First Port - Cartagena

Cartagena, Colombia, is the 5th largest city in Colombia. It was founded in 1533 and rose to fame after the mid-16th century when great fleets stopped annually to take on gold and other products from northern South America for convoy to Spain (so says our Daily Program!). Today it has both old and new. The Old City is enclosed by ancient walls which were used for safety when the Spanish were continually trying to control it. The new city is full of high rise apartments and modern conveniences.

We left the ship at 8:30 and headed for the taxi stand. The drivers were all wearing blue shirts w/ TAXI printed all over the fabric, so hard to miss! After a few min of negotiations, we agreed to have him take us to a shopping center recommended by HAL. We visited store after store full of emeralds! I did buy a small "pre-Colombian" charm that has a small emerald in it, but refrained from buying a nice ring, waiting to make that purchase on the ship. Having scoped out prices on the ship the night before, it did seem that they were better than in the city. We proceeded to the Old Town, where there were more shops full of emeralds, as well as several town squares, plazas and a very old cathedral. It wasn't as ornate as the ones we saw in Ecuador 2 yrs ago.

We returned to the ship at 1. It was very hot and humid, so we were happy to be on the air conditioned ship again. Although speaking of A/C, ours, in our cabin, has been non-existent since we arrived. We called our "telephone concierge" about 4 times, getting ready to ask for a room change or something. Tonight while Mel went to the show, I was in the room when our telephone concierge arrived in person w/a temp gun (like one that our GE service man uses when he works on our freezer) and noted the temp of the A/C vent, as well as the temp on the bed. There is cold air coming in but it isn't cooling the room. VERY strange. She gave me keys to another room down the hall that we can use to sleep in if it's too uncomfortable here. I told her we'd like another room, but not if we have to change in LA again. After all, we do have 19 bags full of stuff in here! Plus the few items we bought in Colombia. LOL

Tomorrow we transit the Panama Canal. Looking forward to it!