The anchorage is surrounded by buildings, the coast guard, the navy, shops, local vendors, cars and taxi's, horse drawn carts, lights, fireworks, music, live performances... and life!
It is winter here in Cartagena, but the winter here is like our summers in South Africa with humidity levels sitting at 90% and above with very little rain. Thus making water collection our first challenge. That's okay, we have arranged water through the mariner for a great price.
The exchange rate is 1USD = 1800 Colombian Peso's. We are now working with million's and hundreds and not much smaller than that. A french loaf (pana in spanish) is 2500 Pesos. A weeks worth of water from the mariner is 20 000 Pesos. A kilogram of bananas is 2000 Pesos. A 10 day data plan for our device is 20 000 Pesos. It's much cheaper living from the streets as the local people do. You can spend 5000 Pesos and buy quite a few pastries. Fruit and vegetables are plentifull on the streets, all delicious.
Milk is not fresh cows milk as we know it. Everything is powdered or long life milk. Not delicious!
The local transport is cheap, you can catch a ride on the back of a motorbike or scooter, a 3 wheeler bicycle or you can use your legs. Everything is within walking distance so it's nicer walking. Anything on wheels is pretty scary!
The water is good to drink and there are taps along the parks and in the streets of the old city so drinking water is easy to come by. The bottled water is available at 2600 for 6 liters (sold in plastic that looks like a giant ice lolly).
The people are friendly if you can get a few words in Spanish to make sense to then. We have thankfully met a local guide, Henry Castrillon, who meets with us regularly to get information. We have also made friends with some Spanish speaking backpackers who are helping us with Spanish lessons and Yoga lessons. They have also helped us hugely with connectivity so we have comms with friends and family.
Christmas away from home, this is my first Christmas away from South Africa and my family. It's been quite tough for us but with skype on the boat we will be able to say hi to everyone back home and around the world.
When night falls and the city cools by a degree or two, the lights come on and the city is drenched in colour. The boats, the harbour, the navy ships, the cars...they are all decorated with lights. It's a sight I can not describe to you. You have to see this to believe it!
Then the music starts, from all around the city. The music plays until the early hours of the morning. Singing, laughter and party busses. One after the other the party busses pass the mariner and they are jam packed.
The local people shoot fireworks every single night. The shows are fantastic like I have never seen before. Back home you can't just shoot fireworks anywhere at any time. It's all so new.
Colombia is definitely a country to visit. It's alive, happy and full of energy! Oh how I miss the solitude of the islands and the sea.
We will spend Christmas eve in the old city, midnight mass with the local people. Christmas day in town and New Years eve on the boat is the way we will be enjoying the festivities. It's going to be something else.
Wherever you are and whomever you are with, may your festivities be magical xx
Blu
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