Baru by Boat & at Johnny's House

 

Johnny's Boat Trip into Baru

It was back to Baru today, this time with a local called Johnny. He took Peter and me, with Edie & Michael from a neighbouring boat, Panda, in his pirogue. This time traveling 3 miles by water through the mangroves was much, much easier than yesterday's walk in the 89 degree heat. Today's mission was to buy some chicken and pork and check out the town with a local guide. There's not much in Baru, but today we got a different perspective. He took us to the store that sold pork. The store, a wooden shack open to the dusty street was busy with a half dozen locals. All of the products, 3 or 4 open shelves, are behind a counter and the service was somewhat slow and methodical. The four of us ordered un poco of pork which was finally presented to us in two small plastic bags. The "butcher's" supply was somewhere out back stored in a manner which we probably don't want to see. We paid & were on our way to the chicken place. It was little more upscale but the demonstration of killing the cockroaches under the fruit box using a match with bug spray like a blow torch kind a told us their standards are different from home. But this time at least the food was pulled out of a freezer. (On yesterday's walk, we politely turned down an hombre who wanted to sell us fresh chicken from his yard..boy the choice one has). Johnny took us to his home & it is of very "modest" means. He has 3 kids (una hija, tres año, un hijo diez año y una hija, doce), his esposa, Mom, Dad, plus about six others - I would assume, relatives of some sort...all in this one bedroom, 2 room house! They were very welcoming & I gave his little niña some paper & crayons which I had brought along. Anyway, we spent a very nice morning in Baru.
Back at the boat, dealing with the pork was a little disconcerting. There was still hair on the skin!!! Yuk!! And the "butcher's" style of using a machete left tiny shards of bone throughout. The smell was very rich and we are hoping a marinade will deal with that; guess what's for dinner tonight! Come to think of it, we never did see that pig that I took the picture of 2 days ago.(see photos below) Lo siento, Porky.

3 Mile Hike Into Baru, Columbia

 

The Village of Baru

 

Very poor village, but the people were friendly enough. Kids were constantly begging for "una propina" - a tip. We felt like we had just walked into the local tavern & everybody stops talking to look at the "new folk in town". I don't think they get too many gringos here!

A Local Beach off Cholon Bay on Sunday

 

Cholon Bay

We wake to the cacophony of boobies in the nearby mangroves. The morning is totally still; the winds don't pick up until early afternoon. Because of the stillness, we can hear the ever so strange braying of the donkeys, and somewhere over there, is the distinct sound of a peacock. Things have slowed down considerably since leaving Cartagena. We are in a big, beautiful bay that could easily accommodate hundreds of boats, but there are only 4 of us here at the moment, well, five if you count "Manatee", a big 68 ft. steel hulled motor cruiser recently been put to use as a happy hour bar. Yesterday, we heard the music coming from it & were curious as we had heard that there's not much in Cholon Bay. The self-professed "mayor" of the bay, Robert, (originally from the U.S. but living atop a hill overlooking the bay now) has opened a floating bar for those wanting to meet up with fellow cruisers. We headed over to appease our curiosity & we were instantly invited on board. Apparently, we just missed the pot luck dinner that the other boaters put on every Sat. night. Anyway, we joined them for a couple of beers & that has been our intro into life outside of the big city!
That & the fact that we've been pestered by locals paddling up to us on their boards with everything from papayas, mangoes, mangrove oysters, necklaces and they do not take no for an answer! Phrases such as "No entiendo" (I don't understand) & "No quiera nada" (I don't want anything) could matter less to them - it just means the challenge is on! We've heard that in the San Blas Islands, the women hang off the side of the boat for hours! One couple went down below for a meal & came out to find the Kuna Indian still perched beside their boat). Robert figured out how to say, "I'd like to marry your daughter" when a mother & her 10 year old daughter came up to him, & he claims that that chased them away every time (but one does have to worry that they may just take you up on your offer!)

A Final Farewell to Cartagena - Adios Amiga

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Forms of transportation, statues, doorknockers & street signs

 

 

 

 

A Day at the Hacienda Las Maragritas

It was wash day at the ranch when we arrived; scrubbing on rocks and drying on fences. The neighboring villagers come to the one & only watering hole within walking distance, which is located on the farm known as Hacienda Las Margaritas. Some of the cruisers were asked if they'd like to spend the day with the family who has owned the farm for over 40 years & of course, we jumped at the chance. A new adventure! The area on the outskirts of the ranch is definitely 3rd world; these people live in shacks & have very little by our standards. It was interesting to get out of the Cartegena & see another aspect of Columbia. We brought little gifts for the kids (crayons, stickers, etc.) but were asked not to give them out because then they expect it from all the gringos that they see. Fair enough. After our walk, we took a little side trip on a "chariot" (see pic) to a nearby hot springs/mud hole (different from the previous one I had been to). We didn't go in very far as there was no water to wash up after, except for the small rio a mile or so away. Anyway, it was a very interesting volcanic area. After our little trip in the chariot, we came back to lunch "typico" of sopa (soup) made with carne & pollo (mystery meat & chicken). Later my bonus, I got to check off one of the things I've always wanted to do & that was to go horseback riding in Columbia. The horse's name "Lightning", was anything but! The family was so hospitable & it was a great way to spend the day while we await boat parts in Cartagena.

