RENAISSANCE

MARINA

—Continued from previous page
..-in his Sunday best and armed with a warm, wel-
coming smile and a notebook. We then headed into
the Club’s dinghy dock to make arrangements with
the harbourmaster, John, an Englishman married
to a Colombian with three pretty daughters. He
readily gave us the lay of the land and helped us
throughout our stay. He spoke excellent Spanish,
as well as numerous other cruisers’ languages. He
gave a detailed guide to Cartagena that listed every-
thing from where to shop for gadgets or services, to
who are the best plastic surgeons in Colombia.
The staff was more than helpful, the open-air
clubhouse was cleaned regularly and the bar had
regular hours. Club Nautico immediately put us on
a tab system so we just went to the bar and ordered
by our boat’s name. Happy Hour was at 5:00pm,
beer was less than a dollar, and Tuesdays, when a
world full of cruisers came in to pay their weekly
tabs, were always the best.
When we were there, everything was so inexpen-
sive (even against the Canadian loonie) that it
shocked us. We could eat three meals a day at
restaurants for less than $20 for us both. If you
anchored out, the deal was to pay about US$2 a
day for the use of the dinghy dock and club facili-
ties (showers, bathrooms, restaurant, TV, pool
tables). The Mediterranean-tie moorage was a
whopping US$35 per week for a 45-footer. At
times moorage was scarce, but available. It
depended on how long it took the “backpacker
boats” to fill up before taking world travelers on to
Panama (there are no roads or buses between the
two countries). Trust was not a big issue as you
had to check out with an agent and leaving on the
sly could be a challenge. Besides, the Colombian
and US Navy were stationed right across from
Club Nautico.
Barb and I quickly discovered that Sunday was
the best day to explore and get our bearings in a
new culture. The shops are closed and you have
most of the city to yourself. An American had
warned us about the evils of all other people in the
world, and for a brief while we felt the paranoia
that this narrow-minded thinking causes. Barb hid
her camera deep in her backpack as we walked
along the historic wall that circles the city of
Cartagena. After about an hour of enduring the
vibrant smiles and constant, “;Hola! gCémo estas?”
of the locals, her camera emerged and our ner-

 

 

 

12°32'01.50°H | 70°02/15.00°W

vousness was carried away on the wind.

This walk around gave us a real firsthand look at
this magnificent city and its people. The constant
breeze from the ocean keeps you cool even at mid-
day. Sunday in Colombia (as well as Venezuela) is a
day for families on the beach and lovers in every nook
and cranny experiencing the romance that living by
the sea evokes in the soul. It was very refreshing and
gave me the opportunity to use the “when in Rome”
line to steal a kiss or two as we strolled along.

Our daily cruisers’ routine started at 8:30am, lis-
tening to the Cruisers’ Net on the VHF to get up-to-
date gossip, weather reports and lists of local
events. Every net included the famous Treasures of
the Bilge — a cruiser’s Craigslist of items to buy
and sell. We then planned our day based on the
fact that everything has to be done between 9:00
and 11:50am, as all banks and businesses, except
for food stores and restaurants serving lunch, close
from noon to 2:00. After 2:00 we completed any
tasks by 4:55 so we didn’t miss Happy Hour.

Our two-month stay included a daylong city
tour that included the San Felipe Fort, the
Maritime Museum and La Popa (a monastery at
the top of the hill). We also rode in a horse-drawn
carriage through the streets at night, visited
shops and parks by day and at night, walked
around the city walls regularly, rode city buses to
many locations, hit the spa in Boca Grande, took
private Spanish lessons, shopped for fresh fruits
from carts and spent an unforgettable day at the
Carnival in Barranquilla.

The point is that Club Nautico was a perfect base
from which to explore one of the best stops on the
world cruising route. It was a home-away-from-
home for many wonderful people from all corners of
the world, and we made lifelong friendships there
that have spanned the globe. The possible removal
of Club Nautico would hurt, but also inspires us to
revisit fond memories.

If you have not yet ventured into the cruising
world and you are contemplating your cruising
adventure, take it from us, the Cruisin’ Canucks:
“Get out there and do it!” (We initially enjoyed these
experiences by signing up as unpaid crew.) Some of
the best experiences of your life are waiting for you.
Remember, at the dining table of life you will
always be able to savour your just desserts, even
when they are gone forever.

For information on the current status of Club
Nautico visit www.clubNauticocartagena.com.

 

 

 

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