This is me on top of an old Spanish castle in the heart of Cartagena Colombia. Behind me is what is known as "Boca Grande," the really ritzy, modern, touristy part of Cartagena. We didn't stay there. We are too poor. Instead we're staying in the historical district, which has its charms. But we're a little jaded.
Yesterday started out in Bogota. We made a quick trip to the west side of the city, in a suburb called Engativa. Engativa is a little ugly and dangerous, but I lived in this very neighborhood for 6 months on my mission.
There we met up with yet another family that treated me like gold, along with a few of my other friends.
We then went to the airport to catch our flight back to Cartagena. It's a 12-hour bus ride, but only an hour-long flight. We went from 9,000 feet in elevation to sea level, and 60 degrees to 95 with 90% humidity.
It was there that we had our problems. We caught a cab from the airport to our hotel, and as is typical we put one of our bags in the front seat, since there wasn't enough trunk space. Unfortunately we let our guard down for a half second while we took in the beautiful scenery, and the man got into our bag and stole Haley's cell phone. Haley realized as soon as we got into our hotel, but by then the guy was long gone. We're grateful that it wasn't anything truly important (and I've made a habit of backing up our pictures every night just in case), but we still feel violated and frustrated. It was almost like going from the best of people to the worst.
The hotel reception was helpful and kind, and they immediately pulled up security footage, got the licence plate number, and called the police. A pair of Colombian police officers, a man and a woman, came and took a report, but really couldn't do much else other than radio the plate number in and put out a BOLO (although we suppose there is still a smidgen of hope). Haley talked me out of any vigilante justice--I was ready to head back to the airport with my pocket knife and her pepper spray.
Today we've been feeling a little better, but it's been hard to really enjoy Cartagena for what it is. Colombia has been so good to us, but the two really bad experiences that we've had (this and nearly getting kidnapped the first day by a cab driver who asked for a hundred dollars) have both happened here. The culture feels different here--we're constantly getting hawked in the streets, we've seen more public urination than anywhere else, and people seem short and rude. Worst of all, the place is flooded with tourists, making us feel less like locals and more like sheep. Again, realize that we're pretty jaded right now, and we'll probably talk about how great Cartagena was in the near future (in fact, I know some really great people from Cartagena). Nevertheless, it was Haley who said it best when she commented that the people here, at least the ones we've been in contact with, "don't feel like Colombians." This was uttered while drinking bagged orange juice.
Anyways, the historic center is pretty cool. Cartagena was repeatedly sacked by pirates, so the Spanish decided to wall off the whole city and build large fortifications. The center is filled with restored houses, walls, and ramparts--many of which offer incredible views of the ocean.
There are a bevy of monuments, including this one of a native girl who was kidnapped by the Spanish at fourteen, only to return as an interpreter who managed to bring relative peace to the area. I did my best to offer up a more modest representation.
The most impressive site is the castle of San Felipe de Barajas. Constructed in the 1700's, the enormous castle boasted nearly a hundred large canons and miles of underground passageways.
We're back in the hotel right now, taking refuge from the brutal midday sun here on the coast. Tonight we'll be back out in the streets, taking in everything that Cartagena has to offer. Tomorrow will probably be our final blog post from Colombia, so be sure to check back soon!
No comments:
Post a Comment