Cartagena
Cartagena in Colombia was the very first port our ship, the Norwegian Pearl cruised to. It was definitely a culture vulture's destination. The city was so, so beautiful. It reminded me so much of the section of Old Manila called Intramuros. Though this area of the walled city of Cartagena may have been very touristy, I loved it just the same. I did find the locals very kind and friendly. There were a few domestic tourists who chatted with me and asked me where I came from and how long I was staying.
Just like what I wrote in a previous blog entry, I have truly become very interested in traveling to South America. I suppose my most recent visit to this country plus all other visits to some Spanish speaking countries we made on this trip contributed to my ever growing interest. I felt very much at ease here. Knowing the language helped a lot.
All throughout these years, I was under the impression that my native Philppines had the hottest and most humid climate. Central America and Colombia changed all that. It was SOOOOOOOO hot here! I felt like I did the equivalent of 5 days gym workout while walking through the streets of Cartagena. I bought some rosaries to add to my current collection. To my surprise, the once brand new and crisp dollar bills I had in my wallet had gotten wet with sweat. I apologized to the vendor when I gave him the said bills but he took no mind.
The Cathedral of Santa Catalina de Alejandria
The façade of the Cathedral of Santa Catalina de Alejandria
The square in front of the Cathedral of Santa Catalina de Alejandria
At the Plaza de San Pedro Claver in front of the Catedral Santa Catalina de Alejandria inside the walled city of Cartagena
Another view of the Plaza de San Pedro Claver
The Banco de la Republica building
El parque de Simon Bolivar
The Statue of Simon Bolivar in the square named after the hero
The inscription on the statue of Simon Bolivar
El Palacio de la Inquisicion
The beautiful Coat of Arms right above the main entrance to the Palacio de la Inquisicion
A partial view of the courtyard of the Palacio de la Inquisicion
Inside the Palacio de la Inquisicion
A symphony playing classical music inside the Palacio de the Inquisicion
La Horca
An art exhibit inside the Palacio de la Inquisicion
Art for sale inside the walled city of Cartagena
The cathedral of Cartagena
A statue of Pope John Paul II behind the Cathedral of Cartagena
La Plaza de la Aduana
Tourists at the Plaza de la Aduana
Some buildings at the Plaza de la Aduana
A view of the Tourist Information Office of Cartagena. Marc and I actually visited this office. Unfortunately, it was not like all the tourist information offices which offered free maps, info on hotels, city events, and the like. It really had very limited info about Cartagena. In fact, it wasn't a tourist info office at all.
The clock tower which lead to the actual working part of the city beyond the walls
The Cartagena Convention Center
Teatro Colon in Cartagena
