January 24, 2025 - Science and Respect

 When I was a kid, we had a large arroyo behind our house in Tucson.  My brother and I loved playing in the sand there.  One of our favorite things to do was use magnets to collect iron filings.  We'd just rub the magnet against the sand and the tiny iron pieces would stick to the magnet.  I collected jars of the stuff.  We also collected sand rubies, which are actually tiny garnets.

My favorite 7 year old, Eileen, was telling me about a science experiment she did at school this week.  So I told her I was going to conduct a science experiment on Playa Bocagrande.  My hypothesis was that the dark streaks in the sand were iron filings.  To test my hypothesis, I needed a magnet.  Hence, the trip to Caribe Mall yesterday.  Ok, it was also a good excuse for a road trip.

Eileen's mom, Lori, served in the Peace Corps in Ecuador and her hypothesis was that what I was seeing was just volcanic sand, which is common in Ecuador.  One way or another, the magnet would prove what the dark streaks in the sand were made of.  

You'll have to watch the video to see the results.  I bet you're on the edge of your seat!  

In other news, I'm having a quiet day at home.  Got another massage, which was wonderful, and did my laundry.  It's a good great day.  

Now, the photos!

What the heck? Why were all these people headed to my beach at 6:30 a.m.?

Ah, dude.  Stick with the fish.  That trash will kill you.

Notice the dark grains?  Is it volcanic sand or is it iron filings? Spoiler - there's a video at the end of the post with the very sad results.  They are volcanic sand, not iron filings.  Dang.  Eileen doesn't believe that you can actually find tiny pieces of metal in sand.  BTW, in related news, I'm bringing my metal detector with me next time I come to Cartagena!  

The surfers were out, just before dawn on another spectacular day.

Who's been riding a 4-wheeler here?

This is the hotel next to my building.  I wanted to Google it.  Cheap prices (less than $60 a night) but not great review.  Check Morros City instead!

Another nice shell but I already have mine.

The tide is continuing to eat away at the beach.

The view toward El Laguito.

I'm so sad my magnet doesn't work in the sand.  

This little hand isn't at all creepy.  

The sun rose in the east again.  That's pretty special.

Tomorrow, JC and I are going walking at sunrise in the Old City again.  We'll also be stopping at Mr. Bono for deditos de queso (cheese fingers - made with cassava flour) and coffee.

I've been walking on this beach for 3 1/2 weeks and just noticed there's exercise equipment.  

Did you know that Cartagena is on the very southern edge of the Caribbean hurricane zone?  No worries about major storms here.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Just a man, sitting on a pile of chairs, watching the mall.

That's the main road (Carrera 1) along the beach in Bocagrande.

Tough choices - walk on the beach or walk on the seawalk next to the bay and watch the sunrise?  Both are spectacular.

La Playa Bocagrande.

A blonde pigeon.

Another cool shell.

These three guys were intent on a project.  They seemed to be building a lean-to, connected to the seawall.  Why?  I don't know.  But they were working hard at it for at least 30 minutes.

Still working.

Surf's up!

That's my balcony!  On the right, on the first level.

More sand being swept out to sea.

Clever guy - he packed some sand into a little seat.

Remember the big group heading to the beach when I started my walk?  I assumed it was some sort of religious thing - lots of people in white, heading to the beach at dawn.  Boy, was I wrong!  It was buff men and women, getting their photos taken in their thongs and banana hammocks.

I've seen fashion shoots in Buenos Aires and it was very different from this.  Not sure what the group is.  I think they are some of the same people who were in the same spot exercising yesterday.  

Everyone seemed to be waiting patiently while two photographers took photos of each person.

This easy-going dog lives on the street, according to the security guard in my building.

This guy is an example of why I love it here.  I was standing on the curb, waiting to cross the two-lane street to my building.  As this guy approached, he looked me up and down and smiled and said hello as he passed.  As I stepped into the street I glanced in his direction to make sure no traffic was coming.  This guy had stopped to watch me cross and was motioning that it was safe for me to go.  Imagine a 40 year old man in Orlando pausing to make sure a woman made it safely across the street.  Once I was safely across, we waved at each other and he kept going.  Notice the friendly dog in the foreground.

The dog was hoping to be my friend but I've learned the hard way about fleas, so I kept my distance.  But he really wanted into the apartment building.  The guard had to lure him toward the street so I could dash in.  

I took a shower and put on a robe after my walk.  And saw this tag.  It is a laundry tag from the 2024 Holland America World Cruise.  I loved my two months on the ship last year but am just as happy in Cartagena and it is exponentially cheaper.

Lunch time view from the couch.

Lunch was a chicken sandwich, chips and tomate de arbol - a local fruit that is cheap and tastes like a cross between persimmons and mango.

I enjoy people watching.  Here's a dad teaching his son to dive.  Mom was in the background, videoing.

Mexican food, delivered!  I had very low expectations but my high hopes were rewarded.  The taco al pastor was excellent and the shredded pork nachos were good but had no cheese and a tiny amount of salsa.  I'll happily get the tacos again.  

Plus, the great Mexican food came with a view.  Hard to beat.

Science in action.  

January 23, 2025 - A Visit to a Mall

 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.  

These are a few of the motorbikes parked next to Ara.  Cheaper than cars and easier to maneuver in traffic.

There were a LOT of people in the water this afternoon.

This isn't a black and white photo, just the angle of the sun.

The beach was busy but the pool wasn't this afternoon.