About to make another trip!   Sunday 31/07/2022

Have had a relatively quiet week in Cartagena, wandering around the city. It’s interesting to walk the backstreets, which often have great buildings and are less commercial than the larger streets. This is particularly true of Getsemani, the closest part of the old town to the marina, which is really stunning. Also paid a visit to the castle, which is not far away and is apparently the largest fortification ever built by the Spanish – needed because Cartagena was plagued by pirates in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Until about mid-week I was trying to shake a cold, or what seemed to be a cold – a persistent cough plus serious fatigue. Only after about a week of these symptoms did it occur to me that this was probably not a cold, but Covid. A moderate cold shouldn’t have made me feel so tired (I was sleeping at least 9 hours a night, and even then taking a nap during the day). So I suspect that I have had Covid… I haven’t had close physical contact with anyone – any conversations have been outdoors and at a reasonable distance, while masks here are still required when going into a supermarket. So I don’t think I’ve posed much of a risk to anyone. What I suspect is that lots of people have Covid, that it’s everywhere – much like in Europe. Fatigue seems to be the main symptom – it doesn’t seem to be killing people!

Tomorrow lunchtime I’m flying to Medellin. It’s a short flight, scheduled about an hour and ten minutes, so will be there by 2pm. I’m staying for three nights, which should be enough to wander around and get a decent impression of a city which everyone seems to rave about. I suspect there’s a good chance that it might disappoint – so often the case with things that are supposed to be wonderful! But it will be a welcome change, not least from the heat. It’s been very hot in Cartagena – yesterday early afternoon it was 33 but felt like 41. Medellin is called the City of Eternal Spring due to its moderate climate: the maximum temperature is usually 24 to 27 and it goes down to about 17 at night. And it’s like that all year round.

In a week’s time I will therefore have something very different to comment on!