Getting from Cartagena to El Banco

Hola. I'm a Gringo from Minnesota who speaks Spanish well (I'm a Spanish professor) and has traveled quite a bit in Mexico, Central America and Peru using public transportation. I love Cumbia and I would absolutely love to go to the Cumbia Festival in El Banco in July. I can't find anywhere on the Web that gives me information about how I could get from Cartagena (where I'd like to arrive) to El Banco and back again after. Will flights be available? Is bus travel safe/possible in the day? What about river transportation? Taxi? Will there be any accomodations in El Banco if I arrive without any reservations? I've heard it's safe in Colombia now in the major cities but not in the countryside. What is El Banco like? All I know about it is that someone there does some weather report on the web. I also know it from its mention in the classic Cumbia "La Piragua" where the singer says ". . .navegaba el César una piragua que partía de El Banco viejo puerto a las playas del amor en Chimichagua". Gracias

By pachanguero on Mar 3, 2006, 11:15 in Friendly Talkzone.

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Gator says on Mar 3, 2006, 14:14: MAN... you do like rather out-of the way places. I don't think there is a commercial airport there only a small private one. Only about 50.000 population. You could go by, I guess, by good bus through Cienaga, down through La Floresta then a local bus across to El Banco. Wife said it is hotter than the hinges of hell. I checked El Tiempo and today it was 102 degrees. "Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscripti catapults habebunt." "Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" . 0 funny, 0 helpful.

Miguel says on Mar 7, 2006, 00:54: Cartagena to Ciénaga You can take Invertour's mini bus; good service, good price. 0 funny, 0 helpful.

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