Off to Santa Marta Near the Venezuelan Border

Friday, Aug. 18, 2017--Cartagena to Santa Marta

I found what I considered to be the simplest way to get to my next stop.  The main bus terminal in Cartagena is far out on the edge of town--an hour by public bus or half an hour by taxi from where I was staying.  There is a van service by Berlinastur that operates out of their own office only a 30-minute walk away from my hotel.  It has great reviews for saving time and even having good WiFi on board.  So this morning, I was up early, I ate breakfast and checked out by 7:30.  I got there just as a bus was pulling out of the side street.  When I motioned, he stopped for me.  It took me only 5 hours to get from hotel door to hotel door including a 30-minute break in Barranquilla about halfway.

There were a couple of bits of awkwardness, though.  I knew the bus was supposed to cost 40,000, but I didn't think to ask that before we were on our way.  Knowing that bargaining is common even for bus tickets, I worried that maybe the driver would try to charge me an exorbitant price since it wasn't set before we started.  When he collected the money at the stop in Barranquilla, however, as I was pulling out two 20's (because everything is in thousands here, the bills just say 10, 20, 50, etc., with the word "mil" to represent thousands), he said, "Cuarenta mil" (40,000)!  But then I worried that I didn't have a formal ticket (or a receipt) and that maybe I would be "caught" by an inspector or by a new driver from that point, but it was the same driver and no problem developed.  (It helped that I saw him take cash money from a couple of other last-minute arrivals before we took off again from Barranquilla.)  The way I got on the bus without a ticket also caused another awkward incident.  People buying tickets in Barranquilla were being given assigned seats.  Two people were upset that I was in one of their seats, but it was the seat I had occupied from Cartagena and the driver and his supervisor told them to find another location.  (I was hesitant to give up my seat for them, because I didn't know if the whole bus would sell out before we left and I was uncertain of what that would mean for me, since this service does not allow non-seated passengers.)

I got off the bus as it turned a corner that would take it further from my hotel.  I walked the other 11 blocks to get here at the Hotel 1525.  It's a nice place--almost brand new with lots of luxury touches including a couple of big vases full of tropical flowers in the lobby.  The room is clean and modern, the a/c works well, the bed feels good, etc.  I'm paying $36 a night for it including a buffet breakfast.

Santa Marta (also here) is a nice town.  It's actually the oldest city in Colombia, but it doesn't have much colonial charm left (due to English and Frence pirates raiding and pillaging.)  But it and the area have nice mountains, beaches, and forests.  It is a major tourism spot both for Colombians and backpackers, and it is becoming more and more known by regular vacationers as a side trip to make out of Cartagena.

People can drink the tap water in Cartagena, but not here.  I needed some water, so I went out looking for the local tourist office and for the Exito supermarket.  Well, I never found the tourist office.  Or at least I should say I found where it was supposed to be, but the building was closed.  And in searching for it, I became more and more thirsty.  What a bad day to need water, though.  The shelves were almost empty of water.  There were a few scattered small bottles of expensive water.  At first that's all I saw, but as I came back by looking, I saw three large jugs at the back of the bottom shelf.  Each held 6 liters.  Then, when I got to the front to check out, there were lines of about 10-12 people for each checkout counter.   It seemed to take forever to get out of there, and I had to keep holding and moving that big, heavy bottle.  But I would have had major problems with out, since I had not had anything to drink since breakfast.

In the early evening, I went back out.  There was a nice sunset occurring behind the lighthouse and the island where it stands.  People were lined up to watch it.  the mood was spoiled a bit by kids asking for money.  They only learn to do that because tourists train them by giving them money.  I wandered down the pedestrian street where a few people were seated to enjoy happy hour at restaurants and bars.  They were preparing the stage in one square for a concert that probably wouldn't start until very late.  There weren't even any speakers set up year.  But as I came through another square, a band was playing to a few people standing around.  It was dark enough with no lights facing the stage that the musicians could only barely be seen, but I walked closer and noticed that it was a police band.  What a good way to try to promote good relations between a police department and the citizens of the community.

I am going to bed early tonight.  I was up early this morning.  And I am exhausted from being out in the heat so much today.  I hope it will be quiet enough to sleep well tonight.