Colombia - November- December 2012

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Panama City to Colombia.

Thursday 29th Nov 2012. Panama City to Capugana

After catching a taxi to the domestic airport at Albrook we were told the plane is delayed by 45 min. We now had 2.5 hr wait. We bought a coffee and took up the opportunity to work on sorting out our photos on the computor. After we got our boarding passes we headed for customs,it takes a while to get thru customs. They dissappear with your passports for about 15 min, why i don't know.

Finally leaving at 11.10 am for Puerto Obaldia for a I hour flight. Arriving there we walked to centre of town to get our passports stamped for exit. Guess what it was lunch time. While waiting we found out that you need 2 copies of your passport as well. Waiting for the copy place also to open. After lunch we got our copies and handed them all to immigration. After getting our exit stamp we headed toward the military base at the end of the same street and behind that you board a panga destined for Capurganá. We left there at 2.pm and arrived in Capurganá one hour later.

Walking to the immigration office (in the only main st in town) to get our entrance stamp for Columbia. 2 min and a welcome to Colombia we were going to hostel Villa Victoria across the street as she was offering $5 dorm beds . It was now 3.30 pm and time for some food. We had a nice 2 course meal at Luz de Oriente . After lunch we started to look around town and the heavens opened up and started to pour down with rain. It didn't deter us or the locals as we saw kids showering under the downpipes, kids still playing soccer on the muddy oval, and men loading a horse and cart with chairs.

Capurganá is a small town of 2000 people and there is at least a dozen or more places that you can choose to stay at. If you want to stay a few days in Capurgana it is possible, with a lot of walks in the bush or along the shores. There is a nice beach if you want to improve your tan. There is no night club but you can still by beers from bars until 2 am when the generator shuts down and there is no more power. this includes no fan in your rooms. People are very friendly and just want to talk.

Hint: buy your boat ticket the day before as the boat fills fast.

Capugana to Cartegena.

Friday 30th Nov 2012.

6.30 am get up. Boat leaves at 7.15 am. Need a wake up coffee, where to find one? Coffee is available at a shop on the way to the Jetty. Now the journey. Buy a rubbish bag for (from the shop as you enter the jetty) to cover all your backpacks, then get your bags weighed and pay the fee . We paid $12. for 65 kg. then board the boat and be prepared to get wet. Finally leaving at 8 am, for a 3 hour trip to Turbo. Hint try to get toward the front of the boat as you don't get quite as wet as the people at the back. On the way the captain wanted to get fuel at one of the bays on the way. They had none so we had to pull up next to another boat and syphon the fuel from it into ours. Finally going again , and getting about 20 min from Turbo another boat loaded with drums of fuel pulls up beside us to give us fuel. The seas were that rough that both boats took water in their motors, so they took about 1/2 an hour to get them going again. Arriving in Turbo and getting our bags, we exited the wharf, and then went down about 3 streets and turn left to find the bus station for Cartagena. People at the wharf will help you and take you there.

We left at 12.15pm on a bus for Monteria which takes you on a very bumpy gravel road for about 5 hours and stops for lunch at San Pedro for 30 mins. The scenery and sights make up for the bumps. You will see many mules, very remote living, awsome views, hideaway towns and even cross a river by barge. Things you would not generally see or do in rural Colombia or sailing on a yacht.

Arriving in Monteria we had to make a decision do we stay here or keep going. After buying a ticket we started for Cartagena arriving there at 12.15 am. There is parts of Colombia where there is no bitumen roads even their major roads. So to get anywhere takes a lot of time and heaps of bone rattling. When we arrived we took a taxi to Cartagena old town as we new a lot of hostels were there. After trying 3, to be told no beds, we finally found one, Hotel Espanola. Feeling hungry we went to corner of the street where a street vendor was selling sausages on skewers. That time of the morning anything will do. Then bed.

We did a calculation and it cost us about $220.00 Ea to get from Panama City to Cartagena.

