http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from South America , Colombia , Santa Marta en-us Wed, 14 May 2008 02:10:00 BST Wed, 14 May 2008 02:10:00 BST The guy who does Jean Lucrsquos spanish voice dub is a poor replacement for the sonorous manliness of Patrick Stewart. I think facebook status updates are not the most appropriate place to express personal anguish over someone dying. Maybe Irsquom just old and out of touch. One thing I love about Spanish is than instead of paying attention you lend prestar your attention to someone. I do http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/blog-274310.html Adam and I bought a couch because to be perfectly honest we needed someplace to sit. Irsquom pretty sure the slipping pass to Chalmers for the game tying three only happened because Jors Adam and I were flapping our arms like Angels in the Outfield. Jerry THE HEAT. It has arrived in full force. To escape it we went to San Lorenzo this weekend a nearby mountain town that I visited once a http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/blog-268442.html I went skinny dipping in the ocean recently and saw my junk surrounded by phosphorescent algae. It was the most beautiful thing ever. If you arenrsquot part of my family take a second and picture it. I watched my first KU game in English in three years and it was the best game ever. Irsquom pretty sure we are going to be national champions. As are the Royals. I climbed to a preColombian http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/blog-263770.html Well this was actually the main reason why i ventured to central america and down to Colombia.... For those who dont wanna travel to Colombia because of stories they have heard harden the fuck up hahaha because it is actually one of the most amazing countries in this world and is fulled with some gorgous people...anyway to start the story we begun the trek on a Monday morning and got picked up f http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/Ciudad-Perdida/blog-257139.html Although I think it's fairly empty saber rattling from a head of state with some real domestic problems on his hands hoping to distract his masses I won't let it stop me from personally declaring war on both Venezuela and Ecuador. If you've ever played Risk with me you know that's something to be slightly inconvenienced by. You know how awesome snow days are What's even better is a Violent Tra http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/blog-250093.html Santa Marta and such So off we go to Santa Marta or better yet...according to my guidebook El Rodadero which is the touristy district close to Santa Marta. As the main bus drops us off at the bus terminal. We tell the cab driver to take us to Hotel Becoma...and he had no clue where that was. So I checked my book again and sure enough it says what I thought. So he told us it was Betoma SO http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/blog-247066.html Travelblog.org was kind enough to recognize the need for a bit more discretion in the travel blog market and has introduced the secret blog that is not posted for the unwashed masses and is sent only to a select list. I have been in need of this for some time due to my extended family reading my blog and now there is a teacher whorsquos on the not so cool side of the fence who is aware of it an http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/blog-245752.html Carnival is tomorrow I'm sure I'll have a number of madcap stories to tell you after. Us teachers are planning some costumes that would be stunningly unPC and any pictures will pretty much prevent me ever seeking public office but here itrsquos all good in the spirit. Carnival is hedonism debauchery and self indulgence. I do my best to avoid all three on a normal basis but Carnivale bri http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/blog-241599.html Wow there is something really weird going on in here...I have finally found all the male travelers that were mysteriously missing in the rest of my trip. In fact pretty much everyone is here. I never imagined that there would be so many people traveling in Colombia in fact I was all geared up for solitary hotel rooms again like Bolivia but boy was I wrongAnyway getting back to what I ment to b http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/Ciudad-Perdida/blog-235667.html After all the excitement in Cartegena the 4 of us headed to Santa Marta on New Years Eve after Lisa had been to court to give her evidence re the attempted robbery. We left it quite late to get to the bus station and just caught the last bus to Barranquilla which we got on as the bus driver told us the buses would keep running till 9pm from Barranqilla to Santa Marta. It should have been predict http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/Ciudad-Perdida/blog-235660.html Happy Festivus The nice thing about not celebrating Thanksgiving is that you can start playing Christmas music earlier without the stigma that often accompanies preTG festive music in the States. Things I wanted for Christmas that I totally got. 1. A chance to meet Miss Colombia. 2. A pumpkin pie. The man who hit Stephen King with a minivan died of an accidental overdose a year after hi http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/blog-231745.html As James one of the guys in the trek put it this must be one of the greatest adventures of all time lads No one is really sure how far we walked during our six days in the jungle but a conservative guess would be 45 miles most of it being on a steep incline. The trail afforded great views of mountainous jungle vistas with steam radiating up from the greenery turquoise rivers tunnels of http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/Ciudad-Perdida/blog-222873.html After a week watching cable tv and eating pizza in Medellin really other than a few parties in Hostels this is all I did yep ever so often a man needs to veg I make a break for the Northern Caribbean coast and the promise of african beats pina coladas endless beaches and crystal clear warm water. Although as usual before one is treated to such delights a man must endure a 14 hr bus journ http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/blog-221888.html The day had finally arrived for me to be sitting on a beach taking in the tranquility........a feat I had been trying to obtain for many months and had pretty much given up on as there are very few good beaches in the countries I had been in. Sharyn and I got ourselves organised and then got a lift into Santa Marta with Santiago to catch the bus out to the Parque Tayrona. In Santa Marta we had t http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/Parque-Nacional-Tayrona/blog-221337.html After a slow start Darragh Sharyn and I made it to the bus station and onto a bus that was apparantly going directly to Santa Marta about 4 hours north of Cartagena. It didn't take long for all of us to get comfortable and enjoy the chance to do nothing for 4 hours on the bus. Only a couple of hours later though we pull into a large town and were told bluntly to get off the bus and change to a