So. Occasionally I get inspired to chime in here. We are definitely liking it here. The Old Town is charming but after 4 days of being accosted by every hat seller on the streets, we made a break for it today. We took a taxi to the Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas, a big fort built to secure the city after Drake and others had plundered so successfully.

Even on our approach, multiple people tried to get us to buy sombreros, joyeria, o agua frio. We had brought our own agua frio, dammit.

Andrew was particularly impressed with the tunnel system.

It was amusing walking behind him since he felt the need to scrape the ceiling with his hands rather than  hit his head. Those soldiers must have been shorter in  the 1700s.

The views were cool and it felt much more real around the Castillo.

Walking back home we encountered a park full of life sized bronze sculptures of many artists and musicians of the last century in Colombia.

Bagged a few iguanas, birds, and a butterfly, too.

After lunch, we wallowed in the pool for a while. With temperatures consistently in the 80’s year round, a pool makes for gracious living.

Andrew had organized an evening adventure. We were picked up and driven north of town about half an hour along the coast. The driver spoke no english and made me attempt my high school Spanish. Past ramshackle dwellings, literally mile after mile of beachside huts, we ended up at an Ecotour business.

Alfredo was our guide…

… as we glided in a wooden boat through mangrove swamps for maybe 90 minutes.

Endless bird sightings but mostly the usual suspects: herons, egrets, grackles, etc. There were a few new guys but Andrew can fill you in.

Andrew here: Two new-to-us species tonight, the ringed kingfisher, and the wonderfully named lesser yellowlegs. Also lots of egrets, herons, plovers, sandpipers, willets, and a black-necked stilt.