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Published: April 10th 2008
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Some people say travelling alone gives you freedom. Bollocks - try travelling without a budget, that really gives you freedom. And so it was I bought me a plane ticket and made an unplanned jaunt north for a square go with the FARC. Ignorance is bliss, and I closed my ears to mutterings in the media about border conflicts, guerillas, drug barons and the like. Having said that, such bravado was put to one side as I shamelessly begged for safe passage through Bogota from a friend whose parents live there. Really wouldnt want to come acropper on my first day!
Flew up to Caragena, a cracking 17th century colonial fortified port city with most of the original buildings surviving almost unchanged in hundreds of years. Apart from a trip to a volcanic mud pool I really didnt do much except wander around the old town, taking in the sites and the history of the place. This city was the route for gold looted from the indiginous Indians and so heavily fortified that in 1741 it succesfully held out against an English invading force of 186 ships, 2000 cannons and 25,000 men! The city was defended by just 2500 men
led by the one-eyed, one-legged, one-armed spaniard Blas de Lezo, a man who had clearly been in a few scrapes before! Tropical disease was the real saviour of the city though, and the poor gallant hero, who really couldn´t afford another war-wound, was shot in his remaining leg and didn´t live to fight another day. Anyway, really love the place and the old town is so extensive that most of the colonial town isn´t touched by tourism and bustles with everyday life and the sights, sounds and and smells of endemic poverty, caribean culture and endearing character.
From there headed up to coast to a town called Santa Marta from where did a 6 day walk to "Ciudad Perdida" (Lost City) in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Not a long walk each day, but hot, humid and hilly through the jungle and into the rainforest it was tough enough. Have to mention a poor Irish lad on this tour. Forty two years old and overweight, he prepared for this walk with 6 years on his sofa and 5 days on the toilet with the shits. On the first day he was so fecked they put him on a
donkey which prompty threw him off. Second day he strugged through munching some cocoa leaves and it was touch and go whether he would even attempt the third day. He took couple of bad tumbles on the way back and was narrowly missed by a falling banana tree! We joked that if anything was going to happen it would happen to him first - we were thinking snakes, malaria etc. Sadly it isn't a very funny story but when he got back to civilisation and checked his email he found his father had died the day he left for the walk. Poor guy.
The trek was good though, seeing Indigenous people whose only obvious contact with the outside world was the welly boots they wore and their hardened steel machettes. Not quite grass skirts brigade, but wood and straw huts certainly. Even managed a "tour" of a cocaine "factory" during the walk. I use these terms loosely because although it was all very clandestine (being as how the army was swarming all over the area) this was just one guy hiding in the jungle making 2 kg of paste per year. Still, it was interesting and was told it
wasn´t untypical of much of the first stage production in that area but not being an expert I wouldnt really know. The most ironic story I heard is that after seeing the chemicals involved a lot of people who have tried cocaine are put off using it again...chemicals eh?.. no shit sherlock.
The Lost City itself was not fantastic site to behold. Abandoned around 400 years ago (like the Incas, the Tayrona Indians litterally shat a brick when the Spaniards arrived and fled), it was re-discovered by treasure hunters in 1975 who literally fought gun battles to plunder it´s buried gold until the army finally stepped in and have defended it ever since. It is definately the least photogenic thing I´ve walked to see though. Much of the site has not been cleared of vegetation and all the photos come out....well, just looking like a lot of jungle. Honestly there is a lost city in there somewhere! Having said that, it is definately undiscovered and not thronging with tourists, we were the only people there, except for the army. Some people say the jungle, the mist and the tranquillity makes the place seem haunting and mysterious - I probably
wouldn't disagree - I say that in my desperation to find some redeeming statement to justify 6 days to get there. The walk was good and great experience and it was only when I got back someobody told me that the area was deemed unsuitable for non-essential travel by the Foreign Office rendering travel insurance invalid. Like I say, ignorance is bliss and I was assured it has been years since the last kidnapping in the area.
After lost city headed to a small fishing village called Taganga...for a few days, or maybe longer. This is described as a "chill-out place for backpackers". Now I don´t want to use a loose term like "hippies" to describe some of the people here, but certainly there are a lot of earthy people, lots of dreadlocks around and more than coincidence that the name rhymes with ganga. An unattractive town without a colonial building in site, not the best beach and absolutley nothing to do except diving and being a beach bum. However, it has a charm that is hard to describe and invariably keeps people here for longer than they planned. I didnt stay long enough to grow the customary dreadlocks,
but I was eventually called a "long stayer". I did my PADI here(open water diving certificate) .. mainly just as an excuse to stay. The beauty of this place is that it doesn't take long to know just about every backpacker, street vendor and nutcase in the place... before long you can really feel at home and don't want to leave. Really loved it here and genuinely sad to leave.
Managed to pull myself away for a couple of days with some folks from my hostel in Taganga and from there about 8 of us headed to Parque Tayrona, just outside Santa Marta and classic beach location. Isloated and tranquil, slept in hammochs by the beach and made no effort to do anything for a couple of days... kinda damned similar to Taganga you might say.
So it was luck I was quite chilled when got the email saying my sister was in labour and had an uncomfortable day wondering how she was doing and trying to keep in touch. I had hoped to be back in time but no matter, Adam Leon and Angus James safely arrived on 7 April and everything is well with them and
Fiona.
So Colombia, fantastic. People so friendly and the coast is so relaxed. Dangerous? Well yeah, reputation is worse than reality (mum, sorry I was in Colombia all the time I was stuttering about exactly where I was, didnt want to worry you). No longer the kidnapp capital of the world (thanks Bagdad!) and unlike the rest of South America the political situation here makes it a virtual Police/Army state where they hold ground. Actually, the police/Army are more likely to relieve you of your cash as any street criminal. I was only here 3 weeks and was stopped and searched in various forms 6 times! Only once did I need to smooth things over with some pesos. Actually I felt safer (well from violent robbery at least) than anywhere else in SA. Have to say it was my favourite country in the end and I would recommend it to anyone.
So, now back in Rio for couple of last days, then need to get myself to Buenos Aires for flight home next week... and that will be the end of it. Fantastic time, loved it but looking forward to coming home, catching up with everyone and seeing
my new nephews.
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