Warning: lots of adventure went down so this is a long post, but it has lots of pictures too! If you don't read the whole post I recommend to at least check out the pictures! :)
Is it really October? Month three, really? I had been looking forward to October for a long time because I would have three weeks off that filled with traveling. After Edgar told me I wouldn't have to start work until October 18th again after the 10-day break between cycles of the English classes at UDEM, I decided to extend my trip to Santa Marta so I could stay 5 extra days and do the Ciudad Perdida trek with Jessy. It seemed as if the main attractions to Santa Marta are Parque Tayrona and Ciudad Perdida so even though it cost me some money to change my flight it seemed worth it.
September 30th, I raced out of my Friday English Conversation class hopped in a cab and anxiously waited as the driver made horrible traffic decisions watching the clock tick closer to 2:00 when I was supposed to catch a bus to Cali with Meg. I made it to the Terminal at 1:52 found Meg buying jewelry from a Peruvian man inside the terminal and we raced to get on the bus. There was of course no need to hurry and due to a lack of air conditioning on the first bus we switched buses and headed out of Medellín at closer to 3:00. This was our first bus trip in Colombia and our first exit of Medellín to the south. We talked about life and gawked at the beauty of the Andes as we winded out of Medellín on one of the most dangerous roads in Colombia. We finally arrived in Cali at 11:30 checked into our Hostel and rallied to go meet our dear Cali Fulbrighters Emma and Molly at a Salsa club. The minute we entered my eyes got wide with excitement as I watched the many Caleños spinning, dipping and rocking sweat hanging thick in air of the bar. Everyone was passionately and enthusiastically dancing Salsa with a passion I had never seen. We got our free drink and found Emma and Molly in a corner. Emma has become a very proficient Salsa dancer and it was fun to watch her tear up the floor with the many men who randomly came to ask her to dance. I was quickly asked to dance and felt confidente with my salsa skills as he lead me to the dance floor. However, as soon as we started dancing I quickly realized that I had no idea what I was doing. I tried to find the beat and stick to the basic salsa step but my Caleño partner was not following the step I knew anyway. His feet were flying around in different directions, there was not a beat to be found in the music and he was definitely just dancing to his own rhythm. He spun me around with crazy arm moves, I looked like a fool and I was frustrated and confused, but he just kept a smile on his face, his brow pooling with sweat. The song ended and I was thankful that was over, but I felt defeated by my salsa skills. I quickly asked Emma what the heck that was! She responded explaining that Caleña salsa is a very different style than the much more common Cuban Salsa. Learning this I decided I wouldn't try and learn Caleña salsa tonight, and instead sat back catching up with Molly and watching the talented Caleños dance and dance.
Cali is so different from Medellín. Meg and I found ourselves constantly critiquing it as a superior and uglier city. I guess we are truly becoming Paisas. It is the third largest Colombian city and is full of construction, there are parts that are nice and it is clear that they are trying to develop, but it has a long way to go before it catches up to Medellín. However, despite its inferior urban planning and ugly architecture it has a different vibe than Medellín and very different looking locals as it has a much higher afro-Colombian population. It was refreshing to see more natural beauty and less plastic surgery, zebra striped hair and braces. Our main mission for our trip to Cali was the Don Omar concert/reggaeton mini-festi on Saturday. Apart from the fact that it was a dry concert it was a pretty epic event (it was an all ages event and apparently they have problems with youth gangs in Cali especially when they get drunk so any all age events are alcohol and drug free, even cigarrettes had to be purchased secretly in the concert). The best part was when Danza Kuduro came on and the stadium went crazy then fireworks started going off!
We headed back Monday to Medellín and arrived back in the evening. Thursday morning I caught a colectivo to the airport unsure of what I was embarking on. But excited and not nervous nevertheless.
I stepped out of the plane onto the runway with a rush of humidity and warm caribbean air, with the ocean lapping gently 5 yards away. I smiled happy to see the blue sea again after 3 months in the mountains, even if it wasn't the Pacific the tranquility that the ocean brings to my soul was just what i needed. I was immediately sweating as I cruised out of the open air airport and onto the blue bus headed into the city of Santa Marta. I was amazed at the difference of the world around me. The coast is so different than Medellín, its hard to believe they are the same country. I was intrigued by the bounce and spice of the locals, the donkey's in the street and the costeño accent, but saddened by the many stray dogs and the much more obvious poverty spread along the streets and up the mountains. I stayed two days in Santa Marta with the Fulbrighter Sarah. We hadn't really gotten to know each other in Bogotá or DC during orientation but it was great to get to know her and share the many ups and downs of the Fulbright experience. We ate camarones, empanadas and had lots of delicious fresh juices as well as some of the best mojitos i've ever had!
