Taganga, Colombia

Just in case anyone was wondering what I am currently doing, it basically involves hanging out in a lovely guest house called Casa de Felipe next to the caribbean beach of Taganga, where there is never ending sunshine, never ending hammocks and never ending fresh mango juice..... so, I have decided to relax and stay a bit longer.....why not!!

Random pictures from Colombia

'We all live in a yellow submarine'

Clock tower, Cartegena

Juice lady, Cartegena

The Colombians love their music

Playa Grande, Taganga

The oldcity, Cartagena
Sunset from the roof, Santa Marta

Copy of the original which is in Medellin

The Lost City pictures and journal

Day 1 (15th May) - Supposed to leave at 8.30 am, but typical latino timing meant nearer 11.30 am for the two hour jeep ride to the start of the trek. This then involved stopping three times, once of those being to repair a puncture caused by a 6inch bolt!! There are 14 people in total in the group, a few more than I would have liked, but nice people all the same. An international group too, with quite a few fellow Brits. Omar, the main guide, has three helpers but I can't quite get the correct pronunciation of their names and so just smile sweetly when asking for more coffee or help along the way. That philosophy seems to have got me this far in life anyway.

We finally starting trekking after a light snack of cheese sandwiches and encoutering a group who were just finishing their trip...must admit, they looked knackered and suitably covered in bites. However, they remained enthusiastic for the adventure which spurred us on.
I consider myself a reasonably fit person and, as you know, have done my fair share of hikes in my time, but nothing prepared me for the following 3 hours of uphill in 100% humidity. Never before in my life have I sweated so much and been so red in the face. Luckily, every other group member felt the same and the smokers were cursing their habit even more. It was all worth it though, with stunning views across the jungle and a welcome cool river to swim in at the hammock campsite. It is the first time for me sleeping over night in a hammock so I hope I don't end up in a heap on the ground with a mouth full of dirt!!

Day 2 (16th May) - Can't say that was the best night of sleep but at least I stayed in the hammock all night!! The mosquito net helped keep the number of bites down, and the huge spiders away (we found one the next morning right by my sandals!). The morning consisted of a visit to a cocaine plantation.......it was interesting from a Chemistry point of view to see how the process of extraction in this small scale factory in the hills, but can't say I really agree with the the production of illegal drugs. The paramilitary turn a blind eye to the small scale farmers as they only produce around 20kg a year.

The afternnon trek was less strenuous than day 1 and everyone was in good spirits. Lots of rivers to cool down in and beautiful changes of scenery along the way. We also visited some indiginous villages and the local school. Not sure quite how the villages take to the tourist attraction that they have become, as their facial expressions did not give much away. Another night in a hammock....hope for more sleep.

Day 3 (May 17th) - Up early and excited about getting to Ciudad Perdida (the Lost City) today, although we are all aware of the 8 river crossings we need to entail. So we waterproof our bags as much as possible with bin liners and set off in the sunshine. The first crossing of a river doesn't involve getting wet but risking one's life in a rickety cage, suspended on a steel cable, whilst it is pulled from one side of the hill to the other. Luckily we all made it in one piece but not sure my travel insurance would have covered that activity! The walk continued through more villages and amazing jungle. Omar killed a few snakes with his machete, so I was glad he was at the front!
Then came the river crossings. The guide and porters were great, as the current was qutie strong and being shorter than most, wading through water that is waist and chest high is more difficult. As if that wasn't exhauting enough, it was time to then climb the 1200 ancient steps to the lost city. And just to make it a little more slippery, the rain started to fall over the moss covered stone steps!! Only slipped once and managed not to fall back down the steps, but picked up a few bruises to add to the collection.
It continued to rain all afternoon and it was cold at the elevation, but sleeping arrangements tonight are on mattresses, so we are all excited. Loads of mosquitoes about so have got plastic bags over my socks to stop them attacking my feet!!

Day 4 (18th may) - The mattresses would have been comfrotable but a combination of being cold, no pillow and loads of mosquitoes inside the mossie nets ensured that people didn't get the best night's sleep. Still, everyone was in good spirits to explore the ruins in the sunshine this morning before starting the return journey back after lunch.
It really was a magical experience walking around the remains of this Teyuna place, built in the 11th century and then deserted when the Spanish invaded it 3 centuries later. The most amazing thing for us was that we were the only tourists there. Quite a few people had been to Macchu Picchu but said that this was so much better because there is no other way of getting there other than hiking for three days. So that also meant no groups of American tourists...yippeeee!! I hope that the pictures give you an idea of the lost city. Only 10% has been excavated as it was only rediscovered in 1975, and the funding has now run out for more work there. It must be huge in total, as the area we walked around felt gigantic.

This afternoon we returned along the same route, which meant trying to carefully get down the 1200 tiny steps before rainfall. My legs were shaking by the time I got to the bottom as I was tensing them so much trying not to slip. Then it was straight into the rivers again and I found it really hard to function properly. Again, the combination of no sleep, humidity, rain, fast walking pace etc etc made me feel so unfit. It was nice to get away from the mosquitoes and sand flies for another night in a hammock...sleeping technique is getting better.....honest!!

