[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ozHXf-8sW2U/UWB-BGFdW5I/AAAAAAAAUeY/tzizlPr3648/s144-c-o/P4052052.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage14Colombia2BoarderPanamaToBoarderVenezuela#5863825272114862994″ caption=”The skyline of ‘Cartagena de Indias'” type=”image” alt=”P4052052.JPG” ]

Pos: here
Loc: Cartagena
Acc: Navy room
Dist: 66,7 km
Start: 7:05 End: 18:10

Last night, my ship’s captain Liliana told me there won’t be a small coast guard boat coming tomorrow morning and she will direct the ship with me and my kayak still on board to my spot where they will escort me with the zodiac of the ship. She calculated the time she’ll need from the calm anchorage in the northern corner of the Golf and decided to leave at 4 am, that I can be ready to paddle at 6 am. Good!

Just that the ship took a bit longer, and even had to stop for about 20 min to check on an engine problem. So I was on the water only at 7 am. Well sh…happens. I just hoped to make it before darkness to Cartagena!

[pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-eYOvjw3UPwU/UWB-DRnjgGI/AAAAAAAAUeY/QImdL75u5PQ/s144-c-o/P4052061.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage14Colombia2BoarderPanamaToBoarderVenezuela#5863825309570400354″ caption=”Teniente Liliana, Comandante de la ‘Cabo Tiburon’. Thanks for looking after me so well!” type=”image” alt=”P4052061.JPG” ]

But the forecast and conditions were good for today, will this be the last easy day? The wind was pushing, despite I was paddling almost true north. Was there really a full westerly wind forecast? Anyway, I made great easy progress!

The guys in the zodiac may not have felt as happy as their colleagues in the other faster and more comfortable boats, which I barely could hear. The other guys were mostly able to hide under some shades. Those young men in the zodiac had to sit right on the open edge, with a sewing machine or rather lawn mover engine noise, and couldn’t even
really move around.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-kxecZ7Hjl_s/UWB9qfkoRJI/AAAAAAAAUeY/_aMN9SSH870/s144-c-o/P4052038.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage14Colombia2BoarderPanamaToBoarderVenezuela#5863824883819496594″ caption=”A long green side channel leading to the Canal de Dique” type=”image” alt=”P4052038.JPG” ]

One guy wanted to waterproof his cell phone prior to the trip, which was probably a reasonable idea. But in lack of a proper Aquapac or a similar kit, he just used what he least need on the ship (I think…) – a condom! Perfect.
I just saw him unrolling it first, then trying to fit the flat rectangular thing into the now lose flapping around thin bag. Guy, even with that format, it may be safer to simply carefully roll it over, and then try to make a knot! He may need more practice… but maybe Aquapac should rather jump also on that other business? Both have a proper need for puncture-free and liquid-proof covers…but for that new job better leave the existing Aquapac closure away! Enough of
that now… 🙂

[pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-mOt8UKRtnbQ/UWB9zK3gaKI/AAAAAAAAUeY/tvXvtO9wrAg/s144-c-o/P4052043.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage14Colombia2BoarderPanamaToBoarderVenezuela#5863825032880351394″ caption=”Some floating workhorse on the Canale de Dique” type=”image” alt=”P4052043.JPG” ]

I paddled past one river mouth with shallow ground, creating many white breakers, but all tiny and really non-violent. I just went through with some fun! I saw the guys in the zodiac hesitating a long time, seeing me disappearing across, and they didn’t know if they could manage the waves – or rather the water depth? They could have simply been driving a few 100 m further until deeper water starts again…

Many local fisher men were out in the cayucos, and all of them waved friendly back. They all see me on a similar level, having to use my body engine also… I really think if I’d have to stay in such a fishing villages, I would be welcome. I always notice how they start to smile when they realize I am a woman doing almost what they are doing!

[pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-QdFR-RBok2g/UWB95OvEcDI/AAAAAAAAUeY/Gsvez2WxskA/s144-c-o/P4052044.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage14Colombia2BoarderPanamaToBoarderVenezuela#5863825136997920818″ caption=”Suddenly, two busses and two cars crossed my way on the Canal de Dique!” type=”image” alt=”P4052044.JPG” ]

I was happy I decided to paddle through the Canal de Dique, as it cut the whole peninsula short for about 15 km! I’m quite sure the sea side would have been pretty, but you can’t have it all! And with the wind direction today I really didn’t want to paddle across to the southern peninsula point.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-DsoOHPQZzIA/UWB9x0YtSvI/AAAAAAAAUeY/jYql_NEiE0o/s144-c-o/P4052046.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage14Colombia2BoarderPanamaToBoarderVenezuela#5863825009665723122″ caption=”A flock of white herons living on the exit spit of the Canal de Dique” type=”image” alt=”P4052046.JPG” ]

My GPS map is a bit imprecise in this area, and it was a good idea to call Peter for the perfect GPS position for the entrance. Surely I should have looked for that on Google Earth before myself…Peter could give me the (almost perfect) coordinates, which were way outside where the land started on my chart. But I must have still taken a small side entrance too early, as I paddled over really shallow water and had to drag my boat for about 50 m, luckily on top of solid sand. When the water got deeper, the solid sand turned also to mud. No motorboat could get in here, there must have been the real entrance just a few meters ahead in the grassy area.

My coast guard boat had eventually changed from the zodiac to a larger one again, and honestly when I turned into the shallow entrance I didn’t really worry if they could follow 🙂 But as soon as I was in the real channel, I had barely noticed when I was properly afloat there must have come the deeper channel from the left behind me. No other options.

