Hola chicas y chicos,
this is Radio Mike and today, Thursday, 22nd March, we report from the lovely place of Cartagena in the Carribean! These are our topics today:
- the adventureous journey to Cartagena
- the Rehearsal Dinner
Welcome to this programme and enjoy our report, live from our star reporter, Mikey.
The adventureous Journey:
A splendid breakfast with cereals, fruit juices in unknown number and kind, „huevos revueltos“ (scrambled eggs or „Eierspeis“), coffee, … in a quite colonial atmosphere with dark wooden interior design prepared us for the adventurous journey to Cartagena (spoken: KartaCHEna).
After arriving at the (international) airport, we, that is Sanna and Tero from Finland, and I, first had to discover that our flight at 12.20 was cancelled. Interestingly enough Sanna and Tero had rebooked their evening flight to exactly the described 12.20 flight only hours ago (at 8.08 this morning to be exact) after I had rebooked my morning flight at 9.30 already yesterday night. Our first encounter with Colombian time therefor was at the counter with the very helpful ladies of Avianca. Rebooking through the call center was an easy thing, even free of charge, much to my surprise. Unfortunately the news hadn’t been told to the counter and the flight cancellation made it even more complex. But already after some 15 or 20 minutes and with the help of a senior employee, my desk officer could rebook me to the flight at 13.something. Sanna and Tero at the desk next to me finally went on the same flight, but took about twice as long. Well, they were two, I was only one person, so that probably explains the difference.
Finally we got over that hurdle, were told to go to the „Puente Aero“, had a cup of coffee and went through security to the waiting area. There we were told to wait for the bus that would bring us to the plane. So we waited until shortly before the boarding and went on the bus. Much to our surprise the bus did not bring us to the plane. Well, it did, but not directly. Instead, we had the opportunity to witness a backstage ride through the Avianca hangars and docks to said „Puente Aero“ which turned out to be a different terminal for domestic flights. Some even call it a different airport. Thanks to our taxi driver who instead of taking us to the domestic airport despatched us with international flights, we could see a bit more of how it is at airports. Cool!
Waiting at the domestic terminal, walking from there to the plane, having a peaceful flight is not much to tell about. Maybe just so much, that given my (limited) experience of flying over Colombia, it looks like the country being hidden relatively often under clouds. Or said with different words: You couldn’t see much.
Cartagena itself finally turned out to be a beautiful little town (1.2 million inhabitants) with a gourgeous old town in the centre. One thing said right away: all of us fell into love with this town within a couple of days and rumours have it that the WaterBoyz will soon start a first mutual housing investment right here. No wonder, Matt and Andrea had chosen this town for their wedding.
Our hotel, Casa La Fe right in the centre of the old town turned out to be a lovely, family-run hotel with 11 (and soon 14) rooms around a central patio with lots and lots of green plants and a rooftop pool. The rooms were wonderful and comfortable and the place made you immediately feel safe and at home.
The Rehearsal Dinner:
First –
- what is a rehearsal dinner?
- Why should somebody organize something like that?
- Isn’t it easier only to invite guests where one would be shure of they already know how to eat with knife and fork?
Well, a rehearsal dinner is NOT a training on how to use cutlery or get used to civilised table manners (at least it isn’t for most). It simply is an event before the actual wedding itself at which the two families (and friends, if there are any) can get to know each other. Particularly with weddings where the involved families live quite far apart from each other (Colombia and United Kingdom do qualify for this criterion), this is a wonderful opportunity of breaking the ice and to make all events in the aftermaths much more relaxed. So much to explain the concept.
At 8 PM Matt and Andrea, the lovely bride and groom, had invited to Club de Pesca for this dinner. Actually they originally had invited for some other place within the old town, but that site cancelled the dinner. Well, Club de Pesca was a very worthy replacement, situated right in an old little fort at the old harbour of Cartagena, now hosting a marina and offering a wonderful view. Particularly, since the restaurant is right at the waterside.
Of course the Fins, the Swedish (Anna and Andreas) and the Austrian were there right at time and this was our second encounter with Colombian time. We were first (cool, pole position at the tables and the bar) – and the only ones. The situation somehow forced us to test the bar and Tero, Andreas and I had „Ginebra Tonic“ after we had learned the night before that Gin Tonic is hardly know in Colombia. Tero in the meantime is fluent in spanish drinks, at least as long as they are Margaritas or Ginebra Tonics 🙂
Already after some 45 or so minutes the rest of the guests arrived and so we sat down at the tables. What followed was a wonderful multi-course meal, accompanied by wonderful drinks with wonderful company. We could share a table with Matt’s parents and some of their friends. At some later point in time, tiredness tried to strike at us and unfortunately, Andreas was somehow wounded by it. Anna, being a faithful wife to him, soon afterwards was hit. While Andreas recovered a bit later, his lovely esposa did not this evening any more. So it was time to leave soon afterwards and since everybody at the dinner seemed to feel the same, we all went home to our lovely hotels and fell into Morpheus‘ arms.