Aug 26, Cartegena

That's Laura and Mrs. Columbia - which she managed to show up at almost every stop. This is the Fortress in Columbia and is our first stop.



Finally! started out raining but cleared up almost immediately and Cartegena was easy, nice and smooth.

Lots to see, took DCL's Best of Cartegena and we managed - with my urging to Cheryl, to PIRATE our own Pirate bus. It held 25 and we managed to hit that number. We had our own bus! WOO HOO! Our guide was Adelmo, our driver Goivani (I think) and after our trip, Steve, myself and Susy and Mike managed to snare our guide into taking us on our own private tour - basically back to the Artisan market we hit as we only had 20 minutes there. We DID hit one center that had Laura's version of candy but it was not that awesome and WAY, WAY too expensive - think I can wait until Aruba or perhaps even Vegas as its been a while since I've been there. The quality of the stuff is not all that and I didn't care for anything. Did however, manage to go to town on the typical tourist stuff.

More info later on the monastry, Pope John Paul visited here, saw some bones of the local priest founder of the city and even the skull of St. Pedro Miguel in the Cartegena Catholic CHurch. Only the skull as the rest of the body is resting in the Vatican where apparently all saints remains may go. Got a picture of the skull I can post later. LOL - yes - I am a bit macabre. But really, I was only following the example of our own resident priest.

More info later and pictures too. Including the astonishment on the faces of two nuns - one full habit nun and one novice when our priest - in casual clothes ended up giving them a blessing. Down right hilarious - had I not been so astonished at the expression on the older nun's face, I would have taken a picture - one of those momemts when I should have had a V-8. DUH!

Anyway, gotta fly, more later.