86 Countries and Still Counting: January 23, 2025

Long story, but I wanted to buy a small magnet today. I wrote to Juan Carlos, who, of course, knew where to go. We drove across town to the Caribe Plaza Centro Comercial, which is large, modern mall in a neighborhood called El Pie de la Popa. Unlike the malls in Florida, this one was very busy. It has a large building store on the first floor (think Lowes/Home Depot). The upper floors are typical mall - clothing stores, lots of restaurants, a theater and a casino. Did I mention it was as crowded as a U.S. mall on a Saturday afternoon in 1998?

We went to the Panamericana, which has toys, art supplies, televisions and computers and...magnets. We tested the first magnets I bought right outside the store and they didn't work. I could have handled the return on my own but I confess, having a local who knows the language and how to get things done expedited things. And, now I know where to go to pay for parking, something I never would have figured out on my own. After a quick stop at Ara for a rotisserie chicken ($5), I headed back to my apartment.

Check back tomorrow if you're curious about why I felt a need for a magnet at the beach. There will be photos.

Meanwhile, here are some photos of another excellent day.

As usual, I hit the beach about 6:30 for a walk. Instead of the handful of other walkers and surfers there were a lot of people. Exercising, apparently. With one guy who appeared to be a coach. Soccer team? Just local guys getting into shape? Dunno, but I discovered the view at the beach actually CAN get better.

They were doing wind sprints, mostly.

And there were more surfers than usual. It was the highest tide since I arrived and I moved several pairs of shoes/cell phones further away from the water from people already in the water. In two cases, the people noticed me moving their stuff. Instead of assuming I was stealing, they immediately realized what I was doing and started yelling their thanks. It's a very convivial group on the beach in the morning.

These sandbags are new. The high tide is eating away at the beach in this area, creating a drop-off that makes it harder to access the beach.

I just noticed there's a rope and stake attached to each of these umbrellas. For windy days?

Surfs up!

I used to relax on my balcony and then walked at 7. But, it is much cooler before the sun is up.

This man and his son were busy having fun in the sand and didn't notice the waves were starting to lap at their stuff.

So I moved it.

I arrived 3 weeks ago. I don't want to leave.

Most of the lounge chairs are plastic. These are wooden. I have a similar one at home. They weigh a ton.

The birds are used to humans and fun to watch.

Sunrise at 7 in Bocagrande.

I watched this guy catch and eat about five fish as I walked by.

I found a whole, cool shell to add to my collection at home. I have shells from around the world in a basket.

I enjoy looking at the tracks and trying to figure out who left them.

These seemed to be from a small bird. Who was giving someone the bird. These are the kinds of things that make me laugh on my walk. And one of the many reasons why I'm single and haven't had a date since 1974.

Why don't they sell coffee on the beaches in Florida in the early morning? That's what this guy is doing.

He got a fish! I saw him get two at the same time. Impressive.

This is the guy who has the bad luck of renting chairs in the area where the beach is eroding. He'd put in the sand bags and this morning was trying to reinforce them.

All the loungers were set up this way today. ??

The guys were still exercising when I finished my walk.

My new shell.

Every morning, the "pool guy" gives me a wave and a smile. I can't say enough about how friendly and helpful the staff at Morros City have been since day one.

On the couch. Air conditioning and WIFI. And that view.

Heading into the parking structure under the mall.

This is the line to pay for parking, which you have to do before you leave. It's pretty high tech. We used a machine, entered the license plate number of the car and the machine told us how much to pay. We were there for an hour and it cost $.71.

These were at the checkout stand at the store where I got the magnets. Can you figure out what they are?

Candy! Lip-shaped suckers.

The Panamericana was large, modern and had a wide array of products.

Like TVs. And computers. And books, knick knacks, chocolate and lots of art supplies.

That's a view of Cerro de la Popa from the inside of the mall.

The sign said these are "healthy" popsicles. Some were chocolate covered with nuts. I like their approach to healthy eating.

It's a mall, so there were lots of food options.

Did I mention it is a random Thursday afternoon but the place was busy.

Driving home, I thought this bench was funny. It is in front of a barber shop.

Cartagena has a lot of beautiful gardens. These are in Manga, near the bridge leading to Getsemani and the Old City. Just going to the mall is a treat because of the views along the way.

View from the bridge of the fortress walls.

That's the San Felipe de Barajas fort.

Back in Getsemani.

All the police vehicles seem to keep their flashing lights on all the time. I asked Juan Carlos why and he said "Because they are the police."

I love Rappi. It is to Colombia what Uber Eats is to the USA. The typical service charge and tip is less than $1.50. Very different from Uber Eats. And many "drivers" deliver on bicycles.