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I've trekked through the Colombian jungle, dodged tarantulas and spent the night in a hammock under the stars.. every day Colombia looks more beautiful.
Tayrona National Park is gorgeous; lush tropical rainforest edges the stunning beaches along the Caribbean sea.. bliss. A group of us from the hostel set off for what we thought would be a moderate trek through the canopy to reach the campsite we planned to stay at. Hmm... 3 hours later we were red-faced, exhausted and very sweaty. Turns out we'd taken a scenic route (Grandad would love it). But the scenery was gorgeous, we saw beautiful beaches, clambered over rocks and dodged mules taking supplies through the mountains to the campsite.
Bed was a hammock under a straw roof, along with about 50 room-mates, dinner was eaten in a straw hut next to the sea, and the bathroom was a hose attached to a wall to shower underneath. I bumped into Madelaine, who I'd met in Taganga the other day, so we all sat together drinking rum and chatting into the night.
Sleeping in a hammock is more comfy than I imagined - it's cosy, like being cocooned. Bit chilly though... I ended up with all my clothes on, wrapped up in my sleeping bag liner, arms crossed over myself like a vampire! It is quite nice falling asleep swaying in the breeze though.
During the day I swam in bright blue water at La Piscina, a lovely beach near to ours where the sea was still and clear. Palm trees swayed in the breeze and seaweed tickled my feet, and the sand is amazing - tiny gold flecks make it shimmer, so the water looks really sparkly.
After the first hike we really weren't looking forward to the long trek back, so some of the group decided to take a speedboat. One look at the choppy sea was enough to make up my mind - remember I've sworn off boats! So, taking a deep breath and hauling a lot of water we set off through the trees. Turns out it was easier than before! We wandered along a couple of beaches then went under the canopy of the jungle where it was a bit cooler, and the pathway was smoother. There were all sorts of funny noises in the jungle - schreeches from animals I probably can't even name, birds flying overhead, the occasional bat, lots of bugs (the boys spotted a tarantula too, yikes). Along the way I saw armies of red ants moving building materials, lots of birds, horses, mules and donkeys, and the most beautiful blue butterfly! It was huge, about the size of an outsplayed hand, with bright blue wings framed by black (like the necklace Helen got me last year). It flew alongside me for a while, looking very pretty against the green backdrop of the plants.
Once out of the park, the journey back to the hostel took me winding through the mountains, going past plant nurseries with rainbows of flowers, hillsides of lush green-topped trees, and small brightly-painted breeze-block houses. There are remnants of Colombia's past - every house has a grate over all the windows and doors, and there are police everywhere, but it feels very safe here because everyone is so cautious. Ancient cars and huge trucks rumble past (dusty roads and dry weather must agree with motors, Argentina was full of old cars too!).
Tayrona was just lovely, quite hard work though - I definitely deserve a bar of Colombian chocolate now, washed down with a mojito..
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