Santa Marta is the first Colombian city, but now one of the most neglected apart from their small tourist economy mostly involving Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona and the Ciudad Perdida trek. The city is small and colonial with the oldest cathedral in the country with a waterfront, but it is lacking cultural events and a beautiful city beaches. However, Rodadero 15 minutes to the west is a tourist resort spot for Colombian tourists with a beach that looks like Miami, and Taganga 15 minutes to the East is a party tourist destination for extranjeros famous for drugs, exciting nightlife, scuba diving and and easy coastal living. I spent a day in Taganga while Sarah had to work, I wasn't too impressed with the beaches even after we hiked over the hill to the nicer beaches, certainly it was beautiful and enjoyable but nothing compared to what would come at Parque Tayrona.
Saturday Jessy was scheduled to fly into Santa Marta, we would meet up and the three of us (Sarah joined us for the weekend in Parque Tayrona) would catch a bus to the entrance to arrive there before it closes at 5 and hike in. Sarah and I spent the morning running around Santa Marta getting supplies ready for our 3 days on the coast. By 1:20 we were ready to go with our bags packed and just waiting for the phone call from Jessy saying she had landed. I looked at the clock at 1:40 and Jessy still hadn't called, this made me a little nervous so I called her.. voicemail.. i called back two minutes later... voicemail again... now i was really nervous this seemed wrong. Then Jessy called me "hey! I'm in Baranquilla!" "WHAT!?" i responded confused for a brief minute... "Thats 2 hours away!?" Something had been wrong with the flaps of the plane and they had to land in Baranquilla because it had a longer runway than Santa Marta. She suggested Sarah and I go ahead and she'd meet us on Sunday. Hesitant to leave my partner in crime behind in Santa Marta for the night I looked at our packed bags and the excited looks on our faces and realized it made the most sense. We got Jessy a room in a hostal and headed out to Parque Tayrona.
We spent three days sleeping pleasantly in hammocks and hiking, walking, swimming and lounging in the strong caribbean sun and warm water. I couldn't believe how warm the water was, it was almost too hot for this Northern Pacific beach bum. But who can really complain about ocean water being too warm? The park was full of extranjeros and colombians everyone pleasantly enjoying beach time. I fought with the mosquitos and "no-see-ums" leaving with legs looking like they had experienced a war zone and we hadn't even started the jungle trek yet. We hate fish and the most delicious camarones ajillos (in a garlic sauce) we saw a huge crab, beautiful birds and a crocodile!
Sarah had mentioned that someone had seen one she was there before and the next morning Jessy and I found this guy on the beach, mouth open, obviously hungry.....
The beach in Arrecifes where we stayed for the 3 nights. The water was too rough to swim and people die all the time, but it was beautiful.
Heading down the beach to El Cabo for the day, it was 9 am and super hot already.
We had to do the hand stand picture. The magic of Parque Tayrona is that it is where the mountains meet the sea. Pretty freaking amazing. From some places you can see snow-capped mountains from the beach apparently!
Cabo! the most beautiful part of Parque Tayrona!
Necessary self-timer picture when we reached El Cabo! So beautiful!
Tuesday morning we got up early and hiked out along the beach so that we could be at the entrance at 9 for the transportation to pick us up and take us out to start the trek to Ciudad Perdida.. I guess it was silly of us to actually think they would show up at 9 to take us, but we were there at the entrance nevertheless and waited until 1130 for them to come. We talked to the policemen, ate arepa de huevo and juice, played with the kitty cat, saw a monkey and eventually our lovely little chiva showed up for us. We had been told that it would be just Jessy and I which would have been fine, but we were happy to be joined by 13 other foreigners: 4 israelis, 3 germans, 3 czechs, 2 irish and 2 other americans. The 2 irish girls and three of the israelis went ahead after the first day so they could finish a day early and to catch flights, so it left us with a great little crew of "tranquilos!".
