Mila

For the last week, I had a pretty tight time-line. So many things to experience, to get sorted out and so little time. One project was to have some sweets at Mila. Mila is the only really great bakery in Cartagena. Tuesday, the schedule said that after doing boring stuff, we deserved a cake.

*Next pics all by Isa:

Last weekend on THE island

After the Market boat experience, I was totally into going back to the island with a decent way of traveling. So, for the last weekend in Cartagena this year, we couldn't think of a better idea then spending it on the island. Alvaro was totally into it and Mauro decided to join as well. Saturday morning, we all made it to the beautiful and fancy (still thinking about the market) Bodeguita and got on the Alcatraz Cocoliso, the biggest boat they have.

Thankfully, they even had something better then a life jacket in case of emergency:

We checked in at the beloved Cocoliso and headed straight to Las Palmeras for a great lunch and some beach time.

Then, we got back to the Cocoliso for the serious stuff:

This is when we started to loose part of the team: Isa had been sick for a few days already and her stomach didn't agree with the Cocoloco. Mauro got VERY tired, so, two were down for the count, first resting at the pool and then giving in and going for a real siesta.

Alvaro and I kept the barman entertained until Mauro made a comeback for dinner. It was full moon and we decided to go on a kayak adventure in the beautiful mangroves. Our guides picked us up and after going into the first laguna, we heard really loud music. They explained that this was the villages sound system... and that it would be a five minutes walk from the second laguna. Passing through the mangroves tunnels was incredible and with the moonlight, we could see more then enough. We made it to the village and the sound system was indeed powerful enough that you can hear it EVERYWHERE on the island :)

On the way back, I had to jump in the water as soon as we reached the open sea, the water was warm and so appealing... but I discovered that you can't beat a kayak swimming^^

Around midnight, we called it a night and I thought I would get some rest and go snorkeling early in the morning... Well, that didn't happen. I woke up because I saw some bright light and I assumed it was morning. Looking at the clock, I saw it was 3:30 in the morning. By then Isa woke up as well. While I looked for my glasses, she went to the entrance of the room and informed me that our door was wide open. *scary moment* After unsuccessfully looking for intruders, we checked the lock and it was broken *so we thought*. We couldn't get the door to close again until 5 am, when Isa finally showed off her McGyver skills and fixed it with a piece of paper. At breakfast, we told the guys the story and all went with Santa to check the door... Well, you had to kind of twist it to get it to close. Great, we had 3 men looking at us with this knowing smile (door not broken, girls just being girls). Breakfast was also the time when we lost Alvaro. His stomach didn't agree to something and he was out of it for the day. Since Isa missed the mangroves tour the night before, we decided to do it again.:

After some lunch at Las Palmeras again, we sadly had to go back to the mainland...

I had a great time again and can't wait to be back soon... this island is such a special space, like an own private small peace of paradise. And there is still that much to discover.

*Pics by Isa, Alvaro and Béa

Fancy dinner

Tuesday night, we went finally went for dinner at the 1621, the restaurant from the Hotel Santa Clara. It was absolutely great. The garden is beautiful and decorated with candles for Christmas:

While waiting for our table to be ready, I was wondering about what sounded like bird noises, but so regular, I thought it was recorded. Nope, it was not, they have small frogs hidden in the garden that make this great background noise, not to loud (not like your frogs, Stella^^). And there are two more creatures living in the garden, may I introduce:

Matteo

and Clarissa, the house toucans. Sweet and fluffy, they were sleeping in trees by our table.
The food was incredible, a few highlights:
Roasted pepper filled with crab mousse and Gruyère cheese. Basil perfume

Blue goat cheese sorbet

The next morning was a bit rough, I had to be up at 5 to deliver a translation *Hi Nelli^^*
Today, reality kicked in: I had to buy some real shoes, after realizing all I own are flip-flops... Not very useful for Vienna in December. I can't believe I am going to be back in a week, time passed by so fast! Sure, I am happy to see everybody, but... Not looking forward to the cold. I really got used to life here, to the slow-motion feel to everything, to the heat, to life stopping when it rains, you just postpone everything to the next day. My work-drive is still the same but I did really good at relaxing when I am not working, at enjoying life again. This workaholic rehab is actually working. :)
All pics by Isa

