Equinox March 14 11-Night Review with Lots of Pictures!

[Cindy]

I would love to know how to photoshop.....I've seen some really nice things people do with pictures

 

I took an on-line class. I never would have figured it out myself!:eek:

[Cindy]

Cindy,

I love your clothesline garden!:D

You are doing such a great job on this review, I can't wait to see what you say about the tours in Cartagena. It was so much fun! Even though I enjoyed all the ports on this cruise, Cartagena was my favorite.

 

Thanks, Cheryl. We loved Cartagena too, and I'm having a lot of fun going through the pictures!

[Cindy]

We exited the wall by what is commonly referred to as The Dungeons. The actual name for this structure is Las Bovedas or The Vaults. The building was constructed in colonial times for storage and to house military troops. Many say the building was also used as a jail but Marelvy disputed that. Today this area is used to house local craftsmen and artists who sell paintings, clothing, jewelry, and leather goods.

 

Las Bovedas, aka The Dungeons

 

 

We took a short bus ride, and then walked around the streets admiring the beautiful flowers and the colonial architecture. Much of the old part of Cartagena is built around public squares that are lined with cafés, shops, and churches. The streets were filled with vacationing families – we were there on Palm Sunday, and Holy Week is one of the busiest holiday weeks of the year for Colombians.

 

Horse Drawn Carriage rides were popular with locals and tourists!

 

 

 

 

 

[Cindy]

I'm not sure what I expected, but I was pleasantly surprised by the vibrant, clean, and beautiful city I found. Jim and I both thought Cartagena bore a lot of resemblance to the French Quarter of New Orleans. The main difference was that Cartagena was immaculate. I don't think I saw one speck of trash on the streets in two days!

 

Even the street signs in the historic parts of the two cities were similar. I could really see the Spanish influence:

 

Cartagena

 

 

New Orleans

 

 

Cartagena was bright and colorful. I loved the architecture, the narrow streets, and the abundance of flowers.

I loved the outside wall of this restaurant!

 

 

Once it got dark Marelvy took us back to the bus. This sign made me giggle every time I saw it...I've never had my name on a bus before!

 

 

 

Our next stop was back at the wall, where we were surprised to find Andrea and Sheila (Marelvy's daughter) waiting for us. Marelvy had arranged a wine break and toast at a spot overlooking the old city on one side and the yachts in the harbor on the other.

 

 

 

We lingered for a while, enjoying the wine, the scenery, and new friendships.

 

[Cindy]

Our next stop in this fantastic evening was at Plaza de Bolivar where there was a large crowd gathered watching a traditional Colombian dance troupe. Shortly after we arrived the dancers and musicians came around to the side of the square where we were sitting...they were about to do a special performance for us!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Debbielh1]

Hi Cindy,

Loving your review! So glad we met you on the cruise and all the pictures you posted are bringing back memories of such a great cruise on the equinox! Seems like so long ago. We need to go again!

[Cindy]

At the end of the performance the dancers grabbed members of our group to dance with them. Here's Jim trying to keep up! ;)

 

 

 

You may or may not be able to tell from the pictures, but it was HOT! We were all a sweaty mess! I felt like I was at a football game in Texas in August...the difference was it was only March and the buildings in Cartagena aren't air conditioned like buildings in the states, so it's harder to cool off.

 

The evening was winding down, but it wasn't over yet. We hadn't eaten! We walked a short distance to a tiny restaurant called Sierva Maria, where we had a light meal/snack of arepas and beverages.

 

 

 

 

 

Arepa Rellena De Carne

 

 

[riclop]

Thanks for the great review.

[Cindy]

 

Limonada de Coco (Coconut Lemonade) -- SO delicious and refreshing!

 

 

After we had all eaten we took our time walking back to the bus, taking it all in as we went.

 

Street Vendors

 

 

Customs Square (Plaza de la Aduana)

 

 

San Pedro Claver (St. Peter Claver) Square and Church -- St. Peter Claver spent many years ministering to and treating African slaves as their ships arrived in Cartagena. He is the patron saint of slaves, and a very important religious figure in Cartagena.

