The Caribbean is indescribable – one must feel it. And even dance it.

The Caribbean can’t be told about. It can be danced in the rhythms of salsa or bachata. The
Caribbean must happen to you so you can understand why pirates, adventurers, the rich and
famous adore these latitudes. And the easiest way to make it happen is, of course, onboard
a cruise liner.
A great part of the Caribbean cruises sail from Fort Lauderdale in Florida. We spend the first
day lying in deck chairs and the mandatory walk around the ship. It’s a 15-storey monster
offering spa, golf, a huge theatre, three floors of shops, countless restaurants, bars, clubs,
cinema and a casino.

FIRST STOP: GRAND CAYMAN. Discovered by Columbus himself in 1503, the largest of the
Cayman Islands boasts of an offshore area, tax heaven and a home to 80% of all hedge funds
in the world. The famous diamond shops streets are also in the capital city George Town.
Prices are duty-free with discounts for the passengers of the cruise companies.

The standard of living on the Cayman Islands is one of the highest in the world. The locals
boast of one of the best cuisines of the Caribbean. Guidebooks, however, offer too many
attractions but we have only a day. That’s why we choose the closest one – the famous
Seven Mile Beach. It’s considered one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and
there’s a reason why: fine sand, water in indescribable shades of blue, lovely little bars with
merengue and salsa music. We’ve just started thinking this is the Heaven on Earth, when a
taxi driver comes with a suggestion to take us to Hell. And even to bring us back.

In about
ten minutes we find ourselves in front of a neat white building with a sign: Hell Post Office.
Some hens hang out in front of it. “Hell” itself is actually a big black lava lake in strange
shapes. Nevertheless, it gives you the nice opportunity to send postcards with a stamp and
seal from hell.

 

SECOND STOP: CARTAGENA DE INDIAS. The second biggest port in Columbia is one of the
oldest cities on the continent. The first thing it welcomes us with, though, is a group of divers
from the local police who train to find drugs. The second thing is the omnipresent face of
Juan Valdez with his favourite mule Conchita – a collective image created by advertisers to
promote Columbian coffee across the world. Don Juan with his huge moustache is practically
everywhere. But after the first sip of the local coffee we unanimously decide that it needs no
publicity whatsoever. We hectically search the Internet to see what the allowed amount to
export is.

In the past, almost the entire Spanish trade with its new colonies passed through Cartagena.
The rich city was many times a target for pirate attacks; Francis Drake himself visited it a few
times. The locals built a remarkable wall – 10 metres high by 25 metres wide to protect
themselves. It’s well-preserved to date and it’s tourists’ preferable place to walk. Part of the
city’s protection is also San Felipe – the biggest fortress in Latin America. Situated on several
hills, it has a complex system of underground tunnels.
The most impressive thing here, however, is Ciudad Vieja – the Old City. Each house there is
a feast for the eyes, painted in a bright colour, with balconies with wood-carvings or
wrought iron railings, with cascades of fragrant flowers. Carriages with decorated horses go

down the narrow streets; there are craftsmen shops; cafes and restaurants accommodating
tourists. A sundial on the cathedral façade tells the time. Metres away from the Museum of
the Inquisition, which keeps ominous memories and torture equipment, there is a statue of
Pope John Paul II. Magical realism can be felt in every corner (this is the setting of Marquez’s
"Love in the Time of Cholera"). Women, dressed in traditional colourful flounce dresses,
balancing enormous wicker baskets with fruit on their heads. And of course, they charge a
dollar per photo.
We buy organic coffee San Alberto from a little family café, with a touch of dark chocolate
and caramel. It’s the first Colombian café with three golden stars from the International
Taste & Quality Institute Brussels. On the package we read that the coffee has been made
with passion. Like everything around.

 

THIRD STOP: COLON. Panama welcomes us with hot weather and rain forecast. We’re
determined to first get to the Panama Canal – one of the most important trade routes, a
monument not only of the engineer genius, but also of the undying American ambition. After
a heated bargaining in a loud voice we arrange transportation, but in a while our driver is
stopped by the police. It turns out he has no insurance and the police officers ask us to wait
for a licensed bus.

The official tourist platform from where you can view the ships going through the canal is for
about a hundred people and has fast Wi-Fi. Brochures remind that the 80-kilometre
waterway between the Atlantic and the Pacific was started by the French in 1880, and in
1914 fell in American hands, who exploited it until 1977. A second segment is being built at
the moment and it’ll link the Gatun Lake with the Pacific Ocean so that the canal can handle
the growing traffic load.

