruisers take care to burn their trash, but the Kuna indians just dump everything in the ocean. They live primitively and have not yet figured out how to deal with plastic and non-recyclables. 

At anchor near Cambombia with S/V Prism.

Selfie on the beach. The teeny tiny island behind me was a nice daytime trip for snorkeling.

Ninja hangs out on deck and occasionally (below) hunts the birds who are daring enough to visit.

A find on one of my daily snorkel trips.

Yes, conch is edible, just not much to look at!

Before heading out we stocked up on fresh veggies from the "veggie boat" and moved up to the Holandes Cays to enjoy the last spearfishing expedition we would have for a while. 

We waited for the next good "weather window" to make the upwind journey of 27 hours to Cartagena, Colombia with our buddy boat, S/V Gaia. Averaging around 7 knots we had an enjoyable day of sailing before the winds kicked up just after sundown. Along the way we did not see any dolphins or whales like we are used to seeing in the Pacific. But we were joined by a masked boobie who hunted flying fish alongside our boat for about an hour.

Masked boobie hunts alongside Sirena

Masked boogie diving for flying fish.

Evening brought 20 knots steady with occasional gusts to 30 knots, and the swell picked up accordingly, so we slowed the boat down to 6 knots to keep from bashing through the waves on our port bow. It was an uneasy night, but by dawn things had calmed down a bit so we picked up the pace and made landfall around 9am.

Approaching Cartagena with S/V Gaia

Approaching Cartagena Outer Bay

San Fernando Fort on Tierra Bomba island to our port side as we enter the outer bay of Cartagena, Colombia

We had to stand off a while to wait for a submarine and a US Coast Guard boat to leave the outer harbor since the entrance is narrow. Early settlers of the area built underwater fortifications in the northern opening to the outer bay of Cartagena so as to force enemy ships to enter though the southern gap where we made our entry.

US Coast Guard ship exits Cartagena, Colombia outer bay.