Cartagena, COLOMBIA

I arrived by plane (Avianca Air) this afternoon from Bogota in Cartagena which was established by the Spanish in 1533. Its the most northern city in Colombia and from here I will explore the area to the north, including the nearby islands, the mud volcano, the town of Santa Marta, a national park, and the area towards the Venezuelan border.

I´m extremely impressed with Cartagena. Its a world away from the European flavours of Bogota. The vast majority of the people of Cartagena is dark skinned, of Caribbean and African descent, with a good 60% - 70% intermixed with Spanish and South American Indian. Its the most beautiful colonial town, surrounded by a fortified wall, I have ever seen, and is very reminiscent of Salvador, in north eastern Brazil (state of Bahia).

I´m truly glad I´m here as this place is a gem. The next few days will be magic, no doubt!

UPDATED 2 DAYS LATER
Yesterday I traveled to the mud volcano of Totumo (Vocan de Lode El Totume) ...climbed up to the top and slid into a biggg mud bath...2.5km deep...yip...2500 meter deep...but I kept popping up. No way of reaching the muddy depth. The warmish smooth textured black mud, totally feels like a hot chocolate bath. What a bizarre experience. Afterwards I washed off at the nearby beach.

Today spent island hopping by boat around the islands of Corales del Rosario 35kn south west of Cartagena. Visited a great oceanarium on a far away island (open concept...outdoor) and also Playa Blanca on Isla de Baru...which was heaven on earth with blue waters, white beaches and palm trees.

Over the past 2 days traveled with fellow ex-South Africans now living in Scotland. What a wonderful married couple. Its people like this who make Round-the-World trips truly meaningful!

I am leaving on Friday March 10th from Cartagena up north to the town of Santa Marta, the fishing village of Taganga, and further north to the national park of Tayrona.

Will be back in Cartagena (and back at the Internet) next Thursday March 16th for my flight to Panama City on Friday March 17th.

Adios from northern Colombia.