San Gil - Colombia's Adventure Capital

We spent another day in Taganga before heading back to Santa Marta where we caught a night bus to Bucaramanga - 9 hours. This was our first freezing cold bus ride. We had heard constant stories about the icy buses who cranked the AC without regard for the frost forming on the passengers but until this ride we had had more problems with lack of AC rather than too much. Luckily forewarned I have an extra jacket and my sarong which acts as a blanket but the cold makes it too hard to sleep and it is a restless night. We change buses in Bucaramanga for a bus to San Gil - a small town trying to make its mark as the adventure capital of Colombia.

River rafting, abseiling, parapenting, horseback riding - these are just a few of the options to choose from, but first things first - let's find a place to put these bags down. The main road is fully under construction which makes looking for a hostal a little nerve racking as we try to maneuver amongst the locals scurrying down the wooden planks and narrow dirt path left as a sidewalk with out knocking one of them into the ditch where the road should be with out backpacks. We head up a long steep hill in search of the Hostal Macondo. Arghh - full!

So back down the hill to the main square where we find a room at the Hotel Mansion del Parque, a huge old colonial mansion where we are given an unbelievably large room with shutter windows opening to chaotic street below.

I know I will be hating the noise tonight - buses, taxis, people, cops directing traffic by the blow of a whistle - but I love the vantage point of looking out into the street and the parque and just watching everyone go about their daily lives.

The town is nestled into the hills, a fact that become evident when walking around town. Several of the streets at one end of town dead end into walkways reminiscent of San Francisco. Some are landscaped with flowering plants and trees, others with murals, others are simply steps. But from the top you get an amazing view of the city skyline, red rooftops and the round doomed roof of the Cathedral taking center stage.

Breathtaking Parque Central is lined with cafes but we can't seem to find anywhere to eat. Cafe means one thing is served - cafe! Finally have we actually found a town with an appreciation of a fine cup of a strongly brewed coffee? Problem is that we normally like some breakfast with our coffee.

Cafeteria Donde Betty directly diagonally across the park from our hotel turns out to be our favorite place. Coffee, eggs and arepas (a corn based flat bread/tortilla with a similar texture and taste of masa used for mexican tamales but with a little cheese and butter). CDB is a small place only 4 tables squashed into what really looks like a mini convenience store. Coffee is the big seller - all varieties, expresso, latte, negro, americano. Interestingly what you get depends on who is making it. Later in the day beer becomes the big seller. People gather at every available seat in all the local cafes and drinking beers which collect on the table like trophies until the last person in the group leaves.

Right across the street are two local bars - actually they are stores with metal bars where you order your drinks, predominantly beer, and then you hang out in front of the store or wander to a bench in the park.  

On a weekend night the park is packed with people, couples cuddling on the benches and friends gathering around drinking, laughing, and just hanging out. We mingle - even get in a little cuddling on a park bench ... when Colombia do as the Colombians.

Wild and Spectacular Coastline - Parque Nacional Tayrona

With John feeling better we decide to head to the Parque Nacional Tayrona for a couple of days. The Parque is touted as one of Colombia's most popular - wide stretches of white beach with beautifully vibrant ocean backdropped by the encasing jungle and looming palm trees.  We catch a ride with Jose who comes by our hotel everyday rounding up people to take to the park. Its an hour drive but we also make a pit stop at the grocery store. We have been warned that the prices are high and the guidebook suggests bringing your own water and snacks. Along with Patrick, who we met on the ride in, we hike 45 minutes on a dirt trail to the coastline.

The first beach area you come to Arrecefies. the scenery is absolutely stunning. A windswept coastline with a beautiful beach and occasional huge boulders add to the surreal landscape.

There is an upscale place right as we get to the beach - Finca Yulupa I think it is called. They have some fantastic cabins - we are afraid to ask how much - a few tents and a palapa covered area with numerous hammocks covered with mosquito nets. These look romantically invitiing - until we consider 8 hours lying in a hammock with our aging backs .. hmm maybe not for us.The facilities look new and the bathrooms and showers are definitely a few levels above "camping". But you can't swim at this beach due to rip tides so we decide to see what else there is to offer further west.

We walk along the beach passing a few more secluded coves before reaching La Piscina - or the pool which is a calmer beach just perfect for swimming.

We are bummed we don't have snorkel gear as there is a reef enclosing part of the beach that we would have liked to explore. We end up spending several hours lounging on the beach and at 4 decide we better head on to see where we will spend the night.

