February 19, 2025 - Botanical Garden

 As usual, I woke up early to another beautiful day in Cartagena.  My habit of almost two months is to end every day on the balcony, saying goodnight to the Old City.  This morning, as usual, I started my day on the balcony, watching the city come alive before dawn.  The plan was for Juan Carlos to pick me up at 8 a.m.

He was waiting when I got to the lobby a few minutes early.  We drove past the Old City along a route I've now taken several times.  After about 40 minutes, we followed a rough, narrow road to the botanical garden.  The road is under construction but one of the big pieces of equipment wasn't working.

When we got to the Garden, the gate to the parking lot was locked.  A guard strolled over and opened the gate so we could enter the almost empty parking lot.  I bought a ticket for 27,000 pesos, about $6.50 USD.  Juan Carlos got in for free, as my guide.

The garden is beautiful although the stone steps are a bit rough.  And there's some uphill/downhill that wouldn't be possible for anyone with mobility issues.   We'd gone about 3/4 of the way around and stopped for me to use the toilet.  When I came out, Juan Carlos was talking to an English-speaking employee who Juan Carlos.  He'd  been asking if he could drive there (there's a small road to bring supplies to the cafeteria there), so that I didn't have to walk up the stairs to the parking lot.  I wasn't worried (too much) about getting back to the car but was touched at JC's thoughtfulness.  Although, let's be honest, I'd warned him on the way down the rough path, that he could carry me piggy-back if I couldn't make it back up the stairs.  Whether it was kindness or self-preservation, I was touched.  I had no problems making it back to the car and JC was right there to offer a hand on the uneven/rocky steps that didn't all have railings.

The highlight of the garden, for me, was the monkeys.  There were a lot of them and they were loud and easy to spot.  There are videos at the end.  Some are monkeys, others I took to enjoy the sounds.  The monkeys are Red Howler monkeys which sound huge and fierce, although they aren't.  There are also Cotton Topped Tamarins, but we didn't see those.  You may also hear the sounds of children.  The only other visitors to the park was a group of school kids.  There are benches along the path and it is a beautiful place to spend a few hours.

Happily, we didn't see any caymans, which one worker (a young German man who is volunteering in the garden for a year) said we were likely to see.

It was 88 and humid and I needed a shower when I got home, but it wasn't as steamy as I expected.  My body is now ready for the Florida summer.

Here are some photos. They are in reverse order - sorry! I've tried twice and am too lazy to do the coding to change.

 

Another hair cut photo, after I showered.

And what's better than some hot soup after a few hours in the rainforest?  Made from the carcass of an Ara chicken, with leftover veggies.

At points along the way are spots where moto taxies and food vendors hang out.  You can take a bus to these stops, then hop a moto bike to your final destination.  I was happy to be in an air conditioned car.

I love giant vines climbing trees.

Close up of the roots of a palm tree.

I've never seen palm trees like this one, with a smooth trunk.

Most of the stone steps were well maintained.

They had a composting system, with an explation.

A lot of the plants also grow in Florida.

There were streams, small lakes and waterfalls.  

The toilets were clean and had TP.  At the mall, be sure to grab some paper before you go into the stall.

For bees?  No explanation.

We saw fish.

I was surprised at the number of deciduous trees.

Red Howler monkey.

There were a lot of ants, working hard, carrying stuff bigger than they were.

You can't tell from the photo but this tree trunk was HUGE - at least 6 feet in diameter.

Juan Carlos has been a great driver, guide and companion.  

I've broken my left leg twice.  I fell on the way to Playa Blanca.  I fear breaking my hip in a remote place.

A beautiful place for an event.

There's a playground.  And two staff members had tables and art supplies set up for the school group that was visiting.

I've seen a lot of these Cuban palm trees.  They are different and cool.

Locally, these trees are called "elephant feet" because of the roots.

Exciting news...life goes on after Cartagena so I just booked my intro sailing lesson on Lake Monroe.  If all goes well, I'm planning to learn to sail!