 

 

Bronze statue of St. Peter Claver and a slave.

[Cindy]

We got back to the port about 9:30 – tired, happy, hot, and sweaty! Jim and I walked around a little bit, but we were too tired to stay up for the deck party. Since we knew we had an early wake up call for Cartagena Part 2, we decided to call it a day!

 

 

 

No deck party for us!:rolleyes:

 

 

Goodnight, Cartagena!

 

 

I hope to get to my pictures and start posting the rest of Cartagena in a day or two. I have some papers to grade tomorrow before I do anything else!:p

[AZmama2015]

Cindy - Great review so far! We are newbies to X (not cruising) and will be doing our first S-class trip next May to Alaska. I've been perusing the Canal itineraries heavily though and if all goes well with the May trip, I'll be looking to book us on a PC cruise on X next. I've done it before on the Crystal Symphony and it was absolutely fantastic. You were brave to get off the ship during the Canal transit. I remember waking up really early when the ship started its approach, but after sitting through a few of the locks, I was ready to go back to bed!

 

Cartagena looks like a beautiful city and a very interesting port. Thanks for all of the photos and details in your write-up.

[IrishLassie]

Loving your review & your pictures are stunning!

 

We know what you mean about the lack of storage, it's the same on Solstice & Silhouette! I also don't like that they took away drawer space nx to the beds! I hate those open shelves that they use now. I have learned to use the cabinets above the bed to put folded clothes & bathing suites, but wish they have shelving in the closets. But otherwise LOVE those ships! :D

[Shirley C]

Great job as usual with the pictures. We were in Cartagena last May and your pics bring back a lot of great memories.

 

Shirley

[Cindy]

We got up early on Monday morning so that we would have time for breakfast before we met for our tour. Unfortunately, at 6:30 in the morning the only thing open is the Oceanview Café and even that has very little available. We went upstairs right at the time that they were supposed to open for “Continental Breakfast” and found that the only thing available without reaching around corners and under ropes was fruit. They were running behind schedule so if someone wanted anything other than fruit for breakfast they had to get creative!:eek:

 

We met the group downstairs in the Martini Bar at 7:15. We ended up with 42 people in three separate buses with three guides. At one point we were up to 53 from my roll call for this tour, but for a variety of reasons several people dropped out at the last minute. That was not a problem...Marelvy never asked for a deposit from anyone, and since one of her guides was sick we regrouped into three vehicles instead of four, and it worked out perfectly! I know people were a bit apprehensive about what their “non-Marelvy” guides would be like, and everyone was very pleased!

 

I knew it was going to be hot so we were well prepared with water microfiber towels and I even had my little hang-around-the-neck football fan! Yes, I looked like a tourist!

 

Our first stop of the day was La Popa, the old convent high above the city of Cartagena overlooking the harbor and the city. A narrow, zigzagging road took us up the steep hill. We were definitely out and about early, because our group of three small buses were the first ones to arrive.

 

 

 

The 400 year old structure is built on the foundation of a razed Indian temple. There is a beautifully restored central courtyard with flowering trees and vines adorning the archways.

 

 

 

 

 

[Cindy]

In the chapel there is a statue of the Virgin of La Candalaria, the city’s patron saint who is credited with saving the citizens from disease and pirates:

 

 

I loved the wood ceiling in the chapel!

 

 

This is the kind of vessel that would have been used to store water:

 

 

 

 

[Cindy]

The views from La Popa are stunning. Unfortunately it was a very hazy day and I had broken my polarizing filter in Fort Lauderdale. I cleaned these up as best I could thanks to Lightroom and Photoshop!:) You get a nice overview of the city from up there, and you can see the port, the walled city, and Bocagrande.

