What a heck of a journey it was; that is for certain.
But if I had to give up everything I own to help a child in need,
I would do it all over again.
It makes my heart flutter to help a child in need!!!
My Cartegena Adventure started on Saturday 12 June 2014:
I left my home at 5PM got a ride up to the train station in Galesburg Illinois.
At 7PM I was on the train toward Chicago Illinois.
The train ride was good at first until around 9:20PM -
two stops away from Chicago Union Station;
when we got delayed because during the storm two cars crashed on the track.
We were delayed for an hour and a half; while they cleared the track of the vehicles.
At just before midnight I finally arrived at my destination at the Union Station.
I then walked to the subway station were I took an hour subway train ride to the
Chicago O'hare International Airport.
I arrived at the airport at just before 2AM on Sunday 13 July 2014.
At the Airport I walked all the way to my gate, got my ticket out of the ticket machine
(you enter your code number on a ticket printout to get your actual ticket now,
how times have changed),
and then waited to go to the TSA scrutiny and board my flight.
Sunday 13 July 2014:
At 0515AM I left on the on time flight 409 on SPIRIT Airlines to Fort Lauderdale Florida.
On the airplane was a nice lady from Guatemala who I spoke Spanish to on the whole flight.
She took a photo of me...
At 0915AM I arrived in Fort Lauderdale Florida. I hightailed it
with my yellow backpack on my back and my walking stick in hand
to the other side of the airport to barely make it to the boarding of my next flight out.
On time at 1048AM I departed on flight 859 to Cartagena Colombia.
I took a selfie on that flight!
At 1245PM I arrived in the heart of the Indies in the Caribbean Sea - Cartagena Colombia.
I was stopped by the policia who walked me right through customs within 10 minutes,
then I exchanged 50 USD to 100000 Pesos; but dropped a $100 bill, which I did not recover.
I only brought 250 USD with me, which did not turn out to be much at the
Bocagrande District.
This is the new highrise district, and it is costly American prices.
Anyway I was treated like royalty upon arriving until my departure.
The people were not like I expected, because of the bad stereotypes about them.
How many people stereotype Colombians as drug or coffee dealers,
with high powered weapons,
whom are dangerous, even the state department warns of the danger of the drug cartel.
In reality the stereotypes are wrong.
And even the warnings are wrong about travel to Cartagena.
Colombians are really respectful people, with lots of character, many whom work hard
just to make ends meet, many like futbul (the national sport),
and there are lots of old American sitcoms like 2 and 1/2 men on TV.
Though the Bocagrande is rich, the rest of the districts are very poor.
I departed the airport in a taxi and went straight to my hotel, the hotel Caribe.
I checked in and crashed in my room. I slept from 0130PM until 0530PM.
I got up and took a shower, shaved, changed out and went to get something to eat.
On the SPIRIT airlines you have to pay for food, you even have to pay for $3 for a water.
I did not want to do that, so I did not eat for nearly 26 hours.
I did have water, however, to take my pills and they even made me pay for that.
I went to a restaurant called, "La Fonda"
and I had a "Benjada paisa" for dinner.
The dinner consisted of one fried egg, a whole fried plankton, red beans, rice, a pork rind,
a avocado slice, a link of chorizo sausage, pulled pork, and four corn cake balls.
I had mine with a Agula beer.
The dinner cost me 42,000 pesos or 21 USD.
After the dinner I was going to go back to my room,
but went and got a massage to regain focus.
The girls name was Veronica.
Then I went back to the hotel and took a few pics,
then went for a nightly swim in the pool. And then went to sleep at 11PM.
Monday 14 July 2014:
Today I did everything on my itinerary for today, Wednesday and Thursday.
So, I will wring it on Wednesday and Thursday.
I woke up when the sun rose. Went for a morning swim.
Ate a continental breakfast from the breakfast bar.
Then showered and shaved and went to old town plaza.
At 11AM I paid $2.50 USD (5000 pesos) and explored the Museo de Arte Moderno.
I then went explore the square and all the art sculptures in the square.
I then took the bus to see the old walled city and the rest of the historic district.
While there I bought some souvenirs;
a T-shirt that said Cartagena for mi hijo Ken,
a bracelet for mi madre Sharon and esposa Jill,
and a hat for me.
Cartagena is sure a beautiful country!
At 6PM I returned to my hotel.
After the sun went down I did the "Plum Blossom" form on the deck.
I then went upstairs and watched 2 and a half men on TV.
At midnight I fell asleep.
Tuesday 15 July 2014:
Today was the highlight of my entire time in Cartagena!
I was so overwhelmed with joy to finally see my child I have been sponsoring for six years.
I got up at 0800AM, grabbed a juice from the juice bar, took my vitamins and pills,
took a shower and freshened up; put my hair back in a ponytail
(which I do to honor Master Zenkoshi).
I then got dressed in my blue jeans and pink stripped shirt
(pink is my sponsored child's favorite color).
At 0900AM I was down in the lobby waiting for my guide for the...
