Saturday, April 13, 2013
The Palace of the Inquisition
The Palace of the Inquisition is an interesting place to tour. The main purpose of the Inquisition in Cartagena and the New World was to combat the subversive influences of the Native and African religions. A formula for determining the proper relationship between a person's height and weight was one of the scientific methods for determining if someone was a witch. Imagine a government-mandated height-to-weight ratio, enforced by the death penalty. Nobody brought to trial by the Inquisition was ever found innocent. I wonder if the Patriot Act and the current focus on terroristism is similar to the Spanish Inquisition.
Cartagena, Colombia
Decided to spend a few days in Cartagena, Colombia. Left Manizales on Monday, 8 April, and rode a bus to Medellin to spend the night before flying on to Cartagena in the morning. Bus rides in the mountains of Colombia are an adrenaline sport. G-forces on the turns and the constant threat of accidents keep you awake and excited. Medellin was formerly one of the most dangerous cities in the world and home to former top drug lord Pablo Escobar. Medellin is also known for having an incredibly attractive female population. A morning cup of coffee, while sitting along a busy street definitely corroborates that claim. Overall, the people of Medellin are much lighter-skinned and more industrious than those in Colombia's coastal areas. Medellin is also described as "The City of Eternal Spring" because the climate is so nice. So, if you like beautiful weather and beautiful people think about a visit to Medellin.
The flight from Medellin to Cartagena was almost an hour on an Airbus 320. The airport is close to Cartagena and a short cab ride gets you to the center of the city. El Centro, the old walled city of Cartagena is probably the main tourist attraction in Cartagena. Surrounded by 7 miles of walls and fortifications, requiring about 200 years to build, El Centro is now filled with restaurants, shops, hotels, nightclubs, and people. During the Spanish Colonial period, Cartagena was a central node in the global slave trade, so many of the people there today display an African influence, which is reflected in their music, work ethic, and attitudes.
Wednesday morning was spent visiting the nearby Castillo San Felipe and the afternoon was spent talking with Steve Salisbury and following him to see some of Cartagena's landmarks. Steve spent the last 30 years in Central and South America as a journalist. At one point Steve walked across Nicaragua with guerrilla forces. My guess is that much of the American public's knowledge of Central American history from the 80's and 90's was shaped by Steve's reporting. Steve also played a big part in reporting on the Secret Service prostitution scandal last Fall, so we visited the Hotel Caribe, Ground Zero for the incident, and talked of the juicy details. That evening, Mark Hoesman arrived and we toured El Centro.
Thursday morning, Mark and I toured the Palace of the Inquisition. In the afternoon, we met Steve again and continued touring Cartagena. One highlight was a fight between two local women vendors on the beach at Boca Grande. The beach is informally divided into vendor territories and encroachment has consequences. In the States, the police response would have definitely been worthy of television coverage, someone would have gone to jail, a couple of lawyers would have gotten jobs, and several new public safety laws would then protect the public from such behavior. On the beach at Boca Grande a lone policeman finally came, calmly separated the women, and then consoled one as they walked away talking. The Colombian response seemed much more humane.
Friday afternoon, Mark and I flew to Pereira and then rode a bus back to Manizales. The cool mountain air and the small town feel of Manizales was a definite change from the city of Cartagena. Cartagena is nice to visit as tourist for a few days, but I do not see it as a place to live long-term.
The flight from Medellin to Cartagena was almost an hour on an Airbus 320. The airport is close to Cartagena and a short cab ride gets you to the center of the city. El Centro, the old walled city of Cartagena is probably the main tourist attraction in Cartagena. Surrounded by 7 miles of walls and fortifications, requiring about 200 years to build, El Centro is now filled with restaurants, shops, hotels, nightclubs, and people. During the Spanish Colonial period, Cartagena was a central node in the global slave trade, so many of the people there today display an African influence, which is reflected in their music, work ethic, and attitudes.
Wednesday morning was spent visiting the nearby Castillo San Felipe and the afternoon was spent talking with Steve Salisbury and following him to see some of Cartagena's landmarks. Steve spent the last 30 years in Central and South America as a journalist. At one point Steve walked across Nicaragua with guerrilla forces. My guess is that much of the American public's knowledge of Central American history from the 80's and 90's was shaped by Steve's reporting. Steve also played a big part in reporting on the Secret Service prostitution scandal last Fall, so we visited the Hotel Caribe, Ground Zero for the incident, and talked of the juicy details. That evening, Mark Hoesman arrived and we toured El Centro.
Thursday morning, Mark and I toured the Palace of the Inquisition. In the afternoon, we met Steve again and continued touring Cartagena. One highlight was a fight between two local women vendors on the beach at Boca Grande. The beach is informally divided into vendor territories and encroachment has consequences. In the States, the police response would have definitely been worthy of television coverage, someone would have gone to jail, a couple of lawyers would have gotten jobs, and several new public safety laws would then protect the public from such behavior. On the beach at Boca Grande a lone policeman finally came, calmly separated the women, and then consoled one as they walked away talking. The Colombian response seemed much more humane.
Friday afternoon, Mark and I flew to Pereira and then rode a bus back to Manizales. The cool mountain air and the small town feel of Manizales was a definite change from the city of Cartagena. Cartagena is nice to visit as tourist for a few days, but I do not see it as a place to live long-term.
Friday, April 5, 2013
Manizales, Colombia
Manizales, Colombia is known as one of the friendliest cities in Colombia and it is the main center for the production of Colombian coffee. Manizales is in the central mountain region of Columbia and sits at about 7,000 feet of elevation, so even though it is close to the Equator, the climate is nice during the day and slightly cool at night. The elevation and the fact that it is built on several hills makes walking anywhere a serious aerobic event. The city is described as having "abrupt topography" and the area is known for seismic instability, so the natural threats are earthquakes, mud slides, and volcanic eruptions.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Casco Viejo, Panama City, Panama
Casco Viejo occupies a peninsula southwest of the modern part of Panama City. Dating from the earliest Colonial times, Casco Viejo is a virtual museum of colonial architecture. The area degenerated over the centuries, but recent years have seen a push to restore it. By day, it is a construction zone, with scoop loaders and tourists competing for street space. At night, the pretty people compete for restaurant and bar space.
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