The trek was 5 days total and it was a full blown jungle excursion! I ruined two pairs of pants that were not up for jungle adventures, sweat more than ever have, got attacked by bugs (to be expected), scrambled up water-falls, slid down muddy hill slides, ate bananas off the tree, waded through rivers, swam in rivers, bathed in rivers, observed indigenous jungle living so different than the way I live, slept in more hammocks, learned how to play an awesome german card game "schwimmen", saw some of the most beautiful views ever, climbed 1000 feet of stone stairs, hiked around mules, donkeys and pigs, gifted military men cigarettes, and got many blisters on my feet. But it was all amazing and worth it!!
My monkey friend. Its an "audiodor" or a howler.
Our chiva that carried us up to Mamey/Machete to start the hike!
Me jumping into our first swimming hole it was also our last and totally changed my mood at the end making the hike end on a positive note.
Day one started with a big lunch, then a dip in the first swimming hole, then a long uphill climb with two fruit breaks. Then a long down hill until we reached our first camping spot. It got dark about 45 minutes from camp and had to hike with no light for a bit, but most of all it was an easy day.
Just one of the epic views of the hike. The caribbean sea is in the distance somewhere.
Another beautiful view.
Attempts to dry our clothes after day one... Nothing was ever dry for 5 days.
Day 2 was another relatively light day. We had a nice long swim in a swimming hole and arrived at our camp at 2 pm swam in the river as it started to rain. We then had a leisurely afternoon playing uno, and schwimmen.
A banana for energy fresh of the tree given to us from a campesino man.
Jessy, Kristen and Sarah with their guavas fresh off a tree growing along the trail. heaven.
El pueblito indigena. The indigenous don't actually live here but they use it for ceremonial events and meetings. We weren't allowed to go all the way in.
Chit chatting with some indigenous children.
taking another fruit break with a wonderful view.
Sarah, me and Matthias (the jolly german) enjoying the view!
Day 3 was a little longer leaving us just one km from la ciudad perdida. But a serious river crossing and a 1,000 foot climb up tiny stone stairs.
An intense river crossing. We crossed at least one river a day, some were easier than others and after a serious rain fall it was always a lot more intense.
Day 4 we got up early hiked up to La Ciudad Perdida cruised around up there for a few hours and then came back to camp, grabbed our bags, had lunch and rushed out doing everything we did on day 3 in the pouring rain. My blisters were hurting my legs were tired, my pants were ripped and the trail was very very muddy. I was very happy to reach camp that night.
Only 1000 feet of stone stairs to go before reaching La Ciudad Perdida. Wet pants from the river crossing, sweaty skin from the humidity and a blurry lens..
Stairs to the temple.
Hand stand at the top. Pretty necessary!
The military guys thought we were crazy as we all did handstands a million times. Not the perfect handstand picture but it will have to do.
Behind me is where the womens and mens temples used to be. not a bad location!
La Ciudad Perdida also known as Teyuna which means mother nature.
The whole crew!! From left to right: Isabel (Germany), Me, Sarah (Colorado) Kristen (Colorado), Edwin Rey (our guide), Andrew (Czech republic) front row: Anya (Germany), Jessy, Daniela (Czech), Veronika (Czech), Matthias (Germany), Yael (Israel), Levy (Guide).
Day 5 we woke up and pushed it back doing everything we did on day 1 and 2. IT was a pretty gnarly day ending with a long and knee grinding downhill and a serious mudhole but a very rewarding dip in the river and a delicious lunch before getting in the chiva and heading back to Santa Marta. On the way back to Santa Marta it started to rain and before we knew it the streets of the entire city were knee deep in water. Luckily the chiva is a high clearance vehicle. I couldn't believe that it was really happening as we watched children playing in the river running through the streets, the cars attempting to drive through it even motorcycles and people walking around as if everything was normal. Finally the driver and Edwin are guide turn to Jessy and and say "ok your hostal is 2 blocks that way" i looked at them in disbelief "en serio!? we have to walk?" i had 4 open cuts on my feet that i did NOT want to submerge in that water, but they left us no choice. Luckily both of us were wearing chacos, we stepped out into a strong flowing river of brown water taht went half way up our calves. Edwin lead us to our hostal through the sewage water wearing is bright white sneakers. He bid us farewell and we thanked and tipped him.
It was a wonderful amazing trip that kind of left my body in shambles, but it was totally worth it. Now only 6 more weeks of week before TWO months off!! yayyyyy!!
hope all is well for everyone. Lots of love. XOXO.
