WHEELING BEHIND THE WALLS OF CARTAGENA -- PART 11

THE FINEST SPANISH COLONIAL CITY ON EARTH 

WHAT TO SEE

Historic attractions within the 400-year-old plazas are surprisingly wheelchair-accessible and feature incredibly inexpensive admission prices including: 

Church of San Pedro Claver (12,000 Colombia Pesos [COP], which is about $6 U.S.)

Museo de Arte Moderno  (3,000 COP/$1.50 US),Catedral de Cartagena (12,000 COP/$6 US)

Gold Museum (free)

Palacio de la Inquisicion (11,000 COP/$5.75 US) 

Note that only the first floor of the inquisition museum is accessible, don't despair -- because that's where all the good stuff is.

WHERE TO EAT

Dining is fabulous in Cartagena. For a gourmet breakfast in a fabulous bakery with lots of snacks to take home, head to Pasteleria y Panaderia Mila -- two can eat pancakes, ham, eggs, pastries and fabulous coffee for about $15 US. 

For lunch or dinner, head to Getsemani for legendary seafood and other Cartagena favorites at Casa De Socoro -- a pair can feast on shrimp, crab, snapper, coconut rice  and more, for an unbelievably low total of about $30 U.S.

For a dinner splurge, find your way to the refined confines of La Cocina de Carmela -- a couple can sit in romantic candlelight and enjoy chicken with spicy chocolate, risotto pomodoro and other delicacies plus a glass of wine and the check will come to about $50 U.S.

WHEELING BEHIND THE WALLS OF CARTAGENA -- PART 10

THE FINEST SPANISH COLONIAL CITY ON EARTH  

WHERE TO STAY

The Mirador del Laguito offers many lodging advantages over a hotel. 

Full apartment units at the modern condo tower can be rented for about $100 per night and you can save on expenses by fixing breakfast and other meals.

The Mirador also offers a level entrance, 24-hour security/doorman, modern elevators, an amazingly inexpensive on-site laundry service and wheelchair-accessible units. 

The Mirador is located right by the beach, very near the modern shopping/dining/entertainment district of Boca Grande and about 10 minutes from the walled city, where wheelchair access is a bit hard to come by in the centuries-old hotel buildings. 

Steve and Aracely Ferrer  speak perfect English and Spanish and can assist with a booking at the Mirador del Laguito. 

Contact them at: 201 952-3755, or visit: http://www.cartagenavacationrentals.us 

For luxury travelers willing to pay a premium to stay within the walled city, check out the Sofitel Cartagena Santa Clara at http://www.sofitel.com/gb/hotel-1871-sofitel-cartagena-santa-clara/index.shtml

 STORY CONTINUES TOMORROW -- MARCH 11

WHEELING BEHIND THE WALLS OF CARTAGENA -- PART 9

THE FINEST SPANISH COLONIAL CITY ON EARTH  

Between here and the walled city is the Parque Centenario, an intriguing but slightly creepy place where locals hang out, along with a few menacing looking monkeys and, reportedly, a pair of gila monsters. While Getsemani has a number of hostals and hotels, it remains – for the most part – gritty and ungentrified.  Sidewalks are careworn and curb ramps, hit or miss. But well worth a lengthy roll from the walled city is La Casa de Socorro, a restaurant with good access and superb seafood. Here you can select from numerous types of mariscos – shrimp, crab, snapper and more – prepared in traditional styles with succulent sauces.  Accompaniments include plantains and the exquisite arroz con coco: white rice blended with bits of sweet coconut.

Wright has contributed stories about accessible architecture, urban travel and foreign adventure to New Mobility for more than a decade. Contact the Miami-based writer-photographer at stevewright64@yahoo.com

 STORY CONTINUES TOMORROW -- MARCH 10

WHEELING BEHIND THE WALLS OF CARTAGENA -- PART 8

THE FINEST SPANISH COLONIAL CITY ON EARTH  

Also an undeniable part of New World history was Spain’s quest for “gold, God and glory.” 

