9/12: Santa Marta, Colombia: Getting My Mojo Back!

Patricia, a young German woman from Heidelberg, whom we had met yesterday on the Cartegana walking tour, met us at our hotel at 8 so we could share the taxi cost to the bus terminal located in the distant suburbs since we were all going on to Santa Marta together. She’d mentioned that she'd just spent two months teaching German as a second language at a university in Medellin. 

Prior to that, she worked for the last year as an au pair for a family in Connecticut and took English language classes at the local university. Her English was practically flawless and would put many Americans’ English to shame.

What a huge relief to finally board the bus and get out of the sweltering heat. Steven and I remarked that we didn’t think we’ve ever experienced such humidity before. All three of us were sweating like peanuts. Just before leaving the station, a local official came on board and took pictures with his cell phone of everyone by seat number – that was definitely a first for us. I wonder why it was done and what would be done with the information since the bus company already had our passport information. I didn’t realize that at each stop along the way when more passengers would get on the bus, that process would again be repeated. It reminded me of our traveling from site to site in Cairo last year when our tour guide had to get permits for each site in advance and police officers would take notes as to what time we arrived and departed from each place. I thought was unsettling but this ‘invasion’ almost matched it. 

It turned out that at every stop along the almost five-hour bus ride, a guard came on to take our pictures. This photo was from a later time in the journey.

 

A couple of times, our driver stopped momentarily to allow a local vendor to hop on and go up and down the aisle to sell his snacks. The men were then let off at the next town, generally five or so miles down the road. I could only guess they each plied their trade on the next bus going back. We’d only see vendors in other countries come on buses and make a quick trip down the aisle and almost immediately hop off before. 

You can imagine our surprise when one vendor came on with these packets of coca for everyone and then, I think, proceeded with a spiel promoting its benefits for several minutes.

I didn’t turn around to see how many people actually bought the packets. Guess we shouldn’t have been surprised as we are after all in Colombia!

Located northeast of Cartagena, Santa Marta is South America's oldest surviving city and the second-most important colonial city on Colombia's Caribbean coast. Despite its long history and mostly charming center, Santa Marta gets a bad rap from many travelers because of its unsightly urban sprawl and terrible traffic. We'd chosen to come not for the city but more as a gateway to the interior.

On arrival in Santa Marta, I felt like we’d been transported to a developing country in Asia again when we saw half-paved streets, where we had to watch our every step on the sidewalk lest I break my foot yet again because of deep crevices, bottles of shampoo for sale directly on the sidewalk, car, bus and taxi horns beeping as if in a symphony but sounding more like a cacophony – well, I’m sure you get the drift. Steven loved it; I was not quite of the same mind, I have to admit. Perhaps I was too tired and hot after the unexpectedly long bus ride from Cartagena.

What an assault on all the senses walking up and down the streets in the Centro Historico: huge number of shoe and sunglasses sellers had set up their wares on the sidewalk making it impossible to walk anything but in single file. 

Jorge: Crocs or wannabe Crocs from our native Colorado!

Colombians didn't have to fear running out of the latest cell phone technology; there were so many stores and also were generally packed to the gills.

Shampoo and conditioner containers for sale directly on the sidewalk, too!

A visit to the Cathedral was perhaps what I needed to get my mojo back! The massive white-washed cathedral claims to be Colombia's oldest church but it wasn't finished until the end of the 18th century. 

I’ve never seen so many confessionals before - there were at least eight that I counted. Have you ever seen that many, Lina?

The ashes of the town's founder, Rodrigo de Bastidas, were housed in a small chapel just off the entrance.

Simon Bolivar, the hero and liberator to the people of six Latin America countries, was laid to rest in the cathedral after he died nearby in 1830. We planned to visit the home on the outskirts of Santa Marta where he died in a couple of days. His remains were taken to Caracas, Venezuela, his birthplace, in 1842. I forewarn you that you’ll read lots more about Bolivar as we travel through more of Colombia and then into the neighboring countries which he liberated!

The baptismal font with indigenous sculptures:

There were massive wooden doors at the front and also on both sides of the church. 

You just needed to remember to step over the portal!

One of the things I enjoyed while walking through Santa Marta were the lovely and interesting murals.

Can you spot the Route 66 sign in the middle of all the others? I didn't initially!

As we looked for a restaurant to eat at, we were intrigued by some of the menu offerings: black pasta or beer combo meal, anyone? It seemed like every third restaurant had pizza on the menu here in Santa Marta. Italian tourists must love it here! We weren't sure what we wanted so we kept wandering through the small town.

We discovered that the focal point of the Centro Historico area was the Parque de los Novios or loosely translated as Lovers Park.

The lovely little park was a sign of the city's rejuvenation.

The Palace of Justice was probably the most visually attractive building we saw.  It looked like it should have been a grand hotel and not a building for criminals!

No, we’re not really on Boulder’s funky Pearl St. Mall although it sure felt like it! We finally settled on the restaurant with the beer combo and enjoyed our meal sitting outside while musicians strummed guitars or sang and went from table to table asking for tips. A new experience for us was when another enterprising young man deposited several wrapped candies on each table and then went back to each one giving a spiel on what we don’t know because we didn’t understand it but we clearly understood his wanting the money part! 

Then there were other people going from table to table at each of the restaurants holding a large board with all sorts of beaded bracelets and necklaces for sale. There was little reason to have to go to a store - just sit and wait and the stores come to you while you dine!

As I mentioned in one of the previous posts about Cartagena, playing dominoes is a popular pastime here in Colombia. One restaurant had several tables set up for people ready to play while they are a meal.

Next post: Hiking the rainforest in search of the beach at Tayrona National Park.

Posted on September 15th from the Santa Marta airport while waiting to fly to Medellin, Colombia.