Suddenly I saw a large coast guard boat in front of me, trying to turn and almost blocking the whole channel on this maneuver. Did they come through that side? I haven’t asked them, but it also may be that that was again another coast guard boat coming directly from Cartagena through the channel, knowing they’d have a problem to get in! I only saw one local boat coming from behind me who must have taken that other entrance, but this was a very flat built one. Anyway, that coast guard boat was one of the largest and strongest I had seen so far – three 350 four stroke engines! I assumed if they send another boat from that end they may have chosen the smallest one?

[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-5asMlURzP_Y/UWB-ACUNXXI/AAAAAAAAUeY/uRum3jwjzjM/s144-c-o/P4052057.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage14Colombia2BoarderPanamaToBoarderVenezuela#5863825253923118450″ caption=”My last coast guard boat on sunset in the bay of Cartagena de Indias” type=”image” alt=”P4052057.JPG” ]

This one really looked a bit over sized in this side channel, but the water seemed to be quite deep everywhere. At least they didn’t get stuck! But new crew, new briefing…I had to ask them to please stay far, far behind me in the narrow channel, as I hate nothing more than to hear an engine all day behind me, or even just constantly many happy male voices and feeling to be watched on all my actions. I wanted to enjoy the nature of this channel in solitude, taking
pictures here and there, stopping to rest where I wanted! The plants were actually looking quite interesting! All those plants we can by at home in a small pot for the house were growing here lush in an ample way. Almost like a botanical garden!

Well, at least that side channel was like that! The main one soon turned out to be a work horse, turning into an industrial area very soon with huge flat bottom barges anchored to the sides, probably waiting for load. There was also a ferry going across. Fortunately I had now a good current with me, different to the side channel! I rushed along, happy to get out of that muddy sweet water soon. I instantly feel on my skin of my hands the way more penetratingly soaking sweet water!

The exit reached with some side walls far into the bay, and I already saw huge ships to the right anchoring in that side of the bay. The skyline of Cartagena also appeared quickly, and I was not sure if I was really prepared already for a huge city? This was almost like the last one, Panama City! Also with a long skyscraper skyline and a canal…

But no canal permit necessary here! Btw., the negative answer on my own permit request to transit the Panama Canal , after my German embassy already tried weeks ago and got also only a negative answer, came just a few days ago. “Too dangerous for these types of floating equipment due to fully operating canal traffic and working machines for the extension” – I really, really would love to answer them: “Thanks for your friendly response! I already paddled most of your f……canal without your permit (and yes, also without the locks and without paying 900$…) and I really, really had enough canal feeling with that! I neither felt threatened by the many working machines nor by crossing the actual channel lane five times nor did *I* bother any working machines or ships! You are really the world’s most unfriendly
and inflexible canal authority!” And yes, I am already out of Panama by now! Maybe they read it here…I doubt it…but that’s actually already history.

Actual to date is again the friendly hospitality of the Colombian Navy, starting with the long stay on the “Cartagena de Indias”, continuing with the safety and comfort of the “Cabo Tiburon”. thanks to both commanders of both ships, Hector + Hector and Liliana + Paola, for taking such good care of me!

I eventually today slowly reached Cartagena city, paddling past the island in the Bay of Cartagena, with much small boat traffic carrying happy party people around. It felt good to slowly reach that city, the first one after Panama! Faster than I thought after the first days! I enjoyed the soon coming night, and got guided by my coast guard boat
to the Nvy base in the inner harbor. The skyscrapers are mostly squeezed onto a narrow peninsula, almost like Manhattan is built on Manhattan island. I noticed the architecture allowed only white buildings with bluish or greenish accents. And not a single advertising sign of a hotel or big company to be seen! I really had seen more ugly huge cities!

I was just arriving at the Navy base area at 6 pm, when I heard some beautiful music – the Colombian National anthem! This honor was not really necessary, guys! But I was looking in vain for the salut of a long line of greeting officers to welcome me…sure the national anthem was not meant for me, but for the regular daily flag pull down at 6 am. Nice anyway!

At the Navy base, Teniente Andrés was greeting me friendly, to whom I had talked already yesterday on the phone. I learned the Atlantic Colombian Coast Guard prefers rather to decide spontaneously on the spot, as I got very quickly a nice room organized. This is actually the room of the Commander of the Atlantic coast guard, Capitán de Fregata Hernando Mattos, which he doesn’t need to use that often. Thanks for that! Just that I shut the door from outside leaving the key inside, just as I got my bags and was ready for a shower. The guys had to use some creative opening techiques via the balcony windows to get me back in! It took only an hour…really sorry! In Germany/ Bavaria they’d call this way of getting into a room of a female “Fensterln”! 🙂

Hernando Mattos is the Atlantic counterpart to Carlos Delgado, who was taking such good care of me on the Pacific side! What I got to experience so far with the two big ships as an escort here in the Atlantic side, was even almost topping the lovely friendly service of the Pacific people! I will talk to Hernando tomorrow first time to thank him and to see what he has planned further on.

There is also an (online) friend from Kiel in Germany living here in Cartagena for four years, Uli Diekmann, who is also a kayaker and actually working now with the Colombian Navy repairing some also German-bought (built on the HDW in Kiel) submarines. He already was so nice to receive some mail and parcels for me, and we will meet also tomorrow.
See how things will turn out eventually!

I cooked my pasta dinner, and wrote this long epistle to fall into bed now. Thanks the ventilator is at least working, as the air condition is unfortunately frozen…