Page 12 - Martin Downs Bulletin - May '21

Page 12, Martin Downs

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Cartagena ‘The Heroic City’ The Chibcha were true craftsmen when it
came to pottery and weaving, however it
By Don Kiselewski, MCC, was their excellent goldsmithing skills and
D.S., Palm Beach Gardens native emeralds that brought them attention.
Travel Leaders Attention, unfortunately, that they didn’t need,
Have you ever realized since it drew the early explorers who plundered
just how much your views of the Chibcha’s riches.
the world are influenced by Don Pedro de Heredia founded
the movies? If you had never Cartagena in 1533. Soon after the
been there, and I asked you interior of Columbia was explored by the
to describe Fargo, Tuscany or conquistadors, who discovered that it was
Cartagena, you’d most likely rich in gold and emeralds. Cartagena de
draw visions from famous Indias, as it was called, gained fame by
flicks depicting these places. the mid-16th century when great fleets
Many will remember North Dakota’s snowy, desolate stopped to take on gold and other resources
landscapes from the Coen brothers’ film Fargo, or the distinctive of northern South America for convoy to
architecture and colorful countryside in Under the Tuscan Sun. Spain. This also boosted the economy The Clock Tower Gate in Cartagena’s old city
And few can forget the early scenes in Romancing the Stone, of Cartagena, with goods returned from
when the heroine arrives in Cartagena, Colombia, to find a filthy, Spain. As a result, the city became a major
poorly maintained city, coming apart at the seams, with poor trade and slave port and the center for the
transportation and unsavory individuals lurking everywhere. Inquisition. During this growth period,
Well folks, I’m here to say it just isn’t so – at least with respect the city was governed through a system
to Cartagena. Hopefully, that which follows will give you a of viceroys under strict Spanish rule.
more accurate picture of Cartagena and the way it really is. The wealth flowing through Cartagena’s
Cartagena is located on the northwestern coast of Columbia, port attracted notice, and consequently
on the Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean Sea) side of the country. invited pirate attacks. Adequate defenses
This part of Colombia was originally inhabited by the Chibcha and fortifications were immediately
(chib-chuh) Indians. They lived in the mountains that border required and the Spanish Crown ordered an
the sea, long before Columbus discovered America. Their enormous wall and series of fortresses to
civilization was extremely advanced, with their works looked be built around the city. The 11-kilometer
on as being some of the best from the pre-Columbian era. wall was completed in 1686 at a cost of
some 59 million ounces of gold. It turned
out to be money well spent.
Ot h e r p r e c a u t i o n s we r e a l so
implemented to reinforce the city. The Tourists and local residents watch the sun set over the Caribbean Sea from
streets of the city were intentionally made the old city wall surrounding Cartagena.
narrow and crooked to slow the advance
of the enemy during battle.
The two forts that guarded the bay were
San José and San Fernando. At one time,
a massive chain was draped from one fort
to the other to prevent ships from sailing
in or out of the harbor. Towering above
all of the other forts, 135 feet above sea
level, was Castillo San Felipe de Barajas.
It was built in a strategic location on the
Hill of San Lázaro, protecting the isthmus
of Cabrero, and even today it remains the
most overpowering element of the city as
well as its focal point.
Originally known as the Castillo de
San Lázaro, the fortress was expanded
and renamed in 1657. It was then captured
and destroyed by the French in 1697. Locals gather in the late afternoon in the colorful streets of Cartagena’s
Between 1762 and 1769 it was rebuilt Getsemani neighborhood.
to its current state. It is now the site of
modern “sound and light” spectaculars, staged with the Cartagena the country’s chief oil port. Today, Cartagena’s
fort as a background. These performances depict the wealth is centered around the timber from the headwaters
bloody history of Cartagena. of the Atrato and San Juan rivers, coffee from the Sierra
Cartagena’s people were victim to five sieges during the Nevada Mountains, and the oil products that are still being
16th century, the most famous led by Sir Francis Drake in piped in from Barrancabermeja.
1586. Drake made it into Cartagena’s harbor and accepted Today, Cartagena is the capital of the Bolívar department
The vibrant (and narrow) streets of Cartagena draw tourists a 10 million peso ransom for not burning the city. Just after of Colombia. Its slightly over one million* urban
far and wide. the wall around the city was completed, England attacked inhabitants use Spanish as their main language, but English
again … what timing. The British threw 24,000 men and is widely spoken. Roman Catholics make up 95 percent of
186 ships against the city, to no avail, and were turned the population with small Protestant and Jewish minorities.
Answer for back … Cartagena had successfully defended itself. The climate is warm and tropical, similar to ours, and their
rainy season parallels ours, from May to November. Dress
In 1811, Cartagena tried unsuccessfully to declare
Crossword Puzzle independence from Spain. Its independence was thwarted, is casual, again, similar to ours here in South Florida.
It’s interesting to note that a major portion of the
after a long siege in 1815, by Spanish loyalist troops under
the command of Pablo Morillo. This encounter earned business community’s activities are cyclical, tying
Cartagena the title of “The Heroic City” – the Colombians into the seasons. Business is conducted from May to
refer to it as “La Heroica.” It wasn’t until 1819 when November (rainy season), with the business community
the liberator of South America, Simón Bolívar, led the generally taking holidays from September to February.
attack that liberated Cartagena, and Colombia, once and One might suspect that there are no migrating snowbirds
for all. The liberation from Spain is the city’s principal in South America that flock to Colombia. For those United
celebration, and is celebrated on Nov. 11. States citizens interested in visiting, don’t forget that
The most famous religious celebration in Cartagena you’ll need to obtain a visa for travel in Colombia.
is the Feast of Our Lady of La Candelaria. Each year on *Source: https://worldpopulationreview.com/world-
Feb. 2, pilgrims walk up the 500-foot hill in a candlelit cities/cartagena-population
procession to the parish of Pie de Popa. Don Kiselewski writes from his personal experiences,
Cartagena continued as Columbia’s leading port, having traveled in 122 countries and cruised the oceans,
but was handicapped by inadequate connection to the seas and rivers of the world. Palm Beach Gardens Travel
interior. By the 1840s it had declined in population and Leaders, his family owned and operated agency, is
commerce; however all of this changed in the first part located at Mirasol Town Square, 11360 North Jog Road,
of the 20th century. The rebirth of the city as Colombia’s Building A, Suite 102-6, Palm Beach Gardens. The agency
fifth largest can be attributed to the opening of the oil has been serving the travel needs of the South Florida
field in Rio Magdalena Valley in 1917. The pipeline from area for over a quarter of a century. Contact him at (561)
Barrancabermeja, 340 miles up the Magdalena River, 694-9696 or Aussie@PBGTravel.com.
to the Bahía de Cartagena, opened in 1926, making Photos by Don Kiselewski