The walk continues

From there, we moved on to the Church of San Pedro Claver situated in another vibrant and busy square.  Here, we saw lots of Palenquero fruit sellers in their brightly coloured dresses with bowls of fruit balanced on their heads.  For a couple of dollars, they will happily pose for photos.  

These women are an iconic symbol of the city, but behind their wide smiles and festive attire lies a story of resilience, survival, and cultural identity that stretches back over 400 years.  During the height of the Spanish colonial period, Cartagena was a major hub for the transatlantic slave trade. Africans were captured, shipped, and sold across the Americas, many through the bustling port of Cartagena.  But amidst this grim chapter of history, stories of resistance emerged. One of the most remarkable is the formation of San Basilio de Palenque, located about 50 kilometres outside Cartagena.

In the early 1600s, groups of enslaved Africans managed to escape their captors and flee into the nearby jungles. They formed fortified communities known as “palenques,” where they could live free from Spanish rule.  San Basilio de Palenque was one of the most successful of these settlements. Officially established in 1713, it became the first free town in the Americas. Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site, recognized for its role in preserving African cultural traditions.

The residents of San Basilio maintained their African languages, religious practices, and customs, blending them with local indigenous and Caribbean elements to create a unique Afro-Colombian culture. The Palenqueras, as women from this community are known, played a crucial role in maintaining economic and cultural ties with Cartagena.

Bizarrely, after this, Legacy chose a particularly airless back street to teach us some dance moves!  As you can see from the videos attached to this footprint, Mark made up his own! 😂Read more