Cartagena

Saturday 1st Dec 2012

After moving from Hotel Espanola to Mamallena Hostel ( with free pancakes, better kitchen). We then spent the day walking around Cartagena. Cartagena has a population of about 1.3 mil and feels like about 200,000 tourists and has an old and new section. In the old section they are spending a lot of money restoring buildings to their original state a lot like Casco Viejo in Panama city. Here we filled in our day walking around the old town. You can take horse and cart trips. The daughter of Colombia's president was getting married that afternoon in the main church so it was closed to the public. There was a great number of police presence around because of this.



Sunday 2nd Dec 2012

We decided to go and visit the old fortress. There is a $9 entry fee, but it is used really well preserving the walls and buildings. We had a enjoyable afternoon imagining what it was like in those days and how the fort worked protecting the city. Then we watched a film which help to put in perspective. Time flue buy and before we knew it we were watching a beautiful sunset from the top of the fort.





Monday 3rd Dec 2012

Slow day today. Just a walk around to the marina dreaming about their nice yachts and wondering if we could travel the world by yacht. No can do so we purchased tickets for a bus to Taganga for the next day. We both had a craving for Chile con carne so we went to the supermarket for supplies and then spent some time in the kitchen cooking.

That afternoon we spent talking to some people that we met back in Panama City about their different experiences and journeys to Cartagena via the yachts. Some said never again , others said it was an experience they won't forget and others said they had a good trip but too long in San Blas. Even one saying he and his belongings got very wet.

Taganga

Tuesday 4th Dec 2012

9 am we left from Cartagena to Taganga, via Marsol bus company with a four hour trip. Along the way around the Tasajera township, there was a river on one side and a lake on the other, seeing the way they live in conrete shacks and other simple houses with magnifecent water veiws. but the problem is it was like a rubbish tip both sides they just dump the rubbish in the river. it was an eye opener i tell you.

After dropping people off in Santa Marta we finally got to Taganga staying in Hospedaje Playa Bravo accross the road from the beach. There we stayed for 2 nights...checking out the sunset on the foreshore drinking beer & wine listening to the local music and watching locals dance and again just watching life go by……….with dance & music this village is just another one where we could get caught up staying longer than what we originally planned…..





Wednesday 5th Dec 2012

Reaching Taganga, a small fishing / hippy village, with a lot of coves around for snorkeling, looking into what to do & see around this area we foxtrotted to the local information centre. This is where we decided to do a 5 day hike to "The Lost City- Ciudad Perdida", also instead of paying for boat trips around to the other coves for snorkeling we decided to take a bit of a walk over the hills via the bays...Playa Grande spending some time just lazy around.

"The Lost City - Ciudad Perdida" ---- 5 day hike:

Thursday 6th Dec 2012
DAY 1; Left Taganga @ 9am with 3 more Aussies.. Christie, David & Ruth. Arriving in Santa Marta which is only 20mins from Taganga, several streets were closed in the centre of town so we had to park 5 blocks away from the office of Magic Tours to pick up another 8 people. 1 Korean- Chien, 1 Portuguese - Joyan, & 3 more Aussie couples, Meagan & Johnno, Emily & Wozza, & Stella & Robin.. with all the confusion of the protest that was happening, the loading up of people took a bit to organise, at the end , 11 of us ended up in the one troopy carrier with the luggage and food (even the eggs) on top & Stella & Robin with the 2 guides in another, taking some time to get out of the city centre. Travelling for two hours on bitumen then stopping for toilet break & a good stretch, 20 minutes later we were back on the road for about 10 minutes of bitumen & then we turn right onto a dirt track and that’s when the track got bumpy but the scenery was awesome……1 hour later stopping at Machete Pelao.

