We headed to Cartagena on what turned out to be my last and 41st bus in South America. By bus it had taken 3weeks and 33hours to get from Rio to Cartagena, I was looking forward to the boat let me tell you. It was raining like I had never seen before when we arrived, the hostel mamallena was about a 30minute drive from the bus station. After just 30minutes here I was glad for the A/C we had paid extra for at the hostel.
We headed out at 5pm, it had stopped raining and I remember the time for a couple reasons. We wanted to get to cafe del mar where the sun set was a must see of Cartagena and also there was prostitutes on most the corners along the way.? 5pm I remember thinking and there was me thinking they where like bats and only come out when it's dark. Let me tell you they where not a pretty sight and seeing them using car window reflections to pop zits and spots didn't help there already bad look. The drink prices in cafe del mar where a joke but the beer from the lookie lookie guy outside was cheap so we sat on the city walls surrounded by canons and drank a beer while watching the sun set.
Cartagena is a warm warm place, it's inner city walls are almost dead by 11am as the sun begins to reach its highest point above the yard hole below. It's just too hot to be walking and sightseeing. I decide the best thing was to get up early and go out with camera then chill till about 3/4pm and head back out for sights and sun sets. The lads where kool and did there own thing at the mud volcano while I entertained myself. I decided not to join them for a Wednesday night out and glad I did as I couldn't think of a worse place to have a hangover. There was some great storms in Cartagena due to the heat and humidity build up I imagine, some the best storms I've seen and heard took place in the small amount of time I was there.
Over the next day or two I got all my supplies for the boat, had my converse boat repaired and practiced being on a boat by swaying from left to right when ever I was stood still. Haha (this is a joke but I did ask the captain if I should do this) I meet the captain at 12 the day before our departure date and was surprised when he said we set sail at 2pm, I was expecting a early start. I don't think he found me that funny, after the practice sway thing, but then he was French.
The captain was David from marseille and seemed a great guy though. His yacht was 36foot, 6 birth and called the tango. I was really looking forward to sailing the Caribbean coast, fishing, eating lobster, and seeing the San blas islands but all that can wait for the next chapter:
San blas islands, Patrick the star fish, will I dare to swim in the ocean, are they pikies or captains and my first catch.

Peace out much love Micky xxx