Finally we get back on the road! Let the Funtimes begin!!

We enjoyed the city of Cartegena de Indies but are also looking forward to see more of the country - so Adios Cartegena and Hola! Colombia.

It took a couple of extra days before we could leave because we had to find propane! Without it the fridge and stove wont work AND we cant have WARM BEER!!!! Plus we wanted to take our new friends Carlos and family out for dinner. Carlos had prior plans for Tuesday night so we planned on Wednesday night. But told him we were out of the BnB Wednesday morning and we needed somewhere that we could plug in since we had no propane to run the fridge, so he said no problem, park next to my house and there is electricity. We said ok after he wouldn't take No for an answer. Told him we would be at his place around 4

So Wednesday morning we first drove to the agent's office that Yair works for to pickup the paperwork and to pay for their fees $300US.  I wasn't to happy with having to pay that of course since I didnt think they helped out with Hapag Lloyd's deposit on the container. We had to have Carlos come with us and get HL to drop the charges. The reason that Luis (the agent boss) didnt want to deal with HL is because they screwed him around with another client. So refuses to deal with HL. I had told him it would have been nice it he had told World Cargo that. Then he said he only got an email from WC Sept 13th asking him to be the agent and asking for information from him. He replied asking who the shipping company was but never received an email back - seems very typical of World Cargo!! I told him that he was put on as agent back on July 12th when we were given the booking confirmation.  Seems World Cargo is a real crap agent to work with when shipping out of Canada from our experience!! I emailed asking why we never got the original bill of lading and that was last Thursday and still have not received an answer!  So anyways prior to Luis telling us about the email he got I had asked to have to fee reduced to $200. He said they still did alot of work, emails etc, but said he would drop it to $250US. Ok fine.

After that we went to pick up some groceries and also made a stop at a place that made us a copy of our license plate. The copy was made on hard plastic material that should last on the front of Vanna and help us not to be stopped by the policia because we only have one plate. Our metal plate we have put inside the back window so it cant be stolen. Better safe the sorry.

Looks pretty real to us - should fool the policia to :)

Then the hunt was on for propane. Dwayne had been told be a guy at the gas station near the port that there was a place to buy an adapter a few kms from here called Coastal Gas. We drove quite a ways and found the gas station the guy was talking about that was supposedly across from Coastal Gas, but we couldnt see any place called that. Even asked at the gas station and a guy next to the gas station. So I check IOverlanders app and see that propane here in Cartegena is very difficult if not impossible to get. We went to one of the places someone had found propane but that was last year and when we got there we couldnt see any place. By now its already close to 3pm so start heading back to Carlos's place. The traffic is already crazy! But we just plug along with the rest of the traffic. Once at Carlos's we find a spot to park and wait for him to arrive. When he gets there we chat awhile and tell him our problems of the day LOL!! He calls some of his friends to see if he can find propane, but is not lucky either. We'll try again tomorrow. Now it was time to go for dinner at an Italian restaurant they really like.

Talking with Carlos about our trip along with Rubin in the green hat and his friend from Venezuela Sandler

 

Welcome to the gridlock at 3pm!


Once at the restaurant Dwayne and Carlos order filete mignon. Isarly orders pasta carbonara with shrimp and I have it with mariscos (seafood).  My dish was HUGE and very tasty, Dwayne's was not your typical mignon, it was beef with a mushroom sauces - but he said it tasted good. Their daughter Paulina (12) came with us but had already eaten earlier not knowing she was coming. And their son (17) had plans with some friends.  After dinner Carlos drove us to the very nice area of Bocagrande. A small peninsula of Cartegena where the expensive stores are located for when the cruise people come through. We stopped at Waffles and Crepes and ordered our desserts, a variety of different ice cream treats but to dark for pictures.

Carlos, Isarly and Paulina 

Dwayne's  meal 

My meal - look at all the "mariscos" :) 

After touring around a little more we headed back to Vanna, plugged her in and enjoyed a nice cool sleep with the a/c going.

Thursday morning its raining and after breakfast the 3 of us started searching again for propane. When I checked IOverlanders it showed that at the marine one couple had got lucky and were able to leave their tank there and pick it up the next day after being filled by a truck. Carlos drove us there, but nope nothing now. Got instructions to try another place. As we drive there I said hey we were down this road yesterday!  We end up going to a new place though and we were just lucky that the truck was just coming in with empty cylinders to exchange and he said he could fill our tank. YIPPEE!!! So probably 30 mins later and $18C we have our 20lb filled, but that solves only part of our problems, we really need the tank under the van filled to operate the fridge and stove. But my MacGyver buddy knows what to do!! He had bought a hose back in Canada so he could fill the van tank from the 20lb tank - by attaching the hose and turning the 20lb tank upside down it will fill the van tank :)  A bit of work but it did the job 👍

Carlos's dog Tika likes to go for car rides so lays in the back with me looking for attention from me 

MacGyver at work! Tank sitting on the driver's seat to be higher than van's tank value

It was now close to 3pm and we really wanted to get going and find a place outside of the city. We've been in the city now for 10 days - and need to get out into the country! So we said our good-byes to Carlos and family and headed into the early morning traffic. It took us awhile to get to the coast highway but once there the traffic thins out and off we go 😀.

Crossing a bridge over a large lagoon where we can see fishermen out in their small canoes

Views along the highway going northeast

Guess out on these highways we dont have to watch for deer - just anteaters LOL!!!

We are going to a place called Villa Angie about an hour away going NE. The highway is not busy so its a relaxing drive. After trying to speak with 3 people we finally get to Villa Angie. On IOverlander app it sounded pretty nice, but with all the rain the area that we were parking in just outside the yard was pretty muddy. I was talking with the owner on the phone - I had called her number and she returned it and lucky she spoke English. She was in Cartegena visiting but the girl that directed us to her place was taking care of it. I asked about power (since that was the reason we wanted to stay here) and she wasn't sure if it was working. Asked how much for one night and she said 50,000CP per person. 100,000CP for a muddy spot ($40!!!!) I said no that was way to much I was thinking more like 50,000 for 2 ppl. She came down to 80,000 ($32) and said no thanks.

There were other places on the app that were near by but had no power. But at least it was a place to park and hopefully the exhaust fan would be enough. So we drive to Hotel Juanmar which is on the beach and there is parking in the front. Once we get there I speak with the owners who both speak good English and to stay was 10,000CP each and we could use the pool and bathroom! They also said shower but think it was just the one at the pool. OK sounds good to us! Its right on the beach parking :)

There's even a waterslide in this little village

We set up, look around a bit and then it was time to make my first meal in Vanna in Colombia :)  Chicken breast, rice with some Nasi Goreng (Indonesian flavouring I get from the dutch store) and salad.

To hot for a shirt! And the wine is not cold so beer it is for celebrating!!

Then after that I worked on the blog, Dwayne did the dishes and we just vegged before going to bed.

Tomorrow we head to the city of Barranquilla where it shows on IOverlander that vehicle propane tanks can be filled. Wow we sure are hoping that will be true!!

There is another way to follow up by map - download the Polarsteps app (free) and look for Lyd Miller - its kinda interesting since it show where we have gone.