Cartagena de Indias, Colombia – Light-fingered

Local third-party insurance is mandatory in Colombia. Luis helps with one as well. Yesterday night everything was closed, and most offices don’t open Saturdays. Gas stations offer insurances, but they run for a year, that’s expensive. We find an office in the old town that sells a so-called SOAT (HBL Seguros, Centro, Pasaje la Moneda, Tel. 660 2005). Minimum term is three months. The quote is calculated according to the cubic capacity, about 80 $ for a 3-liters-engine.

According to other travellers there is only one filling station for propane in Cartagena. (Gas tanks have to be emptied for the ferry transfer.) We ask at a gas station, but they send us to Cartagas 20 km out of town as well (N 10°19’11.3’’ W 75°30’06.7’’). On the way there we pass the mall Caribe Plaza where a Carrefour settled, a good spot to take food. The mall has a multi-storey car park with an entrance height of max. 2.4 m. At the “back entrance” there is a small parking lot subject to charge, which seems to be suitable for most vehicle sizes (N 10°24’56.7’’ W 75°31’43.7’’).

In the afternoon when we move all our stuff back into the driver’s cabin that we have completely emptied for the RoRo ride, we have to realize small losses. An electrical thermometer that didn’t even work due to empty batteries is gone including the outside sensor that was cut from the cable. Later we realize that also our very practical movement sensor lamp at the ladder was also stolen. RoRo or LoLo, ship and harbour personnel are known for being nimble-fingered, but the route Colón-Cartagena is especially infamous.

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