After some yogurt and a cup of tea I left Rudy nursing his many bug bites on his legs and headed up to the small waterfall. I packed my drawing supplies, my water bottle, and put my swim suit on under my clothes. At the end of our street I stopped at the tienda and bought some galletas de limon (lime icing-filled cookies) and headed up the familiar dirt road. I hadn’t gone far when I joined a young woman from Quebec. She has been travelling on her own for the last five months (through Central and South America) and was almost ready to fly back to Canada. I got some interesting information about places she has been in Colombia which will help us as we move across the country.
The waterfall is small but there are a number of pools and although there were some people there it was not too crowded. The water is cool and refreshing and after a dip I settled down to do some sketching and some people watching. There was lots to enjoy and it kept me occupied for quite some time.
Soon it was time to return and I phoned Rudy to see if he wanted to go out for some lunch. However, on the way into town I stopped at a tienda and bought a baked plantain that was filled with queso cosqueno and also a homemade sausage with bun and lime. I brought it home and we shared that for lunch along with a beer. We haven’t really eaten very much street food so it was good to try something new.
Rudy headed out late afternoon and after I had worked on blog stuff I headed out to find him. He was at a restaurant overlooking the river. We decided to stay for supper and over an hour later we got our food.
Now we are back at our place and settling in for the rest of the evening. Perhaps a sit in the hot tub for a while.
Today was a slow day. I think Rudy and I were both feeling a bit down. I decided that some jungle exploring in and around town would be good for me so I set off towards the main street and then over the bridge. Not far past the bridge I found a dirt road and turned down it. This mountain village is not on a grid like a prairie town and so I followed a winding road. When a fork in the road appeared I made a random choice and just kept going. I passed regular houses, some hotel/hostel/eco lodge establishments and other random buildings. The trees are massive, the vines aggressive, and the bamboo stands towering. There was really no main attraction that I was wowed by but rather little bits of life along the way.
After a while I was hot and tired. I phoned Rudy and agreed to meet him at the Arabic restaurant for a late lunch. He was already there by the time I wound my way back. The food there is delicious. Rudy had a curry meat bun and a cheese bread. They were accompanied with a garlic sour cream spread. My mouth is watering here even as I remember it. I got a dish called Musabaha which, in Arabic, means swimming. Basically it was a warm dish of chickpeas, corn, fried bread and covered in hummus and olive oil. It was incredible.
Other than that we spent the day reading, drawing, and watching some sketches from the SNL 50 years celebration. When it was dark out we went for a walk and ended up at an Italian restaurant. The courtyard looks over the cancha and it would have been great if a soccer game was in progress. As it was we watched some boys kick around a ball. The highlight for me, as far as food goes was a soda with Lulo fruit. I had never tasted that kind of fruit (much less heard of it). When we were done we made our way down the darkened streets back to our place. There we sat in the hot tub in the cool of the evening.
Today our goal was to walk up to the waterfall about an hour away. By the time we went out for breakfast (scrambled eggs, fruit salad, patacones, and coffee) and got our bathing suits and hiking shoes on, it was past 10:30.
The climb up to the waterfall is not steep for the most part but nonetheless it took more oomph that walking on the prairies does. Once we got there we were sweaty and I was definitely ready for a dip.
The water was cold and refreshing and I was glad I got in. I had imagined something a little more like the place where Augusta and I had swum in a waterfall in Guatemala where there were large pools to relax and move around in. Not so here. But there was wonderful cool spray coming off the rocks and the lush vegetation.
There were also massive hammocks overlooking the gully from which to observe the surrounding countryside. All in all it was a good experience and although Rudy declined to get in the water he took loads of pictures of flowers (and pics of me in the waterfalls).
The walk home was relaxing. It had cooled off some and downhill was much less strenuous so we had a leisurely time. At one point we stopped to enjoy two massive trees.
One had a tunnel in it and when I climbed up to get a closer look it seemed like I might be able to clamber right into the heart of the tree. I wouldn’t have been surprised to meet some wood elves or other creatures inside of it. The massive roots towered over our heads, not to mention how high it was to the top of the canopy. And the circumference of the one tree trunk ENORMOUS!
