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Published: January 7th 2009
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Taganga Bay
The little hamlet of Taganga Before I left on my trip, when people would ask me if I was nervous about traveling alone, I tentatively admitted that Christmas might be a little hard; being away from family and friends. I pictured being alone in a hostel somewhere with strangers, feeling totally isolated. When I would call home I would have to choke back tears, pretending that everything was fine, wanting so much to be by the cozy fire with my family in Point Reyes. Although I did indeed miss being surrounded by all those I love and experiencing the familiar Christmas in Marin, my Christmas could not have been further from the tragic day I imagined before I departed.My initial fears were put to rest when I met Max and James in Baños Ecuador less than two weeks after landing in Quito. I think that after knowing them for less than an hour we had agreed to meet in Colombia to spend Christmas on the beach.
When I arrived at the hostel on the 22nd of December I immediately knew that we had made a good decision about where to spend the holidays. Our hostel, Bayview in Taganga, was friendly and only 3 blocks from
Guacamole on Christmas Eve
Max, Angela and James made delicious guacomole and tortillas on Christmas eve. the beach. It had colorful hammocks everywhere, a pool, a large open kitchen and was filled with amiable fun loving guests, mostly from Ireland and England, who were hoping for a Christmas on the beach, just like the one the 3 of us had envisioned.
On Christmas eve we made food and drinks at the hostel and then all headed out for a night of dancing at the local open-air discoteca. There was a fun mix of gringo (any white tourist) and Colombians and the music reflected the composition of the crowd; it changed between Salsa, hip-hop and house.
After sleeping in and calling the family on Christmas morning I started the day with a swim on the packed main beach in Taganga. Taganga is a small beach town 5k from the larger Santa Marta. It is nestled between two hills and laps the edged of a thin stretch of beach. The hills on either side are strewn with cactuses and covered with brown wind swept vegetation. There are few trees in the hills but they are small and used to the dry climate and the harsh gusts that blow off the water. Along one side of the
Christmas friends
This is the awesome group I shared Christmas eve and Christmas with at Bayview hostal. beach are all types of boats in every bright color that act as fishing vessels, water taxis and diving boats. Walking up the beach you are sure to have a dozen men ask you if you need a ride to one of the beaches further along the coast. Families swimming and restaurants flank the other side of the beach, and during the holiday season the beach is absolutely swarming with people; it is often difficult to find a spot to sit.
Taganga is on a bay and so the water is for the most part waveless, except for when the wind is howling, which is not uncommon at this time of year. When the wind really picks up you are pelted by sand and it can become unbearable; your eyes, ears and every other nook and cranny becomes subject to sand granules´ hiding places. The water is a lovely temperature, like the warmest it gets at Shell Beach; still refreshing but not difficult to get into or stay in for long periods of time. While the main beach is overflowing with crowds, there is another little beach a five minute walk along the cliff, where the fishermen set out
Christmas Dinner
Max and I, all dressed up for Christmas, well I am. there nets and is generally devoid of large crowds.
The main restaurant and tourist street runs parallel with the beach and so when you are sitting outside eating fish and plantains, you can look through the palm trees unto the water and the bustling happenings at the beach. This street is flanked with the most wonderful Jugo stands (juice stands), where you can have a woman blend fresh fruit, most of which you have never heard of, with ice and water or milk, right in front of you for less than a dollar. At these stands you can also buy heaping ensalada de frutas for around 2 dollars.
Anyway back to Christmas...On the 25th the festivities got underway around 8 at the hostel, well they were supposed to but of course that means an hour later because it is Colombia, so they really started around 9. A little tangent about Colombians and common sense and time: generally they have little grasp on either. Often times you will wait more than an hour for the most basic food at a restaurant, for example sandwiches, or once we ordered and waited an hour and a half only to have the
The Band
We attempted to Salsa and danced till 5 in the morning. waiter come and inform us that they were out of what we ordered and, after an hour and a half, would we like to order something else... Also you often order things and they do not come, or everyone in your party will get their food half an hour apart. My favorite anecdote however has to do with common sense, and was told to me by my friend James. He was sitting on the beach watching two children play, one was a toddler, probably around 2, and the older child, a girl, was around 5. The toddler was digging in the sand and found a piece of glass. When the girl saw it, noticing it was a shiny object, brought it and her little brother down to the water to wash it off. They then proceeded to show it to their mother, who upon seeing that her children were playing with a dangerous object took it from them, as you would expect a responsible mother to do, however as she took it from the children with an exclamation about how they should not play with glass, she tossed it in the water directly where about 10 other children were playing...
again I digress. After dinner on Christmas there was a wonderful Salsa, Meringue band with about 6 members all in matching outfits. We danced until it was nearly light out and I don´t think we made it to bed until around 7 in the morning. It was a wonderful Christmas!
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Kathleen
non-member comment
Hi Angela, I'm glad you're having such a great time, and have met amigos simpaticos! Love, kath