We left the hotel at 9:30 this morning to see some things that Alex thought would interest us. The bus took us through the city until we got off to walk through the open produce and meat market. We wound our way through the many displays of fresh local fruit, vegetables, fish, intestines, liver, heart, beef, chicken, and pork. The venders were very friendly. Alex bought some unusual fruit so we could taste several kinds.
Next we went to a youth center that Alex has started building for inner city kids. Soccer and break dancing help to draw the kids to the center. Before he became a Grand Circle guide, he used to teach English in a school, and now he and another adult teach English to the kids in the center. He also teaches them values in hopes that they will stay away from drugs. He showed us a computer that Grand Circle Foundation bought for them. Later several of us contributed some money and some of the group went to a store with Alex to pick out a monitor and a DVD player for the center. He was very appreciative.
We also stopped and spent forty minutes at a market that sells souvenirs. I was tempted to buy a piece if emerald jewelry, but I decided not to buy any. I didn’t see anything else of interest, so I ended up not buying anything.
When the bus dropped us off at our hotel, seven of us decided to go across the street for lunch. Most of us ordered hamburgers and a drink.
At 6:00 this evening five of us went for a special carriage ride and dinner. I loved riding in the horse drawn carriage though the streets at dusk. It was quite a distance from our hotel to Santo Toribio Restaurante. The narrow streets of one section of town seemed to be reserved for carriages and pedestrians. When we arrived, we were escorted to a private dining room. I had fish with a seafood sauce, mashed potatoes, and mixed vegetables. We bought a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc to accompany the meal. Flan with chocolate sauce was the dessert. A van picked us up after dinner and took us back to the hotel. What a lovely way to end our visit in Cartagena!
Huge avocados at the market at about $2 each
We tasted some unusual fruit.
Alex’s youth center
Horse and carriage ride through the city to the restaurant
Dinner at Santo Toribio Restaurante