Marina del Este to Cartagena - 31st July 2009

Had an early start today when the boat next to us decided to start the engines before we were even awake and then kept them running for a good 15 mins until they left port. We were less than amused as were the people on the boat the other side but if we run into them again, we'll get our revenge! We didn't leave port until several hours later, in fact we were delayed because the bread was still in the oven at the little supermarket and we had to wait for it to come out before we could have our breakfast! The sea was great once we got out, smooth as ice and silvery blue as we set off along the coast. We went to Granada yesterday, to visit the Alhambra Palace which was fantastic, so we'd already seen some of the coast we were passing today from a different perspective. A couple of hours out and the scenery changed, flat and pretty uninspiring after the dramatic backdrop of the Sierra Nevada.
Originally we were just going to do a short hop but the conditions were so good that we decided to move on to Cartagena which meant an 8 hour trip. The countryside went from flat to mountainous but very arid and unwelcoming and we were happy to be leaving it behind.
A couple of hours out from Cartagena, we came across what we thought at first were dolphins, but turned out to be whales. We had an awesome, memorable, fantastic half hour watching them play around the boat. They were clearly enjoying themselves as they dived beneath the bow, turned somersaults and generally entertained us, it was just amazing.
Now we're in Cartagena, it's 10.30 at night and still hot! We're moored alongside the quay and it's like being in a goldfish bowl because everyone who passes (and there's non stop ambulatory traffic) tries to poke their head in for a look. Don't think it's going to be a very quiet night somehow!