The capital city Panama welcomes us with rain like in the movies – it’s pouring. Our attempts
to go for a walk fail miserably. Instead, we get into little shops around the cathedral. We
meet a charming Panamanian tailor who offers us scarves, dresses and fantastic handmade
jewelry. We spend more than an hour talking about materials and trendy colours. After that
we go and visit the Presidential Palace, wrapped the bright-coloured scarves we’ve just
bought. The rain stops just like it started – suddenly. The sun comes out – just enough to be
able to see the square with the cathedral, the Santo Domingo and San Jose churches, the
Panama Canal Museum and the monument to the French entrepreneurs who began its
construction.

 

FOURTH STOP: PUERTO LIMON.

Although in different rankings Costa Rica is the country with
the world’s best climate, here we also see rainclouds. However, the exotic name of Puerto
Limon has attracted us and we decide to visit one of the poorest cities in the richest country
in Central America. It behooves a poor city to have quite high prices in the supermarkets.
Anyhow, we buy a few packets of the local coffee "Britt", which once provoked a scandal
with the advertisement "Juan Valdez drinks Costa Rican coffee" and fierce court battles
against the Colombians. We’re hesitant which coffee is better. But the Costa Rican one is
certainly stronger and more expensive.

Life here is concentrated around the port and the cathedral. Puerto Limon is Costa Rica’s
biggest Atlantic port and it’s the point of export of coffee, bananas and other tropical fruit to
the entire world. Unfortunately, we’ve come on a Sunday when everyone is attending a
mass and the shops are closed. The cinnamon-coloured beaches are also totally empty. Most
houses are colourful but modest and solidly built – in order to stand the frequent tropical

storms. We discover the world’s most romantic dentist’s office where as a compensation for
the suffering you can contemplate the waves.
The city is surrounded by jungles, amazingly rich in plants and animals. But we have no time
for them.

 

FIFTH STOP: LAMANAI. Belize is the country on the Yucatan peninsula with the most Mayan
artefacts – a little known fact which is left in the shadow of the famous pyramids on the
Mexican territory. We set off for Lamanai in motor boats and the river reveals incredible
beauty before our eyes. We see rare birds, water lilies, neat houses with thatched roofs in
the middle of the jungle. After 40 minutes we disembark in front of a sign saying “Lamanai
–the city of the submerged”

Lamanai’s ruins are the most famous tourist attraction in Belize. Built by the Mayas, the city
is amazingly well-preserved. You’re allowed to climb the pyramids, but bear in mind that the
steps are enormous. According to the guide, it’s done on purpose to make climbers crawl
before the gods.

On the square you can see the outlines and the seats of a small stadium – arena of an
ancient sport suspiciously reminding today’s football. The captain of the winning team was
sacrificed.

SIXTH STOP: CHICHEN ITZA. After Lamanai’s astonishing pyramids we’re about to encounter
one of the wonders of the world – Chichen Itza. Cruise ships moor on the largest Mexican
island of Cozumel. Playa del Carmen strongly reminds Spanish resorts – wonderful weather,
amazing sand, huge bars and loud Latino rhythms. Cozumel is one of the popular resorts
where you can combine diving, Mayan artefacts, spa treatments and shopping.

From Cozumel we get to the continent in a yacht and from there, on brand new motorways
to Chichen Itza. The square in front of the entrance of the temple complex it is packed with
buses and people. Right at the entrance there are plenty of offers for cartouches with your
name on, written in ancient Mayan language or a personal horoscope. The services are
obviously popular as prices aren’t subject to bargaining and are rather stiff.

One of the main architectural monuments on the territory of Chichen Itza is the Temple of
Kukulcan – a nine-step pyramid, 24 metres high, with wide stairs on each side. The
symmetrical location, strict orientation according to the cardinal directions and the number
of steps symbolize the seasons, the months and the days of the year. At the spring and
autumn equinoxes sunrays fall on the stones in a way that the Feathered Serpent Kukulcan,
whose head and tail are engraved on the top and at the base of the pyramids, as if comes to
life and leaves the ground. If you’re standing directly in front of the temple and start
clapping your hands, your echo answers “Ku-kul- can“. The acoustics are amazing. In contrast
to Lamanai, visitors here aren’t allowed to go up the stairs and it’s much more touristy and
fancier. Once again they show us the ballcourt where nearly gladiator games used to be
held. The best players were offered as sacrifice to the gods. Is it strange that a culture
punishing talent disappeared without a trace? We’ll leave the answer for the next time.

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