48 Minutes

November 14

Today we are visiting Colombia. Not the larger and more well known port city of Cartagena, but the smaller Santa Marta which is the first Spanish settlement in Colombia. It was originally built to ship gold back to Spain. This is one of two visits we will make on this cruise to Colombia. My brother-in-law advised us not to go off on our own in Colombia because of the danger of kidnapping. I said that I did not wear expensive jewelry or anything like that, although I do have a camera. He said that I would appear be richer than anyone that I saw whatever I wore or did.

I listened to the port lecture on Santa Marta and I decided I did not want to take the single Easy tour offered today. It was too expensive and I wasn't that interested in what we would have visited.

But I did want to be there when we came into the harbor to look for lighthouses, so we went up to the Lido for breakfast. In addition to the serve yourself areas for cereal, sweet rolls and fruit, and the coffee urns, the breakfast buffet on a cruise ship will have an omelet station where you can have an omelet made to order.

Bob's breakfast

Bob (who was facing forward) said we were approaching some land, so I jumped up and went out on deck just in time to see and take photos of a lighthouse (or what I assumed was a lighthouse) as we passed it.

First view of the lighthouse

Lighthouse

I thought I saw another lighthouse, but I think it was some kind of statue or memorial.

It appeared to be a statue on top of a skinny pyramidal structure. There was a man in a bright colored safety vest there leaning against the bottom of the edifice.

Looked at with binoculars or through the camera lens zoomed as far as it would go, it appeared to be the statue of a woman holding a child (or a doll) of about five. I assume this is meant to be Mary and the baby Jesus.

But I don't know. I saw many interesting and different things in this harbor. But no one I asked could tell me anything about this statue. It remains a mystery to this day.

Tug boat comes out into the harbor

I also saw these panels which looked like fabric and wondered what they were for - you can see through them so it didn't appear that they would be screening.

Panels on shore behind the tug

When we walked down the pier to the Tourist Information building, I asked about the screens and the monument, but either no one knew, or they couldn't figure out how to tell me in English. I eventually figured out that the screens around the port were to reduce wind, and expect that is so that the coal dust isn't blown around. While the port of Santa Marta was originally built to ship gold to Spain, Cartagena became the greater port. There is where most of the tourists go; it has the most sophisticated restaurants and a greater tourism infrastructure. So during the 20th century the Santa Marta served as main port for massive exports of Bananas and coal produced inland with the assistance of major multinational corporations. Coal export has created a problem for Santa Marta because of the windy weather conditions.

Loading dock with screens in background

In 2006 an article was published which said the following:
Colombia is reaping an enormous windfall from exports of its high-quality coal, and millions of tons of it are being shipped a year from this sweltering, desert-like coastal area to the far corners of Earth. But in Santa Marta, officials and residents complain that the only dividend they're getting is an unwanted one: the fine layer of coal dust spread over much of the town each morning after La Loca, or the Crazy One, blows. That's what locals call the gusts that scatter the black dust through much of the city -- from the poor barrio of San Martin to the wealthy beach enclave of Bella Vista -- hurting tourism, fishing and possibly the health of the residents.

The mining industry now overshadows tourism here in Colombia's first city, which was founded in 1524. Its deep-water port has made it a leading embarkation point for coal mined in La Guajira and Cesar states, and the dust and residue from thousands of loads of coal passing through or near here daily on trucks and trains have smudged the city's image and cooled visitors' ardor.

Screens on the north side of the harbor

We didn't have any problem when we were there. We picked up the pilot about 9:15

Picking up the harbor pilot

heading back for the dock

I was sorry I did not have my hat - it was hot out on deck.

Fishing pier or kibbitzers?

If there is a beach, people will come. People were beaching it even right at the port. But I understand there are several towns around where one can lie on the sand. I took pictures of the beaches that were within view - some of them had people, and some appeared deserted and may only be accessible by boat.