2 broke girls and a luckily not so broke guy :)

Last Weekend, we decided to make it back to the island, but this time on a budget. The wonderful special offer they had at the Cocoliso expired by December and the normal prices are... well, you don't go there just because you are bored. The Caribbean way of life may have gotten to us a little bit... Planning more then a day in advance is incredibly stressfull, so you give up on that. And anyways, it could rain. And when it rains, life stops. The new way of planning, because we're cool like that:
Friday afternoon, Isa writing her thesis in the hammock, me half-heartily working on the couch.
Me: hey, shall we go to the island tomorrow? Isa: yes, why not Me: here is the number of this cheaper place and my phone, you call (her Spanish is light-years better then mine)
Isa sorted out the reservation and the nice lady on the phone, Ana-Rosa, told her were we would find a boat taking us there.In the evening, Alvaro decided to join the fun, so they picked me up at 9 am the next morning.
We took a taxi to the place were the local boats leave on the back of the market. Let's put it that way. This is NOT a fancy place. When I asked for our boat, the guy thought we got lost.

What you see at the bottom of the pic is not a dump, it is part of the boat. The groceries going to the island. After paying an extra 2€ for looking like a tourist, we got on board. And then, the captain announced that the departure was delayed by an hour. We could not really go walking around, so it was an hour of sitting in the boat, which wouldn't be that bad. If this guy wouldn't have been there:

You see, he was selling bread. And he spent the ENTIRE hour yelling: PAN, PAN, HAY PAN. To the same 30 people sitting in the boat. Who would have bought it the first 10 times he asked. After an hour, we finally took off. For about 5 minutes. Thats' when the motor broke. We made it to the nearest island and spent another 45 minutes getting roasted while it was repaired.

And then, we made it to the open sea. This is the moment I started to think that it was a really really bad idea. See, this boat was made for transportation of goods and people, it was not made to get tourists around. So, the captain just get all the power he can out of this boat and goes full speed straight away. Did I mention the wind season started and that the Atlantic has some pretty waves? I didn't cry, I didn't jump out of the boat but man, did I get sea-sick. Isa was a hero holding me together. ^^
We made it to the island very fast and the ride was immediately forgotten. We walked to Las Palmeras, which was going to be our home for the night. Las Palmeras is a cooperative from the islands native population, an eco lodge with cabanas. Simple but beautiful, one minute walking from a big white sandy beach:

After lunch, we decided to pay a visit to the Cocoliso... that's when the real fun started and we sadly don't have any pics. We first met Santa, our favorite waiter ever, who welcomed us in a way we felt like coming home. After hopping in the pool, we had to have a Cocoloco. That is when we noticed that we had almost no money. We planned for a very chilled all ecological peaceful thing, not for cocktails in the pool. Thanks for Alvaro who is a better planner. :) The rest of the afternoon was pure fun, Isa learning to destroy coconuts with a machete, Isa learning how to make Cocoloco, all of us test-drinking them, going for a swim at night with the moon turning everything silver in a luke-warm sea. *ok, hate me* :) The next morning, I went snorkeling with Mauro, the guide who lives next door to Las Palmeras. An hour of diving in the coral riffs surrounding the coast, just beautiful. We spent the rest of the morning in hammocks.

The sea was pretty rough that day and Mauro told me that open sea would be... interesting. I started dreading the way back to Cartagena (we didn't have enough money to pay for the fancy Cocoliso boat, damned Cocolocos), when our hosts told us that there was no boat from the market on Sunday. They arranged for the boat from the 5 stars resort next door to take us. And that was FUN! The sea was rough, we got soaked but the boat was a beauty, a fancy speedboat... I learned that my seasickness is just a very fancy one, it just kicks in on cheap lanchas^^.
We had a great weekend and the Cocoliso staff got us another discount so, back to the island saturday for the last time before heading back to Europe. We already warned them to line up the coconuts... Disclaimer: ALL pics by Isa, I was way to lazy to take any :)