Cartageña

Vaca sagrada! (Holy cow!)

Here are two photos of the 17th century Spanish mansion or palacio that we found in Cartegeña Colombia with the guidance of our tour guide Marelvy this Novembre 2015. This town is safe and very walkable. I read three reviews about Marelvy on Trip Advisor and knew that I wanted her to lead our private tour.

Why Colombia? One of the reasons was a book I read by a Brit who rode his two-seater bicycle from Alaska to Chile. His favorite country and people along that over two-year ride was Colombia. Not Columbia. That book was actually a gift to a bicycle nut amigo, but once I started to review it, I could not put it down. Don’t you love it when that happens?

The three-hour tour of Nobel Laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez's world lasted for six hours, including lunch. Marelvy will give tours of this magic fort-walled colonial former Spanish town (1533) if you are lucky enough to be invited to our Yoga retreat. Gold and emeralds and slaves passed through this ancient port. Marelvy walks with a sombrilla to keep the sun off. 

Marnie, Sandy, Marelvy

We might just leave the castillo walls one night to take in Club Havana. The shows last until early morning. Patrons order botellas and half botellas of rum or tequila for the table. I have NEVER seen that before. 

Think of his 1967 book "One Hundred Years of Solitude” (Gracias, Charles), “Love in the Time of Cholera,” (even our 49ers dealt with bad water cholera), “The General in His Labyrinth,” “Living To Tell The Tale,” and many more. One of my favorites is "Memoria de Mis Putas Tristes."

The gigantic ancient wooden door opens to the beautifully-tiled swimming pool (see above). There are eight rooms for guests, with a staff of six and a cook. One room is large enough to do yoga in. Air conditioned, of course. It is HOT in Cartageña de Indios in Febrero. "Mucho calor," as Maria Lopez used to say! 

Nearby, the former convent of Santa Clara is now a hotel. Gabo's book, “Of Love and Other Demons“ opens here, when the remains of red-haired teenager Maria de Todas los Angeles are unearthed. The beautiful Santa Clara Hotel bar is where we watched a samba show from directly in front of the crypt where the nuns are buried. You can also have a cooling bebida among the towering palm trees in the grande, open-to-the-sky, foyer. We got hooked on coconut milk and lime drinks. YCMTS up.

This place is like a movie set. A Marlon Brando movie, “Burn 1969" was filmed here as well as "The Mission" with Robert DeNiro," and Romancing the Stone." "You are thee Joan Wilder?" Most of “Romancing the Stone” was filmed in Vera Cruz, Mexico. Their second choice was Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts.

Our friend who we met on a Portugal river trip last year was raised in Colombia in a hotel at Simon Bolivar Park that her father owned. No he didn’t own the park. He owned the hotel. Most of the colonial houses are now restaurants or hotels. 

Very tall black women with attitudes (whose ancestors were slaves who escaped into the mountains) walk the calles with baskets of fruit on their heads. Two dollars a photo and DO NOT try to sneak one. There are many carriages for inexpensive tours of the town, which is enclosed by the largest stone and coral fort in this hemisphere. There is one calle that only sells homemade sweets, most of which we have never ever seen or tasted before.

We met Susi and Arturo in their home city of Medellin during our tour. I am writing a book about that part of the trip, including Bogota in the Andes. Their life stories are truly amazing and they are the most gracious hosts.

Cartageña is only three and one half hours via Jet Blue from New York City and a five minute, five dollar ride to the mansion.

Febrero 2017 Yoga retreat? MAYBE! Yoga 2016 Isla Mujeres, Mexico is full again.

          

- Marnie y Sandy y Roberto Tocino

Marelvy with sombrilla