Cartagena Old Town

The Walls around the Old City

Cartagena was one of the richest cities in the Spanish Empire.  Much of the wealth that pased from the South American conquests was shipped to Spain from Cartagena.  Wealth attracts pirates and that is exactly what happened to Cartagena.  Initially an open port city, the old town was plagued by pirates, including those of the Queen of England.  Francis Drake, who rode his pirating exploits to become Sir Francis Drake, was one of the notables that attacked Cartagena.  Enough became enough for the Spaniards and they, or rather their slave labor, erected a massive seris of walls around the entire center of the old city.  San Diego and El Centro were inside the walls and the workers lived outside the walls.  The walls were finally completed only twenty-five years before the Spanish gave it up and went on back to Europe, their empire having foundered.  

The Old City is a dream for walking exploration.  Every corner reveals some new colonial facade or hidden  plaza.  Evening brings a blessed respite from the heat.  It is not a cool evening by any stretch of the imagination, but at least one's brains won't bubble as they are prone to do during the heat of the day.

I walked as much of the town as I could this first evening.  It is not wise to waste the drop in temperature and then there was Carnival to discover!

Every small street had gems to reward exploration.

When i reached the main gate into the Old City, having first wandered outside the walls from a back way, I found the crowds and the vendors.  They go hand in hand here.  Or rather, the vendors hope that some of the tourista pesos will end up in their hands.  

Inside the walls again, the party was on.  Street dancing and bands were scattered about, music competing from different side streets, and crowds flowing this way and that.  I stayed at it until I was almost dead on my feet, then I wandered back to my beautiful little room and threw myself down on the bed.  Music was still  pounding outside, but I didn't even bother with the ear plugs.  i was out like a dead man.