Flew into Cartagena on Thursday, the 28th. We were standing in the long line to go through Immigration and Customs when a young woman in a vest approached me and asked me how old I was. I told her 69 and she immediately pulled Mike and I out and took us to a line with no one else in it. Got through Customs quickly! I guess being old and gray haired can help sometimes.
We are eating the best food here and have seen most of the Old Town and the sites of the old fort of Castello San Felipe and the convent of Pie de la Popa high above Cartagena. The history and the views are incredible!
When we walked up to get into line at the fort our friend Monica (also our guide and and Maria's sister), was buying the tickets when the clerk spotted the cane I am currently sporting and said I did not need to pay a fee. We have now named my cane Pedro for San Pedro Claver, the Jesuit priest responsible for the baptizing and freeing of many slaves in Cartagena.
I will need to write a whole post on the food here! Last night we went to the Women's prison for the newest hot restaurant run by the inmates themselves. Lovely food and nice servers, a whole story in itself. Ask me about it when you see me. The taxi ride was pretty scary and they don't allow many cars in the Old Town streets. Our driver used the fact that I had my Pedro cane with me to get the Policia to let us through.
For New Year's Eve tonight we have special reservations. Will write about that later.
Rita K
