Cartagena de Indias was founded in 1533 by Pedro de Heredia. It is a wonderful colonial town surrounded by a fort,13km of old stone walls. Cartagena has expanded outside this area vastly with many high rises in the modern section. We are staying at Hotel Stil right in the centre. This Spanish port was one of the major trade posts in the whole of the Caribbean and where treasures plundered from the local population were shipped back to Spain. Needless to say this in turn became a target for all buccaneers and pirates making for a rich history. First morning we had a walking tour of the old town and it was fascinating and extremely informative. The rest of the day was spent exploring the colonial buildings, courtyards, and narrow streets, sampling coffees and various snacks. Whilst taking numerous photos of the door knockers which were lovely I found one shaped in the form of a hand. I was just about to take a picture when Geoff knocked loudly on the door and ran off down the street laughing. The door opened immediately and an elderly gentleman looked at me enquiringly. Errrrr, desperately trying to keep a straight face, I asked if I could take a picture, more in sign language than Spanish. Where's Thommo you blooming idiot. Anyway the gentleman was very pleased I was interested in his door knocker and thankfully we parted friends which is more than I can say for Geoff when I got hold of him.
1. Statue of native woman
2. Modern graffiti on the side of a tower block
3-5. Parts of the old fort
6-15. Beautiful old colonial buildings being restored
16.One of the many bronze statues
17. Well Geoff and I liked it
18. One of the colourful fruit ladies in historical outfit
19-26. Some of the fantastic graffiti around the old part of town, it was stunning.
We did so much here that I have included a blog of the door knockers and of the diving we completed off the coast.
Adios
Tony x
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