Day 5 (18th May) - Slept reasonably I suppose, but the bites are now itching. The wet day clothes are really smelling and starting to ferment I think. Luckily my night clothes have stayed dry...only one more night. We were all looking forward to the walk today as it was so enjoyable on the way up. And a great reward of swimming in the pools near the campsite (adn trying to rinse the wet dog smell out of the clothes!!). There was a celebratory feel when we reached the campsite tonight. And as the sun set, the fire flies provided the night time entertainment on the hillside opposite. An incredible sight. And then it was the turn of the stars...first time we saw them as it was usually raining at night time. The walk tomorrow seems like a walk in the park compared to the last 5 days....

Day 6 (19th May) - OK, so the walk in the park isn't quite the right term to describe the walk. We all forgot that there was a long stretch of uphill to do, combined with the steep muddy downhill which caught you out if you weren't concentrating. Still, it was only 3 hours in total and the cold beer back at the village where we started tasted so good. And the shower back in the hostal in Santa Marta was even better.

A fantastic experience and one that I tried to capture here in my journal entries to share with you. Now that the bites have almost gone, and the lack of sleep is no longer a problem, the trek gets better and better in my mind. However, it was probably one of the hardest things I have done and I won't rush to go jungle trekking again in the near future!!!

One of the main sites at the lost city

Notice the plastic bags!! Massive turkey

Local Koghui Indian children

One way to get across a river......

....... and the other.

At the lost city

The cooks

Accomodation for the nightKoghui indian village
Accomadation at the top
One of the many beautiful rivers

Hank, me and Kate after 6 days of trekking....a bit smelly I can tell you!

One of the many amazing views

The group at the end of the trek

The Lost City

I'm off tomorrow on a 6 day trek from Santa Marta to the Lost City in Columbia. Having trouble updating my photos from the sailing trip but will hopefully have time to sort it out when I get back from the trekking.

The boat trip

Finally had time to write properly about the the journey from Panama City to Cartagena in Columbia. The 40 foot boat was called 'El Joshua´and was bright red, so knew the Welsh flag would look good flying in the wind during sailing. I was joined by 4 other travelerss, Kate from Norway, Hank from California, Joachim from Denmark and Jake from England. The three crew, Colombians Freddie and Poa, and Argentinean Leo were great fun and looked after us really well during the 11 days living on the boat.

The journey took us past the most beautiful islands I have ever seen, and we usually moored up in the afternoon to stay for the night and enjoy a swim in the turquoise sea and a walk along the white sand beaches. The sunsets were amazing, and one night it was followed by a perfect moonset....the thin slither of a new moon was perfectly smiling as it got lower and lower in the sky, finally turning red and then sinking into the sea. All the stars then came out as there was absolutely no light pollution at all. Quite fantastic!


We were lucky enough to catch fish on route and so the food was great. We caught two sharks, two tuna and a wahoo which Pao managed to turn into amazing meals. We also ate lobster and king crab at one of the Kuna islands. The Kuna are the indigenous people that live on the San Blas islands off the coast of Panama. There are 365 islands, some with only a single palm tree on as they are so small. The Kuna make money from collecting coconuts from the islands, smoking fish and lobster, and making Molas (handicrafts). It was great to be able to have acess to their way of life by traveling to them on the boat. Some of the islands have very small airstrips, but then the only way to get to the others is by boat, and they are not all linked by boat taxis.

As our journey was very laid back and we all had time to extend, we stayed in Sapzurro on the Columbian coast for three nights. This was a friendly small community and we got to know the locals really well in the two days we were there. Also, the small waterfall was fantastic for the first proper shower in quite a few days. The only downside was all the mosquito's in the jungle!!

If anyone is thinking of traveling between Panama and Columbia then take a sail boat. It works out cheaper than flying as you get your meals and accommodation included. We were lucky and got an 11 day trip for $250. Usually it only takes 5 or 6 days. I really felt like I had been on a Caribbean cruise but without the need to dress up for dinner every night!! One of the highlights of my trip so far.

Back on dry land

The crew

'El Joshua'

..and little Joshua

Kate taking it easy

Leo at the wheel

Me in charge - serious stuff!

Flying the flag for Wales

Catch of the - shark steaks for dinner...

...or fruit....

...or smoked King crab!

The Kuna women selling their handicrafts

Kate trying not to fall down the steps


In my 'bedroom' writing my journal

Some of the many sunsets

Just a quick message to say that I survived the journey to Columbia and am now in Cartegena, on the Caribbean coast. It was an amazing adventure and one I definitely will not forget in a hurry. The ground is still swaying around me after 11 days at sea, but I absolutely loved living on a boat and would consider it as an alternative place to live in the future - maybe not out at sea though.
Haven't got time to write everything now, but will update later with pictures of the most amazing Caribbean islands you could ever imagine seeing.