We were hot and tired by the time we got home. Rudy washed his runners (he’d had a mishap and lost his footing crossing a stream so they were muddy and wet). He also had a million little red dots all over his legs where the tiny mosquitos had bitten him. We both had an ice cold shower in our outdoor facility and then settled down to relax. I don’t know what Rudy did but I went upstairs to the balcony to lie in a hammock and promptly fell asleep.
After this it was time for supper. So back we went to Tacos and Chelas (the Mexican establishment) where we drank a couple of lovely margaritas and ate delicious tacos and burritos. Another perfect day.
Tomorrow is Sunday. A day of rest? I may go for a walk in the countryside by myself with my sketching stuff. Or I might just chill around here. I guess tomorrow will tell.
After a lovely sit in the hot tub in our own private courtyard last night I crawled into bed. So far the only downside to this absolutely wonderful place is the bed. It is hard and somewhat lumpy. But really I shouldn’t complain about anything in this paradise. It cools off nicely in the mountains here in the evening and days are warm.
Breakfast consisted of pancakes and fruit and coffee (hot for Rudy and iced for me). We sat for a long time in the shade of the restaurant. A lovely family (parents and two kids) sat a few tables away from us. The were Canadian (I surmised) and the woman spoke passible Spanish. She was teaching the kids how to order in Spanish and I absolutely loved their interactions. The mom so delighted in the exchange with her kids and they laughed and giggled. It brought me back to the Guatemala days and the fun we had with our kids experiencing day to day life in a different culture.
After breakfast we wandered down the street back to our house. It is so great to be in the countryside after the hustle and bustle of the city. Everything feels very safe here and I am content to wander and explore on my own and am not concerned about finding myself in an area with unsavoury characters. I spent the rest of the morning sketching various scenes in our courtyard and off the balcony at the top of the house. I am finding that I can lose myself in this activity and when I lift my head an hour will have passed. I guess that is the definition of playing.
Around 2 o’clock I decided that an adventure was in order. Rudy had his nose buried in the computer doing some coding to fix up this website so that the banner photos would work better. Since I really couldn’t help him (that is an understatement ;)) I felt no guilt about my expedition. I decided to take the road out of town towards a couple of the waterfalls. I didn’t know how far I would get or what the terrain would be like. The road rose and followed a gully for a while and then I was engulfed in jungle. Although I was climbing it was mostly a gentle slope. I passed under massive trees and huge stands of bamboo and although the day was warm, I mostly walked in the cool shade. There were a number of people on the road, some coming down and some walking in the direction I was taking. I stopped to talk to a bunch of young German women and got lots of information about how far it was to the waterfalls and what the road was like on the way up. We swapped some travel stories and then we separated and went our way. I made it a place which I thought might be the path to the first waterfall but after following it for 15 minutes I saw it was taking me to a cluster of small houses so I turned around and headed back to the main road. Just five minutes further on I found the path to the small waterfall. I made my way down and cooled my feet in a pool. Although I wouldn’t have minded going further I realized I needed to get home as I didn’t have any water on me and also Rudy and I were planning to go out at 4 o’clock for something to eat.
When I arrived back at the house there was much excitement. A hummingbird (colibri) had flown into the house through the courtyard and had hit the window trying to get out. Lidia, the woman who runs the house, is a huge bird enthusiast. The are feeders and fresh cut fruit all around the courtyard. When Rudy alerted her to the accident she immediately picked it up and tried to revive it. After a number of false starts and more banging into windows (and the bird even falling into a pail of water) Lidia was finally able to revive the bird. She mixed up some sugar water and fed it to the bird who amazingly lay in her hand and drank deeply of the elixir. Once its feathers were dried, it was able to fly away. It was so great to see the care and attention Lidia paid to the bird.
I am very enthused about what this area has to offer. I am so glad to be in the countryside. I feel relaxed and happy. We had a delicious meal for supper and wandered around town a bit. Happy Valentines Day!
Well, it is time to pack up and head on down the trail. Minca here we come!
