Pins on the map

I have to admit it, pinning new destinations I've visited  on my tripadvisor map gives me pleasure.  And pinning Cartagena is not only my first visit to South America, but my second to a Cartagena in just 13 months.

We sailed into the bay between the two sections of the city.  Our tour is in the old section of town in the foreground.  For those who are interested in current news about Cartagena, Hotel Caribe,  is in the new section of town (the highrises on the pennisula).  Hotel Caribe is the site of the recent Secret Service Scandal.

Our tour guide, Luis, meets us  and we proceed through the morning rush hour to La Popa Monastery, where we took the panoramic picture of Cartagena above.  It's a madhouse up there, lots of tourists but the views are pretty good and we decide Luis is a retired sciences teacher, because we are learning alot about the natural resources of Columbia.  

Our next stop is the Spanish Fortress, built a long time ago:)  to protect Cartagena from pirates.  As we pull to a stop, the guide announces we have all of ten minutes to take a look.  I'm disappointed because it looks like a very interesting place, but perhaps I'll return someday for a second look. 

A short drive later, the bus driver lets us off in front of the walled portion of Old Town Cartagena, and we head off for our first stop, the Palace of Inquisition, imported from Spain in the   There's a rack, where they stretched the "heretics" to bring them closer to God.

 The Heretic's Fork.

The second floor was a cultural museum with loads of dioramas

And this rather angry looking gent.

The old town of Cartagena was lovely and I could have easily spent a couple more hours wandering around.  But the ship was leaving at 1 PM. so all aboard for the Panama Canal transit!