Plan 'B' Cartagena, Columbia

A short blog this time. I should be writing this while drinking a cold beer in San Blas, Panama. My last blog said I was on my way to Panama, non-stop, from Aruba. On the third day of a 5 day passage, Dolce Vita said she was tiered and needed a rest. Damn women! So to make a point she blew the seals on my fresh water pump which is as important as gas since this keeps the engine from over heating. I used up all of my bailing wire, tape and bubble gum to stop the leak temporarily, looked at my charts and set sail for South America. I had no plans to stop there. Dolce Vita thought differently.

This was late Friday so I didn't have time to check in with immigration so I settled in for a nights rest after a couple of beers and dinner. The next day I found an agent to do my check-in for me an a mechanic who took my pump to a man that could rebuild it. This was Saturday. The next day I received the pump back, cleaned, painted and fixed. I installed it, ran the engine for an hour and everything is back in order.

Now it is Monday and I was hoping to check out today and resume my trip to Panama. Today however is a holiday. These Latin countries have a holiday every Monday to honer yet another saint. God knows how many people the Catholic church has named as saints over the centuries. Sorry for the bad joke, Hector.

Enough of this. I have a few photos to share that are not that interesting but that is all I have taken. Cartagena, after the Spanish settled it back in the 18th century is the only fortified area in Central and South America that Captain Morgan and other British Captains were never successful in over running the Spanish.

I was surprised to see this skyline of Cartagena thinking it was a small city. Not the case. As you scroll down to look at the building, you see that their designs are very similar if not the same. Now i am thinking that the minister of building codes has a brother-in-law that is an architect and if you want to have him to approve the building on the site, you must use the in-law. Now thinking this, I am sure this is not the case. RRRIIIGGGHHHTT!

Yet another revered saint I am sure. Which one I couldn't say.

This looks like the shipping harbor in Oakland. They must import and export a lot of goods through here.

I would love to sail one of these big boys. You would need to study the purpose of all of the lines for a week before you could be accepted as crew.

That's all until next time which might be awhile. After I reach Panama, I will be sailing in familiar waters again reaching areas that I have sailed before after circumnavigating the Caribbean sea and all of its islands. Now with each mile I am getting closer to home. I should arrive back in San Francisco in three years to be greeted by a parade of fair maidens. Wild dreams of late.

Take care and be safe out their.

Denny