Kidnap Capital World Tour Day Twenty
India Catalina
Cartagena, Columbia
Do you know who India Catalina is? Nonsense, of course you don't unless you are from Columbia. She is the Pocahontas of Cartagena, a beautiful Indian girl, daughter of a local chieftain, who was kidnapped (get it?) by the wicked Spaniards (and they were they wicked) in the sixteenth century to learn Spanish and work as a translator between the Indians and the Spanish invaders. The Columbians are proud of their Indian culture. Cartagena, which previousuntil now I knew only as the scene of hanky panky between White House Secret Service and prostitutes at my very hotel, the Hotel Santa Clara, is a beautiful and prosperous city. Modern Cartagena rolls across the Atlantic like Miami--skyscrapers against perfect blue skies on most days and surf less waves. You can hear the ocean, but it is not a wild or untamed sea. The Caribbean lies above the city and the Cartagenians like to say that they are the only Atlantic town that sees a sunset because of this special geography.
We flew into Cartagena from Dakar last evening and I cooled my jets in my room, missing the cocktail party due to sheer exhaustion. How do these travelers have the stamina to keep going? In my favor, I was one of the very few who did not contract this miserable respiratory ailment which laid most of the group low as it spread like wildfire throughout the jet. But jumping continents every other day and going from early morning to night seeing top cultural things in every place, hearing amazing lectures and drinking and eating like there is no tomorrow is exhausting. We did not see modern Cartagena. We looked at the old part, the walled city with its "Moorish"influence, the beautiful churches and the colorful streets. Old Cartagena is gearing up to be a major destination spot, and I must say, I think it is quite fabulous. It reminds me of Santa Barbara + Carmel + Santa Fe, but with huge buildings in the distance. We went to a place where the Spaniards held Inquisition procedures. Our guide was specific: the Colombians did not kill citizens, they only tortured them and extorted money. For more serious interrogation, unfortunate victims were sent up north to Mexico. Is this a true story? I do not know. The guide acknowledged that kidnappings and extortion have been a Columbian way of life since at least the Spaniards came in. The gold here is phenomenal, and our guide said that Pre-Columbians used gold in spiritual ways. For instance, the delicate filigree in the nose rings and earrings were really an ode to the crops (the rows of the crops rendered by rows of filigree gold). It was those wicked Spanish again who could not believe how much gold this place had, Here is where India Catalina probably came in handy with her interpreter skills.
Drug problems? It is much better now, said our guide. The drug trade takes place near the Peruvian and Venezuelan borders, and that is where the kidnappings take place, so we should not go there.
So--a beautiful vacation destination, beautiful cobbled streets in the old town, a thriving metropolis, some charming neighborhoods, an incredible if just a tad humid climate and gorgeous sea all around, this should be a perfect place. But it's not! It's a kidnap capital! Still! There were police escorts with us from the moment we arrived. Our UK security detail was as all over this city as they were in Beirut. It felt placid and dangerous at the same time. Beirut never felt placid. So in effect, Cartagena is a truer kidnap capital. But this is why I came.
I must cut my trip short and and return home tomorrow, missing Cuba. My next and probably last post will be a summary of what I have seen, as well as the cast of characters with whom traveled. They may at times have been snarky and spoiled, but this group is hardy and strong and I defy most people to try traveling at this clip. It only worked with a private jet and an advance team as well as an amazing staff. I will explain the rest as soon as I can. Will Miles's new picture be a success? Will Carol the infamous divorcee ever find happiness? Did Dr. Eric own up to me that he made a mistake in the trauma unit at Stanford hospital two years ago when he told me i could not go to a party because of my head on car wreck? And there is so much more. I like kidnap capitals. They feel scary and corrupt and exciting .
India Catalina
Cartagena, Columbia
Do you know who India Catalina is? Nonsense, of course you don't unless you are from Columbia. She is the Pocahontas of Cartagena, a beautiful Indian girl, daughter of a local chieftain, who was kidnapped (get it?) by the wicked Spaniards (and they were they wicked) in the sixteenth century to learn Spanish and work as a translator between the Indians and the Spanish invaders. The Columbians are proud of their Indian culture. Cartagena, which previous
We flew into Cartagena from Dakar last evening and I cooled my jets in my room, missing the cocktail party due to sheer exhaustion. How do these travelers have the stamina to keep going? In my favor, I was one of the very few who did not contract this miserable respiratory ailment which laid most of the group low as it spread like wildfire throughout the jet. But jumping continents every other day and going from early morning to night seeing top cultural things in every place, hearing amazing lectures and drinking and eating like there is no tomorrow is exhausting. We did not see modern Cartagena. We looked at the old part, the walled city with its "Moorish"influence, the beautiful churches and the colorful streets. Old Cartagena is gearing up to be a major destination spot, and I must say, I think it is quite fabulous. It reminds me of Santa Barbara + Carmel + Santa Fe, but with huge buildings in the distance. We went to a place where the Spaniards held Inquisition procedures. Our guide was specific: the Colombians did not kill citizens, they only tortured them and extorted money. For more serious interrogation, unfortunate victims were sent up north to Mexico. Is this a true story? I do not know. The guide acknowledged that kidnappings and extortion have been a Columbian way of life since at least the Spaniards came in. The gold here is phenomenal, and our guide said that Pre-Columbians used gold in spiritual ways. For instance, the delicate filigree in the nose rings and earrings were really an ode to the crops (the rows of the crops rendered by rows of filigree gold). It was those wicked Spanish again who could not believe how much gold this place had, Here is where India Catalina probably came in handy with her interpreter skills.
Drug problems? It is much better now, said our guide. The drug trade takes place near the Peruvian and Venezuelan borders, and that is where the kidnappings take place, so we should not go there.
So--a beautiful vacation destination, beautiful cobbled streets in the old town, a thriving metropolis, some charming neighborhoods, an incredible if just a tad humid climate and gorgeous sea all around, this should be a perfect place. But it's not! It's a kidnap capital! Still! There were police escorts with us from the moment we arrived. Our UK security detail was as all over this city as they were in Beirut. It felt placid and dangerous at the same time. Beirut never felt placid. So in effect, Cartagena is a truer kidnap capital. But this is why I came.
I must cut my trip short and and return home tomorrow, missing Cuba. My next and probably last post will be a summary of what I have seen, as well as the cast of characters with whom traveled. They may at times have been snarky and spoiled, but this group is hardy and strong and I defy most people to try traveling at this clip. It only worked with a private jet and an advance team as well as an amazing staff. I will explain the rest as soon as I can. Will Miles's new picture be a success? Will Carol the infamous divorcee ever find happiness? Did Dr. Eric own up to me that he made a mistake in the trauma unit at Stanford hospital two years ago when he told me i could not go to a party because of my head on car wreck? And there is so much more. I like kidnap capitals. They feel scary and corrupt and exciting .
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