 

 

 

 

This is one of the residential neighborhoods of Cartagena visible from LaPopa. You could tell it was a holiday...even at 9:00 in the morning the music was blasting!:D

[Cindy]

Our second stop of the day was at the fort – Castillo San Felipe de Barajas. Construction of the fort was begun in 1536 in a strategic location to protect against invaders from land and sea. The fort was significantly expanded in 1657 and renamed in honor of Prince Phillip IV of Spain.

 

 

 

Today the fort is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is open to visitors. The climb to the stop is quite steep, and we heeded Marelvy’s recommendation to admire the fort from below! At first, a few members of the group were disappointed that we weren’t going to climb. However, by the time everyone realized how hot it was even the youngest and most fit of the group were happy to stand in the shade and let Marelvy explain the history of the fort!

 

 

 

 

Street vendors in this area were plentiful...I saw more sellers here and they were more persistent than at any other place we visited in our two days in Cartagena.

 

 

 

Even the ladies in their beautiful native dress were persistent in their efforts to let me take their picture...for a donation!:)

 

[Cindy]

The next part of our day was the part I had been looking forward to the most…we visited the Getsemani neighborhood. I always like to see authentic places when I travel, and that usually means going a little bit off the beaten path to get a taste of the local people and their culture. Getsemani was perfect for that!

 

 

 

Getsemani is part of the old downtown walled city, but it has not been as influenced by tourism as the parts of the city that most visitors see. Getsemani's narrow streets are lined with small houses, hostels, and cafes, and most of the residents have lived there their entire life. There was a casual, small town feel in Getsemani that was a direct contrast to the hustle and bustle of the tourist areas.

 

 

 

 

 

[cruiserone]

Cindy, what great photo's !!!! I cannot wait to photograph this beautiful city and the places that others don't usually go are wonderful. Did you stop for anything such as cafe or buy from a vendor in Getamani? I am enjoying your trip and look forward to this cruise next April!

 

Carol

[Banjo]

Outstanding review, thanks!

[Cindy]

I found the neighborhood to be charming and the people friendly. I liked the street carts filled with fruits and vegetables and the graffiti covering the ancient walls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Cindy]

Cars have a difficult time navigating the very narrow streets because the space in front of a house is frequently used as a patio. Chairs spill off the sidewalks into the streets and many streets have screens strung overhead to provide some sun protection.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are vivid flowers and lush tropical vegetation everywhere!

 

 

 

Like the rest of Cartagena, the streets are marked but change names at every corner and don't seem to mean anything! I'm glad I didn't attempt Getsemani on my own...I might still be trying to find my way out of there!

Edited May 1, 2016 by Cindy

[Cindy]

I thought the homes were charming, colorful, and eclectic!

 

 

 

 

Many are built around a courtyard and offer passers-by a glimpse at the life within.

 

 

 

Quite a few contain small businesses, such as an art gallery or even a barber shop!

 

 

 

Getsemani is early in the gentrification process compared to the more developed colonial center, and there are homes being converted to restaurants here and there on the largely residential streets.

 

 

[Cindy]

Plaza Trinidad is the hub of Getsemani. There is a 17th century church that anchors the plaza on one side, while small cafés and shops take up the rest of the space.

 

 

 

 

The guys were thrilled to find cold beers for $1 at Cafe de la Trinidad! :D

 

 

 

We spent about an hour walking around Getsemani, and I never saw any other tourists while we were there. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. We made our way back to the buses and had a short ride to the dungeons for a 30 minute shopping stop. Jim and I are in the habit of buying one or two nice souvenirs from our travels instead of lots of t-shirts and other stuff we don't need. We found what we were looking for in one of the shops...a painting on raw wood that depicted the streets of Colonial Cartagena. We were happy with our purchase, and Jim was especially happy because he thought that meant we were done with shopping, but I had other ideas! More on that later!

 

 

[deladane]

Wow, those photos of Getsemani are amazing!! When I was originally planning to create my own walking tour around Cartagena, it would have included Getsemani. Unfortunately, we ran out of time and didn't get there in the end, so thank you for your beautiful photos as at least I can get a glimpse of what we missed!