GrupoClub de Pesca Marina

Cartagena, Columbia

10° 24.940 N 75° 32.699 W

Amor Fati at Club de Pesca Marina

Today we all went different directions at different times. I walked to old town. I generally knew the route and it was almost visible from the boat. It took a little getting over the fact that I was walking the streets of Cartagena by myself. This area seems to be safe and with all the armed security guards and police and soldiers it feels OK. I traced some of the steps that I took the day before and then ventured off. I soon realized that I wanted to walk down every street and go in every storefront. This is probably why I am thinking that Cartagena is on my list of things to do. Again.

While sitting at lunch in a grand courtyard I saw a small cargo truck pull up that looked refrigerated. Out the side door comes four heavily armed military soldiers in fatigues, hip pistols and automatic rifles. Strangely enough I am comforted knowing that there is a policing force very visible and well spread out. During lunch some guy walks buy and says hey America! in great English. I asked how he knew. He said he lived there and can tell an American from a mile away. Ok, c’mon, I’m whitey and wearing, uhm, whatever. This was a strange encounter. He really wanted to get me in the jewelry shop next door and went very far to reel it in. I sat here because the waitress said that they take Visa and I had no Pesos. But, at the counter I found out that the machine did not work. Luckily, Johnny appeared and translated the problem. I had a $20 USD as my reserve and did not want to part with it. Here’s the crazy part, he loaned me $20 worth of Pesos and said he would take me to the best rate exchange. But, first I wanted some rum. He took me to a grocery store and I got some local juice. After the exchange I paid him back and waited for the ax to fall. I don’t know why I was feeling so apprehensive. I guess because it was Columbia and I was solo. I needed Internet and he took me to the nicest air-conditioned place and he seemed to know the workers there. We agreed on getting a couple of frosty’s later and he took me to a little local pub and we had a couple of Columbia’s finest. He made the last attempt to get me to the jewelry shop and then we parted. It was such a strange encounter yet so fruitful. He did say that he is from the same town as Shakira. I don’t know where that is.

The trinkets in most of the shops are similar to flea market tourist stuff. But, when you come across legitimate local art it is obvious. If I had more Pesos in my pocket I would have needed more bags to get it home. I was taken in by some of the art that I had seen and would love to have some of it. In one shop I negotiated in broken English/Spanish the purchase of a pound of coffee for $4 USD. I felt good about that, too.

We had dinner at a fantastic restaurant. The environment and food was fantastic and judging by the flow through the door this place was a hit. The door, a little door carved out of the big door, was unassuming and you had to duck. The doors in these buildings are large enough to fit a small car through but too heavy to open and that is why they cut the little doors into them. We sat close to the Grupo Cuba Swing Pitty Duenas ensemble that played some authentic Latin American music and that is what made the evening. John and Nancy had been here before and were fans of this band and planned this evening and now I know why.

Cartagena, Columbia

10° 24.480 N 75° 32. 548 W

Last night while we were trying to set the hook we were using all the anchored boats around us as reference marks. The big beautiful sailboat to the left of us was an easy eye catcher. But, when we were backing down and setting the hook in the mud I noticed that the sailboat behind us appeared to be moving away from us. After we were done we determined that it was drifting. There was an anchor light on and we figured someone was on board and did not know that their anchor had unseated and they were drifting. John and Alan dropped the dinghy in the water and went over to tell them. The owners were thankful and very startled of the situation. When they were tying the dinghy back up and getting on board somehow the fill tube on the hand pump for the inflatable tubes of the dinghy got lost. The flexible fill tube is black and separates easily from the pump. Once it is in the water in the dark it is as good as gone. This happened before and now we have 2 pumps with no fill tubes. We now don’t have a way to put air in the dingy. So many things happen on passage-making vessels. In a way it is almost funny that we are leaving a trail of waste and boat parts. The other most recently lost part was one of the oars that fell out of the dingy when we recaptured it underway.

Woke up to a clear blue sky and slightly humid warm air after a comfortable smooth sleep. We hopped in the dinghy and made a run to the marina we had a reservation at in order to do some recon. John had been here before and he knew that it might be a challenge and a good idea for us to see the lay of the land. The slip they had us scheduled for was absolutely impossible. We could not make the turn, as the avenue was too narrow. The marina manager then took us to another filled slip on the outside and it was the same slip that Amor Fati was in 4 years ago. It was just right. The tenants were Americans and agreeable to move to another slip. They had a trawler and were very kind. John and Alan went on board to handle their lines and I got in their dinghy and motored it to the next slip. Actually, she asked me if I would take the dinghy and I said of course I would and thank you very much I could really use another dinghy. She had a good sense of humor about herself. Unfortunately, when they were backing in they hit a concrete piling that holds up the dock and did extensive damage to the teak swim platform. The piling is recessed a little and that added to the mishap. This marina is alive with workers and they were able to find a woodworker to repair it.

John talking to the owner of the boat.

Alan & John, respectfully, handling dock lines.

Me, in the other guy’s dinghy, the boat following.

Ouch!

Club de Pesca Marina (converted old fort Puerto Pastelillo)

Cartagena, Columbia

10° 24.940 N 75° 32.699 W

There have been enough times when the boat has pulled away from a slip or weighed anchor with me not onboard and it now seems to be a recurring event. It’s kind of a weird feeling when the mother ship moves away. This time I was in the dinghy and followed the boat over to the slip. John wanted to use the dinghy to push the bow like a bow thruster. It took several attempts to get the boat between the pilings and lined up well so no damage occurred. This is a tough boat to handle in close quarters and the weight and length add to the difficulty. What’s nice about marinas is that other boaters and marina employees always lend a hand. It is so nice to be tucked in and tied off and in flat water again. The showers at the end of the dock are brand new, marble, tile, glass, private heads and showers. This is a great marina. It is small but well taken care of. It was startling to see the security guards armed with pistols. And, they are very attentive. Our first night here I saw the night guard carrying a 12 gauge pistol grip shotgun. I feel safe here. Really! I like seeing the man everywhere.

Hired ship’s agent for checking in.

We don’t know where the stain came from.

Club de Pesca Marina

John immediately made friends with everybody including the boat workers. He arranged for a guy to repair the teak railing that got destroyed in Barbados. I have been watching the guy and he is a master. He has done fantastic work. He is also replacing teak screw caps on the deck. When a teak deck is installed the screws leave a hole. A plug is hammered in and sanded level with the deck. Over time they pop out and disappear.

Some other guys are cleaning the boat and doing some minor repairs. What’s nice about all these guys is that they are industrious and they show up on time and work full days. They have fantastic skills.

After Nancy arrived from her hotel we took a cab into old town. I don’t know why there aren’t more car accidents around here. They drive crazy! You stick your nose out there, they don’t stop, and you stick your nose out farther.

Old town has been renovated and is currently still being renovated. It has a fantastic old-world feel to it since they retained the old architecture and buildings. This place is alive with people and activity. The street vendors are everywhere and hawkers prowl the streets to bring you into their shops. Donkeys are leading carts down the streets, people are leading carts down the streets and then some carts just don’t move. They sell everything from fish, fruit, trinkets and even the use of cell phones. I heard from John that some guys are sitting on the sidewalk with a typewriter and selling typed pages. I guess pretty much everything is for sale here. We also went in to several emerald jewelry stores since Columbia is famous for them. We got to see some museum style displays as well as heard presentations about the stones. Overall, this is a place that I would like to see again and spend more time going through it thoroughly. It has a special feel about it and it is hard to describe.