Evening star., 1934-12-30

cause the traveller finds opportunity
to stop at some of the West Indian
ports, visit cabaret and return to
the steamer and continue the journey.
A few days later he will find himself
entering the magnificent Bay of Car
tagena, the Heroic City" founded in
1888. Surrounded by all manner of
tropical vegetation and forests, it may
be considered a triumphal arch
through which to enter Colombian
territory.
The very noble and very loyal"
city of Cartagena de Indias, as it was
named by Philip the Prudent, is one
of the most beautiful and historic in
the entire republic, and, like others
dating from Colonial times, 1t has
preserved the patriarchal character of
a by-gone day. Beside ancient stone
mansions, whose beautiful wrought
iron grills and wooden balconies add
to their elegance, rise modern struc-
lures, giving the effect Of a harmo-
nious blending of two civilizations. All
the attractions which the most ex-
acting visitor could desire on his ar
rival in an unknown city are to be
found in Cartagena-good hotels.
beautiful parks and promenades, fine
clubs, museums, libraries and historic
monuments.
Cartagena is encompassed by mighty
walls and bulwarks, built about four
centuries ago, which preserve the at
mosphere of Spanish Colonial days.
From Cartagena the traveller may
go by sea, by air, by automobile or
by train to Barranquilla, the most
important commercial seacoast city
in the republic, founded in 1929. Be-
cause of its rapid growth, its advan-
tageous location along the Caribbean
coast and its active and hourishing
commerce, it has often been called
the New Orleans of Colombia. It is
not city that lives on ancient memo
ries and traditions, but one that moves
with the times and is full of CONNER
ciar and industrial activity.
Modern Hotel and Clubs.
The Hotel del Prado has no reason
to envy any other good hotel in the
principal cities of the world. There
is a country club, as well as other
social clubs, which are the pride of
this fourishing city.
AS Barranquilla is the most impor-
tant airport of the country. it is only
natural that the tourist should avail
himself of these facilities and make
a flying trip to Santa Marta. The
view of the harbor Of Santa Marta is
one of singular beauty. Looking to-
VI rH tho hnriznr rnntarnrlo ot q
on one hand the Atlantic Ocean and
on the other the immense gray mole
of the Sierra Nevada, whose snow
capped crest rises some $4,000 feet
above sea level. While in this city
he also could visit the shrine of San
Pedro Alejandrino, where the great
liberator of six of the Latin Ameri-
can republics, Simon Bolivar, died in
1880, and where the Colombian gov
ernment maintains very interesting
museum.
Returning from Santa Marta and
enjoying longer stay in Barranquilla,
the tourist takes passage on a COM
Portable river steamer and commences
most interesting trip through the
picturesque tropical vegetation by
which the Magdalena River winds.
This trip by water is a most unusual
one, and provides constant interest to
the passenger. One of the customary
sports enjoyed in it is to look at the
hundreds of greenish alligators Sleep
ing on shore and enjoying the bene-
fit of the sunshine in the middle of
the day, and try to shoot them from
the steamer with long-range rifles.
Since the river is often low in certain
places, the boats are similar in design
to those used in the shallow rivers
of the Midwest United States-some-
times referred to as wet grass" boats,
it having jokingly been said that they
could be navigated on wet grass.
In making the journey of more than
600 miles to Bogota, capital Of the re-
public, one passes through purely
tropical country, covered with virgin
forests. The trip from Barranquilla