I seriously need to post about Cartagena or I'm going to forget I was ever there. Not to mention the fact that whoever reads this blog has already forgotten I was ever there!

Fruit vendors were everywhere on the streets of Cartagena. Some sold freshly pressed juice while others sold cups of freshly sliced mango and watermelon sticks that looked like fruit fries.

Coconuts were plentiful too. They sold the juice, they sold shaved coconut, and I think they toasted some of it. The juice carts vendors squeeze the juice right there while you wait with a press they have on their cart. There are also vendors with ice shavers from which they made a snow-cone and flavor it with your choice of syrups. I didn't manage to get an actual photo of one of those carts, but to show you how popular they are, they even have a metal sculpture  of one in one of the main squares of the city.

The other kind of fruit vendor was my particular favorite: the native women dressed in colorful clothing. Even though I know they dressed for the tourists, I still thought they were wonderful. They usually had a big bowl of fruit which featured watermelon and pineapple as the star attractions, but also included bananas and strange melons I had never seen before.

And of course, there was the opportunity to pose with them for a small gratuity, which I personally would have found demeaning, but I guess money is money.

It's a true art to carry a heavy bowl of fruit on your head, trust me.

Fantastic shot, after fantastic shot!  That LAST one is a KILLER capture!  Bravo!

Wow, Kathy, THANK YOU!
I have to admit the last shot was my fav too. I used “our” lens on that one so I could sneak up on her without her knowing.

Terrific photos! I love the colorful clothing. I know what you mean about the demeaning aspects of paying someone to pose, but at the same time, they’re trying to make money any way they can—so by paying them you’re also helping them out, you know?

Could you eat any of the fruit, or did you avoid it for sanitary reasons? Peeled fruit is supposed to be OK, but sometimes I wonder about the cleanliness of the utensils used to cut it, that sort of thing.

Steve, thanks! We didn’t eat any of the fruit, like you said, for sanitary reasons. They still handle the fruit with their bare hands and as good as it all looked we just didn’t want to take the chance. As careful as we were both Rick and I did get a slight kick of “Montezuma’s Revenge” after we were home for whatever reason.