Postcards from abroad
We spent a few hours this morning exploring the old UNESCO-listed city of Cartagena alongside numerous parties of tourists off the big boats (each with a guide holding a number), but quickly retreated to the area where we’re staying (thanks Diana, Bob and Nikhil for the recommendation) which is rather less manicured and perfect, and… Continue reading Getsemani (Cartagena)
We are now in hot and humid Cartagena, and have yet to explore much. But we came out of our hotel early this evening to go and have a drink, looked over the wall outside our hotel which separated us from a lagoon, and saw the astonishing sight of pelicans diving for food right in… Continue reading Pelican performances
As now updated in the post on break dancing in Comuna 13, there are many tourists who come to see the artwork on the retaining walls in what was once a dangerous district - including us. It left us feeling quite ambivalent - clearly some of the locals are able to earn a living through… Continue reading A few examples of graffiti
As is customary when we go on holiday, we had to visit the botanical gardens yesterday which were, of course, stupendous. The most surprising feature for us were the rather large and somehow frightening iguanas, including this one which we spotted across the lake, up a tree. We didn't know they climbed trees, and somehow… Continue reading The iguanas
You will probably have heard of Comuna 13, an area of Medellin which has experienced so much conflict until recently- from guerrillas, the military, the paramilitaries in cahoots with the military, the drug gangs, etc. It's famous for its graffiti and, we discover, hip-hop artists. We were surprised to see that the art is now… Continue reading Break dancing in Comuna 13