A few days before Cody’s arrival, one last unexplored “island” of Cartagena, Manga, was on our agenda. Not to be repetitive but we took the VeHi bus to El Castillo. From there we walked a few blocks, crossed a bridge, and veered to the left toward the marina. Nice! Big expensive boats have always intrigued Stan and now I’m as interested in them as he. How big are they? When were they were built? Do they have full-time crews? How did they arrive in Cartagena? Best of all, how much did they cost? We saw some doozies. I learned a long time ago I do not want to live on a boat but how nice can it be to call the crew from the office and tell them to take the boat from Freeport to Cartagena . . . saying, the owners will meet you there and sail on to San Antonio, Chile. I can talk about this but that kind of lifestyle certainly is not mine and I don’t dream of it. We like our lives just fine.
As if drawn by a magnetic force, we walked directly to the Restaurante Fuerte de San Sebastian del Pastellio or Restaurante de Pesca. This restaurant has been open since 1956. The main part of the restaurant building, however, was built in 1744 as a part of the bayside fort that still stands strong. This area was a compliment to El Castillo in the Spanish defense system. The walls of the restaurant and nearby lookout towers are at least 2 feet deep. Today Restaurante de Pesca with its covered decks and airy patios is a wonderful place to enjoy the view of modern Cartagena and exclusive sailboats and yachts in the marina. Plus the food is well-crafted and simply pure pleasure. We had an icy vodka tonic each and shrimp ceviche for lunch. It was a leisurely meal and setting to remember.
Afterward, we explored the Plaza Fuerte de San Sebastian del Pastelillo and then walked on along the long green Paseo of Manga. To our left were signs pointing to historical casas that have been here since Colonial Cartagena times. We found as many as we could. Of all the areas of Cartagena, the Manga community is quiet and tree-lined. If for some reason in our wildest of dreams we might decide to live in Cartagena, Manga is where we’d find a home.
crazy travelers
That’s my kind of lunch!