http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/Taganga/blog-221336.html Attention ceux qui ne veulent pas tre dgots aprs avoir galr dans les transports dans le froid Parisien par exemple ne lisez pas ce message et surtout ne regardez pas les photos a va vous nerver Alors je vais essaye d tre bref car c est assez court vous allez voir je vous avais parl des grillades poissons sur la plage dj trs trs bien... et bien les deux jours suivants nous http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/Parque-Nacional-Tayrona/blog-221324.html Tayrona National Park a little bit of heaven except for the chickens and the skull cracking falling coconuts.... and the horses who EAT everything including the last three chapters of my murder thriller before Id finished it Oh and the mosquitos carrying dengue fever But I guess the balmy waters of the Carribean where we skinny dipped in the rain and the gold dust mica which is mixed i http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/Parque-Nacional-Tayrona/blog-219137.html Howdy everyoneI am in Taganga right now it is a small town outside of Santa Marta at the northern tips of Columbia.I figure I should do a short update since I havent updated for a long time...well a lot of things have happened I would love to feed you on every single little one of them but it would take me days to put it into writing. I promise though that at a later date I will do a detai http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/Taganga/blog-218801.html One thing I donrsquot like about the English language is the term left handed makes them sound as if they are different but equal to righthanded when we all know this isnrsquot true. Spanish improves on this with the word zurdo which makes it sound more like the handicap and indicator of a malevolent soul that it really is. Donrsquot trust that zurdo son of a b. Or Of course he cheat http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/blog-216682.html I think people who refuse to eat expired food items are failing to face the eventuality of a post holocaust world and the need to prepare for it. Irsquove memorized two new numbers living here my passport and my Colombian id card thatrsquos two more childhood memories lost. I just wish I would lose the one when I saw Derrick Zetner hard core making out with that giant woman in the midd http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/blog-208410.html Taganga is a drowsy and someimes very noisy fishing town east of Santa Marta that attracts scuba divers snorklers and young hippies. Juice carts abound.... semicircular restaurants vie for your custom and anyone who has something to sell will find you. Fishermen bring in a fresh catch daily. Many old barques lie picturesquely along the beach. Where I ate one day I was remembered the next mainly http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/Taganga/blog-204691.html From Cartagena we made our way to the north east to a town called Santa Marta that everyone raved about. Unfortunatly our hopes were dashed when we arrived and it was quite a contrast to Cartagena. Not what we expected. After two days and spending time in town and the local bay the guide books suggest you go to Taganga dont bother bocas del toro in Panama is much better and as for the next beach http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/blog-203826.html Hi all hope this finds you all well. As you have probably guessed we have made it to south america. Sounds easy dosent it Well i wasnt We decided to take the road less traveled and make our way to Columbia by flying to a remote Panamaian boarder town on the Carribean coast and catch a series of small boats to the first major Columbian city. I sounded easy enough until we arrived at the boarder http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/Ciudad-Perdida/blog-200955.html Hiking through the jungle white sand beaches stomach problems nomads hippies vanilla skies and lightning storms..i.e. my first encounter of one of Colombia's biggest natural attractions Parque Nacional Tayrona. I knew about Colombia's natural beauty I heard of Parque Tayrona but I didn't have any idea of what to really expect. First off Tayrona park is enormous. I only spent one night there http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/Parque-Nacional-Tayrona/blog-200441.html Sunday day of rest my ass more like only day the maid doesnrsquot come and I have to pick up after myself. I am rife with gray hairs. I spotted one on my arm the other day and its physical removal has done nothing to mute the knowledge of its existence. Out there floating in the wind a banner to my aging. I made it safely back from the US and brought something with me that most people tak http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/blog-195465.html A trip to ancient Tayrona Indiansrsquo Ciudad Perdida Lost City is more like a journey to another world. Itrsquos an intense 6day uphill trek that can only be described as unique. On the way up through seemingly boundless dense rainforest one can easily why this country is such an easy place for guerillas to hide. Fortunately this is now one of the areas that are back in the control of the http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/Ciudad-Perdida/blog-192811.html After I sweated it out on the mammoth trek I headed To Parque National Tyrona with Tamzin and Paul. The nation park was absolutely beautiful and contained prefect beaches white sand palm trees and turquoise water. It was a very stressful couple of days alternating between working on my tan swimming and reading. I managed to survive the hardship I was face with and emerged browner than ever http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/Parque-Nacional-Tayrona/blog-191973.html I have just returned from the most amazing 6 days spent trecking through the Columbian jungle. We set off on Wednesday in a group of twelve to reach a lost city hidden in the depths of the jungle. The area is controlled by the military at the moment and we had to pay them off so that they would protect us as in 2004 8 tourists were kidnapped We didn't have any problems on the trip and the whole http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/Ciudad-Perdida/blog-182287.html I've become a mountain man. I recently for the first time tamed and rode a Nor'easter to town. I have been certainly secluded in and loving the mountains. Since I left school I went to Piero's bday party at a gun range in Bogota where all the posters of the bad guys have mustaches confirming suspicions. I touched the inside of a hippo's mouth saw a baby Andean spectacled bear rarest bear in t http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/blog-180485.html We managed to find our way to Taganga a small fishing viallage that is taken over by holidaymakers and tourists. Rather like when we lived in Taupo you left home during the holiday season because it went crazy.Our transport included a taxi to the bus station the taxi driver had no idea what our Spanish meant and he finally figured out our hand gestures and the odd word in the dictionary. We t http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/Taganga/blog-178489.html