Saturday, March 04, 2006
Cartagena
Arrived Cartagena via an Areis Dash 8 airplane (cheapest around). It was night. I hopped in a taxi and headed downtown, booked a room, then on Monday I got lucky. I was able to get the car out of customs in one day, to the surprise of the shipping company and myself! After a look around the old town it was off to Santa Marta. I took the opportunity for some diving here, [Glenn is an avid scuba diver in case we didn't tell you that--Ed.] I was rewarded with warm water (a change from the California cold), but the biggest surprise was seeing a Seahorse, some six inches tall. Even the locals could not believe it.
I drove back toward Cartagena but stopped at a Mud Volcano, and yes it's classed as a volcano, so I am told. The best thing is you can take a mud bath inside. I was quite surprised how buoyant I am in the mud! While there I was treated to a short love note in the dust on the car.
In driving these miles I found that during shipping, someone moved my car with a fork lift and damaged the drive shaft. After a day of looking I was able to have it repaired (only later find it was a poor job, requiring a second repair.) No help from the shipping Company (Seaboard!!!!!) either.
[Editor's Trivia: What movie features the line, "Cartagena? Lady, you are hell and gone from Cartagena!") Hint: Kathleen Turner.