This is where they fed us lunch, salad rolls & a drink...and we met our guide (Juan Carlos) & cook ( Yorman) for the next 5 days: after loading the 4 mules with the supplies we started our adventure hike, leaving at 1pm walking for about 45 minutes and having a swim @ "Rio Buritaca"( this river we followed all the way to "Ciudad Perdida")…..for about 20mins, then continuing to our first camp site: "La Cabana de Frederico",arriving at 6pm just after dark..( you get to choose from about 40 hammocks where you sleep)… here we all were so excited that we made our first day and sleeping in hammocks, just like little kids at school camp…...feeding us chicken, rice & salad for dinner. This camp site was our last civilization with having power as the next to camp sites didn't have power….after dinner were all decided to play cards and drink our last cold beers for a couple of hours before hitting the hammocks, as we had an early rise for day 2.



Friday 7th Dec 2012

DAY 2; 6.30am rise for breakfast, Yorman cooked up a storm for 13 of us, coffee, fruit, scrambled eggs, bread & jam. We left at 7.30am stopping on the way for an orange supplied to you from an native family, here is where Bernie pulled out some of her balloons the give to the children, this always brings a smile on their faces. After another 1.5 hour walking we arrived at one of another Indigenous home, we had a watermelon stop...by this stage we were all hot, sweaty & needed this break being only 3.5 hours into our days hike, crossing rivers & climbing mountains… with our Aussie troops chatting all the way without a deep breath...would be so nice to be young & fit!! From here our guide took us off the track to another hidden treasure where we had a swim for about 20 mins, remembering that the water was absolutely freezing but refreshing. At 1pm we made it to our 2nd night campsite; " La Cabana de Mumake"…….here we had lunch which was veggie soup.

We had the afternoon to ourselves to enjoy the river, and other fellow travellers company. this campsite you choose from 36 bunk beds. Again feeling like we were at school camp as it was a full house with other groups being there. they were even 3 beds short so so they slept in hammocks. As there was no power, the beer was room temperature so we all decided to put the beer into the river to cool it down whilst we all had a swim.

Dinner was steak, rice & beans with chocolate sweets for desert by candlelight….our guide Juan gave us a history lesson about the indigenous Indians; one thing that I remember of what was told; when the boys come of age at 15 years they received their pipe & coca leaves , three months later a 11 year old girl is chosen for them to be their wife, two weeks later they are married, an older single lady is bought into the household to teach them both sex and marriage. Marriage is to last a life time. One of the chores of the women is to go out & pick the coca leaves for the man. they can have between 10 - 15 children.



Saturday 8th Dec 2012

DAY 3; We were awaken at 4am by the staff preparing breakfast for the 3 tour groups, some leaving @ 5am. We left at 7am after breakfast of coffee, eggs, fruit & toast. Walking for about 2 hours we came to a shop, may I add in the middle of the mountains- here we could buy Gatorade, soft drinks & chocolate…. bananas were supplied free for us. Resting for 20 minutes before setting off again and one hour later we were standing in the middle of a paddock, Yorman pointed to one side and told us the spiritual Chaman lived here and on the other side was his brother the political Chaman. After photo shoots with the donkey we were on our way stopping for another swim in the Rio Buritaca, One hour after our cooling of session we arrived at our destination of the 3rd nights accommodation….camp " La Cabana de Romualdo, this was only 1km away from " The Lost City"

Lunch was pasta with meat….again having the afternoon to ourselves to enjoy what was on offer to us, the river…

Here we could choose, tents or bunk beds... because we already slept in a hammock and a bed, we decided on the tent…again with no power on site. Sunset is about 6pm, so again dinner was by candlelight beef stroganoff ,rice and beans.

Some of the stories we were told are: At the age of 10 the next chosen Chaman is sent to the forest and he has to live there for 7-8 years on his own. They supply him with bananas and meat only. This is to help them become stronger and to learn the jungle better.

If the men do wrong then their punishment is to cut of their long hair. If the woman do wrong then they are whipped.



