Our Getsemani Day with Sandy Kay (Shelly and Kevin too)

 Monday February 12, 2024

After a good nights sleep and a quick breakfast we called an Uber and went into Boca Grande to take Sandy to meet Jennie and buy some emerald jewelry.

From there we caught a cab into one of my favorite places, in all of Cartagena, the neighborhood of Getsamani.

We went down my favorite streets...

And found new ones to to explore!

Kevin posing with the "Senoras" of Palenque.

Here Kevin, try on their basket of fruit! Haha!

Sandy posing with the Parrot (Or Macaw)! We all loved the the artwork found on walls, doors and even light posts. 

Loving it! - Enjoy the photos!

It was well past lunch time so Empanadas made a good snack!

We also took Sandy to Central Park and found the sloth!

And a wandering iguana.

After a long long day of sightseeing, we did a little relaxing by the pool. 

Ahhh.... what a way to spend the day with my sisters!

Welcome to Columbia Kevin, Michelle and Sandy Kay!

 Thursday February 8, 2024 - 10:45pm

We walked up to the 11th floor and watched Kevin and Michelle's Plane come in. It's the Latam aircraft in the middle of the runway. We then walked to the airport to meet them and they had the very unique experience of walking through a Cartagena, Colombia neighborhood at midnight going back to the apartment. Of course, I think Barrio Crespo is one of the safest neighborhoods I've ever lived in outside of the USA and even safer than some in the USA.

Friday Morning - They loved the view and liked to take their morning coffee and tea on the balcony overlooking this part of the Atlantic Ocean called the Caribbean Sea.

Good morning!

We had a relaxing morning and then walked into Crespo and took an Uber to Caribe Plaza where we shopped a little and lunched at Crepes and Waffles before catching a cab home. Darryl took off early from work and met us at the pool. This is the life... right Shelly?

In the evening we went out to Masaki Sushi for supper. Kevin liked his Tiger Roll. After dinner we came home and watched a History Channel Movie "The P-47: Battle for the Reich" which features quite a bit of footage from Bill's (Darryl's Dad) plane during WWII. 

Saturday morning Lalo drove the 4 of us into Boca Grande ...

stopping on the way at the Marbella beach to take photos.

We stopped in at Jennie Mannings Emerald Jewelry store where Michelle and Darryl both bought some jewelry for their daughters. 

From there we drove to Parqe Centro to show Michelle and Kevin the Sloths and Monkeys and walked through a little bit of Getsemani, stopping at the commercial market to buy a couple of Nativities. It was fun to watch Michelle and Kevin's reactions as this was all so lovely and very out of the ordinary for them. 

We got home around 3:30, dropped the others off and Lalo and I headed to the grocery store to get the food items he would need to cook us a special Mexican dinner tomorrow. We ate dinner at the Peruvian restaurant in Las Rambles. 

At 11:30 pm we walked back to the airport, this time to pick up Sandy, and we treated her with a walk through town back tot he apartment. She was thrilled.

Standing on our balcony showing Sandy the view at midnight.

Sunday Morning Lalo picked us up for church. I felt bad the the sound system was so bad Lalo even had trouble interpreting what was being said, but it was still a lovely Sunday!

Darryl had to teach a class after church, so the rest of us just left him behind and went home. 

After a light repast and a preparing the ceviche for supper, the now 6 of us climbed into the 5 seater sedan and drove up the mount to the Convento de Santa Cruz de La Popa.

They seem like such a long way away in front of the chapel.

Below is a relic of the convent. The plaque says "Venerable Father Friar Alonso Garcia Paredes De La Cruz .... Founder of this convent." He was martyred by the Indians in Uraba. 1567 -1633.

Finally Sunday Dinner! 

Lalo is a great cook and his ceviche was heavenly!

Just wait to see what tomorrows adventure brings!

Convento de Santa Cruz de la Popa

 Sunday February 4th, 2024

In just a few days we are going to have company. My sister and brother-in-law, Michelle and Kevin McCrea, and our baby sister Sandy Shawver, are coming to Cartagena! I am so excited to have family come visit us on a foreign job! There are so many things in this town to see, so on this day we decided to scope out The Convent of the Cross that sits on the highest hill in the area and overlooks the city.

The tall buildings behind us are on a Peninsula called Boca Grande.

Every year during the celebration of the Candelaria, they take a beautiful doll image of The Lady of the Candelaria into a big Catholic Church in town and walk it back up the hill with her as a pilgrimage. A climb that is quite long.

Looking out over part of Cartagena.

Looking to the northwest.

Looking southwest you can see Darryl's dome off in the far distance.

This convent was built by the Augustinian Friars in 1606 and they occupied it until the government kicked them out in 1815. It was returned to the friars in great disrepair in 1960 when they started the renovation. It is so lovely.

The Chapel of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria. It is so ornate and beautiful. They even have a cherished relic in this chapel.

In 1986 Pope John Paul II blessed the Señora de la Cadelaria when he visited Cartagena.

A small Cloister chapel.

Many of the old artifacts from the original convent are on display.

A beautifully repurposed Satellite dish telling the history of the convent.

Currency from all over the world they receive in their donations boxes.

This room was the actual kitchen for the convent and that is where they used to cook. 

We will definitely be coming back!