Many leave their country to know other cultures, recognized places or simply take the photo of the memory, instead of knowing the own and autochthonous of their country, for that reason I decided to travel with my backpack and my first trip alone on the Caribbean coast of my country, Colombia, besides taking advantage of the different climates of my country thanks to the fact that the stations here don’t exist.
In my full mid-year vacations, walking through the streets of Bogota, in the area of Chapinero, I decided without thinking three times, to enter an internet cafe, and I booked my tickets, there would be no going back! One way ticket to Santa Marta by land and one return from Cartagena by plane.
I boarded the bu
s at night, with air conditioning at 59 ° F, as if the Bogota nights were not cold enough (around 54 ° F). My busmate next to me would be a girl and close to a baby that wouldn’t stop crying for several hours. ¡I almost couldn’t sleep! because my busmate unconsciously beat me and the baby cried sometimes. And the trip that would last 15 hours was extended to 19 hours.
Thus began my journey, my adventure, my backpack, my few provisions and me.
My first experience alone in a city that I had only read or exhibited in my classes, I felt fear, I felt excitement, I asked myself: What did I do? Could it be that I did the right thing? Why did I do it? And now what do I do? Thousands of mixed emotions, which focused on my stomach, thanks to God, I didn’t end up in the bathroom. Lol.
There is a famous phrase that I always like to remember, and it is the one who travels alone is never alone, and I checked it during my entire trip.
SANTA MARTA
One of my first impacts was the kindness of the people, because there is still a lot of regionalism in my country, but I felt very well received, and protected, because in my country it is not so common to see a woman traveling alone, because of the risks that they are always in the whole world.
I loved its nightlife, the healthy dance competitions on the street, its weather and its typical drinks.
MINCA
A place recommended to me by some friends,
it has an incredible natural beauty, a short time from Santa Marta, and the most curious thing is that Minca always rains, but not in Santa Marta, and they are very close places. It is a small but incredible place, ideal to meet and make new friends. When I returned to Santa Marta I hitchhiked, and some peasants of the region, who were transported in a particular truck for its shape, was a combination of rumba chiva (typical cart of my country), in the front, without doors, or belts and on the back it was shaped like a truck. I went with them very happy, because I could feel the sensation of rain, mixed with nature and peasant stories.
TAGANGA
It is a small place of the fishing families, a mixture of tradition between its beaches and mountains, one of the destinations forgotten by the government, but rescued by the warmth of its people, who only want to get ahead and show the best of their territory.
And why not swim in its waters?, I submerged myself and its species hypnotized me, I didn’t realize the hours, crossing from one beach to another, and they are divided by mountains, so you can imagine how much I burned, almost like charcoal hahaha
TAYRONA PARK
I love this natural park!
I walked on the mountain for 4 hours with a Polish friend I made on the way until I arrived to the incredible Cabo San Juan and one hour more until Arrecifes, I almost died !, and I was like everyone on the road I thought, shit! What did I do? I wanted to give up because I had a blister on my ankle, and I couldn’t resist my backpack on my shoulders, the day before I burned a lot in Taganga, although it was not very hot that day, so I got up and continued.
Where I stayed I made new friends Alice from France, who was starting her trip through South America and another from Bogota, Viviana. We supported each other all the time, we were 3 alone backpackers
While they knew places that I had already seen, I went to explore other areas of the park, and to avoid the sun, I walked between nature, until a time when I didn’t find a way, I felt lost, I had no signal, my GPS didn’t give me specific instructions, I went alone, I didn’t even listen to the sea, I stopped in the middle of nowhere, trying to remember the way back, It took me maybe 30 minutes later, but the longest minutes. So please explorers consider a good GPS.
PALOMINO
Go into the exuberant nature, go down 2 hours on a float on the incredible Palomino river, admiring its beauty and that magical power that natural places will always have. That mix of ecosystems when the river flows into the sea is surprising.
The only thing is that we made the effort not to wet our shoes, but as soon as we reached the beach, it rained as never, even the light went out, but without light it is a good opportunity to get in touch with others.
CARTAGENA
I took the route of the sun; it is much safer, and a
little shorter. But it is a route to appreciate the landscape, something that I didn’t achieve much, because the fatigue of the party of the previous day didn’t leave me.
The historical center leaves you perplexed, has too much history, its architecture is very well preserved and in the wall you can perceive the suffering of the slaves when it was built because it is amazing. The only thing is that it is too touristy, and very few approach the reality of the other Cartagena, it is an unexpected change.
BARU
There are several options to go to Barú, one is by taking two buses, or two by boat, and I went with my hostel friend, Chiem, and we booked a tour by boat, practically one day. You pass near several islands, and the guide tells you some historical data and there are alternative activities with an additional price.
That day it happened to me of a saying, “the world is very small”, and it is, because I met with my friend that I met at my university, we met in Florence, Italy by coincidence and this time we would meet again in Barú with her Husband, they were on his honeymoon, although I had to continue with my tour and we didn’t share much.
LAST DAY IN CARTAGENA
It was great! Thanks to Roger, a Dutchman I met in Bogotá for the event he does around the world called Dutch Pacake Events, and he would repeat it in Cartagena. I made many new friends there and I met again with Alice (the girl I met in Tayrona Park).
At the end of the event there was a private party on the terrace, and the people I met gave me a little farewell for being my last day of travel, although there was only one person who made me hesitate to take my flight back, a very handsome German boy and he danced very well, something unusual in Europeans, however, I am crazy but responsible, so I took my flight. I know it was very sad.
