'Gloria,' a Colombian Navy training ship, makes weekend stop at Inner Harbor
BALTIMORE --Baltimore has been hosting a guest this weekend from the country of Colombia.
The A.R.C. "Gloria" is a Colombian Navy training ship and it's been docked in the Inner Harbor since Friday morning.
While described as the country's floating ambassador, it's also a training vessel for Naval cadets.
The tall ship Gloria is currently on a ten-port trip around the world, with the Charm City as its first stop.
Gloria's Captain César Iregui said the ship is Colombia's way to showcase the country and its values.
"Our diversity, our message of peace, our desire for friendship with all people around the world: that's the face we want to show," Iregui said.
The general public has been able to hop on the ship since it docked, able to see everything up close. Souvenirs are also available to buy.
But, the ship's also a pivotal test for more than 70 Naval cadets, or guardiamarina -- their training here will determine if they graduate from the academy.
"The first days were very traumatic because no one was [acclimated] to traveling across the sea," said guardiamarina Juan Obregoso. "But right now, we're living a good experience."
Thirteen of the cadets are women. One of those 13, Katherine Mariño, said it's a real honor to serve her country like this.
She said it was a dream come true.
"I'm really grateful with God, with my family, also with my country," she said.
Many visiting the ship have roots in Colombia, like John Heintz and Nia Bhadra-Heintz. The two were visiting Baltimore from Philadelphia on Sunday.
Heintz's mother is from Colombia.
"We were calling his mom yesterday and we were saying how we stumbled upon this," Bhadra-Heintz said. "She was like, 'Gloria? I remember we used to come visit whenever we knew the ship was docking.'"
The Gloria is in Baltimore until Monday at 5 p.m. At that time, there will be a huge farewell celebration to bid the ship and its crew adieu.
The next stop is Lisbon, Portugal, and it'll take them 26 days to get there.
