Want to see a bit of the jungle while in Cartagena? Head on over to the Parque del Centenario, the bit of green that is between Getsemaní and the Clock Tower and which was built in 1911 to commemorate 100 years of independence from Spain. The highlight of this park, in my opinion, is the wildlife you can see there! Birds, red squirrels, large iguanas, small monkeys, & a sloth family — seriously! You may need to be lucky (&/or patient) for the latter two, but the vendors in the park will often point them out to you if they know you are looking (it’s nice to tip the vendors then also).
Author Archives: Barbara Smalley
A Delicious Night in Jail!
It is a curious location for Cartagena’s women’s prison, just a half a block from the trendy Plaza San Diego within the Old City walls. Walking by the jail you will see small signs of the women’s lives through the bars on the second floor above — sheets tied up to block the strong Caribbean sun, clothes hanging to dry, a hand of someone presumably gazing out at the sky above. The depressing sign above the entry states visitors are allowed Saturdays & Sundays, entering between 9 & noon and leaving by 3 pm. All a stark contrast to the charming architecture & Caribbean colors of most of the rest of the UNESCO world heritage site. Continue reading
Colombia’s new national aviary — it’s for the birds!
See the carriqui violaceo (violaceous jay) hanging out on her backpack?
Colombia has a new national aviary, and lucky for us it’s located right near Cartagena! According to a recent article, the Avario Nacional de Colombia/ Colombian National Aviary is a 6 acre site housing 2000 birds comprising of 140 different species. Continue reading
Pack for a Purpose!
We love being a part of Pack for a Purpose and helping the local community. Via a friend who works for Scholastic, we had a nice donation of kids books, stickers, magnetic letters, & other fun things for the classroom — it was great to be able to bring those to a school in La Boquilla this week! Continue reading
Get your luggage & umbrellas fixed here!
Got a suitcase in need of repair? Is your umbrella all bent out of shape? Get them fixed here!
Head to the Matuna section of town (basically between Centro/San Diego & Getsemaní) and check out where the Davivienda Bank ATM is on Calle Palmera (see “Cajero Davivienda” marked with a yellow star on map below; the Calle de la Moneda apartments are represented by the red marker). Continue reading