Cartagena, Colombia
Sailing the Caribbean Sea
Good Morning, feeling a little better but still kind of groggy from the sea sickness medication. The sea was much calmer today. We are now closer to land, Colombia, so maybe that is a factor. About 5:30 in the morning the ship seemed to bump into things. It wasn’t but every once in a while there was a thud.
We were tied up to the Cartagena dock just as it went 7:00 AM. The tour this morning was the Cartagena Fortress and Old City at 8:30. This is the first tour of the cruise, and we are in our fourth day. It is a bit exciting being in a new city and, for a matter of fact, a new country. We were checked-in in the Constellation Theater by 8.
It is 91 degrees with about 85% humidity. Hot does not begin to describe it. There is no breeze and no air movement. Loaded into the bus and off to the Cartagena Fortress. Unfortunately, although the sea sickness seems to have abated, Mary got land sick shortly after we got on the bus. She was feeling really poorly by the time we reached the base of the Fortress. She made a good effort to do the tour, but it was simply too much. She went back to the air-conditioned bus while the group made their way to the top of the Fortress.
Regrettably not enough attention was paid to the suggestion of light clothing. It wasn’t comfortable, but it wasn’t going to kill anyone either. It is understandable that no one every conquered this Fortress. It is basically a hill with a lot of tunnels throughout it. Every wall angled so a cannon ball would just bounce off. At one point 23,000 men attached the Fortress, which held 3,000 defenders. Guess who won?
When we got back to ground level, the first order of business was checking in on Mary. She wasn’t doing well at all and had been sick again. The tour company was sympathetic and had one of the buses take us back to the ship. Mary got cleaned up and I put her things in the wash.
The rest of the day was spent resting and recuperating in our suite. A couple card games and the dinner in the Compass Rose. There was a need for protein in both our systems. The food was good but not exactly traditional cuts. The New York Strip was probably from the same but it was very thin. Properly cooked mind you, just not what one usually thinks of when the menu says New York Strip.
Mary ordered the beef medallions. This looked a lot more like a very nice slice of roast beef. Again, very good, just not what one expects when the word medallions is used. The accompanying baked potato was very good. Mary’s “smashed” potatoes and vegetables were also very good.
We know Cartagena as Cartagena, but truthfully the name of the city is Cartagena de Indias. The city’s strategic location between the Magdalena and Sinú Rivers gave the city easy access to the interior of New Granada. This made the city the main port of the trade between Spain and its overseas empire. One its main features is that it was defensible against pirate attacks. This made it key for the export of Bolivian silver to Spain and the important of enslaved Africans.
The Fortress we visited is Castillo San Felipe de Barajas. Construction of the castle finalized in 1536 and is located on the Hill of San Lázaro in a strategic location, dominating approaches to the city by land or sea. It was originally known as the Castillo de San Lázaro. It was built by African slave labor under Spanish supervision during the colonial era. The fortress was built in a triangular shape on top of a hill, with eight batteries and a garrison of 200 soldiers and 4 gunners. Its name was given in honor of Philip IV of Spain.
The fortification consists of a series of walls, wide at the base and narrow toward the parapet, forming a formidable pattern of bunkers. The batteries and parapets protect one another, so making it practically impossible to take a battery without taking the whole defense system. The castle is striking for its grand entrance and its complex maze of tunnels. It is the most formidable defensive complex of Spanish military architecture. It is 41 meters (135 ft.) above sea level.
Modern Cartagena is the capital of the Bolívar Department, and had a population of 876,885 according to the 2018 census. This makes Cartagena the second-largest city in the Caribbean region, after Barranquilla, and the fifth-largest city in Colombia. Economic activities include the maritime and petrochemical industries, as well as tourism.
The city was named after Cartagena, Spain and by extension, the historic city of Carthage. It was founded on 1 June 1533, making it one of South America’s oldest colonial cities; but settlement by various indigenous people in the region around Cartagena Bay dates from 4000 BC. During the Spanish colonial period Cartagena had a key role in administration and expansion of the Spanish empire. It was a center of political, ecclesiastical, and economic activity. In 1984, Cartagena's colonial walled city and fortress were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Based on the conversation with our guide, there is no love for Spain or the Catholic Church. He seemed to act as if the Spanish Inquisition too place yesterday. Unfortunately the ship was set to sail at 2 PM. So not much time to see the city or learn more about its history. If it weren’t for the heat and humidity it might be worth coming back for a visit. Please remember it is “winter” here. The drive was carful to mention that they don’t have seasons. Well they have two – raining and not raining. The heat and humidity are apparently always here.
The ship pulled away from the dock on schedule and we headed to the Panama Canal. We are set to enter the canal first thing in the morning.
Buonanotte, Ciao Enrico
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