Playa Blanca

White Beach or Playa Blanca in Spanish is on the island of Barú, approximately 20 km from Cartagena. It is cute, calm beach slightly off the beaten track. After busy Cartagena it was a nice change just to enjoy the truly Caribbean atmosphere and the beautiful beach.

To get to Isla de Barú there are several steps to take into consideration: one must first negotiate (read: argue) with the tour providers at the port to become in an agreement about the price. Then one must pay additionally to the boat fare the island tax. After the buyer and the seller have become to an agreement about the prices and cash has changed owner, you are let into the harbour to wait for your ride. We got lucky and we didn't have to wait long but we met some not-as-lucky Spaniards who had been waiting for two hours.

When Layla Yaneth (our boat) was full, it was time to take off. The ride to the island took about half an hour. The ride was quite an experience!

It was all worth it! We felt there completely relaxed and comfortable.

Quite soon the guys noticed the jetskis... After some negotiations (of course) they decided to rent them and take them for a spin in the ocean.

Do you see them there far, far away?

While the guys were gone, I was observing the life on the beach.

These ladies - the massage ladies - were convinced that each tourist on the beach is stressed out and were ready to take away the stress.

When the guys came back, we decided to explore the seashore of the island a bit.

Back again in "our spot", we were having some beers, dipping in the water and sipping some piña coladas, until the paradise day was over and it was time to go back to the city...

Visiting Isla de Barú was a true Caribbean experience and a wonderful, amazing beach! We loved it so much that even almost missed the boat back to the city! I'm quite sure, we will find ourselves from the island again one day...

Caribbean Cartagena

Cartagena de Indias is along Bogotá probably the most well-known city in Colombia. It is located in the Caribbean coast north of Bogotá, and it has about a million inhabitants.

Colourful Cartagena is a popular tourist destination. The old colonial centre is a walled city and UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Fernando Botero is a famous Colombian figurative artist, known for its chubby, comical characters in paintings and sculptures. Even though señor Botero is of Medellín origin, also Cartagena offers home to his voluptuous naked lady.

A proper holiday in tropical climate requires a holiday hat - a Panama hat - which protects from direct sunlight.

As I have already bought a hat in Miami, I just tried one on.

As beautiful as Cartagena with its colourful history and even more colourful buildings it, after a while it can get exhausting and overwhelming. Every local tries to find their way of earning a share of the tourists' money, so it is full of sales people, who try to get you to buy whatever it is they are selling. Without even properly noticing, you might suddenly find yourself being massaged by a pregnant, barefoot lady on the beach even though you said no gracias seventeen times. The same applies to the city.

After we had been exploring the centre, it was time to go join Andreas at the beach in Bocagrande. Bocagrande is a more modern neighbourhood filled with tall hotel buildings and beach front, which is lacking from the old centre.

Another must-see in Cartagena is the city's most popular open-air bar and restaurant, Café del Mar. It is built on the old city's walls, and is specialised in electronic music which is a welcome change to the typical Colombian music scene every once in a while.

And of course it wouldn't be a proper visit to the Caribbean, if we didn't get to experience a tropical thunder storm. As it ruled out all outdoor activities, we were lucky that it happened on our last day.
After all, we got to see the old city and visit a beautiful beach, a truly Caribbean gem of an island, Isla de Barú. More about the white beach later...