Jennie (a solo traveling Kiwi) for the trip. We then loaded up on groceries for our night
in Tayrona (despite Tayrona's ban bringing in alcohol we felt it was appropriate that
each person in our group have there own 1L container). before our quick walk to the
bus stop about 5 blocks from our hostel. As the bus came to a stop we were a bit
disappointed to see that it was too full. To our surprise the bus operator waved us on,
as if there was plenty of room, little did we know that standing in the aisles and even in
the stairs was standard. At each stop we begged for the driver not to add more people
to the bus and cringed as more and more people were packed onto the bus. Rich had
the luxury of standing with his neck twisted to one side the entire ride since the bus
wasn't high enough for him to stand.
After an hour ride we arrived at the entrance to the
park. We received a nice welcome video, booked our accommodation paid our entrance
fee and boarded another bus that took us to the trail head. There are about 5 areas to
see in Tayrona with the most beautiful one located a grueling 2 hour hike through the
diverse terrain.
A combination of the sweltering heat and the extra bags of survival
goods (mainly cartons of rum) made for a sweaty hike. We were delighted when we
finally arrived and were able to claim our hammocks for the evening.
We all went straight for the crystal clear water with drinks in hands. Clearly the most boisterous
group in Cabo San Juan de Guia we belted songs and Americanisms. As the sun began
to set we explored the rest of the area and the hut situated on a small hill. As darkness
fell we enjoyed the simple pleasures and found a big rock to sit and talk for awhile. All
was well and good until Jennie tried to walk back to the hammocks.
Unable to see in the dark she took a misstep and fell some 5 feet into the unknown. Quickly we pulled out
flash lights to see she simply only fell onto sand and escaped with possibly a broken
toe. We found the infirmary but were informed that it was closed this week. How
convenient. A cold night without any bug nets made sleeping in the open air hammocks
a bit difficult so an early morning of relaxing was much needed. Originally we had plans
to try and do a day trip to Minca but we wanted to enjoy the beauty of Tayrona instead.
The decision to skip Minca and delay our departure was reinforced by a stomach
bug Rich was dealing with in the morning. As noontime came we packed up our things-
noticeably lighter this time around and the boys headed off for another 2 hour hike back
where we were accompanied by a few monkeys along the route. The other option for
those who chose it by necessity or enjoyment was to take a mule along the path. With
Jennie not able to do much walking she faced her fears and went by horse with Aoife.
Exhausted from the hike we stopped for a quick ice pop before finally getting back to the
entrance where we boarded the chicken bus again. This time most of us were able to
find seats however our concerns changed to entertainment when a chicken boarded the
bus. We had been joking about chicken buses for awhile but to our surprise along the
route we picked up a man carrying a chicken with a leash. Now we know pets are
allowed on the Colectivos. Back at the hostel we enjoyed a few games, some swimming,
and hanging out with other people at the bar. We were excited to go to karaoke and
meetup with Andrius and George. Again unknowing that they tiny town of Santa Marta
has little Monday nightlife we found almost everything closed. So instead we grabbed
dinner on the roof of the one place that was open. Meanwhile George and Andrius
weren't able to find us because our rallying point wasn't open. Their night took a turn for
the worse as they were robbed at knifepoint. George walked away with everything but
his money but Andrius wasn't as lucky and lost his passport, wallet, phone, and watch.
After going for to the police to file a report there wasn't much they could do. With flights
already booked for Medellin our fear was realized that he wouldn't be able to fly without
ID. Needing a European embassy to issue an emergency passport he still had to get to
Medellin. So as we packed our cab for the airport on a 1:15 flight. Andrius headed to the
bus station for a Colombian-time 12 hour bus journey. Our cab driver gave us the option
of how fast we wanted him to driving. In no real rush we opted with normal and safe.
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