Another 20 minutes along a beachfront trail brings you to Cabo San Juan de la Guia which is where most backpackers head - something that becomes evident as you turn the corner to a long row of tents, lots of people and an open field just waiting to be filled with more campers. There are also hammocks for rent in a 2 story palapa building built on an outcropping of rocks and overlooking the ocean. A truly great spot - but fully occupied. The only hammocks left are right next to the restaurant, literally you are swinging in arms reach of the plastic tables and chairs. Although this beach is spectacular we decide to head back to the more serene feeling place we saw first.

Having let our age decide against the hammocks, we opt for a tent facing the ocean. The location is ideal - a grassy lawn shaded by trees with a view to the ocean only hampered by the occassional palm tree. We head over to the neighboring restaurant and share dinner and conversation with Patrick and Heath, another guy met on the way to dinner. One great thing about traveling is how open most people are to striking up a conversation or joining you for a meal. I don't think I have ever asked someone I just met on the street to join me for dinner in LA. Maybe we will have to try that when we get home.Where we decide to eat there are only a few tables full and the owner starts putting the chairs up on the table pretty early. By 10 he actually turns the lights off on us.

So its off to our tent which turns out to be more like a sauna since the wind has died. Our first guest of the evening is this giant cangrejo (crab).  John downed the beer rapido so we could use it as a prop in the photo to show how big the crab was.  We had a second little guest as well - a scorpion had taken up residence inside our tent! or maybe he thought we were the guests! Sorry, we paid, and John "disposed" of him but he still left his mark, fear that is ... Do scorpions travel in packs or are they solitary creatures? No se (I don't know) so by headlamps we search the tent for any other visitors. It was an uneasy night ...

Early to rise before the tent was too unbearable.  The morning view from our tent was spectacular.

We head off to the beach for a relaxing day of lounging and reading. John has been reading this book about a guy who decides to live according to the bible - literally - yes John the self proclaimed atheist is reading bible stuff. Of course he really likes it because the author is essentially poking fun at the "good book" - highlighting how ridiculous it could be if taken literally, i.e. It allows stoneing of people, capital punishment for worshiping other idols, ok to beat your slave as long as it isn't so bad that he dies within a day, and then there is the prohibition of wearing mixed fabrics and it goes on. I did not plan for this beach outing too well and finished my book early in the day leaving nothing else to do but work on my tan.

Here's a few more pics of the Parque.

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Jose will be meeting us at the Parque entrance for the drive back to Tagana so we make our way back to the trail.  This horse, and a few of his friends, caught up with us along the beach.  Then on the trail out of the park we ran into a slew of monkeys playing in the trees above. Actually they were eating, but the technique is to take a bite and throw the rest down at the tourists below, repeat. I'm not sure who is watching who. Our ride home gets more interesting when we are pulled over by the police at one of the random checkpoints. Jose looks a bit uneasy - not a good sign. He returns to the car several times for different paper work. Then a guard comes over and asks to see our documents. The van is full of 6 of us. 2 of the guys pull out their passports while the guy next to me says we don't have them with us. The cop walks away - we don't know what's going on. Finally Jose returns and rambles on in Spanish about the paperwork but we are good to go. Next obstacle to a getting a shower is a  road block. A big truck has flipped over so we take a major detour through a local town, as does everyone else. But eventually, after some crazy driving, we are back on the main road and in Tagana in no time.

Fishing Village with Poolside Wifi - Taganga, Colombia

We arrive by taxi into a dusty fishing village called Taganga which is nestled into the surrounding valley just a mere 30 minutes from Santa Marta. There are scattered hostels, a few restaurants on the beach and some dive shops offerring dirt cheap dive instruction. The roads are rough and dusty. The heat is still oppressive.

As John is still feeling under the weather, I head out to find a place to stay while he mans the bags.. I saw a few cool places but decide on the Divanga which is a bit more expensive than we had hoped - especially considering it is a tiny fishing village- but it has a pool and wifi. John plans on trying to rest for a couple days so the pool gives me a place to hang, read, pay bills and work on the blog (which has fallen seriously behind).

