el Caribe

Hmm, long time no blog, but asi es la vida de las vacaciones.

We are now in Cartagena, on the fabuloso Caribe. It is warm (duh, we're at sea level in the tropics) and feels great. We arrived without incident and came to the nicest hotel we've met yet on this trip. It's called Casa Relax, and they only had 2 nights lodging for us so we're considering zipping out to some islands just off the coast for a day or 2. Swimming Pool!! Palm trees! Quiet! Hammocks! 3 friendly green parrots, which alternately scream, walk up your arms, fight with each other, and just sit peacefully and talk to themselves. Caribbean colors -turquoise, bright green, orange, blue,etc.

We did a little sightseeing yesterday, found the Museo de la Inquisition, which was truly ghastly. Ironically it is housed in two gorgeous colonial houses that ooze peacefulness today, but certainly not long ago. It was abolished with Colombian Independence in 1810, but 300 years is too long.

This place is full of TOURISTS!! There was at least one huge cruise ship in yesterday and we tried to dodge them all day with little luck. But it is a really beautiful town anyway. We came back to the hotel and Relaxed, in the pool and hammock until time for a G&T.

Today we may do something... had crepes for breakfast since the place is run by a Frenchman who appears not at all homesick for France.

P.S. We got to stay there 2 more days because someone cancelled. That was a great vacation! What a treat to have a pool at our hotel. We'd buy a small box of wine and some snacks, visit with other guests (one from Menlo Park, one from Australia, a couple from France there to adopt a 4 year old boy!), dip in and out of the pool, then have a late supper in town. We did take a day trip to the islands, a long boat ride and some beach time, but interesting to see all those tiny islands, some just big enough for a house. What happens in a storm?