Cartagena de Indias, Colombia

We’ve had Cartagena on our cruise itineraries four times previously … visited only three times since the first scheduled call in 2002 was canceled due to political unrest.

On every occasion, we found ourselves exploring the nooks and crannies of the beautiful walled-city, enjoying the colorful buildings and the perhaps even more colorful flowers, searching out the interesting doors and door knockers. Sometimes just strolling the cobblestone streets of the walled city … sometimes wandering around it as an adjunct to other sites, such as our hunt for murals in the Getsemaní neighborhood or our visit to Convento La Popa.

We had a short day in port today … just touched on this South American country for four hours and then left at 1:00p in order to make tomorrow’s canal transit slot on time. That being the case, we simply whiled away our time at the Port Oasis, just steps away from where Insignia docked in the shadow of the Caribbean Princess at Terminal Marítimo’s Pier 3.

It was hot … it was humid. But the critters that live at the aviary, which is a government-led initiative to introduce visitors to some of the country’s wildlife, charmed us with their antics.

P.S. Since we didn’t go into the city today, for those who are curious about what it is like inside the walled city … here are photos from our visit in 2007 … https://eenusa.smugmug.com/Cruises/Panama-Canal….Read more