Semana Santa was Holy Week and our spring break. 3/27-4/4. And it was AWESOME. I decided to go on a relaxing excursion with Lindsay, another volunteer, to wander around Santa Marta and Tayrona National Park. Here is my best account of the amazingness that ensued. Sorry if this ends up a little long.
SANTA MARTA
So we spent two nights in Santa Marta, a medium-sized city on the coast. It's a relatively popular tourist destination, with a huge market, old churches, and a lovely park and beach ri
ght at the city's edge. It's exactly what I think we were looking for. We picked up the bus Friday after school with the rest of the gang heading to Santa Marta to leave for a trek to Ciudad Perdida, the Lost City. It involves a 6 day hike through the jungle to see the remains of an old village. I know both Lindsay and I had considered going along, but after our own relaxing adventures, we were glad we stayed.We hung out with the rest of the gang for Friday evening. Grabbed dinner, walked by the water, then hit the hay. We woke up on Saturday in time to see the group off on their trek and then grabbed breakfast. We got breakfast every morning at a small restaurant on the water, with pint glasses full of fresh fruit juice. With the sound of the water and a perfect view of the city waking up, it was perhaps one of my favorite parts of our Santa Marta weekend. With the rest of the day, we explored the city, wandered the market, sat and read by the water, and watched a very strange man do a dance interpretation of yoga that both amused and frightened me at the same time. It was
lovely. relaxing. perfect.Sunday was Palm Sunday. Our "shuttle" to Tayrona National Park didn't leave until 10:30 from our hostel, so we had all morning to wander. We got our usual breakfast by the water. Then we went in the direction of the market again. Instead, we found several church services either in progress or just ending. It was awesome. Everyone had their palms folded into the shape of crosses. They also had, though, actual plants in plastic pots and dry flowers, which was interesting. They raised their palms outside in prayer (some people pots and all) and then began a procession through the town. It was really really cool to witness and be a small part of. I love the passion of people at church. Like nowhere else in the world exists at that moment. It's very powerful. After that, we had used up all our free time, so we headed back to the hostel to await our shuttle to our next destination.
PARQUE TAYRONA
After that, we jumped in our shuttle to Parque Tayrona, which was a little farther away than I had realized. I had also not realized that our shuttle would be a dilapidated old taxi with a crazy driver who kept stopping for gas, even though it was only like a 45 minutes drive. It was totally worth the ride, though, as well as the 45 minute hike to our campsite in the hottest hour of the day with our bags. The park was beautiful. We stayed in the slightly more calm area of Arricefes, with tall palm trees, cool breezes, and tents and hammocks that enjoyed the sounds of the crashing surf 24/7. Can you say heaven? There was even a reasonable restaurant on the beach, complete with full fresh juice bar. Done and done.
However, you cannot swim in the water at Arricefes. So the first thing we did a
fter we unpacked by our hammocks, was to wander in the direction of La Piscina, a calmer beach with water suitable for swimming. And it was only a 20 minute hike away. Perfect. However, 45 mintues later, we still had not found it. We were considering turning around, when we came across Cabo San Juan, another area with places to stay, and our new favorite hang-out spot. It had two beaches, one on the ocean and one on a calmer bay, beautiful water (with swimming), palm trees, and a cool gazebo with hammocks on a cliff overlooking both beaches. It was amazing. needless to say we made that 45 minutes hike every day we were in the park. it was that cool. So we hung out until it started to get dark, and made our way back home for a little journal-writing and reading by the beach. It was soooo relaxing.The next day we decided to brave the 2.5 hour hike to Pueblito, the remains of an ancient village built by the Tayrona tribes in the 4th century, high up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. With emphasis on the HIG
H up part. We attempted to leave early to avoid the midday sun, but didn't end up getting going until about 9:30. In fact, the park has rules that you can't even begin the hike after 1 pm. We made it with plenty of time, but perhaps if we had realized how much of an incline this hike enjoyed, we may have tried a little harder to leave earlier. With the heat and the altitude, I thought I was going to die. However, it was totally worth it. After a small scare that led us to believe that the town was actually a pile of rocks, we continued on and found the actual remains. And they are amazing. The whole town is actually rather large, with the Kogi tribe (descendants of the original Tayrona tribes) still living in the area. These people were gorgeous in and of themselves. We wished we had brought a picnic, but since we hadn't eaten lunch, we couldn't spend too much time up there. After about a half an hour, we headed back, did out victory dance, and grabbed some lunch at the restaurant in Cabo and prepared for a relaxing afternoon hanging out by the beach. :)Our last day at the park, we spent completely lazy. Still aching from the hike the day before, we spent the morning in Arricefes, eating the last of our food stashes, reading and enjoying the amazing greenery. When we finally felt up for hiking again, we headed back to Cabo for our last afternoon of swimming and surf. By the evening, the Colombian Semana Santa crowds had invaded and our quaint dinner spot had exploded with people. Needless to say, I think we were ready to leave the park. After a calm evening by the beach, we hit the hay and prepared to move on to our last spot the following morning.