Check out the first part of this conquistador battle cry at the nearby Gold Museum. 

Although housed in an old mansion, the exhibits of mind-blowing jewelry and other creations are friendly to wheelers. 

The entrance to collection includes super-thick security doors and armed guards.

Feast your eyes on incredible necklaces, bracelets anklets and crowns, as well as golden jaguars and butterflies. 

The bling is a feast for the eyes, but the displays about native cultures and their traditions are the show.

One exception to the rule of staying within the walled old city for sightseeing is a short excursion to Getsemani, an historic neighborhood that had traditionally been a home for African slaves. 

 STORY CONTINUES TOMORROW -- MARCH 9

WHEELING BEHIND THE WALLS OF CARTAGENA -- PART 7

THE FINEST SPANISH COLONIAL CITY ON EARTH 

A short walk and roll from the Catedral de Cartagena sits an attraction that is both intriguing and repellant, and certainly not for the faint of heart. 

The Palacio de la Inquisicion documents the machinations of the Spanish Inquisition. 

During the Spanish colonial period, the organization’s sinister tentacles stretched across the Atlantic to the Americas, where it continued its dastardly quest to root out heretics and others deemed undesirable.

Although this accessible attraction is small, it packs a wallop with its recreation of torture devices used to extract confessions.

A double-edged spiked collar allowed the wearer to speak in no more than a whisper to communicate his offenses. 

A thumb-crushing device inflicted incredible pain.

The stretching table or rack could literally tear one limb from limb.

Paintings on the walls show tortured souls begging for mercy.

Out in the museum’s peaceful, shady courtyard incongruously stands a gallows, complete with noose and trap. 

This simple collection gives not an impression of sensationalism, but rather an honest representation of man’s inhumanity to man. 

 STORY CONTINUES TOMORROW -- MARCH 8

 

WHEELING BEHIND THE WALLS OF CARTAGENA -- PART 6

THE FINEST SPANISH COLONIAL CITY ON EARTH  

Because Cartagena’s old quarter is so compact, many attractions are within easy wheeling distance of each other, making taxis unnecessary. 

The Museo de Arte Moderno is also located on the Plaza San Pedro Claver.

It features Latin American painting from the 1950s to the present, as well as temporary exhibitions. 

The museum is comprised of two buildings -- one built in the 17^th century and the other in the 19^th century -- and both have good access. 

The museum store is a good spot to get some unique souvenirs.

Also worth a visit is the Catedral de Cartagena, which has a long and storied history. 

Originally a primitive wood and cane structure, its construction began in earnest in 1575, making it one of the oldest in the Americas. Sir Francis Drake – a rapscallion or naval hero, depending on your perspective – blew a large portion of the main hall to smithereens in 1586. 

The structure was nearly rebuilt in 1600 when it came tumbling down without warning.

It took another 12 years for it to be reconstructed. 

Today, the wooden altar ornamented with gold, sculpture and paintings is exquisite.

The audio tour of the cathedral beautifully tells the story of this place and its extraordinary history.

 STORY CONTINUES TOMORROW -- MARCH 7

WHEELING BEHIND THE WALLS OF CARTAGENA -- PART 5

THE FINEST SPANISH COLONIAL CITY ON EARTH

At the end of the Plaza de la Aduana, is the Plaza San Pedro Claver.

Here is the Church of San Pedro Claver – crowned with its signature clock tower – which was founded in 1603. It takes its name from Father Claver, a priest considered a human rights pioneer for his compassion for African slaves brought to Cartagena’s notorious slave market. 

Father Claver cared for many sick slaves and ministered to the marginalized and down-trodden.

The church houses a small museum with paintings and items commemorating Father Claver, who was canonized in 1888. 

 

But the centerpiece is the cloister courtyard with its level walkways and famous well where the priest baptized thousands of slaves. 

Enormous, shady trees provide a place for reflection, plus a pleasant respite from the tropical sun. 

