Santa Marta

If you were looking for an unusual destination, a beachfront city with history and architecture, restaurants and not too many foreigners Santa Marta would fit the bill. We liked it.

Rusty loved walking around a city almost devoid of street dogs and full of smells, not all of them delightful to human nostrils. 

Santa Marta was founded in 1525 by  Rodrigo de Bastidas of whom I’d not previously heard. They say this is the second oldest city in South America.

I had to go hunting to find the oldest which is Quito, capital of  Ecuador continuously inhabited since 980. We’ll go there in a few months I hope. This is the usual Santa Marta Cathedral. I had Rusty so there wasn’t any going inside. 

The city is full of narrow streets, murals, bars and restaurants but it is still very laid back. Cops are everywhere, walking the beat and well integrated with the community. 

We walked out to the marina but it was blazing hot. It’s a hard sail to get here from Cartagena so this town isn’t on the cruising sailor circuit. 

The early 20th century town hall built in the French style is preserved on the waterfront. 

On the subject of the waterfront Layne found a first rate fish restaurant. 

They introduced us to a drink that was perfect for the hot tropical afternoon. 

It’s called refajo “Ray-far-oh” and it tastes like shandy, a mixture of lemonade and beer. 

We shared an appetizer of a delicious seafood ceviche made in the Colombian way with ketchup and mayonnaise. It sounds unbelievable but it was light and you could taste the fish through what was I suppose thousand island dressing…

This is the Lulo sauce made of passion fruit over a whole red snapper. Sweet and tart over a flaky white fish. Extraordinary. 

Crisp salad, coconut rice and a huge fried slice of plantain. 

The whole lot including tip was $34 and Rusty got his water for free. 

We wandered the streets as Layne wanted to find a cooperative ATM and luckily that took a while as Rusty was tugging at the leash positively frantic to see everything. So off we went.

I hope the retirees society has moved to more modern quarters because this place was shut right. 

A drag circus? Florida this isn’t apparently. 

The bank building:

City hall: 

Electricians to the rescue! 

We passed a barber’s shop where Rusty was welcome so I got a beard trim as well as a clip round the ears and a delicious facial massage.

Rusty freaked out when he saw my head disappear in a cloud of steam and he rushed over to make sure I was okay. While Marcos gave me my trim the others queried Layne about our route and our van and so forth. 

We stopped by a brew pub for a couple of locally brewed beers and it was a delightful surprise. 

It was a hot day and Rusty got his. Notice how he’s welcome everywhere? Another reason to like Colombia…

In 1830 the liberator Simon Bolívar died in Santa Marta but before he did that he fell out with his collaborator whose statue stands in the middle of Santa Marta, “the man of laws.” We are planning to visit the place where Bolivar died so there is history aplenty ahead. Not least because I like history. 

Arepas and empanadas cooking: 

Electric delivery truck:

Catholic outreach for the poor: 

Weaved and smiled at each other. 

Colombia has done astonishing architecture. 

We walked our legs off wandering back and forth across town. Time to put our feet up in some air conditioning. It was a good day. 

Colombia is still delivering.