Feeling the heat

Parque National Tayrona

As we sit back and enjoy yet another spectacular (thud!) sunset on the Caribbean coast - on a May 24th no less - we toast our good fortune on so many levels.



After leaving the picturesque city of Cartagena we continued to snake along Colombia's coast past port cities of Barranquilla and Santa Marta to reach the non-descript beach town of Taganga.  Population 5000 and probably half as many backpackers as well.  If the 35C and scorching sun everyday wasn't enough to slow you down, the city's decidedly 'chilled' outlook would force you to.

We came to dive, explore Tayrona National Park - a former Cocaine dealers private estate - and take a chance to catch our breath before our return North in now just 5 days...

Our diving here was decidedly relaxed after the rough waters and sealife in Galapagos.  Joining a group of travellers doing their open water certificates as well as an advanced diver from Germany with over 100 dives we felt both confident and relaxed.  Our divemasters were in sync with the diving lifestyle; covered with tattoos, hair both long and dreaded, and bellies befit of Buddha wannabes.  Unlike the military precision of our dives in Galapagos we received a two minute overview of the signals and proposed route before our BCDs' were inflated and thrown in the crystal clear azure water for us to chase.

Descending to the bottom we were both struck by the similarity to Bermuda water.  Bright corals hung to the shelf, filled with the same parrot and angelfishes that lurk the waters some 4000 miles north.  Schools of small blue chromisons jetted by while our guide Chopper meandered off in the distance in search of bigger treasures.  As he faded into the distance Dee and I looked at each other and shrugged guessing it would be DIY diving today.

We glided by endless moray eels peeking menascingly from their holes, revealing their sharp teeth in case we wanted a closer look.  Some eels were longer than 4 feet which added to their intimidating presence.  With good visibility and no current I was amazed at the little effort it took to move along the reef, surprised when Chopper gave us the 'time to go up' signal after 50minutes.

On our surface interval we had a chance to get to know our diving partners a little better while lounging in the warm water off the beach.  The Open Water trainees provided much humour as they crashed into each other frequently while learning underwater orientation.

We saw countless Lionfish during our second dive.  These beautiful fish have been introduced to the Caribbean via ships and human interaction absolutely thriving in warm waters.  They feast on every other species of fish and with numerous defences themselves are threatening to wipe the fish population in the region.  Chopper explained the Fisheries ministries care little about this major problem, leaving fishermen, and divers to take action.  He gave us a first hand example of viligilantism when he tore one apart and fed it to a very happy eel!

The 'Gringo' trail in Colombia is well organized and makes for relative seem less travel.  Hostels, restaurants, and transport services have picked up on travelers curiosity and fears about Colombia essentially working together to provide a good, safe experience but discouraging us from using public buses, local restaurants, etc.  We've got out there and rub elbows with the locals disspelling alot of fear we've had ourselves.

One such Gringo experience was visiting the Parque National Tayrona a 37000 acres nature perserve with rocky coastline, white sand beaches and seclusion.  We chose to take the 'direct' shuttle from Taganga to avoid 3 bus changes but of course  delays were inevitable as our driver searched the town to fill his van; in the end taking just as long as the much cheaper bus.  After paying the park fee and experiencing a very military like search of personal belonging - although they somehow neglected to check our large pack - we began the hike through the tropical rain forest.

The lush greens and muddy brown earth along with the stifling humidity meant a lot of bugs.  After meeting fellow travelers and seeing their scarred legs dotted red with swollen bites we donned the high socks and  slapped on the bug cream. The thick canopy provided relief from the boiling temperatures although it did little to stop my shirt and shorts from taking on a wet towel - like quality.

Enjoying a break on the trail

We stumbled upon the beach after an hour.  An ideal secluded campsite was found and we set off to explore the four beaches which make up this area of the park.  Our beach in front of the tent was strictly off limits.

Think we'll work on the tan...

 An adventurous group paddled around the waves for a few minutes before the life guard - in military fatigues and hand on a very big revolver came by to give them a dressing down.

Add caption

We were warned about the rain which came all three days in the afternoon.  While the tarn 3 was up to the test the first night we had to run for cover the next afternoon when a squall chucked down an inch or two in minutes.  Despite our best attempts sand was EVERYWHERE and we spent a good hour cleaning it out of everything before breaking camp on our last sunny afternoon.

Finding a suitable beach to swim and frolic we made top ten trip lists, soaked in the heat and found little respite in the shade.  The beaches we were essentially deserted and those there looking for the similar quiet that we were craving.  We discovered a 3 meter long caiman lurking in an inlet near our camp.  We were told that were more scared of us which I took to mean he must be scared #*$@less!

Waiting for dinner

It was funny to find a beach side bakery selling cheese and chocolate bread. Our shirtless baker was hard at work with a cigarette dangling from his mouth.  Dee returned with two large, heavy, warm, and slightly burst rolls oozing with chocolate.  It was an enjoyable snack which fueled us for the return hike to the highway.

Previous days rains turned the trail into a mud bath and we put the finishing touches on the destruction of our shoes with Dee's falling apart at the seems and mine decidedly soulless.  As expected the bus return to Taganga was easy, quick, and cheap.  Enjoying a cool shower to wipe off the mud we were welcomed back to civilization.