Like a Virgin. Sea Day #4

 

Our departure from Cartagena was scheduled for 11:00 PM.

At 10:00 PM, like disciplined adults on a cruise ship, we went to sleep.
At 11:00 PM sharp, a loudspeaker woke us up because there was a small fire in one of the restaurants.
Good morning to us. Went back to sleep.
At 11:30 PM, the loudspeaker returned to let us know that the fire was out and everyone could go back to eating.
This was especially useful information for people who were already in pajamas, half-asleep, and emotionally committed to not eating again.

A few days earlier, the ship’s app had sent us a very serious warning:
⚠️ "The sea will become stormy. Please hold onto handrails while moving around the ship."

Naturally, nothing happened. The sea was flatter than a hotel pancake.

Fast forward to last night at 1:00 AM when we woke up to this:

• Crashing noises everywhere
• Waves slamming into the ship
• Wind whistling so loudly that we had to close the balcony door just to survive the soundtrack.

I checked the app.
No warning.
No storm alert.
Nothing. Apparently this was a surprise storm, a premium feature.
In the morning, the waves were still going strong.
Still no warning.
The app remained calm, collected, and quiet.

 
At breakfast, we bravely chose a table by the window. Because the view.
Our waiter arrived, glanced at the sea, and immediately informed us that he could not look out the window in such a storm.
So for the entire meal, he stared intensely at the table, the floor, and his phone, like the ocean simply didn’t exist.

After lunch, the sea finally started to calm down.
By evening, everything was quiet again.
Peaceful. As if nothing had happened.

Once again, the photo report contains only food. Because apparently, when the ship is on fire or battling storms, we eat. 

Color never sleeps. Of iguanas, colors and cloudy sunset

 

Today we spent the day in Cartagena, Colombia, and it wasted absolutely no time making an impression.

Our very first local welcome came in the form of an iguana. A smallish one casually wandered out of a bush, as if this was the most normal thing in the world. One minute later, its much bigger (and clearly more senior) friend followed. Naturally, we pointed our cameras at the big guy. This was apparently a grave insult. The smaller iguana, deeply offended, charged straight at us. At that point, my survival instincts kicked in and I decided it was time to keep moving.

We grabbed a taxi from the harbor to downtown. Being the seasoned traveler that I am, I made sure we were very clear on the price before getting in: $5.50 for two people. Everyone agreed. We arrived, got out, and the driver casually informed us that the price was actually $5.50 per person, and that he would now like $11. I politely-but-firmly told him where he could take that revised pricing strategy, and we moved on to explore the city.

We started in Getsemaní - a neighborhood bursting with color and energy. It definitely felt like the backpacker hub: lively, vibrant, and… intense. Street vendors everywhere, constant attention, and a general sense of being hustled every ten seconds. I snapped a street photo with one of those fruit-carrying “traditional” women (you know the type), and within seconds one of them made a beeline straight for me demanding money.

From there, we escaped to the Walled City, and the difference was immediate. Calm. Elegant. Stunning architecture at every turn. We spent a few blissful hours wandering the streets, admiring balconies, doors, and courtyards that looked like they belonged in a movie set.

Lunch was at La Cevichería, famously recommended by Anthony Bourdain - and it absolutely lived up to the hype. We ordered lobster ceviche and Colombian fish ceviche, and both were fresh, flavorful, and worth every bite. A definite highlight of the day.

Colombia is also known as the country with the highest-quality emeralds. We looked at pendants in a shop that were modestly priced at $9,600. In the end, we chose something much more affordable for ourselves - beautiful earrings.

In the evening, we had booked a sunset sailing tour. In theory: perfect. In reality: no sun. Just clouds. Still, it could have been lovely… if not for the family next to us who spent the entire two hours taking photos of each other. And I don’t mean “a few pictures.” I mean non-stop, relentless posing, clicking, reviewing, repeating. Cameras were not put down for even a second. I’m fairly certain they documented every possible angle of their existence.

After that, we took a taxi back to the ship—thankfully without any pricing debates—and called it a day.

Cartagena was colorful, chaotic, beautiful, occasionally irritating, and never boring.