I Love Colombia

I love Colombia,  We arrived in the Port of Cartagena this gorgeous morning and disembarked for the old town which surrounded by a 10 foot wall with battlements and cannon to protect the city from invasion by thousands of pirates because at the time it was the largest port in the Americas.  The wall was between 1595 and 1796.  It's impressive.  The locals are overwhelmingly proud of it.  I'm not posting a picture because it because it so long (around the old city) that photo does it no justice.

Having started with a history lesson, what I really want to say is that want to live here! The city so vibrant with people and colorful.  It is like New Orleans ten times over. The traffic is stimulating and confused, yet the drivers all friendly and cooperative. One van stopped to unload a couch and boxes to a store right in the middle of the narrow street. No one got angry or impatient, we just waited while did rush job of it.  They ran back to the and gave the backed up traffic a friendly wave. I could drive here!

I wanted to shop for some regular, not tourist, clothes and I hired a van with two guys Anthony and Rambo (said was his real name). I know, you think I might have been about to be kidnapped. These took me into the heart of city, several local stores to the shirts and things I needed. Each store staff knew these guys I'm pretty sure they got kick-backs everywhere.

The first place I went, 4 or 5 clerks surrounded me with the type and size shirts I wanted while I just sat in the chair at the front of the store. I picked some out and asked Anthony is prices were negotiate. They were priced very good already but a little back and forth and I got them at about half marked price, which was less than Walmart or Wear and Shear. We went all over the city, to local markets, urban neighborhoods (I could get a 2 bedroom apartment in a nice area for around $600 a month) with Anthony proudly giving me the history of all the churches and the city.

We finished up at the Policía Nacional de Colombia. It was a heavily armed encampment surrounding a compound a couple blocks long. Automatic weapons at he ready everywhere and they were eyeing us as we approached in a little white van. Yesterday the National Police Academy in Bogota was hit by a car-bomb that killed 21 people.  They rightly might have been a little nervous.  Rambo refused to go in. (what irony) Anthony was hesitant but, I needed and interpreter. Walking up we got drawn down on by a couple of dozen automatic weapons.

I told Anthony just to keep his hands where they could see them.  He told them I was a retired American police officer who just wanted pay ihs respects.  I handed the lead officer a UPPD shoulder patch and we shook hands and patted each other's shoulder. We were all smiles. The heavy fire power was lowered and now everyone is smiling, probably in relief. Anthony is back to his self having a good ol' time interpreting back and forth for use, I gave a couple of more officers a patch and a couple 2019 UP calendars, I won't say where came from, and we talked for over a half hour. We left with repeated handshakes and hardy embraces from them.

                                      above: Someone sneaking on board.

                                I did post a picture of the city wall anyway. Ten miles around.

The tour guides/van/interpreters were cheap, and much cheaper than the tour buses. I gave then a good tip. All and all, a great day.  I might just end up moving here. Ya'll can come visit.