TAGANGA
So our last vacation spot of choice was the super quaint diving village of Taganga. While we had heard mixed reviews of the place in the past, we fell in love instantly. It had the sprawling Sierra Nevada Mountains of parque T
ayrona, with the beach town feeling of Santa Marta. There were juice stands within an arm's reach of any spot on the the main drag, and plenty of bars and restaurants to keep you busy for any amount of time. However, there really is only one restaurant you need to know when vacationing here. Sure, the fresh fish on the beach is to die for, and margarita's makes the best baguette sandwiches on the coast. But if you only have one meal in Taganga, it has to be at Casa de Felipe. Picture quaint cobble stone patios, rustic wooden tables, and reasonably priced food that will make your mouth water. Filet Mignon for under $10, seafood pasta, gourmet soups and sandwiches, fish fillets, all cooked fresh to order and all like straight out of an expensive 5 star restaurant. You can spend your day diving (at just about the cheapest place in the world to do so), but don't let your night pass you by without dinner here. I, probably embarassingly, ate every single dinner here during the time i was here. I was adventurous during lunch, but dinner belonged to Felipe. No Contest.The first night was Lindsay's only night here, so we had to celebrate the end of our exciting adventure to
gether. We actually spent the day very lazily. We went for a walk along the beach, read in the hammocks overlooking the mountains, and chatted with other travelers, of which there was more here than in either of our previous locations. We even found other WorldTeach volunteers from Ecuador. small world. So when it was time for dinner, a bunch of us travelers ventured to Felipe to see what all the fuss was about. Some amazing dishes later (Filet Mignon for me!), minus an incident with a cat and a few badly placed jokes, we had an amazing evening. good food, relaxation, and good company. All-in-all a great end to our week together.The next morning, Lindsay headed out to meet a friend coming to Barranquilla from the States, and I began the "alone time" portion of my break, a chance to reflect on my time here so far, set new goals for myself, and just
gather my thoughts before falling back into the grind on Monday. I Or so I thought. I finished my book, followed by a trip to the main beach alone, and somehow ran into someone we had met from Santa Marta, small world. Then walking home, I ran into the other Barranquilla volunteers, coming back from their hike to Ciudad Perdida, a lost city similar to Pueblita but much further into the mountains. They were preparing for dinner themselves. So I ran back to my hostel, took a dip in the pool, took a shower, and decided to head to Casa de Felipe with my friends. I mean, if they were going to try the restaurant for the first time, I might as well give them some suggestions and show them the way. ;) Plus, I got to hear about their hike and try the Seafood pasta with Lobster Sauce. it was a win - win. We then walked back into town for 5 mil ($2.50) cocktails. As if I thought the night couldn't get any better. And we ended with some dancing at a club on the beach. basically the perfect night. However, my attempts at self reflection were kinda forgotten.So the next day (Friday), I decided to bypass the main beach, and hike to one of the many small sparsely populated coves along the coast. However, first I had to pass by another crowded beach called Playa Grande, a Colombian favorite just a short uphill hike or boat ride away from Taganga. I was halfway across the beach on my hike when a teacher from the school comes running up to me. He explains that he had yelled to me the day before, but I apparently hadn't heard him. He invites me to meet his family and we end up having lunch and going for a boat ride together. It was really nice. A bit more Spanish conversation and a bit less alone time than I had hoped for, but all in all, who can complain about someone buying you a fresh fish dinner on the water? We even took the boat back at the end of the afternoon, instead of having to hike in the heat, which I appreciated. However, this was my last night in Taganga. Therefore, I had to go back to Casa de Felipe for one last sendoff dinner. I was fully prepared to eat alone, when another guy from the hostel explained he was going anyway and we should go together. Of course. why not. We also ran into the other WorldTeach people from Ecuador, who looked at us like we were on some kind of date, which made it all the more funny. I didn't care, I had my Filet Mignon and someone to talk to. I was happy.
The next day, I was leaving at 1:30 on a bus back to Barranquilla. So I got up early, determined to find these private coves. I hik
ed down to the water, grabbed a fruit juice, and began what became a two hour hike along the coast. It was amazing, and I would have kept going if I hadn't known that I didn't have much time. I found a cove with few people and set up my spot. I read a little, swam in the crystal clear water with the fishes, and did some thinking. Ultimately, a successful last morning. I even headed back with enough time to take a dip in the pool, grab lunch at the baguette place, and pack my things. I actually briefly considered extending my stay as the boys in the pool explained that the hostel was having a bbq and party by the pool that night. What could possibly be so important in Barranquilla that couldn't wait until Sunday? However, buses were hard to come by Semana Santa weekend, so I stuck to my plan and made it home by around 5 (much later than anticipated, but then again, this is Colombia).Semana Santa = Success.
I can only hope I make it back to the park and taganga again some time soon!
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