 STORY CONTINUES TOMORROW -- MARCH 6

 

WHEELING BEHIND THE WALLS OF CARTAGENA -- PART 4

THE FINEST SPANISH COLONIAL CITY ON EARTH 

The grande dames of the street peddlers are the Palenque women who wear brightly colored dresses and balance impossibly huge bowls of exotic fruits on their heads.

Sample some tart and/or sweet offering you’ve never seen at your local supermarket, such as a nispero, also known as a sapodilla or naseberry. 

These little orange delights come from a tree related to the rosebush family. 

Maybe you’d prefer a guanabana or soursop, a spiky green fruit tasting like a combination of strawberry and pineapple but with sour citrus flavor notes, coupled with a subtle creamy flavor.

Although the city’s people are friendly and engaging, the eye is constantly drawn to the streetscapes and buildings.

The grandest examples of Cartagena’s architecture – besides the cyclopean wall – are the cathedrals, and they are generally accessible to wheelers.

 STORY CONTINUES TOMORROW -- MARCH 5

WHEELING BEHIND THE WALLS OF CARTAGENA -- PART 3

THE FINEST SPANISH COLONIAL CITY ON EARTH  

Stop for a moment and close your eyes to the riot of color. 

Tune your ears to the symphony of the street: the clip-clop of horse-drawn carriages, the deep peal of cathedral bells, the laughter of school kids and the cries of street vendors.

The vendors themselves qualify as street performers with their variety of wares.   

Besides the typical items such as sun hats and T-shirts are whimsical, exotic sweets and massive blocks of ice that somehow don’t melt in the sun. Stop and have your shoes shined. 

If your Blackberry is on the blink, look for one of the hand-lettered signs advertising “llamadas.”

For a reasonable price, you can stand on the sidewalk and make a call on a cell phone handed to you by the owner. 

Keep it brief or you’re liable to get some dirty looks from the line of folks behind you waiting their turn.

 STORY CONTINUES TOMORROW -- MARCH4

WHEELING BEHIND THE WALLS OF CARTAGENA -- PART 2

THE FINEST SPANISH COLONIAL CITY ON EARTH  

The old town is truly the heart and soul of the city, much like New Orleans’ French Quarter. 

This is where we spent the majority of our time. 

When you arrive, have a peek at a tourist map, then fold it up and just explore.

Built as a Spanish colonial city, old Cartagena is sprinkled with level outdoor plazas perfect for open-air dining or people-watching. 

The architecture is on a human scale, with few buildings more than three or four stories. In the evenings, many of the streets are closed off to vehicular traffic, allowing for safe, comfortable wheeling throughout.

What strikes the eye first are the Cerulean blues, mango yellows, mamey reds, and emerald greens. 

Cartagena is an artist's palette of exquisite tropical hues. 

Around every corner are visual details that captivate: terra cotta tile roofs, balconies bedecked with cascading flowers, cool garden courtyards, Old-World style gas lamps, stuccoed walls. 

STORY CONTINUES TOMORROW -- MARCH3

WHEELING BEHIND THE WALLS OF CARTAGENA -- PART 1

THE FINEST SPANISH COLONIAL CITY ON EARTH 

Everything around us was awash in a pale, golden light, like some magical city in a fairy tale. 

Evening had turned the intense, tropical sunlight to a soft glow, and we drank it in, gazing across rooftops of the city to one side, and out toward the Caribbean Sea on the other.

It’s more than a little ironic that the massive stone wall that surrounds the old town of Cartagena, Colombia -- a wall built to keep out marauders, pirates and the likes of Sir Francis Drake – is wheelchair accessible at points. 

We had sought out one of the makeshift ramps to climb atop it and take advantage of the vista, perfect for snapping photos.

But Cartagena is like that; it defies expectations. 

The city was founded in the 16^th century, yet is surprisingly wheelchair friendly. 

It feels half a world away, yet can be reached in less than three hours by air from the States.

It is as exotic as a North African souk or an Asian mountain village, but is far more affordable.

Although some consider Colombia a slightly dangerous destination, this port city is safe enough even for cruise lines to use it as a regular port of call.

 STORY CONTINUES TOMORROW -- MARCH 2