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| Delicious and less than a buck |
When we return to Cartagena we really start
to feel at home. We enjoyed the street eats, knew our general way around and
felt much safer however as we were warned Cartagena is definitely not cheap.
Although it’d be possible to live on $25 a day we didn’t travel to these
beautiful countries to eat 2 minute noodles and not experience what the country
offers. So in order to pay for travel and activities we are buying cheap
groceries and cooking as much as possible. For 30,000cob (17US) we bought
enough vegetables fruit and pasta for 3 decent healthy meals each. I guess it’s
not that expensive after all.
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| Cartagena was once a inexorable target for pirates |
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| Cassie Bridie and Juan standing on the wall |
We were greeted by a surprise that
afternoon in the form of Bridie and Cassie, Juanita’s friends from the first
whistler season. Stoked to have some friends in town, not that we don’t love
each others undivided attention and company, we act as tour guides and walk
around the old wall next to the sea. Our big plans of going to a salsa club end
up just drinking at the hostel all night. Dave starts doing what drunken Dave
does best and makes a new best mate with the night man at the hostel. For over
an hour Pocholo and Dave talk in broken Spanglish witht much help from charades
and google translate.
MUD Volcano -Volcano Del Totumo
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| Paper mache volcano |
Bartering is a skill best learnt fast.
Almost everything is available cheaper especially if you know how to ask.
Unfortunately even after Dave befriended his new best mate Pocholo we couldn’t
get a cheaper price than $40,000pp ($22.5USD). So we took to the Cartagenian
Calle’s and Carrera’s to find a better deal. The first commisionist we met
offered the same tour for 35,000 and though we managed to agree on $32,500pp
($18.40USD). Doesn’t sound like a great triumph but every dollar counts when
you’re on our budget and its all relative, the money we saved is enough for
some of the best local lunches in town. Though don’t get me wrong, we spent it
on alcohol instead of course.
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| Sardines in a can |
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| Floating in mud |
Perhaps our imagination of a volcano was a
little disconnected from reality as we both chuckeled a little bit at the mound
of dirt before us. Juan thought it looked like a paper mache school project
maybe as big as a house. Though our initial disappointment was quickly
abolished as we one at a time immersed ourselves, like sardines in a can, in
the dense, thick, warm mud. Possibly the weirdest experience of our lives, the
mud is dense so you float. But floating does not justify the experience, its
like being suspended with a miraculous ability to not need to do anything to
keep your head comfortably above the surface if your in the standing position.
You can sit and play with the mud on the surface and not need to move, unless
your knees absent mindedly decide to join the party up near your head. Swimming
is near impossible and to move people around they lay you down (with fat men
trying to massage you for $3,000cob) and push you along. Sounds hilarious?
After about half an hour bobing around in the small pool sized mud bath we were
led down to a lake were old overweight ladies washed your hair and clothes and
vigorously stuck their fingers in your ear for a pricely figure of 3,000cob
($1.70). If your in Cartagena you have to do this.
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| Bridie and Juan |
As Bridie and Cassie were still with us and
it was our last night in Cartagena we finally got a chance to go out and party.
After playing fuck the dealer with a bunch of people at the hostel we ventured
to the Media Luna hostel for a party. Turns out it cost 10,000 entry fee and
there were hundreds of people there but after a drink at a different bar and
courtesy of some new friends we got in for free. 4am came around quick and we
had just 5 drunken hrs sleep before we had to get up to sail with the Pirates
on the Caribbean.
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