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Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Cartagena, Colombia

Aloha Everyone,

Sometimes old memories are better left untouched. J.J. and my recollection of Cartagena was that of an imposing fortress atop a hill shimmering in the mid-day sun. It was a beautiful sight. We also loved our walk in the colonial area with its cobblestone streets.  


The two of us generally prefer to do our “self-guided tour” but today we joined the NCL shore excursion billed as “Colonial Cartagena”. A big mistake!

Our 3 1/2 bus tour began with a delay of 30 minutes and an additional 30 minutes delay in returning to our ship.


The tour guide was annoyed and complained that four cruise ships were in port today causing narrow streets to get congested. The tour guide also was irritated that the company she works for gave her a list of places where she was supposed to take us. Instead of being apologetic, she exacerbated the tense situation by voicing her opinion that it was not possible to accomplish everything within the given time. In the meantime, our driver stepped on the accelerator and honked horn with vengeance. He was late in picking up his son from school.

Here is my album of today’s tour which we consider as “disappointing.”









Saving grace was meeting Blanca and Ron who shared with us their travel experiences in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.


Aloha -- Cathi