Pootling Prices

  Not a picture in an art gallery, but a painting on the side of a building aka graffiti. Getsemani, a part of Cartagena, is absolutely full of such art.    We had decided to spend a night in this previously run down, now more boho chic/hostel traveller neighbourhood, on our return from the island and what a good decision that was. We entered into the spirit of the place and booked a hostel with a shared bathroom. We thought it best not to inflict Richard's snoring and my flatulence on a bunch of young people in a dorm room.......there's an image for you to enjoy.  This also required us pootling through Cartagena with heavy rucksacks......well one of us with a heavy rucksack, the other still pulling the sick card. But it was good to feel 19 again. The hostel was pleasingly pink and had a great roof top terrace and bar. There are not many words needed here as, again, the pictures speak for themselves. Our time was spent wandering, sitting, staring, drinking and e...

We are trying to truly pootle so we went to lie down on a Caribbean island for a few days. It was tough but we managed. Sunrises, sunsets, sea swimming, seafood, dogs, hens, puppies, sand between my toes, salt in my hair.....all the ingredients for my idyll. Not so much the sand in his toes for Rich, and salt in his hair is clearly not a thing. He doesn't much love sea swimming and seafood either but he does love dogs and puppies and he really did need to lie down and do nothing to get better. 

 Cocaine offered, not consumed, but it starts with a C so it gets a title mention. Waking on our first morning in Colombia after a 26 hour journey with a high temperature and cough was not an ideal start to the trip but he was a brave soldier, so out we went. Cartagena, on the Caribbean coast of Colombia was everything the guide books and blogs had promised. Beautiful, riotously coloured, narrow streets in the old walled town. Friendly extrovert people who can't seem to help but move to music, and of course heat. The coffee was well needed and of a different level altogether to what we are used to, although we later discovered this was a lucky first hit. Many of the other places we drank the coffee was nothing special. Apparently most of the good stuff is exported. We retreated when the cruise ships off loaded, Rich back to bed and me to the rooftop of our small hotel where I found a refreshingly cool sitting pool complete with a Costa Rican digital nomad. Well, what's a girl g...