30/11/18 We took our time to have breakfast and pack our bags before check-out. We stopped by the bakery to buy some bread and by the supermarket to buy ham and cheese. We arrived perfectly on time for the bus to Pereira and shared a taxi to the airport with Torge, a German guy on his way to Santa Marta too, hoping to meet with a girl he met earlier on his travels.
Santa Marta airport is interesting because it is along the beach on one side (literally) and the mountain on the other side.
Andres (they all seemed to be called the same ?), the casa owner picked us up from the airport and after a bumpy ride we arrived at his casa where he still lives with his mom. They are from Bogota but she wanted to be closer to the ocean.
The casa was clean but with ants and mosquitos. They also have 2 underfed cute cats. Andres told us not to drink the tap water and gave us a jar of filtered water to brush our teeth.
We went to a restaurant along Taganga beach recommended by Andres. We had cocktails and fried rice. A bit pricey for the average Colombian dinner but it was good. A local approached us and started a conversation as he spoke a bit of French. Taganga is used to tourists; they sell many handcrafted items on the floor along the beach and don’t hesitate to wander from restaurant to restaurant to sell their products.
The music goes louder as time flies, as each place tries slowly to be louder than his neighbour.
01/12/18 We explored the city of Santa Marta on foot and watched iguanas moving in the trees. There are many street dogs and cats everywhere, most of them are really skinny and just sleep on the street. I felt so bad for them that I gave a bit of chicken to a cat who decided to stay on Lori’s chair.
02/12/18 We took a bus to Santa Marta then another one to reach Tayrona park, a natural reserve along the beach. A minibus took us to a parking area where the hiking paths start. The park is so big that many people choose to stay for the night in hostels or camp for a few days to enjoy the hikes, the beaches, the pool or the restaurants along the coast. We only took a 1 day ticket.
We hiked a first circle circuit of about an hour called Ruta A to warm up then another one of 3.7km through the forest to reach another beach. The air was very hot and humid so we sweat a lot on the way. We crossed horses to rent, police officers who checked our bags and locals selling bottles of water, fruit juice and coconut drinks. Once we reached the beach, we ate at a local restaurant and stayed on the beach for a good hour to dry our clothes. Lori dipped in the water to cool down, then we walked the same path back to the park entrance. A bus was waiting outside and we asked if it was going back to Santa Marta. The driver companion said yes and as it was the same price as the way here we jumped on.
The bus struggled a lot as the road was very steep and after 1h of really slow driving he stopped near the city, but not in the centre as we needed. As that was the last stop everyone was a bit pissed and took taxis or other buses to the city. The driver disappeared and we had no choice but catch a bus too, even though he was supposed to take us back to the centre. From there, another bus took us back to Taganga. We had a well deserved shower after more than 10km walk in the heat and went to the beach for a cocktail and to have dinner. The vibe was nice with Colombian music near the water. It was still around 25 degrees so being outside was really enjoyable. A few minutes after we left the taco restaurant, the city went all blacked out as the power went off everywhere. Suddenly, no more music, no more lights, no more shops. We used our mobile phones to reach the casa where the fridge and aircon were off of course and 1/2h later the power came back on. Another blackout happened about an hour later but we were ready to go to bed anyway. When we asked the casa owner if it happens often, he replied ‘not in the last 2 months’, so we can guess it happens regularly. I understand why he said we should eat seafood for lunch but not for dinner ?.
03/12/18 We booked a scuba diving experience as Lori is an experienced diver and I thought it would be a great first experience for me. We had to be there at 7 am as I had to go through a beginner course first, before going on a boat to do 2 dives.
I knew I was not super comfortable in the water but wanted to give it a go. The first step was a few exercises in a small swimming pool to learn how to breathe under water. My instructor, Octavio dressed me with the full equipment to be in the same conditions as the full dive. The mask was constantly moving up and I found it really uncomfortable to breathe with the regulator. I didn’t do well at all with the exercises as I had to reach for the surface a few times to get some air. I was not confident I could do it in the ocean but Octavio tried to comfort me and reminded me that he would be next to me all the time. I learned how to empty the water from the mask under water, how to breathe with the regulator, how to find it if I loose it and how to remove it and put it back. How to read the air gauge, how to inflate and deflate the jacket, how to fix the fins and how to put and remove the belt with all the weight attached. Lori and I were lucky to both have one instructor to ourselves, it was like a private session.
We walked in the wet suits with the equipment from the diving centre to the beach with 3 other divers and their instructors to jump on the boat that took us 20 min away near Tayrona park. Octavio geared me up and before I realised it I jumped in the ocean ready for my first dive. My mask was better adjusted this time so I didn’t feel the need to clean it which helped reducing my anxiety. Once in the water everything seemed easier. I saw some nice corals and fish and from time to time forgot that I was breathing through the regulator.
I lasted 24 min 12 meters deep then asked Octavio to go back to the surface. I felt like my mouth and throat were really dry while breathing with the regulator and I was afraid I had to cough and might not be able to calm down to stay under water. I learned that you can cough even vomit in the regulator (which is frequent apparently) but I didn’t want to try ?.
We went back to the boat, picked up the other groups and had a snack break with a pork skewer and some panela, a drink made of sugar cane.
We moved with the boat to another spot and jumped in the water again. One of the pipes if my bottle had some issues when I jumped so they had to fix it before diving. This time, I lasted 40 minutes. The water was 27 degrees but I was still a little cold. Back on the boat the sun warmed me up a little.
I really don’t get why some people enjoy diving, but I am glad I did, so I know what it is like. This spot was great as the water was clear, warm (enough) and quiet. I felt so uncomfortable down there, with so little control. Definitely out if my comfort zone. With practice I guess things can get more natural, but it is not something I will do again soon. Though I have to mention that my instructor was awesome. He kept my hand most of the time, tried to calm me under water, took pictures and had a great attitude to make everything as smooth and easy as possible.
What an experience!
Back at the casa we ate some shrimp rice we bought on the way and packed our bags to drop them at hostel Masaya in the centre of Santa Marta.
In the evening while we were sipping mojitos, a young Colombian couple asked if they could join us to practice their English. Luis is a bartender nearby and Kelly is a primary teacher. They guessed our age about 10 years younger, Lori also looks younger than her age.