Sunday 9th Dec 2012

DAY 4; The rooster crowed ( our guide giving us a wake up call) at 5.30am, breakfast was tortillas with cheese, fruit & coffee...this was the day of getting to the "The Lost City" leaving at 6.30am for a 1km walk and crossing the river to climb the 1200 or so steps to Cuidad Perdida. After doing 3 days previous of walking, and now climbing stairs about half way up my legs were burning, but you soon forget about them when you reach the top. The sight and views are amazing. We stayed up there for about 2 hours getting some words from the spiritual Chaman that had walked up with us, and walking around just taking it in. then we started the treck back to camp for some lunch of sausages, rice and of course , the beans.

After lunch we set of for a three hour trek back to our second campsite. Walking the last 45 min in the rain, it was our first bit of rain since we started. It rained for the rest of the afternoon and half the night. We couldn't do much so we all played cards. For tea it was meat & pasta.



Monday 10th Dec 2012.

Day 5: Wake up call 5.30 am was a very sick rooster ( our guide again). After a breakfast of eggs with ham & cheese toasties. We all set on our last treck back to El Mamey, the start. There were some very trying, slippery and muddy times from the rain. We walked for 3 hours before coming to La Cabana de Alfredo for our break of watermelon, cake, and passionfruit juice. After this walking for about 2 hours before we had a lovely swim in the Rio Buritaca before our last 45 min walk back to the start. Arriving there at 12.30, purchasing 2 of there coldest beers and celebrating the great feat we had just done. They gave us all one last meal of fish or chicken with rice and salad and then 11 Ausies climbed into the troopy for the trip back to Taganga. while the others got a ride in another car as they were going in another direction). We stopped at El Zaino to drop David and Ruth off as they were going to Tayrona N.P. for a couple of days. Then stopping at Santa Marta to pick up the other six Ausies backpacks from Magic tours office as they were coming to Taganga to stay. Arriving back in Taganga at 5pm and booked into Casa Blanca. $ 25/n



Overall. Seeing and meeting the indigenous people along our journey was quite amazing, the woman carrying children on their backs while weaving hats or baskets, children hanging bunches of bananas from their heads while walking along doing there weaving at the same time. Listening to fellow Aussie travellers & their stories with not even a missed breath the whole way, has been a great experience. Watching the guide carry Megan over the river because she had her feet bandaged up and couldn't get them wet. Seeing our cook burn a tick out of Robin's ( the Tick Magnet) leg and Warren (Stinky Ana Jones ) slipping and falling into the river within the first hour of starting on day one and losing his reading glasses. Crossing many rivers and even a rope bridge. Many tales and stories were exchanged and overall it was a perfect trip. At first deciding whether to do it or not at a cost of $300. ea ,we are so glad that we did it. We highly recommend doing "Cuidad Perdida" The Lost City.

Back at Taganga.

Tuesday 11th Dec 2012.
Today was a total day of rest after our 5 day hike. Getting washing done. Relaxing on the beach and even getting a massage. In the afternoon we went to buy our own snorkel set so we could go snorkeling tomorrow. That night we all went out for tea to celebrate our adventure to Cuidad Pedida, as Christy was leaving the group tomorrow for Tayrona Nat Park.

Wednesday 12th Dec 2012.
After breakfast of coffee and cereal on the beach, we went to try out our snorkel set. We walked over some hills until we got to playa Grande where there is some good snorkeling. If you don't want to walk there is a boat for $20. staying there for about an hour and then went to another bay which is another 20 min walk. It had a lot more rocks and better fish to look at, even spotting an eel. About 1 pm getting hungry from the salt water we ventured back to Taganga for a pizza. In the afternoon purchasing some coral shoes for snorkeling tomorrow.

Thursday 13th Dec 2012
That lovely coffee and cereal on the beach for the last time. Then we set of for a 3 hour snorkel leaving Taganga for playa Grande and back. We saw thousands of fish, some eels and squid. It was awesome. Cost nothing for a good time. We could have done more but we had to pack once again. We got back and decided to stay another night,( It is so nice here). The rest of the Aussies had to go, as they had a 4pm flight to Madellen . They were so sad.

