The sail to Colombia has a fearsome reputation; strong winds and disproportionately steep seas. Many boats sustain damage on this trip, we were OK but glad to get to Cartagena. On the way we saw something of the coast; Five Bays was beautiful. Rodadero was pleasant although it was here that our dinghy and outboard were stolen.
Cartagena, where we stopped over the festive period, was a beautiful and ideal place to be at this time of year. The old town was clean, safe and very pretty with good eating out at very low prices. Highlights included a mud volcano, which was hundreds of feet deep but with the mud so deep that you could not sink if you tried, and having plenty of kids around for our crew to play with. Colombia has an unenviable reputation, but it has been our favourite country to date with the most pleasant people. Go if you get the chance!
Date(s): December 2006 - January 2007. Album by Gerard Coulson. Photos by Gerard Coulson. 1 - 128 of 128 Total. 9071 Visits.
Clarabella en rte to Colombia
Great sailing!
We disappear behind a swell
Approaching Five Bays, Colombia, under sail with a failed engine
Tom Hoists Colombia
Ricardo, a friendly local, waves goodbye!
Colombia and Cartagena 002
The beach at Five Bays
The church, Sta Marta
Sta Marta town square
At anchor in Rodadero, last photo of our dinghy...
Rodadero, Colombia, getting ready for Christmas. Our dinghy and outboard were stolen here.
Advent calendar time!
The brown water is the run-off from the Rio Magdalena. We are 10 miles out to sea!
The blue is ocean, the brown is river water!
We've crossed!
Colombia and Cartagena 020
J and R with Lin from Wild Orchid, at the Club de Pesca
Jonty with Jo from Mystic Adventure, at a hilltop monastery
Looking down over Cartagena
Monica in the monastery's cloister
Cloister
The monastery chapel
Murray takes a rest
R with Jan from Decourcy Spirit
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Colombia and Cartagena 030
Lovely...
Grumpy man, grumpy sloth
Grumpy man tries to prevent me taking a photo of grumpy sloth!
A common sight in the city
One of the forts near us
At the fort
Jand and Rebecca
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Colombia and Cartagena 039
Dad, do I really have to pose...
Close-up of a brick made from coral
In an emerald workshop
Colombia's first president's house
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Colombia and Cartagena 045
Taken by Tom
and again
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Colombia and Cartagena 049
Sunset, Club de Pesca
The old town at night
Fishermen off the Cub de Pesca fort
A trip to a mud volcano
The mud, which is hundreds of feet deep supports you!
G looks on for photos
Colombia and Cartagena 012
Here we go...!
Here we are! R stayed out!
After a rinse off
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Colombia and Cartagena 053
Colombia and Cartagena 054
Cartagena old town
City walls
J, by the naval museum
A local lass
Jewellry sellers by the city wall
Horse tours
Here we go!
Old town 1
Old town 2
Old town 3
Old town 4
on tour
Colombia and Cartagena 066
Old town 5, lovely Christmas lights
Old town 6
Old town 7
In the church of San Pedro
Old town 8
Local dancing - see video clip
Old town 9
Even the tourist shops are pleasant
With Henrik and Nina from Bika
A typical street scene
A street in the old town
eyeballs
or how about a pig trotter
Banana anyone...
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Horse tours in the old town
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Colombia and Cartagena 078
The resident toucan in the hotel Sta Clara
The hotel, we had tea here
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Christmas Day 1
NB the decorations!
Christmas Day 2
Christmas Day 3
Christmas Day 4
Christmas Day 5
Tom with his treasred Mexican Train Dominoes
Beccy's open last - Mr Potato head
Christmas Day 6
Tom's open last
The Gloria
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Colombia and Cartagena 094
Colombia and Cartagena 095
Looking over Boca Grande, Cartagena
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Colombia and Cartagena 098
Colombia and Cartagena 099
Plenty of kids to play with
Colombia and Cartagena 101
Colombia and Cartagena 102
New Year
Clarabella is dressed overall
Firends celebrate New Year on Meta
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Eric, from Meta
Colombia and Cartagena 108
One of the old churches in Cartagena
The anchorage
View of anchorage from fort
The 'blue screen of death' many hours of work follow