Day 3 — Endurance Training at Its Finest

Day 3 — Endurance Training at Its Finest

Last night we laid in bed and chatted about the day, played on our phones, and tried desperately to unwind from all the walking. In bed by 9:30, lights out by 10:30. I took my sleeping pills, Chris was snoring within minutes, and somehow I still couldn’t sleep. Five more days on this consistently solid bed is not something I’m looking forward to. Two days in and I now understand why I’ve told my family I don’t need to live to be 90. If I feel like this at 54 and 11 months, I can’t imagine what shape I’d be in at 90.

Morning came, and Chris decided we were going to the taco place across the street from our hotel. Now, “across the street” here means crossing what feels like a one-lane highway compared to home. Of course, they were closed. Back to the hotel to regroup. Plan B was a place called Waffles and Crepes at the mall. Chris said they were open. They were not. So we walked the 1.2 miles anyway and ended up eating McDonald’s because it was the only thing open — and they didn’t even sell breakfast.

Twenty minutes later we had a hamburger, a chicken sandwich, two cold fries, and two Coke Zeros filled with melting ice. The mall didn’t have much air conditioning, so we decided to just sit for a while. While we ate, I finished yesterday’s blog and Chris posted photos from everything we’d seen so far. Afterward, we wandered through a few stores so I could try to find heels. Six stores later, we left the mall shoeless.

From there we walked about a quarter mile to the fort we planned to explore for the day — Castillo San Felipe de Barajas. Built in 1639 on the Hill of San Lázaro, the fortress was strategically positioned to protect Cartagena from both land and sea attacks. Originally known as Castillo de San Lázaro, it was constructed by African slave labor under Spanish supervision during the colonial era and played a major role in battles between European powers from the late 17th through early 19th centuries.

The ramparts to the top of the fort rise about 130 feet. In the heat, and only six months out from knee replacement, it felt more like 700 feet. Apparently, I’m also bad at math.

By the time we finished at the fort — after shopping and what now counts as McDonald’s breakfast — it was about 1:30. Chris wanted to try a gourmet burger place about two blocks from our room. We grabbed a cab, and that turned into its own adventure. The driver said five Colombian pesos, then asked for fifty when we arrived. And yes… the restaurant was closed.

At this point, Lord help us, it had been that kind of day.

We walked back toward the hotel and realized the taco place we originally tried that morning was now open. Hungry and hopeful, I walked in and walked out full but disappointed. No Coke Zero, undercooked rice, and not much flavor. Water, nachos, and a burrito bowl later, it checked the box but didn’t win any awards.

Nap time.

Back to the room to blog while Chris showered and napped. On a side note, Chris ended the day with four showers. Cartagena heat is undefeated.

Once rested, we got ready for dinner and headed out again. Dinner at San Nicolas ended up being the best meal we’ve had so far. I ordered Thai rice with pork, chicken, and shrimp. Chris had blue cheese risotto with pork tenderloin. Mine could have used a little more spice, but it was filling and really good.

We walked through the downtown nightlife afterward. It wasn’t as busy as the night before, which made it easier to wander. We found a hand-painted Christmas ornament for our tree this year — the only vendor who had them — and honestly, that made my night. One more memory to hang on the tree when we get home.

We stopped for ice cream before heading back. I wanted something different after gelato yesterday, and options were limited on this side of town, so we settled for a small place nearby. I’m so glad we did. Caramel and apple cinnamon — somehow perfect together.

By 9:15 my knee was the size of my cat Nucky, and I was done for the day. Chris offered to call an Uber, but after being scammed earlier, I just didn’t have it in me to get into another car. It was about a mile and a half back to the hotel, so we walked.

If I don’t lose ten pounds on this vacation, something is seriously wrong.