Cartagena #3

After the mud vulcan soak and lunch, we followed a local fisherman to his dugout. He helped us in, one at a time. The boat is tippy and narrow. Off we go, poleing along and in to the mangrove swamp. Only a few mozzies, I am suprised. All is going well, we are gliding along at a far pace and enjoying the lush mangrove trees, large termite nests and birds. Then the boat man lets out a curse...he has lost his pole. It's about 15 feet away now, and we are still moving forward. He grabs a branch and makes his way back, hand over hand, branch to branch, to his pole. This happened 3 times during our voyage. Than into a large lake like area, water is still only about 4 feet deep. Fishermen's homes of wood and palm, almost at water level. Someone yells frantic like from the shore of one of the houses. Our boat pulls in, seems that the mans wife has run out of cigarrets, and could she borrow one? A long pole ride to the other side and we pull up to small dock with a lady and 2 kids sitting on it. Seems that this is the museo of local indian artifacts. All locked in wire cages, like animals, most sexual type statues. The mozzies were bad here and we were both wearing shorts, but the small boy of about 8, walked behind us brushing them off our legs as we went along. The rest if the museo was sort of tacky, with a phoney emerald mine, etc. Back in the dugout, and away from the mozzies out in to the center and around the point and back around to were our mini bus waited on shore with lights on as it was dusk. We drive along the grey sand beach for over 2 miles until we turned into a village street. Then wove thru town to the main road. Not a sign post in town and no street signs You just have to know where to go. My husband and I had really had wanted to visit Colombia, but were put off with tales of kidnaping, drugs, murders, etc. We encountered no problems, had a couple of taxi drivers try of overcharge, and one drug store asked $16US for a small bottle of aloe. But he quickly lowered the price when his boss came over to ask if we needed help. I wore a money belt at all times, and my husband carries a video camera across his chest. I would not wander the streets at night, but felt fine near our hotel on Boca Grande and later in the area of our other hotel in the old city.