Cartagena Columbia

Jan 20, 2010 4pm  (Caribbean ocean, enroute to Miami)

Yesterday we sailed into Columbia, my first time in this country, wow, what an eye opener.  My only knowledge of this country is it’s drug lords so I was surprised to see the gorgeous bay we sailed into, surrounded with its tall apartment buildings, every one of them soaking up their fabulous views.

We landed in a tropical paradise, such greenery, it took my breath away.  Right at the port was a fantastic display of giant birds, McCaws, Toucans and Parrots of all types.  Paul spoke to them in Spanish, they cried back in their croaky bird voice “Ollllaaaa”, climbed all over him and nibbled at anything that was lose on his shoulders. 

With no specific plans for our 1^st day ashore, we took a minibus with some entertainers from our ship and some guests from the Queen Victoria who docked next to us.  Our guide was really knowledgable and took us to the old town, surrounded by huge brick walls to keep the pirates out! The old town made its wealth on gemstones, emeralds in particular and is currently responsible for exporting 65% of the worlds emeralds.

Our guide told us about Columbia’s population of 44million and 18-20 percent unemployment and took us around the town, to the old fort where 11,000 men lost their lives building it, all the way to the stunning central area of Cartegena where the locals seemed to be just hanging out in the thousands!

We came back onboard in the afternoon to be greeted with strong winds, rough seas and a ship heaving every which way.  Some people respond to the pitching of the ship, others to the rolling, last night we got it all and that’s when they call it a corkscrew, up, down and around. 

Paul tucked all our breakables into the bath, wrapped in towels, we got a movie, ordered room service and jumped into our rocking and rolling bed.  I must admit, I was pretty confronted by the noises and movement of the ship, actually, panick took over my body and I really had to muster up my old calming skills to take it down a few notches.

Being on rough seas is such a mental game, it would be so easy to get sick, to focus on how uncomfortable I feel, to hone in on how wrong the movement it, how uneasy it makes me feel.  Instead, the only thing that helps is to let go, allow the movement, let it roll over me and through me.  The only way through is to let the constant dizziness just be, to relax my body and not fight the movement.

OMG!  We are in the Panama Canal!  You should check out the live view from the front of our ship  ( http://www.crystalcruises.com/ExperienceShips.aspx)  it's incredible!  We've just passed through the first series of locks, it will take us all day to get to the other side.  One of the most amazing engineering feats of man! 

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