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I have made this entry open and will come back and write about this place soon.....
and here I am....
Three months has passed since I was living my wanderlust dream in the natural beauty of Tayrona National Park, Colombia. I didn't have the opportunity to write about this journey then, and haven't made the time until today. Better late than never I guess and today I can relive the wanderlust feeling. One of the main reasons why I wanted to make this journey around the world happen was to experience another way of life. Too see, hear, feel and taste another culture. Without new experiences something within us sleeps and the sleeper must awaken! South America gave me the experience I was seeking and life in Vancouver brings home many familiarities. We have been here for almost two months now and life is presenting itself with many challenges, along with some pleasant surprises at this end of the continent. Things have started to settle in for the better and I will follow up on my latest Vancouver blog soon. I think about our time in South America lot, and through this blog I can relive the journey once again. Our visit to Tayrona brings me to my last blog from South America…. until I return another day.
National Park Tayrona is about a five hour drive east from Cartagena and well worth the journey. Our time here was experienced over three nights and is a place that we will always remember. This was the most relaxing time of the trip and probably three of the most relaxing days I have experienced. With nothing much packed other than our passports, some sunscreen, bug spray, torches, sarongs, camera, a few layers of clothing and some water we had all we needed for a few days in Tayrona. We were once again leaving the modern world behind us as we embarked on our Colombian adventure along the Caribbean seas. Our adventure began as soon as we passed the entry point where we paid our entry fees of 34,000 COP (about $18 USD) each. Guards inspected our luggage and with not much packed we were on our way in a matter of minutes. We had bought just enough cash to pay for the bus fare home, our meals and a few refreshments over the four days. We didn't need anything else other than a book, a map and each others company.
A long paved road led us deeper into the park that left us surrounded by tall trees. It was very humid which made the walk more challenging and the road was proving to be a lot longer than we had first thought. Within an hour or so we reached the end of the road which bought us deep into the forest where we were surrounded by thick vegetation. We were greeted by a local who lives in the area and looks after horses to help transport fresh water and food across the park. He asks us where we were heading and aware that we still had a long walk ahead, we don't hesitate to take up his offer for the horses to carry us along the long path to our next destination. In exchange for some pesos we jump on the horses with our small backpacks and make our way through the forest. To do the walk alone would have taken us two hours or more and in the heat would have been a long and tiring challenge. The further we traveled along the rocky underpass with the horses weaving in and around muddy pools and large boulders, the more grateful we were that we had their help. Some parts of the path were so narrow and deeply formed in and around the rocks that we just managed to squeeze our way through. Our guide called out to make sure no other horses were coming the opposite way in order to avoid a difficult situation. Our horses knew the path well and carried us to the end safely where we were back on our feet and the sound of the ocean was around us. I wish I had a bag of apples to give the horses as their tip so give them a scratch on the neck instead. Horse and donkeys are used all over South America to carry goods back and forth and deserved to be thanked too.
We hadn't quite reached our final destination just yet and still had a two hour walk ahead of us to reach Cabo San Juan. Here we would find hammocks or cabins to sleep in, fresh water and locals preparing and selling food. Rather than staying somewhere closer, we decided to make the journey to this camp because the ocean there is safer to swim in. There are dangerous rips along the coast near Arrecifes beach where we had just arrived and many people have drowned here. So rather than diving straight into the water, we walk along the sand and fantasize about diving into the water a little later on. There isn't anything that's much more relaxing than a walk along the beach, and a walk like this with a new place to explore at the end within a national park brings with it much more excitement. The sand under our feet glimmered with speckles of gold, the water to our right was shimmery and wild and to our left a lagoon was home to flamingos. Palm trees lined the coastline and all that could be heard was the sound of the ocean.
As we continued our walk around the coastline the stretch of sand soon came to an end as we passed through the forest and around boulders. Little alcoves were scattered around with some locals selling cerviche (a sea food dish) and arepa which is like a crepe filled with savory ingredients. The ladies selling these dishes had a very basic set up right on the beach under the shade of the trees. I could see her mule tied up to a tree in the distance and hope that it wasn't like that all day long. If you couldn't see it, you could definitely hear it. We made our way back onto the path walking up and over boulders under the thick canopy of the trees. The scenery was beautiful and the heat was incredibly hot. The humidity was making the walk uncomfortable and our bug spray was already getting a good pump! Arriving at Cabo San Juan we were greeted by a park ranger who offers us a hammock for around 30,000 COP (about $15 USD) each a night or a cabin for three times the price each. We choose the hammocks. The camp area was set right on the beach with green grass to pitch tents on, soccer fields and people kicking the ball about, hammocks to sleep in and a rustic hut to buy food and drinks from. We had landed our feet onto an oasis filled with life's simple pleasures, and the journey here was half the fun. With just an hour or so of daylight left, we throw our belongings into the hammocks, lock up our valuables in the lockers provided and dive into the water.
That night we ate fresh fish under the rustic hut and drank some cold beers on the beach. With no electricity on site there were no hot showers, laptops, tvs, mobile phones or any other electronic devices. All we had with us was our little music players fully charged. The locals used generators to provide energy for cooking food and lighting. Donkey's and horses roamed in the yard nearby and in the morning we were woken up early by the rooster prancing in and around the hammocks which I found rather funny. Our days here were spent swimming, reading, eating and walking through the forest, not much else to say really! Because we were in a national park there were no pushy vendors on the beach which made it much more relaxing. The water was warm, the weather was perfect, the sun was out, the sunsets were amazing and life here was simple, relaxing and well worth the journey. If we had more time here, we would have trekked deeper into the forest but this was not on the cards for us this time.
One interesting spot here is where the cabins and some of the hammocks are positioned. There is a tiny little island no bigger than a football oval that sits out on the sandy banks. When we first arrived we were wondering what the little hut was sitting on top of the island. We ventured up there and the round rustic hut was filled with about fifteen hammocks hanging from the ceiling. The cabins were positioned on the next level above. Now this was an ocean view! You can see a picture of this from my photos to get a better idea. We tried to sleep up here one night but needed more than our sarongs to keep us warm. Late in the night we lose the battle to stay warm, and we make our way back down and get some rest in the hammocks back on camp until the rooster tells us it's time to get up.
Our time here was short and sweet and all about enjoying the simple things in life. There are many activities to choose from in the area such as snorkeling trips and hikes. If we had more time we would have ventured out on some hikes, but the hike here and back was long enough for us. We arrived feeling full of excitement and left feeling mentally refreshed and ready for a hot shower. Park Tayrona is a spectacular location and before I arrived here I never thought I would sleep in a hammock for three nights, however that' is all one really needed and we couldn't have asked for anything more other than another sarong.
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