Cartagena
We flew to Cartagena and stayed 4 nights. Cartagena is an old port on the Carribean Sea.
Lots of slaves were brought into South America via Cartagena and much gold was exported to Spain from here.
We stayed inside the old walled city.
The old city is an UNESCO World Heritage site.
Our hotel, Hotel Tres Banderas (the 3 flags). Ben and Crystal had stayed here earlier.
Founded in 1533 the fame of this prosperous city turned it into a plunder site
for pirates and thieves including Francis Drake in 1585.
The walls surrounding the old city were constructed during the 17th century
to protect it from attack.
Old corals can be seen in the blocks used for the wall.
La India Catalina: Indian Princess, caught between two cultures.
According to an early account written by Juan de Castellanos, Catalina was a young girl, and daughter
of a cacique, or native chief, when she was taken prisoner and was eventually sold to a high ranking Spanish official.
He baptised and educated her, raising her as if she was his own. When her adoptive mother died, and her only sister was about to marry,
she fell in love with a Captain who promised to bring her to her homeland again.
Heredia, the Spanish Conquistador, with the knowledge that she was fluent in both Spanish and the native tongue,
took her aboard when he came to found the city of Cartagena, and conquer and plunder the tribes living nearby.
Catalina was 26 years old when she arrived.
Although Heredia used her as an interpreter in his successful campaigns to subjugate the natives,
the death toll probably would have been higher had Catalina not been present.
Later, she testified against Heredia when he faced charges including theft of gold and mistreatment of Indians.
Catalina moved to Seville in Spain where she disappears from the historical record.
Today, her 190 kg, 2.95m tall bronze statue sculpted by Hector Tito Lombana and Eladio Gil Zambrana is synonymous with Cartagena.
The Gold Museum - Cartagena
We flew to Cartagena and stayed 4 nights. Cartagena is an old port on the Carribean Sea.
Lots of slaves were brought into South America via Cartagena and much gold was exported to Spain from here.
We stayed inside the old walled city.
The old city is an UNESCO World Heritage site.
Our hotel, Hotel Tres Banderas (the 3 flags). Ben and Crystal had stayed here earlier.
Founded in 1533 the fame of this prosperous city turned it into a plunder site
for pirates and thieves including Francis Drake in 1585.
The walls surrounding the old city were constructed during the 17th century
to protect it from attack.
Old corals can be seen in the blocks used for the wall.
La India Catalina: Indian Princess, caught between two cultures.
According to an early account written by Juan de Castellanos, Catalina was a young girl, and daughter
of a cacique, or native chief, when she was taken prisoner and was eventually sold to a high ranking Spanish official.
He baptised and educated her, raising her as if she was his own. When her adoptive mother died, and her only sister was about to marry,
she fell in love with a Captain who promised to bring her to her homeland again.
Heredia, the Spanish Conquistador, with the knowledge that she was fluent in both Spanish and the native tongue,
took her aboard when he came to found the city of Cartagena, and conquer and plunder the tribes living nearby.
Catalina was 26 years old when she arrived.
Although Heredia used her as an interpreter in his successful campaigns to subjugate the natives,
the death toll probably would have been higher had Catalina not been present.
Later, she testified against Heredia when he faced charges including theft of gold and mistreatment of Indians.
Catalina moved to Seville in Spain where she disappears from the historical record.
Today, her 190 kg, 2.95m tall bronze statue sculpted by Hector Tito Lombana and Eladio Gil Zambrana is synonymous with Cartagena.
The Gold Museum - Cartagena
