Canada to Patagonia at a Worrying Age

Well, it’s Tuesday night and a little too early for bed. After Friday the chance of wi-fi internet will have gone, so the options for posting will be very much reduced, so please be prepared for radio silence…

Since Saturday I’ve had a very relaxing time, apart from the daily grind of Spanish lessons. However they came to an end today so I can now take a much earned breather. Eliecer, my teacher, was very complementary saying that with practice my Spanish can be very good. There’s the rub of course. Practice? We’ll see. Although I’ve just had a chat about the merits of different types of Colombian beer with a bloke in the best square in the world – so that’s a start. If there appears to be a rather alcoholic theme on this diary, it may be about to change as Friday should herald the era of the trek (and eventually of altitude).

However, it’s safe for a couple of days yet as Thursday is the festival of the candles, or something, meaning that tomorrow night is a fiesta evening. Not quite sure what it means, but we’re planning to party in some form or another.

Tonight I’ve been out for a very expensive meal, which will have to be the last for a while. If not you rich friends will have to start delving into your pension plans and tax shelters.

A slight change has been noted in Cartagena tonight with a bit more begging as a result of more muchachos on the street. [This is probably due to the oncoming fiesta, start of the tourist season (rates go up 40%) and the entirely unexpected excitement over Christmas.] A load of them surrounded me tonight with excellent English. I had to congratulate them on their school attendance and was wondering how to shake them off when a particularly bold one broke a bottle some way away and they all ran off laughing.

So, no real news – just the luxurious calm before the fun of a South American bus journey (gone to the expense of door-to-door with air con, so don’t worry).

A note on Greg, the guy in the last post. Greg is a good ol’ Texan boy who popped into Cartagena on his way home from 5 crime-free months in Buenos Aires. In his three nights here, he was mugged on the first night and couldn’t get into his hostel on the third. After wandering the streets for what seemed like half a lifetime, he asked a copper to accompany him to a cashpoint to get money to pay for another place. The officer demanded money for this service at 10% of the withdrawal. Still he wished he could stay longer. At his final meal before his plane left he was presented with a whole chicken on a plate. Funny if you were there. You should have seen my fish.

Presume you’re happily esconced back at home now Greg, organising the desserts for the cows. Keep in touch one way or another. Beware the dangers of continuing education…

To keep the pictorial evidence going here’s a snap of the best square in the world…

Do you think it could be Rhyl in a certain light? Or perhaps Robin Hood Camp?

PS Extra picture of Traditional Welsh Dancers on ‘Starting to get it now…’ Also I have missed Sarah’s, Elaine’s, Sukhjinder’s and Winnie’s birthdays (and probably many more). Feel free to abuse me if you feel similarly slighted. Picture here soon Sarah (who left a note on the Manzanilla post). Is anyone keeping up with this?

Will this do Sarah – sorry you have to share your moment of web glory with these three… Does Cilla know about this?

Left picture above is me and Tine at start of last night (well 11:30pm) – the first new picture after our friendly Colombian host had managed to wipe the first 10 days images off my memory card! Still it created more space for the night’s pics. On the right is me with the bottle of rum I’d just bought at the night club Andy took us to – which is the middle of God-knows-where, and I can never take you there. Other John bought a bottle of hooch to go with it. We left about 2:45am and as the taxi dropped me off by my hotel I popped into my local for a nightcap. Luckily it was last orders…

Thanks to all who were there (I’d essentially hijacked a Spanish school outing, but everyone sang Feliz Cumpleanos). It really was a special start to the birthday.

Thanks Clare for waking me up just in time for breakfast. It was perfect timing. Really good to talk to you, Mum, Dad and Isis. I’m sure the card will get here eventually.

By some mad quirk of happenstance I never got to go to the mysterious beach at La Boquilla till today and I’m so pleased I waited until my birthday. The people in the picture are Tine, Greg (from Texas) and Delia from Switzerland. Thanks you three for a day that was ‘Just Right’ in every way – you know what I mean.

We have huge and delicious meals in front of us. Bloody rip off at three whole pounds.* We stayed there for about 5 hours and I had a few dips in the Caribbean. Other visitors to Cartagena – please ignore Bocagrande and just head out to this place when you have a day with nothing to do. It’s great. (And Marbella looks pretty good to…)

Bus journey back to town was Just Right as was the fact that when I switched the tv on at the hotel it was to see Rooney’s majestic strike aginst Portsmouth. Shame about the Chelsea result. I’m still having a couple of bob on United, though.

And now I’m just getting ready to go out for the night for the end of the birthday. I don’t care if the night’s a washout, mind. The last 24 hours have been brilliant.

Thanks to all who have texted, emailed, commented and rang. Derm and Col, your message was waiting for me when I got back to hotel. They meant I was out.

What on earth am I going to do next year?

Happy Birthday a day late to Olly – trust you had a great one mate.

* Food and drinks provided by “Compae Pello” – Weddings, Birthdays, Reunions, etc.

Thanks everyone for emails and comments. Responses two or three posts below. In new wi-fi enabled hotel for birthday week. For £3 a night more it appears I also get hot water, a fridge and a spare ... [Continue reading this entry]