One more item broke overnight and had to be added to the broken items list; my glasses. The backpack was my cushion and my head, full with transfers and payments had crashed them. There were still many places to see in the historical center even without glasses, so I took the bus to the center but did not get off at the bridge like the last days. I continued to the bus stop at the castle San Felipe. The tourist busses were arriving at the same time and the passengers queued up at the ticket office. A ticket office, that was not a good sign; I did not want to pay entrance fee, walk up a hill with thousand other tourists only to realize that the views towards the historical center were too hazy to take good pictures or that the castle would not have an exhibition worth visiting. I walked along a path around the castle and felt I had seen enough.
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I walked back towards the historical center, passed a football pitch and arrived in a sleepy city. It was Saturday morning and the historical center was empty. The first sales stand I passed was of an elder woman selling glasses; I picked one and had resolved the accident from last night rather quickly. I was thirsty and walked the empty streets looking for my juice stand but he had a day off or was somewhere else. My second choice was the tangerine juice stand but he had a day off as well or was somewhere else. I was thirsty and just had an orange lemon juice at the next stand and waited now for cyber Frank to open. I left the battery at reception and went to my tiny corner, worked for 2 hours until I felt really hungry; it was time for lunch. Frank’s assistant had forgotten to put the battery in the charger; I would have to come back in 2 hours.
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I walked to the entrance of the historical center area where all the busses arrive, where all the taxis and moto taxis are waiting for passengers, where my favorite juice stand used to be and where all the cheap snack stands are. I had an orange juice, a Colombian potato and a Pastel. That was quick; now I had to kill time before I could pick up the battery and had a Siesta on one of the benches in the shade. Time was up, battery recharged and photographer ready.
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Due to the amount of historical buildings, the colorful facades, the restaurants and bars, the creativity of the street artists, the cultural events and the daily arriving thousands of tourists, a photographer could walk the historical center every day and would not run out of motives.
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I had seen some beautiful pictures on the internet of the Cartagena sunset seen from the castle and wanted to take some similar. I walked to the main entrance and up the ramp to have a look for the best location.
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The best location had been taken by the lounge bar chain Café del Mar and I was received well with a fine mix of chill out music.It was still early but the tourists started to arrive and occupy the best tables inside the gated area and to each side of the bar. I managed to get a good spot next to an English/Colombian couple really in love and right next to the speakers.
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I had a good view along the stone wall and the iron canons towards the sea and the setting sun. I was tempted by the music and the sunset and asked the couple to take a picture of me, only the third picture of me during the project Rio 2016.
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The sun had set, the show was over. I took the bus to the airport and wanted to work on the computer but the cable was not there. The second time now, unbelievable; I was not there, I still had the monthly payments for January in my head, 75 kilogram was still too much. I rushed back to the center, back to Frank and the cable was still there. I drove back to the airport again and worked for 2 more hours on the computer. Tonight the airport police came to inquire about me and asked me about my travel dates; I said Monday, definitely Monday.
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