David and Paul came for a visit during the Easter week. We had a leisurely programme planned which took us on the next day - after the first welcome-night in Bogota - to Cartagena de Indias. There the idea was to soak up some Caribbean flavour, sunshine and warmth.
As laying on the beach was not in the guys' agenda, we opted for some sightseeing in Colombia's most prestigious gem. Even if only the toes were dipped into the sand, the Colombian feminine beauty left the guys chuckling. ;)
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| Lunch - meat for men, ceviche for me |
Also I learned during my second visit to Cartagena that there is more to see than just the famous old city. Up the La Popa hill we drove to visit an old monastery, a beautiful building overlooking the city.
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| "No happier is the one who has more, but who needs less." |
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| Castillo de San Felipe |
The second monumental place to see was the Castillo de San Felipe, a fortress built by the Spaniards during the colonial times. The castle is located on the Hill of San Lázaro in a strategic location, dominating approaches to the city by land or sea. The castle is spectacular for its grand entrance and its complex maze of narrow tunnels. UNESCO listed the castle, with the historic centre of the city of Cartagena, as a World Heritage Site in 1984.
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| Paul playing the Guacharaca with señor Luis. |
Guacharaca is a typical Colombian instrument used in many kinds of occasions. It is usually made out of the cane-like, hollow trunk of a small palm tree, having small ridges on its surface. Played with a metallic fork, which is scraped along the instrument's surface to create its characteristic scratching sound.
The guacharaca was invented by native American Indians from the Tayrona culture in the region of la Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia as an instrument to simulate the guacharaca (or Ortalis ruficauda) bird's singing. Today, however, it is mostly played by
Vallenato and
Cumbia musicians who adopted the instrument, and nowadays, it is most often associated with these musical styles.
After the sightseeing, we were thirsty, so the natural course of events took us to the same beach bar where
another guest sat last August.
As the weather was not on our side and the strong wind kept knocking our drinks over and sprinkling us with sand, we decided it was time to go get freshen up. We
did see some of the other important monuments, such as
the Café del Mar, La Cocina del Pepino and the walled city, but as those activities took place at night time, there is no photographic evidence about them. You just have to take my word for it! :)
... to be continued...
