In Cartagena!!!

I FINALLY MADE IT!!  Thanks to everyone who posted to the blog. I am sorry about posting too late but this is the first chance that I´ve had to post and my little notebook is not getting any connection in the Don Pedro Hotel. So I am on their computer until someone else needs it. First my plane ride on Spirit was supposed take about two hours but it took more like 5. 5 hours. The plane ride itself was very smooth which is good for me and the guy next to me was very scared, even though he said that he had flown for a long time. He was very nervous until he fell asleep during the cruise part. I kept my head in a book, put earplugs in, chewed gum, sucked on candy like Barbara suggested. I was even calm when we had to stay up in the air 30 minutes in a holding pattern because we could not land at the Cartagena airport due to a disabled plane. Then we were diverted to another city to wait for another 30 minutes until Cartagena gave the okay for us to lift off again and land in Cartagena. I believe that God did this intentionally to help build some more faith in me, really, because it was unbelievable. Everyone was cheering both times we landed.

Anyway, going through the security check once we got to Cartagena was interesting because I found out that I was in the wrong line and the man gave me a stern look like, didn´t you know, can´t you read espanol?????   After that fiasco, people of course wanted to find our luggage on the conveyor belt  for tips, so one man found one and when I said that I had 2 bags, he said ´´But you haven´t paid me the dollar for this one yet!!´

Then another guy went looking and could not find it, gave up and still asked for the dollar. I found it in  a group of luggage that had already been taken off of the conveyor belt!  (Remember, this is all very new and funny to me because I am not a traveler!)

Anyway Dora the Explorer was supposed to pick me up but since I arrived at around 5 pm instead of at 12:35 pm, I knew she was gone and <i  could not find a phone, well they did not have any at the airport and <i had no internet connection or mobile phone connection, so I did what I wasn´t supposed to do, got a taxi from the airport. Well the guy was very nice to me on the way and spoke to me telling me about the city in Spanish although I said´and indicated that I did not speak Spanish, but he went on with the tour  in spanish and the streets are crazy, very dangerous, people driving any way they wanted. We almost crashed into 3 boys riding  their bikes straight towards us, seriously! The boys yelled out and we narrowly missed them! 

Anyway, the ride was beautiful because he took me right past the beaches and the ocean with kids playing in the beautiful water right across from the old city walls. When we arrived at Don Pedro, he wantéd to charge me ten dollars for the ride and I remembered that we were to talk them down, so when <i said, ´¨How about five dollars, he said adamantly,´NO, NO!  I tried for six and received the same response, he said ¨EIGHT!¨ and I said, ¨Seven?¨ and he was okay with that. I know that it was too much to pay but it was the best that <i could do with this guy!

Anyway, after I checked into the hotel, Dora the Explorer arrived and called for me to come down! She said that she had waited at the airport from 12´.35 p.m. to 5.00 p.m. holding a sign for me to see. With all that was going on, I was so sorry that I did not see her and felt so bad that she was there all of the time. I offered to pay her for her trouble but she declined and was so nice. I recommend her for anyone who wants to take a tour through Cartagena if you can come. The tour is still on for Friday, although another one of her workers will do it because she will be out of town.

Don Pedro is a very charming hotel and it feels like you are in another age in time. Very rustic but very hot in the lobby area. The rooms are very cool but smaller than I thought. The pool is out of order too, Barbara. Maybe they will fix it soon. Tonight I was starving and walked in the old city square to find something to eat. It seems to be very safe, lots of people are out watching the dancers in the square and people are taking the wagon rides up and down the street. I can see and hear them outside of my window which has a little balcony.

Well I was hoping that I would be able to post photos and videos of my visit with the kids while I am here but my little notebook is not picking up the connection. Another worker is supposed to take a look at it for me tonight. I hope he can figure it out!

Well, I must get ready to see Sonia and Yiseth tomorrow! I have been imagining this day for a whole year since deciding to come to Colombia. I hope that they like all of their goodies and enjoy this day!
<hope to post more tomorrow, but I do plan to take lots of photos and videos! God bless!!!