The staff here are outgoing and friendly. Everyone hangs around under the palapa most of the day just talking up a storm.  I wish my Spanish was better as I am curious as to what they are talking about day after day but I am left to short conversations about typical tourist things - how to get somewhere, where to get food, etc.  The hotel has a small bar upstairs and a little restaurant with good food. The prices in Taganga are a bit surprising as food is more expensive than Cartagena where we had expected everything to be higher than it was or Santa Marta for that matter.  But this is certainly more of a tourist town catering to Westerners than Santa Marta which seemed to attract more Colombian tourist who generally speaking prefer a little more luxury.  Us Westerns seem to embrace the idea of  "roughing it" as a mode of vacation.  So maybe the prices reflect the fact that the perception (based on some factual truth) is that Westerns will pay more as it still seems inexpensive by Western standards.   

The beach itself  is not much to write home about in terms of natural beauty. This is really a working fishing village and the boats and nets line most of the beach. As a tourist town though, the beach could use some cleaning - trash is just dropped along the beach.  There is some environmentally conscious graffiti imploring people to keep the beach clean, but I don't think the message  has sunk in just  yet. 

Although not truly inviting, the far end of the bay seems reserved for swimming and sunbathing.  Of course the kids are much less particular than us - they have no problem playing in the water next to the fishing boats, and the fish guts - they clean the fish on small wooden tables just in front of where they "park" their boats.  Youth - I envy the utter carefree nature.  

Apparently there is a nicer beach accessed by a trail along the bluff.  But John is not feeling up to it, and I had read some warnings though about robberies and muggings here so I'm a little hesitant to venture out alone. So its poolside lounging for us both.  We even get an afternoon rainshower to cool things off a bit - a welcome reprive.

The town is only a few scattered dirt roads connected by one or two mainly concrete roads passing through in the other direction.  At night it is pitch dark, and  the road to our hostal takes on an eerie feel which has been intensified by a write up I read on another blog about the police trying to plant cocaine on tourists here in order to get a bribe. Story goes something like this:  policeman stops you to see your passport - in Colombia you are supposed to have your passport on you at all times.  Then he drops something and claims you dropped it when you pulled out your passport.  Of course you argue back but the end result is you pay or go to jail.  Of course we never really were able to fully substantiate this story or whether it was a one time deal or a common ocurrence.  In any event, we played it safe and stayed clear of the dark roads and chose to hang out in the bar at our hotel. 

A Diversion North - Santa Marta

The heat is just too much to endure! I wake up sweating and there are 2 fans blowing right on me! But its like being under a blowdryer set on high. We really love Cartagena, the old buildings, narrow streets, little cafes, our great little hotel and the friendly staff - but after a week of stifling heat its time to move on. John has caught some kind of bug - swine flu maybe (ha ha ha) so we decide to pay for the direct shuttle bus to beachside resort town of Santa Marta rather than make our way with public buses which would require a couple of changes. It looks so close on the map but its about 4 hours. Of course the hotel we want - this new hostal called Las Brisas Loco which is in an old building and has a small pool - is full so we head out to find another. I am really hoping on AC since I need a little relief and I think it will help John sleep better and kick this cold. We settle on Sun City - not really very sunny but it will do. It has AC but it also has this odd odor. I'm hoping with the air cranked the smell will dissipate. Traveling has really taken a toll on John so while he rests I head out to check out the town and beach. The town is undergoing some major renovations. It looks like they are trying to put in cobblestone walk streets.

Apparently Santa Marta is a big weekend beach town for local Colombians. The beach however is not much to write home about. In fact its a little dreary as it faces the shipping yard. But the town squares are gorgeous and there is obviously something going on tonight as they are setting up a stage. I get John to rally for some dinner but that's about it. We decide to call it an early night and head to the fishing village of Taganga in the morning.

Where is all the Colombian Coffee?

To our dismay, it seems the delicious Colombian coffee we savor at home is hard to find here in Colombia.  I guess they must export it all.  So far finding a good cup of joe is definitely a task.  Nescafe - on the other hand - is widely abundant and cherished by the locals.

Another Day Strolling Cobblestone Streets of Cartagena

We started the day by changing hostals. The yappy dogs were a bit much. And when we ran into a young woman that we had met in Leon, Nicaragua who recommended the Hostel San Roque. We decided to check it out. It was similarly priced and just a few blocks away, with a nicer room, 2 fans, TV, private bath, wifi (that appears to work), and a much nicer common use kitchen. Then it was off to get desayuno and then stroll about the city again. At breakfast we ran into Marcus and Patricia a couple we met in Nicaragua who have been traveling by motorcycle with a sidecar. They recently spent 8 days on a large boat (with their motorcycle) traveling from Panama to Colombia via the San Blas Islands. They loved it!  Although we contemplated a boat journey to make the border crossing from Panama to Colombia we decided against it as we both get seasick.  As we listen to their stories we are bummed that we flew - but it is what it is and the romance of it all would be short lived if we were pucking out guts for a week waiting to hit land. In the category of small world we also find out that they had the misfortune of being at the Mamallena (our hostal in Panama City) when the armed robbery happened a few weeks before we had arrived. They lost all their electronics including a very nice camera and their backup harddrive with all their pictures. We are again reminded how lucky we have been so far on this trip and thank our lucky stars and hope they continue to stay with us.

