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Published: June 29th 2006
We arrived in Santa Marta with the knowledge that we weren't covered by our travel insurance as the FCO advises against travelling here.. so certain that if we were going to break a leg it would be here!! Luckily we didn't. We also got our first look and dip in the Caribbean sea!!
But we did decide to trek for 6 days through the jungle to find the remote, hidden and recently found.....Cuidad Perdida (Lost City).
We again, were not covered by insurance, especially for kidnapping as it was here where our government thinks we would be most at risk, mostly due to some kidnappings 3 years ago. But from what I hear.. when the guerrillas kidnap you, its more of a holiday.....free food, free accommodation, free weed and free Spanish lessons. Not bad!
We set out on the trek and immediately went uphill in the blistering heat, it was very beautiful tho. We went thro the jungle climbing muddy trails, swimming in waterfalls, eating pineapples, seeing tribal people and their tribal houses. .... we got to our first camp just in time for the mozzies to eat us! We slept in hammocks.. I was a bit worried about
The River
very fast and very high...someone should tell them about bridges, a great invention! falling out of it .. but it was fine as long as you didn't move!
The second day of the trek we saw even more cool stuff, the path was very very muddy and was kind of fun to slip down huge hills and find ourselves covered in mud at the bottom... especially when we have only one change of clothes! All in the name of fun!
The third day was the one which looking back, was the most fun, but on the morning it filled us us with dread! Our guide was like... its a very dangerous walk.. with loads of snakes, waterfalls, its slippy, very narrow ..oh... and you have to cross the very fast and very high river 8 times........
So Lo and I wrapped everything we owned in 500 plastic bags and set off with the others.. It wasn't long before the first river crossing.. not bad, only waist high and neither of us fell in.. a real confidence booster.
The second one was faster and I did think I would get swept away.. but we survived!
After 5 hours trekking we crossed the river for the final time that day... and
faced 2700 slippery stone stairs.....
When we got to the lost city.. it really was amazing.. .. our camp was right inside the city.. and inside our camp, were soldiers.. to protect us! We have never had soldiers in our camp to protect us before.. how exciting! Although I suspect they spend more time playing cards than protecting as they kept beating us at rummy!
It really is a beautiful remote place and a great trek..the trek back was the same way as the way there.. so crossing that river again! But amazingly we never fell in.. true pros!
We also got to visit a cocaine factory.. hidden out in the jungle and for a small cost the owner showed us how its made.. a bit of a chemistry lesson.... with the major part being caustic soda..
We got back to Santa Marta in time to watch the England match... and curbed my desire to be in England watching the match.. a pub with lots of other England fans (everyone else was supporting Ecuador...), by taking a dip in the Caribbean at halftime!
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Lily Hastings-Bass
non-member comment
your trip sounds great. I want to do it in about 2 weeks. How did you organise it and how much was it?