Beach from the ship

Beach with green construction screens

Distant ahd deserted beaches around the bay

Bob has remarked that the ship comes in pretty 'hot' and I was on deck 12 looking down on deck 8 or 9 and I could see the buses lined up ready to take people on excursions.

Busses lined up on the left. Will he hit the dock?

The bow looked like it was overhanging the pier. So this time I thought maybe it was going to ram the pier. Boats have no brakes. But they did get turned and tied up pointing out of the harbor.

Provisioning truck from a deck above

From the ship

Flags on ship mast

By the time we got ourselves organized, it was about 10:30.

Ship from the dock

Since I had listened to the port talk, I had an idea of what I really wanted to see. I had a written list and the port map. So went down to the tourist information building at the end of the dock, and I asked how much it would be for a taxi to drive Bob and me around Santa Marta for a hour. One of the men went to ask and came back and said we could do that for $15.00 for the hour. This was satisfactory to me. Our taxi driver was named Henrico and he spoke almost no English (and I have very little Spanish). I pointed to the places that I wanted to go on the map. The traffic was very bad. The streets are quite narrow and people were .

riding motorcycles and bicycles

Boy kicking a soccer ball

Reflected in cab mirror - school girls in uniform

The streets are quite narrow

Is this street wide enough for a car?

and a lot of the streets were torn up by

Construction

Our taxi driver had to be resourceful and that included going around some barriers

Streets from the cab

Another taxi ahead of us

I glad I wasn't driving .

What did we see?

1. Statues of Rodrigo de Bastidas and Bolivar down at the waterfront and their tombs in
2. The Cathedral
3. Iglesia de San Francisco
4. Madame Agustine House (from the outside)

We did not go to the Gold Museum because I knew we couldn't take photos.

On the Waterfront:

Waterfront in Santa Marta

Bathrooms along the beachfront

Santa Marta was almost the first Spanish city founded in South America. Apparently the first city was actually Santa María la Antigua del Darién between Panama and Colombia. Santa Marta was founded on July 29, 1525 by the Spaniard Rodrigo de Bastidas, accompanied by some two hundred of his men and a few amerindians. After he sailed on Columbus's second voyage, he decided to branch out on his own. He is supposed to have named the city after the Catholic day for Saint Martha, because the city was founded on her "day". In Spain Santa Marta Day was celebrated with festivities.

Statue Rodrigo de Bastidas

This was the beginning of Spanish colonization of the region, and it was from here that the Spanish set up all of administrative functions for the colony, including a maritime port and the construction of defenses to prevent pirate raids. But in spite of the two fortresses built to protect it, 26 known pirates attacked Santa Marta between 1543 and 1702. These pirates included John Hopkins, Francis Drake and Martin Cote. On December 3, 1655, British Vice Admiral William Goodson attacked and burned the city. During the Colonial times the city started losing its importance as maritime port to nearby city port of Cartagena.

In addition to the statue on the waterfront, Rodrigo de Bastidas tomb is in the Cathedral. When we got to the Cathedral, the taxi driver parked and we got out.

Next to the Cathedral

There was a considerable police presence here.

Officers in Cathedral square in Santa Marta

The Cathedral was designed by architect Diego Rueda, and was built of stone masonry in the Roman Renaissance style. Construction was began in 1766, but the structure was not completed until the latter part of the 18th century. The cathedral's exterior is simple. You can see the dome from the port, but there is also a square belfry.

Bell tower

Omnium Columbianae Ditionis Ecclesiarum Mater

Omnium Columbianae Ditionis Ecclesiarum Mater is what is inscribed over the main entrance door. I think this means that the the Basilica is the Mother church of Colombia. This is the oldest cathedral in South America.

La Catedral Basílica de Santa Marta

Inside, the nave is grand but not ostentatious. It was very cool and restful.