Funducion Amigos de los Ninos.
At 0940 she finally showed up. The traffic here in Cartagena is loco!
First we went to Jackieth's home. She is an only child.
It is just her and her mother living in a 24 feet square concrete shack.
It makes me sad to see that and realize all of the poverty here;
while there is a big highrise Bocagrande District.
They say that the district was built to bring in the tourists,
so that the government can make more monies to fix the ghettos.
I was and am so saddened to see people, especially children, in poverty.
I have seen it all over the world and I wish I could do more.
I would give up everything if I had to to help another child.
Me and my guide Ana were talking about that on the way to the home.
I mentioned about the politics in the states;
how Romney and Obama during the last campaign wasted billions of dollars;
which could have been used to fix infrastructure, education, and help the poverty stricken.
It was great to finally see Jackieth! I talked to her in Espaniel and English...
After the home visit we went up to the Castle and the Fort.
Then we went down to the playa (beach) to take photos.
We then went to the Naval Museum; where Jackie and I toured it on our own.
I could not believe that Children International let us tour on our own.
But as her madre said I am like her father.
After the tour we went back to the plaza where Children International was waiting for us.
The only thing I did not really understand her trying to ask me was what uniform I wore.
I did point out the cracker jacks and the beige officer uniform.
And a nice girl in the museum helped me translate.
I did my "Donald Duck" sneeze and made Jackie laugh.
We then went to get something to eat at the mall.
Jackie like most children, in the Americanized influence of the world, wanted McDonald's.
The McDonald's here is different than America, however, it is more organic.
And the tomatoes, lettuce, and onions are locally grown.
The onions were diced real onions and not the dehydrated junk they use in America.
It was actually the best Big Mac I ever had!
After the late lunch we went back to the ghetto to take Jackie and her madre home.
I felt bad, because they went back to a shack and I went to a nice hotel with a pool.
At 0500PM I was back at the hotel and I reflected on the day...
Wednesday 16 July 2014:
Today I slept in until 1030. Then I went and got a breakfast bar which is open until noon.
I swam until the afternoon, when the storm clouds came.
It started to storm and I went up to my room on the 4th floor, room 429.
I fell asleep while it rained. The cool wind from my open window felt good.
I slept until 0600PM. I then got up and went to pay my hotel bill to pay it early.
I did not know that they charge $2 a minute for phone calls,
and I was calling my wife everyday.
That added up quickly. And it turned out to be a big hassle to get it paid.
I then left the hotel, watched the nightly parade for the "Virgin of Mount Carmel",
and went and got me the local favorite called the Arepas pues;
it is like a taco, but made out of a bread instead of a shell.
It was delicisio!
I then went to the hotel bar and got a couple of drinks and chatted with a fellow
American Navy Man I met. He is still on active duty, but vacationed on his own.
After the sun went down I went for another nightly swim.
I went back to the sauna and had a lemon grass tea.
At 10PM I was back in my room watching sitcoms and chilling.
Thursday 17 July 2014:
This morning I got up at 0800AM and went to the playa (beach) until noon.
I then went back to the hotel to shower and get the sand off of me.
I then changed out and walked and got a lunch at a place called,
Kit Kof Burguers.
and my camera fell and broke. Bad luck for me always!
I talked to the front desk,
who let me borrow a laptop to make sure my photos were still on my sun disk.
I got on my Facebook at the computer room and chatted with mi esposa.
At 1900 I walked over to the beach house and tried the Playa Platter;
a whole spicy blackened fish, red beans, and rice.
The rest of the night I stayed around at the hotel.
I packed my bag and prepared to leave.
I am ready to get out of here.
Friday 18 July 2014:
Today I left Cartagena Colombia!
I got up at 0900AM, had some pancakes with jam to eat from room service.
By 1030AM I was checked out.
Getting the bag checked and going to customs at the airport actually went fast.
I was sitting in my terminal waiting to board my plane at 11AM.
I sat there for 2 hours; bored out of my mind.
At 0100PM I boarded another SPIRIT plane, flight 946 to Fort Lauderdale Florida.
We departed on time at 0137PM.
I arrived at Fort Lauderdale Florida at 0537PM.
Customs here with the TSA was not as fast as the customs in Cartagena Colombia.
In fact the customs officer told me that the disability line is only for wheel chairs.
It took me nearly three (3) hours to get through customs, the bag check, and the pat down.
I was in pain and shaking the entire time.
My blood sugar was low and nearly fainted.
My next flight was supposed to leave at 0820PM,
but thankfully it was delayed.
I called my wife to tell her and she told me that my parents were picking me up.
She contacted them.
At 0940PM I (we) boarded the plane, flight 464 to Chicago Illinois.
It was nearly midnight when we (I) arrived in Chi-Town.
I walked straight off the plane with my yellow backpack;
straight to the curbside pick up were I saw mi padre and madre.
I arrived home at just before 0300AM Saturday 19 July 2014.
Good bye Cartagena! Te Amo!
Mi Amor Cartagena!
