¡Bienvenido a Cartagena, Colombia!

     It's another early morning on the S/V Chantecler in which we are frantically woken up by the workers jumping onto the boat ready to start their day’s work. Nestled into the cool, dark cave of our bunk (thanks to the AC and black out shades), we are completely disillusioned to the time of day and can’t quite make sense of the racket heard above on deck.
As we rush through the companionway to help the workers get started with their projects, we are slammed with the intense, humid heat and instantly blinded by the sun. Mike immediately jumps in to help the workers while I follow along serving as a translator with my elementary Spanish that has been on overtime through our stay here in Colombia.  The local men here, thirsty for work, have been impeccable with their timing, which we feel fortunate for as our neighbors have frequently been stood up. Unfortunately, however, their prompt arrival lends itself to chaos and we spend the better part of our mornings wanting to rip our hair out in frustration as we run around like chickens with our heads cut off trying to accommodate everyone.
       In the confines of Club Nautico, it is easy for us to forget that we are in Colombia. Most of the boats anchored and docked here are foreign owned, which provides a great atmosphere for a sailing community (which exists now but is rather slow as it is off season), but hinders the ability to get a feel for the Colombian people and culture. This extends slightly beyond the gates of Club Nautico as the closest convenience point is a one stop shop called Carulla, which serves primarily as a grocery store, but has an internet café in the back as well as other miscellaneous tidbits. It is quite easy for a cruiser to spend the majority of time between his boat and Carulla if he so desires. In fact, there have been many days in our month here in which we have done just that. Fortunately, with the help of the local workers coupled with the occasional vendor pacing the lengths of the dock trying to sell local goods, we have been able to learn a bit about the people even if it’s laughing over silly idiosyncrasies in one’s native language.
    
Luckily, our experience here in Cartagena has not been isolated to Club Nautico and Carulla. With our cruiser friends, we’ve been able to explore the city and enjoy lovely dinners in this old, historic walled city. We’ve roamed the streets both in the heat of the day (not recommended) and as they come alive at night, constantly in awe of the stunning architecture of the buildings from this 500 year old city that once was the only port on the South American mainland. Magnificent city walls and countless fortresses beg one to delve deeper into the history which is easily provided by one of the many local museums. We are reminded of New Orleans as we roam the streets and admire the big houses with geraniums and ivy cascading over the balconies juxtaposed to the quaint rows of buildings with crumbling facades and painted in vibrant colors. We’ve come to love watching the city come alive at night; horse drawn carriages clabber along the dimly lit cobblestone streets and dancers in their local attire entertain the diners in the bustling open air cafes that are characteristic of the many quaint plazas in the old city. Vendors set up shop on the sidewalks with their local handicrafts and men run around with Panama hats, artwork, and cigarettes desperately trying to make a sale. Our palates are teased as the restaurant workers frantically wave menus in the air begging us to dine with them assuring that their food is the best in Cartagena. There certainly is no shortage of variety here; my mouth waters just thinking about the succulent seafood and sushi, the flavors of the local fare, and the other delicious fusions that the Colombians have perfected.
       Cartagena has been magical for us and we feel lucky to have been able to enjoy a part of the world that has been closed up for tourism and still raises eyebrows when one mentions it as a destination. With police roughly every 200 yards (if not more), safety is not an issue here. The people are lovely, the culture is colorful, and the city is absolutely beautiful. We are certainly going to miss it here.