Cartagena

I survived something I was told not to do in Columbia - I took a night bus. I was ready to go, but I didn´t have enough pesos to but the ticket and they wouldn´t take American dollars. I had to go downtown to change my money, and it was quite the process. I asked a taxi driver where I could change money. He lead me to the Police who took me to an apartment building and there was a guy on the third floor that changed my money. Medelin was supposed to be the cocaine capitol of Columbia, you´s think American dollars were all over the place.

Anyway, the last day bus left at 7:30 am and I had to wait until 5 pm to take the first night bus. It did seem like the people on the bus got a little edgey every time the bus would stop. The bus was searched by the police twice while I was awake. I think one of the times was by a private milita. They only looked in the lugage compartments under the bus. I don´t think they were interested in finding anyhting somebody could fit in the carry on carpartments. My big regret though was not seeingthe scenery well. The moon was ope night before being full, so I could tell that it was pretty damn nice out there, but it would have been nice to see it better.

Today, I finally swam in the ocean. The water was the perfect temperature. I could live in it given the right facilities. I´m in Cartigena, a city that resembles Quebec City as it is surrounded by a wall and cannons. It´s a lot older than Quebec though which shows in the decaying wall. The city inside the wall has been kept well, most of the buildings are hundreds of years old, and ther streets are mostly closed to traffic other than taxis. The beaches here are nothing special though, so I will move on tommorow after checking out a fort that along with the walls to a couple hundred years to build.

I finally have met some people other than Columbians here. I met a couple of American guys with big heads and some Germans with cold hearts. Fortunately, the locals are very friendly, but they have a hard time understanding my Spanish as Columbians aren´t used to hearing someone speak Spanish with an accent other than Columbian. They don´t understand that they have to speak slowley either. I´m really glad to be at the ocean. The rest of my days will all be spent on beaches unless I decide to go inland in Brazil which isn´t likely as I have only 5 days there.

That´s it for now.