Fulbright Hays Summer Seminar: Fifty Shades of Blue

July 26, 2012

This morning we took a boat ride to "Isla Grande" in the Rosario Islands. Rosario is made up of 23 islands and islets, and “Isla Grande” is the biggest one. Mangroves, coastal saltwater lagoons, and dry tropical forests characterize its natural environment. Visiting the Caribbean really showed us all another amazing face of Colombia.

From the boat we saw the 18th-century Spanish fortress of San Rafael and San Fernando.

Some of the bluest water & whitest sand my eyes have ever seen. Lets just call it, "Fifty Shades of Blue."

Private islands scattered around the area.

The beach was lined with coral. Many of us went snorkeling in this water seeing schools or fish, star fish, and possibly even a sting ray.

Since our Bridget Jones Diet (the more you eat the better) was getting a little out of hand, we did some water aerobics thanks to our "coach" Jennifer Turner.

A few of us expressed our urge for fresh coconut water to a local man selling jewelry on the beach. He led us to another part of the island on a beautiful resort, Gente De Mar, featuring several parrots, peacocks, and Botero statues. This upscale resort, usually only occupied few months a year, was paradise!

http://www.gentedemarresort.com/

Botero statues on the beach

The man at the resort climb a tree to pick four coconuts. After we sipped on the coconut juice he cracked the coconuts open for us to enjoy! Now that's what I call fresh fruit!

After a very rocky boat ride back, that I LOVED, but mostly everyone else HATED, I enjoyed some brick oven pizza on the terrace of the hotel and watched the Cartagena sunset.

We wanted to get the most out of our day and night, soaking in the last hours in Cartagena. Lonley plant (the travel guide) suggested El Santisimo for dinner and Cafe del Mar for cocktails- we weren't disappointed!