So I bid my farewells to Cartagena, the newfound hostel kitty, and some really good people. I got on a bus to Santa Marta with Mercedes, the Porteña (girl from Buenos Aires), and Nestor, a Porteño we met the night before. Pipo, the Chileno, arrived the next day and we made our trek into Tayrona National Park.
It took a few hours to hike to the beach where we camped out, stopping along the way. We stayed for 2 nights and slept in hammocks, showering mostly in the sea. The park was absolutely beautiful, in the trees and along the coast. We made an entertaining bunch - los tres latinos y una gringa! They tried here and there to explain their conversations very slowly for la gringa. They practiced some English, I practiced some Spanish, and my brain was thoroughly confused a lot of the time. We spent the first night on the beach, sharing stories from the heart, with my dictionary and headlight in close proximity. The next day was pure laziness - laying on the beach all day, swimming, eating, reading, chatting. I ran into 2 American guys from the hostel in Cartagena who joined us on the beach for a while, which was a nice break from Spanglish. And the last night we talked about dream destinations for the future. The next day we took our last dips in the ocean and hiked out, back to Santa Marta where we stayed for the next 3 days.
We ended up at a nice hostel in the center if town in a 4-bed dorm together. The boys were total gentlemen, going out and buying food and drinks (we shared the cost of course), and Pipo "the international chef", cooked for us. We hung out on the rooftop of the hostel a lot, dancing to music, singing along, and drinking beers. We wandered around Santa Marta, taking pictures and checking out the cathedrals, plazas, beach and markets. Our last night together we met a British guy at the hostel and we all went out for pizza to celebrate Mercedes turning 26 at midnight. Nestor, the romantic, got a cake for her and we got shots of rum on the house. We ended our night dancing at a club. We were the only people there, as it was Santa Marta and it was Wednesday night. But we made the most of it as always. The next day we said our goodbyes, they left for Palomino and I spent my last night on the coast in well needed reflection.I have been so fortunate to meet such warm people in Colombia. Hanging out with a Latino crew for the last week was truly wonderful.
Today I flew back to cold, ugly Bogota. Tomorrow I meet Bili on the flight home. What a crazy good time in Colombia. 8 months, 7 countries, good people, good times. Going home seems surreal. But alas, evey good story has it's end. Thank you universe, once again, for showing me more of the world and teaching me patience, endurance and resilience. I hope there are more good things waiting for me at home. I miss my family, friends and furballs dearly. So this is it! Last night in South America! Here we go...
