Cooking in Cartagena

Our next mission was to get up to Cartagena and we decided to try and do it on day buses. Quite an ambitious plan we discovered. I grabbed a coffee and we were on our way. I spoke too soon about the good coffee here by the way. The coffee region can do it, but everyone else is serving this...yes, that is a plastic cup. And I had to ask for the serviette!

So let's go backwards, taxi about 8am (same price as a bus) to Ocaña, another 'taxi' back to Agua Chica. So that's already 2.5 hours of actual transport in order to catch a '9' hour bus to Cartagena. We arrive at the bus stop in Colombian style and run as it's pulling out. Pretty happy with the bus we're on we then arrive at a petrol station ten minutes later to be instructed to change buses. Obviously to a shittier bus. 

Bus aside we're happy to be onboard and looking forward to arriving in Cartagena 9 hours later. At midday we stop for the usual uninspiring lunch and then we're off again until we need to stop due to an accident...and then we don't move an inch for 2 hours. Having only one lane in each direction is fairly unforgiving. 

Eventually we start moving but it's slow going and judging by my GPS we still have a long way to go. At 9.30pm when we still haven't stopped for any food we finally arrive at some dodgy bus station where I'm allowed to leave the bus to select from the same mortadella and cheese sandwiches at one of about ten shops, something deep fried of a questionable nature or Colombia's favourite 'pollo broaster' (deep fried chicken that they eat wearing plastic gloves). Still not winning at food.

The buses in South America have two drivers that swap duties as required. How does the other driver rest you ask? Well in a way I found extremely creepy. In a cupboard at the back of the bus next to the toilet. Please note the shoes in the bottom left. Creepy much???!

I think we finally rolled into Cartagena about midnight. We were standing alone at the taxi rank waiting when we were joined by a Colombian couple ten minutes later. Soon a taxi pulled up and also in true Colombian style the woman just went to get in. A quick 'desculpe' left  the husband looking embarrassed and she stepped away from the cab. 

Next morning we woke up in Cartagena to the usual unbelievable heat and humidity that they experience here all year round. We immediately headed for an airconditioned mall. In the process we walked past the fort and saw a lot of people wandering around the walls no doubt cooking. All advice on the Internet says to arrive at 8am. I personally decided it could never be cool enough to do anything here.

We went to check out a famous statue of some boots. When we couldn't quite find it I looked through a hole in a tarp set up around a large area and there it was. Obscured from view to all tourists of course. Haha

Later that night we went for a walk on the city walls and through the old town which Cartagena is famous for. I was still completely soaked with sweat but it was much more manageable. It was Halloween so there were heaps of people just wandering around in costumes which was cute.

The next day we decided to check out the Boca Grande area which is where all the Colombians go on holiday in all-inclusive resorts. It's a completely different vibe since it's full of high rises. 

The best thing about Cartagena was hands down this guy. He was sitting with a little stand outside the McDonalds in Boca Grande. He had a bunch of keys that he would engrave your name in using a little hack saw. And it only cost $2.50. Unbelievable. I got mine done and he looked at Jeanette who said her name was too long. Nonsense he said and off he went. I was beyond speechless. I still am.