I once again tried to find that dratted restaurant for breakfast, but once again I was unable to find it, and I think it is because I was not paying close enough attention when we went the first time and so I not only don't remember the location but even its name, all I know is that it had nice comfy leather chairs, a book exchange and did a better choice of a continental breakfast that most other places in the city.
After midday my friend M' arrived at my hotel and with the sun out and high in the sky we were determined to try and take a few nice photos while we had the chance, despite this meaning that we would revisit a few places that I had been to alone over the last few days.
The old town of Cartagena has many nice places to visit as a tourist, and all within walking distance. You can visit a Museums dedicated to Gold; Cinema; Emeralds, Spanish Inquisition or Naval History, and those are just the ones that are in a ten block radius, with a few more if you travel to the unrenovated side of the old city.
There is also a newer part to the city, with tall sky scrapers and expensive modern hotels, but M' said that they were strictly for commerce or residential use and nothing much for a tourist to take a photo of, so although I was tempted we spend our time milling about, grabbing some great food and enjoying refreshing drinks and ice creams where we were.
Our trip to the Palace of the Inquisition was amusing in a bizarre way, as outside there was a local guy who tried to sell us a private guided tour in English for 20 mil pesos, but when you consider that the museum is just a large town house and you don't really need anyone to tell you what a rack is, I figures he was trying to pull a fast one on a Gringo, and was happy to dismiss him and continue on my own.
Coincidentally the entrance to the Palace was also 20 mil pesos, 10 per adult or 7 per child, but if you like looking at warped items of torture then you can't go far wrong in that place.
Above the museum was also a museum more dedicated to the arrival of the Spaniards and the indigenous indian folk who lived there prior to the conquest, complete with maps, pottery and a few scale models of how the towns and villages are thought to have looked during this period. It was here that I found out the original name for the area that the city of Cartagena now occupies was actually Kalamary, so called because the area was a very great place to fish.
After the musuem we headed on over to try and catch a glimpse of the sun going down over the ocean, but although the sun was out there was way too many clouds to see it set, so we gave up and went back to wait for her friend in a nearby restaurant.
Before we met her friend we once again crossed Bolivar Plaza and here was a group of kids and yung adults all playing musical instruments and doing a very crazy dance, that apparently is almost unique to Cartagena, being a cross between African and Caribbean style, but to me just looked like they were seing how fast they could flex and flick their arms, legs and bellies as fast as possible. Because it was late at night I was not really able to photograph it very well, but I did manage to get a low quality film clip.
Eventually we made our way and met M's friend S' and we shared an acceptable Chinese meal just down the road from my hotel before it was time to call it a day, and I had to say goodbye to my friends in Colombia for the last time, as my flight to Panama leaves tomorrow afternoon.
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