CARTAGENA: last Port of Call

Tuesday, October 6:  CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA

There’s a nice statue of a lady in the harbor.

A taxi to the Old Town would have cost $20.00 each way.  

We let ourselves be persuaded to pay $60.00 for a round trip and the driver, Pedro, acted as our guide for 3 hours.

We stopped to take a few pictures in Getsemani, the outer walled town, where budget accommodations are located.

The Plaza de los Coches was once used as a slave market. 

  Now, you’ll find stands selling “local sweets”. 

The Museo de Arte Moderno is in the Plaza de la Aduana which was used as a parade ground in the old days.

The Convento & Iglesia de San Pedro Claver:  a Jesuit convent built before1650.

Part of the 3-storey convent is a museum.

  the cell of Pedro Claver (1580-1654) who ministered to African slaves – he was canonized in 1888

 Pedro Claver’s glass coffin in altar made of Italian marble

The Palacio de la Inquisición (from 1610) sat on the Plaza de Inquisición (now The Plaza de Bolivar).

Heretics were denounced at the small window with the cross on top.  By 1821, 800 individuals were condemned to a public auto-da-fé.

It was a hot day so we ended our tour at an ice cream parlour where we sampled the Colombian flavors.  Bryan chose arequipe (milk caramel), Diana coffee, Nestor mora (blackberry), and I had zapote (red avocado)!

All were good, but Bryan’s was the yummiest!

Check out the iguana :)