Chasing Waterfalls and Cartagena , the cruise port! Feb 22 - Feb 28, 2026 - Week 9

 oh Hello!

Minca

One of my favorite days in Colombia was in Minca, the mountain jungle town that I stayed in for a few days.   There are MANY waterfalls and places to swim in the waterfalls - So thats what I did!

Waked about 10Km up and down mountain jungle roads to various water falls.

They do a great job at preserving the area from tourists,  there are fees to get into each one, and the money appears to at least in some capacity ensure there is not garbage left everywhere and that people are respecting the place.

Oido del Mundo falls

Marinka Falls

 I didnt feel any of them were over crowded either. Not sure if thats the time of year, or that people dont come to the area as much because of the location, but whatever the case - I had a phenomenal day.

The water was perfectly refreshing without being too cold, everyone was friendly and respectful when trying to get pictures as well.  It was such a lovely day!

These benches were in quite a few places and guess what they are made of?   Bottle caps!

There was also some net / hammock things in Marinka that I hung out on for a while and just listened to the jungle sounds. Relaxing by the falls, relaxing on the nets.

Later that night, I had decided to go to this mountain top restaurant for dinner and watch the sunset over the hills and over tothe coast.  It was quite a long way up so I wanted to take a taxi.  full size vehicle taxi's are expensive because the roads are narrow and steep and unpaved,  but 4x4 and Moto-taxis ( motorbikes) are not.  The truck would have been $120,000 Col Pesos,  the Moto taxi was $10,000 Col  Pesos.   so i was like... screw it.  Moto taxi it is.... 

WELLLLL LET ME TELL YOU.   It was a equally terrifying and exhilarating ride up that mountain and it was also WAY further than I expected. I was holding on to tiny little grips behind me, with one hand - because , well you know. and trying not to wrap my other arm around the waist of the man driving me. and also trying not to audibly gasp...   the sunset was great _ saw most of it on the way up

got to the top and the "gates" of this place,  paid the man and he gave me his number to call him when I needed a ride down.  then I had to walk about 250 M into this place.  it was a bit quiet, but then again the whole town was kinda quiet so i continued on.  I fond the place and asked the girl if that was the restaurant. and she asked for my room number, I was like, no, just came to eat.

"the restaurant is for registered guests only"

NEAT.   I asked if I could go take a phot before i left and she politely nodded.

Here's that photo..(well 2 photos)

pretty underwhelming really...

and I walked back out to the road.  and guess what.   If you think for one second i was going to wait in the mosquitos, for buddy to come pick me up so I could take a terrrrrrifying ride down that extremely steep mountain in the dark.  YOU ARE WRONG.

But how did I get down you ask?    I WALKED. turns out it was about 3 kms. and it was very steep and very very dark and I was less scared of getting eaten my soe giant jungle cat than I was of considering the moto ride down. 

one i realized i was up a mountain with NO dinner.

Watch as Darkness fully descends on my walk down.  It was sooooo so so dark.

so at the end of that day, between the waterfalls and the hike down the mountain and walking to get some food, I walked about 16km in my sandals.  My feet were DEAD.

Cartagena

So Mom and Jamie had been on a cruise for a couple weeks and their final stop was COLOMBIA!

so of course I met them for the day they had in Cartagena.

We wandered around the old town, Walled city.

and then, as some street wrappers were doing their thing, Mom decided to get jiggy with it and joined them and she drew quite a crowd as they free-styled about Canada. 

Her album is dropping later this year.

I really wish I was able to get a video,  but by the time I dug out my phone, they were basically done and I got this photo snapped atthe very end.

We also went to the huge fortress and it was super neat with tunnels and cannons.  Super easy to get confused in, which was the whole point, to confuse the enemies approaching!

Sadly, the day went very fast and they had to go back to the ship, so we went for a final cocktail (Limoncello)  and off they went.

They were heading back home to Canadia and I was heading North to Mexico.

I had one more day in Cartagena, so I went to Boca Grande.  which is this long spit of and and a very long beach.  The beach was alright.  fi you loved in that city, it would be nice to be able to go and spend the day,  but as far as beaches go, its not a destination beach.

OK, thats all, bed time!

Steps By week

1. 2,104
2. 16,956
3. 70,317
4. 53,896
5. 87,620
6. 82,006
7. 57,670
8. 60,422
9. 106,914

I may start a separate thread for Books with reviews - TBD

Books read this week = 2 Total books read in 2026 = 13