Since Pami's been back we've taken in a bit of City life in Cartagena. Normal things like going to a movie in an air conditioned mall, going out to dinner and checking out an evening jazz concert. There aren't too many cities on the Central American sailing circuit, and it's been nice to be here.
In addition to taking in the city, we took a road trip to Volcan de Tutomo, the mud volcano. We loaded up in a 11 passenger mini bus and headed out from Cartagena towards Baranquilla. The landscape is pretty flat in this area and now in the dry season, it looks a bit dry and uninviting. We turned off the highway and headed towards a large inland lagoon. From a rise, we could see the lagoon and the mud volcano. It's really more like a mud artesian spring that has naturally built this giant ant hill looking thing on the edge of the lagoon.
From the parking area, we climbed the stairway and one by one, climbed down a ladder into the mud. It's very silty and smooth and as any good mud volcano guide would tell you, excellent for the skin. While in the mud pit inside the ant hill, the mud pit dudes slide the tourists around in the mud into an orderly array and then give mud massages. It was a hoot and the massages were really good once we relaxed and got with the spirit. The mud is dense enough that you can only sink in part way. It's like the Great Salt Lake but much more buoyant and no Mormon Temple, just little bars selling beer and fried fish for lunch.
Now we've loaded up the boat with provisions and bid adios to the old Spanish fort guarding the entrance to Cartagena (fans of Romancing the Stone will think 'look at those snappers!').
Now we are beginning to work our way South down the coast towards San Blas again. When we came to Cartagena, we cut across from Snug Harbor to the Islas Bernardos. It's usually not an easy trip going East against the trade winds but we had a tropical storm north of us that made for pleasant conditions and we even got to sail about half of it. We did miss the Eastern San Blas, though, so now we are going to make up for it by taking our time sailing with the trade winds and island hopping South and then Northwest. The map (click it for a bigger version) shows our old track and some of the stops we hope to make on our way back.
For those wondering where Panama and Colombia are, the final map shows a much larger view.
Since Pami's been back we've taken in a bit of City life in Cartagena. Normal things like going to a movie in an air conditioned mall, going out to dinner and checking out an evening jazz concert. There aren't too many cities on the Central American sailing circuit, and it's been nice to be here.
In addition to taking in the city, we took a road trip to Volcan de Tutomo, the mud volcano. We loaded up in a 11 passenger mini bus and headed out from Cartagena towards Baranquilla. The landscape is pretty flat in this area and now in the dry season, it looks a bit dry and uninviting. We turned off the highway and headed towards a large inland lagoon. From a rise, we could see the lagoon and the mud volcano. It's really more like a mud artesian spring that has naturally built this giant ant hill looking thing on the edge of the lagoon.
From the parking area, we climbed the stairway and one by one, climbed down a ladder into the mud. It's very silty and smooth and as any good mud volcano guide would tell you, excellent for the skin. While in the mud pit inside the ant hill, the mud pit dudes slide the tourists around in the mud into an orderly array and then give mud massages. It was a hoot and the massages were really good once we relaxed and got with the spirit. The mud is dense enough that you can only sink in part way. It's like the Great Salt Lake but much more buoyant and no Mormon Temple, just little bars selling beer and fried fish for lunch.
Now we've loaded up the boat with provisions and bid adios to the old Spanish fort guarding the entrance to Cartagena (fans of Romancing the Stone will think 'look at those snappers!').
Now we are beginning to work our way South down the coast towards San Blas again. When we came to Cartagena, we cut across from Snug Harbor to the Islas Bernardos. It's usually not an easy trip going East against the trade winds but we had a tropical storm north of us that made for pleasant conditions and we even got to sail about half of it. We did miss the Eastern San Blas, though, so now we are going to make up for it by taking our time sailing with the trade winds and island hopping South and then Northwest. The map (click it for a bigger version) shows our old track and some of the stops we hope to make on our way back.
For those wondering where Panama and Colombia are, the final map shows a much larger view.
