The city that moves to the beat of a different drum

A fruit seller takes a break from the heat

You want hot? You got it, and then some. This is South America with a Caribbean twist. It's palm trees, steamy humidity and sea breezes. It's tropical fruit, pulsating African beats, cobbled streets, and rainbow-coloured colonial houses. It's Cartagena de Indias in northern Columbia - two hours by plane from Lima, but a world away from South America as we know it.

One of two forts built to protect Cartagena from pirates

Cartagena was once a major northern gateway to South America. The first slave ship arrived here in 1564, with thousands of slaves destined for all parts of the continent, and the city never looked back. It flourished a key trading port for the Spanish - everything from gold to slaves came through here at some point - and a major storehouse for treasures plundered from the Indians and bound for European shores. This, of course, made it quite an attractive target for pirates and buccaneers.

Forty feet high and fifty foot thick walls were built to keep the pirates out, but the lure of such a booty was hard to resist. During the 16th century, the city was attacked at least five times by seafaring pirates. In desperation, a couple of forts were added to the entrance to the bay, linked by a large chain which was pulled high to stop unfriendly boats that sailed into port in search of gold, and this seemed to do the trick. With 2500 poorly trained men, Don Blas managed to fend off 25,000 English soldiers and their 186 ships, and Sir Francis Drake was finally sent packing.

Cafe del Mar - the perfect place to relax on a warm night in Cartagena

These days the city is still under siege, but by tourists not pirates. The city walls still enclose the old town and, inside, chilled bars and cafes hide along the cobble streets. The boat ride to the forts takes you past small islands with rundown beach towns, where people dive into the water fully clothed to cool off and five-year-old kids swim effortlessly in the sea, like they've been doing it since the day that they were born. Our guide, Fernando, unsubtly leaves us stranded on the beach in the small beach town of Bocachica, where we're instantly surrounded by necklace-sellers flogging their wares. There's no work on the island, and no fresh water or agriculture, so Carl's brother Nick (who has come to visit us for a few days) takes his first hit for the team and makes a couple of purchases. We translate, sit back with a cold drink and wonder how life got to be this tough.

Carl and Nick enjoy a cold drink on the beach after a tour of the forts

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