Bob's picture from behind me of the interior

Pulpit

side aisle

Santo Curia de ars Rucca por nuestra didcesis

Plaque to Dr. Álvaro Uribe Vélez

This says"..ogad por la alma de Purgatorio" on the top and "Requiescant In Pace Amen" on the bottom

Side chapels

Catholic cathedrals in Latin America often drip with gold and elaborate decor. Even though the decor is more restrained, you can still see intricately carved Carrara marble sculptures.

Bob's picture of me walking toward the tomb

Notables are buried here, and that includes the tomb of the Spaniard who founded the city- Rodrigo de Bastidas.

Inscription on the tomb of Rodrigo de Bastidas

The Santa Marta Cathedral build in 1766 is a national monument and until 1842 it held the remains of Simon Bolivar. On his way back to Caracas, he was forced to stop due to intense tuberculosis. Bolivar was given refuge at Quinta San Pedro de Alejandrino, where he died on December 17, 1830. He was buried in the cathedral. Thirteen years later, Bolivar was moved to his home town.

Simon Bolivar's First Grave

In This August Place Was buried
Simon Bolivar
Liberator and Father of Colombia
20 Decembre 1830.
Then - On July 24, 1839 - his Revered remains moved
opposite to the Andalusia vault altar under the dome
and at the entrance to the sanctuary.

Bolivarian Society Del Magdalena
July 24, 1975

Simon Bolivar's Plaque in the church

(Translation of the first sentence is probably not an exact quote)
"It follows ..after my death, my remains are deposited in the city of Caracas, my home country."
10th clause of the will of Simon Bolivar
On November 20, 1842 were exhumed from the vault by two committees of our country, one of Venezuela, the mortal remains of the Liberator, in obedience to his last will.
For Santa Marta the vacuum was great, but his heart remained always in San Pedro, where the city rekindles the flame reverent of memory.

This religious image was donated by the kings of Spain It accompanied the city from it's beginnings in the 18th century.

.. the next part I cannot make out - then "Governor of the City and Captain of the Port and ordered that this (image) appears on the shield of the city" (shield being like the symbol of the city) "On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of . . ." "celebrated here when the city reached 450 years" "at the request of Pope Monsenior Jayisa Naranjo Villegas" (not sure if I got the name right) the rest is very broken up- - I can understand the words individually, but not the story they are trying to tell.

1829-1923 at bottom

There's a tomb marked:
Dr Rafael Celedon
The 1903 National Congress
Testimony of recogition admiration as bishop of Holy Andalusia
born in San Juan Callaos 1832, died in Car Cuz Orinpo 1902
Callroa 1866 Orinpo 1882

Bob's picture of me going for photo of cathedral

After we left the cathedral, we walked out into the square

Right on the corner -Madame Agustine House

Across the square from the Cathedral, is Madame Agustine House, which the port lecturer told us was "a jewel of Colonial architecture". A quick look shows that there is an interior courtyard and a beautifully tiled staircase. All we did though was take pictures of the exterior balconies.

Madame Agustine House

I'm always interested in the nitty gritty details of a city and the square in front of the Cathedral answered some of those questions. Are there pay phones and how do you use them?

Phone booth in the central square

And I also find that things like

Electric service

electric poles and junction boxes and

Manhole for the local telecommunications company

or water or sewer manholes are interesting to photograph. I also tend to look to see what the car license plates look like

License plate

Banner across the road and Razor wire on top of a building

Then we drove around to the Church of San Francisco Santa Marta but we did not go in.