We spend the next few days just strolling the streets within walled city, sipping lattes at one of the Plazas and taking in the sights and sounds of the city.

In the afternoons we head to the outer wall to watch the kids fly kites. It seems that the schools bring the kids here, or maybe its like a field trip.  In any event we are mesmerized by their affection for kite flying.  Even the security guards lend a helping hand to get a kite up off the ground.  While sitting on the wall, a kite crashes near us and John is off to the rescue.

Here are some of the sights of the city. 

The Puerta del Roloj (door to the clock) is the main entrance to the walled city. The area behind its entrance, Plaza de los Coches, was once used as a slave market. Now there are old houses above a small marketplace which are behind the monument to the founder of the city, Pedro de Heredia.

Found under one of Las Murallas (the walls) is Las Bovedas which is the site of 23 dungeons built in the 18th Century.  They now house artesean shops. 

Just outside the city walls is the port bordered by the Muelle de Los Pegasos.  The port serves as a launching pad for tourist boats heading to nearby islands as well as providing a port for fishing and cargo boats.

Local dancing in the Plaza.

And a few more classic shots.

Cartagena, Columbia - Kites and the Ancient Walled City

Flying over Columbia it looks a little like California, rolling green hills and then the developments, sprawling suburbs, skyscrapers and the ocean below. I knew Cartagena was big but I was surprised by how big. In the last few days while attempting to find cheap airfare and some possible hostals I came across a lot of very expensive accommodations in Cartagena - including a Sofitel, Hilton and other chains. We had been warned that it was very touristy but figured it was worth the visit and a good place to start our trip into South America.

Cartagena has a reputation of being a romantic city.  Its history lays a foundation for a storybook - starting with pirates and treasures.  Founded in 1533, Cartagena served as a northern access point and perfect Spanish port where treasures taken from the indigenous people were stored until they could be loaded on ships for Spain.  But its location was far from secret and thus became a prime pirate target, attracting even the infamous Francis Drake.   To protect the city from the pirates the Spaniards enclosed the city with stone walls and elaborate forts.  These walls remain today and add to the charm of the old city.

The ritzy part of Cartagena is located on the point, where wealthy Colombians vacation.  Here you can find the normal assortment of chain hotels and expensive restaurants.  We didn't plan on even visiting this end of town, instead, we catch a cab to the outer portion of the old walled city to the area called Getsemani which is a developing area - in the midst of tourism growth it has the majority of inexpensive hostals, restaurants, etc and is relatively safe. 

The streets are narrow, and lined with vendors selling fruits and local foods.  As in any area undergoing gentrification, you have a sparkling renovated building aside a crumbling facade.  We head for a well-known hostal - Casa Vienna but no luck - full. We are glad we choose the afternoon flight rather than the cheaper night flight as we ended up spending the next hour or so looking for a place. Lots to choose from, at a variety of prices. We settle on the Hostal Real a couple blocks from the Casa Vienna. Private room with bath, tv, good fan, wifi, use of kitchen and courtyard for $22 a night. Unfortunately, it also comes with 2 yappy little dogs.

It's Sunday and the streets in the antique city are quiet with most shops and restaurants being closed. We are happy to have arrived on Sunday as I am sure the city will feel much different tomorrow.  Narrow cobblestone streets, colorful colonial buildings in shades of orange, cranberry and the occasional vivid blue, accented with fushia bouganvillia - we walk the streets almost alone.  The sights are reminiscent of Granada but a bigger area with tighter streets, more churches, museums, parques and plazas. Me gusta Cartagena! (I like Cartagena!)

We head to the outer wall of the old city out by the beach where families have gathered to fly kites, lots of kites. Its quite windy so there are lots of collisions, tangled strings and shredded kites, pero no problema - the crowd seems very relaxed and accustomed to the crowded skies.