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Street Vendors in Cartagena

 

 

Street scenes from Old Town

The Walled City of Cartagena

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Cartagena's Old Town is a very interesting & beautiful walled city, and along with the nearby massive fortress is a UN Heritage site. The more we're here, the more we like it. We like the price of a beer, about 2,000 pesos or $1.00, the price of a meal for under $10.00, cab rides for $2.50. We love the people who openly display friendship, passions and affections, are very family oriented, love their music & love to dance. In fact music (often too loud)& dancing is everywhere you turn. There's a lot of wealth along with the impoverished, but it is hard to imagine Cartagena strictly as a 3rd world city. Cartegena is safe, easily as safe as any other large city. Rumor has it that the cartels come to Cartagena with their families for vacations and there's an unwritten rule that no harm comes here. That & the fact that there seems to be 4 police/soldiers/security guards on every corner with helicopters and stealth looking patrol boats in the air and water gives you a great feeling of security.
Ahhh... the women - we have never seen so many well endowed and beautiful women... and so proud. Rumor has it that upon graduation, (15 yrs. old) the standard practice is to become enhanced...artificially. Oh how proud madre & padre are now! Oh, and did we mention their music? A typical evening starts off at 11:00 with the music peaking around 2 a.m. and carrying on until 5 in the morning. They do like to party! If you can't beat 'em, join 'em; our best is 2 a.m. One more thing - at the private marina we are currently at, the guard who stops to chat is holding an AK 47! Yes, we feel safe, just need to stay on the right side.
In our books though, if Cartegena has a negative, it is the dirt, in the water and the air. Our boat is filthy, it is time to move on.

El Teatro Heredia, Circa 1625, Cartagena

 

Sights in Old Town, Cartagena

 

El Totumo - Volcano Mud Bath & Nearby Fishing Village, Columbia

 

I like to try things I've never done before & no, I've never gone to a volcanic mud bath before. Honestly, the things I do when Peter's not around to make sure I'm behaving myself!! (He's gone back to Vancouver for a week). This was quite the experience. The bus came by at 9:am & the dozen or so cruisers pile in. We were being escorted by Alex & our first stop was a local fishing hole beside the river. It was very basic with the women over to one side doing the laundry on the rocks & the men out in the dug out canoes throwing their nets out & catching some small local fish in the muddy waters of the the river. Onto the volcano after that. Of course, I had visions of a big, desolate, mountainous volcano - this was a hill made of mud. On top of that, there were 12 cruise ship buses in a 10x12 ft parking lot. Not exactly what I had in mind when I signed up for this. However....the mud was not what I was expecting either - it was way better. I mean mud is mud, but not this stuff - it was bouyant for one thing & if you got turned a certain way, there was no getting upright & of course, the more you laughed, the harder it was to upright yourself. Anyway, it s the thickest, ooziest, sulpheric smelling muck I have ever been in. I loved it! At first I was a little hesitant about putting my head in, but I figured, what the heck, I'm here, go for it. I ducked under & instantly regretted it when I couldn't hear a thing for all the mud in my ears. Not to mention of course, the eyes, nose & mouth. You try to rid yourself of some of this stuff, but it only makes it worse. My eyes are loaded with mud, I've got mud in my mouth, & I can't hear for all the mud & yet, I'm still thinking this is fun - the more I laugh, the more grit I get in my mouth! I'm in for a little longer than I want, I mean, I'm ready to get out, but the lady in front of me is rather a large woman & she has no upper body strength to pull herself up the ladder. She is panicking & all I'm thinking, is this lady going to fall back down on me crushing me to the bottom of this mud pit where I'll die & nobody will ever be able to find me ever again. I back off to give her some space & see that she is just shaking like a leaf - she is so scared. Well, so am I - I don't want to be down here forever. Anyway, she backed off from the ladder - I still don't know if she ever got out - (I'm thinking crane). One slight problem as I'm attempting my exit. The mud is so thick & so heavy, it starts presenting a problem with by bathing suit. In my wisdom, I had decided to wear my absolutely oldest bathing suit with NO elasticity whatsoever in it & you guessed it - it's down to my knees!!! I'm trying pull it up as fast as it falls down - I get a few chuckles from the people waiting in line & thank god I don't understand the language because I don't think I would've liked what they were saying!! We stopped for lunch at a little roadside spot & I pointed to the first thing I saw being some sort of meat. A person behind me said, "oh my, aren't you brave." Hmmmm & then I see what he's talking about. In the back of the restaurant (?) are a bunch of carcass skins of something or other & I point at them & then at my plate & the ladies serving up my meal nod their heads yes. Okaaaaay, that's what I'm eating. My aren't I brave. I look around & not a single other person is having this - not even the guide. Well, believe it or not, it was good & I made somebody else try it because if I was going down, I was taking somebody down with me. Anyway, that was 5 hours ago & I'm still alive. All in all, a very eventful day!

Local Fishermen off a River in Northern Columbia

 

Vicente Fernandez Concert, Jan. 2, 2010

 

Ah Vicente - you handsome devil! Everybody loves Vicente. He is truly an icon here & this concert was not to be missed. The audience was made up of 3 generations - all singing, all dancing, all going crazy together. I sat beside a couple of twenty somethings with their girlfriends & their parents & their grandparents - everybody knew ever word to every one of his songs. He's got to be around 70 & he didn't start playing until 11:30 pm. We left at 2:00 & he was still going strong.

New Years Eve in Cartagena

 

Enjoying our Last Few Days in Cartagena With the Kids

 

A Day at the Aviary & Aquarium in Rosarios

 

Sailing to Islas de Rosarios

 

Finally being able to go for a swim after the waters of Cartagena. Water temp 88!!

Cristmas in Cartagena

 

 

Cartagena in December

Andy & Lisa's Visit, Dec. 2009

Street scenes From Cartagena