Street beside the church

Stopping at the San Francisco church

Cross on the top

Church of San Francisco

This is a small beautiful colonial church in downtown Santa Marta two blocks from the Bay and the Plaza de Bolivar. It faces the Plaza de San Francisco. Originally, it this was the main city square
We went to the Plaza de Bolivar (where there was a good bit of construction - we stopped there and watched that) near the gold museum. There was a statue of Simon Bolivar
[

On the right - Wheelbarrow beside Simon's statue

The statue of Bolivar says: Simon Bolivar born in Caracas the 24th of June 1763 died in Santa Marta 17th of Dec 1830

Construction in the Plaza de Bolivar

Plaza de Bolivar

The Gold Museum

Originally the Gold Museum was housed in the customs house. But the customs house was under renovation, so the exhibits had been moved to a bank. We did not go to this museum, although their website says "This is the best museum of gold in the world. It went through some renovations a few years ago and will now leave the visitor breathless!"

Customs House balcony

Bank where the museum is now

But since I couldn't take pictures in the gold museum, we didn't go in there

Port Authority of Santa Marta

- we just went back to the ship.

Bob's picture of the lighthouse from the dock

Bob said our little tour took 48 minutes. We were back on the ship before noon. They have no service in the dining room when we are in port, so we had lunch in the Lido.

Kung Pao chicken and Singapore noodles

We went up to the Crow's Nest to do Team Trivia about 1500 and I took some more pictures of the waterfront area which included the statue.

Statue on top

Homes Overlooking the harbor

Aids to Navigation and a far away beach

We didn't win again - None of us knew the war movie with Frank Sinatra (None but the Brave), or the title of Muhammad Ali's autobiography (The Greatest), or the song that Dolly Parton sang in farewell to Porter Waggoner (I will always love you) and they decided that the Grand Old Game was golf, and it was (of course) baseball. We got the thing that dangles over your palate (uvula), the song of the Harlem Globetrotters (Sweet Georgia Brown), what base a batter is awarded if the ball gets stuck in the fence at Wrigley Field (2nd), and who succeeded Charles De Gaulle (Pompidou)

We were supposed to leave at 1600, and Bob and I were out on deck when they asked for two people (man and woman) of specific cabin numbers to call to the front desk over the loudspeaker.Bob said, There they are, coming down the dock. And sure enough two people were running to the ship.

Looking down

And we didn't leave right away anyway because they had to do an underwater inspection of the ship first. I assume this is some kind of thing they do in Colombia because we didn't do it anywhere else. I saw some tough looking men in boat, so I don't know if they were doing the underwater inspection.

Men in a boat

The ship blew the whistle and we pulled away from the pier.

Blowing the whistle - Leaving

Morro Grande Lighthouse

Since I am interested in lighthouses, I always look for them and I took pictures of this one.

Lighthouse

When I looked at the photos there appeared to be a path to the top of the lighthouse, and the lighthouse looked like it had lights in it.

Bottom of the hill

Then I asked at the information desk what the name of the lighthouse was. They didn't know. I guess there are not many lighthouse fans on the cruise ships. I would have been better off to go to the Lighthouse Directory page which says under Barranquilla Area Lighthouses
This lighthouse was built in 1971 at a station established in 1870. Active; focal plane 269 ft; three white flashes every 15 s seconds. It is a 80 ft hexagonal tower on a 2-story square base; the lighthouse is built of cement blocks with a frame of reinforced concrete painted gray with white trim; the lantern has red and white vertical striping. Located on a steep-sided island in the entrance to the harbor of Santa Marta. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower presumably closed.

Cactus on the hill

I took some more pictures of the lighthouse [Morro Grande (Santa Marta)] on the way out, including one of the lighthouse with a freighter in front of it picking up the pilot. Bob said if they were that far in, what did they need a pilot for?

Ship picking up a pilot next to the lighthouse

I thought maybe Morro meant lighthouse since so many Spanish lighthouses have that as part of their names. But it doesn't - it means Promentory

For dinner, Bob had the

California fruit plate

short ribs

and I had the

Crab cheddar soup

chilled cranberry soup

BBQ Chicken Salad

He had his usual sundae (banana in this case) for dessert and I had the

Master Chef's Mousse

which is chocolate mousse in a white chocolate shaped chef's hat.

Tomorrow we visit the San Blas Islands in Panama