Taganga - Cabo de la Vela.

Friday 14th Dec 2012
Finally the time has come. We must leave this place. 8 am we got a taxi to Santa Marta bus depot via a bank as we were heading into no mans land. We purchased tickets from Santa Marta to Cuatro Vias ( 4 Ways). Leaving at 9.30 am and arriving 3 hours later. From there we took a taxi and drove the last 42km of bitumen to Uribia. From there it is a 2 hour 65 km bumpy gravel road to Cabo de la Vela. We went in the back of a 4wd ute and we took a different route than normal stopping several times to do deliveries to houses along the way. This gave us a better idea of the dessert surroundings and bush tracks, rather than a straight there boring road. Arriving in Cabo de la Vela around 5 pm. Asking around at different places for acc, we found one called Cabo Mar. $10/n. It was a family home and they sleep on hammocks and you take their bed. The patio poles actually have the waves touch them in high tide. Do not expect the mods and cons at Cabo de la Vela. It is right on the beach and has no power. The owner of each house may have a generator of which he may or may not run. But alas the poles are in and the electricity should be on in Jan 2013. To eat you have a choice of fish, Lobster or local goat. There is a toilet but no shower. And you are in the desert. Some upmarket places do provide your mods and cons for a price. The beach to the left goes for miles and miles and the beach to the right only for about 40 min walk.

Saturday 15th Dec 2012.
Hello ocean, bath time lucky the waters warm. The waters are pristine and I walked out for about 120 metres with the water still only up to my chest before it started to get sea weedy. After breaky we went for an hour walk to El Faro (the lighthouse) where you have magnificent views of the Caribbean ocean and the inland desert. You can also visit "Ojo de Agua". Which is about another 20 min walk. It is advisable to do walking in the morning as it gets awfully hot.

Sunday 16th Dec 2012.
After our early morning bath we decided to walk to "Pilon de Azucar". It is an hour walk to the right of "El Faro" and is a big sacred rock right on the edge of the ocean and you have wonderful 360 degree views. You can even see Puerta Boliviar and the "punto gallinas" which is the most northern point of South America. If you don't want to walk there you can ask a local with a motorbike to take you for $5. There is also a little beach there so take your bathers.

Cabo de la Vela - Venezuela.

Monday 17th Dec 2012.
4.30 am get up for a 5 am leave. Our host even made us a coffee .
Arriving in Uribia at 7.30 am. We grabbed a couple of fried food ( rather like large dim sims but filled with mashed potato and a hard boiled egg inside) for breaky before getting into a taxi for Maicao and the border.
See you in Venezuela.

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Photos

Panama City
Leaving Panama city via Air Panama

Puerto Obaldia
Flying into Puerto Obaldia Panama.

Capurgana
In the boat ready to go

San Pedro
Main street

Carabia
This bridge was blown up in the war, so crossing is done by barge

Cartagena
panorama cartagena

Cartagena
the old fortress

Taganga
suset Taganga

Taganga
Taganga township and beach

the lost city
panoramic of The Lost City.

The lost city
one of our mules loaded with supplies

The lost city
our first night in the hammock

The lost City
Our first meal

The lost City
kids enjoying their ballons

the lost city
a local and her baby.

the lost City
what they live in.

Uribia
one of the streets

Cabo de la Vela
sunset Cabo de la Vela

Cabo de la Vela
our accomodation

Cabo de la Vela
the beach

Cabo de le Vela
a shot of the road conditions

Puerto Obaldia
Streets of Puerto obaldia

Puerto Obaldia
Waiving goodbye

Puerto Obaldia
Leaving from Puerto Obaldia to Capugana, Colombia.

Puerto Obaldia
Run down shack but still living in it.

San Pedro
lunch stop @ San Pedro

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