We had to get out of our place in Santa Marta by 11 a.m. so basically we packed, had a cup of coffee and tea and headed out. We took a taxi up into the Sierra Nevada mountains to Minca. It took about 45 minutes and the only strange thing that happened on that long and winding road, with loads of switchbacks, happened before we left Santa Marta. We had to stop for gas which was strange. But what was even stranger is that we had to get out of the car during the fill up. We were instructed to do this “for our security.” And even once we were out of the car, we were moved in front of the car for our safety. The car was filled up under the front hood which was something that is also different than in Canada.
We traveled through lush jungle with houses and fincas along the side of the road. It all felt very familiar to similar travels I have had through the mountains of Guatemala, Ecuador, etc. Once in Minca it took some looking to find our place.
Our place is lovely. I is a huge house off the main drag a ways. It has rooms (more dorm like on the top floor) and well as hammocks and a work out area. Our room is like a hotel room with a patio and a jacuzzi. The kitchen and dinning room and courtyards are shared and they are cool and open to the courtyard.
The Outside of the House at Night
Looking into the Courtyard
Dining Area
Our Room
Sitting Area
We couldn’t get into our room right away when we arrived so we dropped off our luggage and headed to grab a bite to eat. The restaurants are plentiful. This place is a bit like Antigua Guatemala or Banos Ecuador. There are loads of young backpackers enjoying the rustic waterfalls and hikes and other sights. We stopped at a Syrian restaurant and I got some sort of bread with zaatar and hummus to dip it in and Rudy got a spicy meat bun. The hummus was incredible. I have never tasted any as good. We sat (me reading my kindle and Rudy doing sudukos) until it was time for check in.
Once we were back at out place we lounged and unpacked until it was time to go for dinner. Mark and Bonnie Loewen and family had been here last year and recommended Minca. They also recommended a Mexican restaurant which we promptly went to . Yes, it was super good.
Mexican Restaurant
Mexican Restaurant
Locals
Futbol at the Cancha at the end of our street
At the grocery store — will you want a kitty with that?
Walking home down our street
Feels like we can settle into this place for a bit.
Today I decided to go for one last walk along the ocean before we head inland. But before that walk Rudy and I headed out for breakfast, back to the establishments surrounding the Parque de los Novios. We chose a new place and Rudy had his morning cappuccino and I had an iced coffee. Already it was hot and the thought of a hot drink was not at all appealing. (I have even forgone my morning cup of tea. No need to heat up the apartment or myself more than necessary.) Rudy finally got the waffles and fruit he has been wishing for for quite some time and I had a French egg on toast with avocado and feta cheese. What is a French egg you may ask? It is an omelette.
After breakfast, I dropped Rudy off at the door of our apartment building and headed out for an adventure. This time I followed the beaches as far as I could go until I hit the river. The water appeared less murky today away from the main harbour. In fact, I felt more optimistic about the state of the world. I stopped to watch a flock of egrets playing on the shore and for a time I was carried away with the beauty of the scene.
Along the beach there were families in the water; a dad laughing and splashing his kids, a man in the water letting himself be pushed by the waves. In the distance there were men raking the shore and cleaning the litter. And in my present mood even the piles of random flip flops, kids’ runners, and running shoe soles that were piled artistically on the sand tangled with seaweed and stones were beautiful. As I continued down the beach it was harder to frame the junk that was scattered everywhere as anywhere near appealing. The beach was full of it. I began to document it all with my camera. There was a teepee-like structure made of driftwood and old towels with the interior of it littered with bottles, plastic bags and bottle caps. The waves had deposited piles of tangled debris that from a distance looked like nests but on closer inspection where piles of garbage tangled in organic matter. By squinting my eyes and looking out to sea it was immense and beautiful and awe inspiring. But looking down at my feet…..
When I got home and looked through my photos to put into this blog I chuckled. What I had in my photo gallery (besides the above pictures) was about 10 pictures of yours truly (and they weren’t very flattering either). I had accidentally pushed the screen reverse and because it was so bright and I had my sunglasses on, I couldn’t seen the screen and was shooting blindly. So, no pictures of all the garbage juxtaposed with the vast and beautiful ocean or the city skyline. Nothing that might show some interesting photo journalism.
On the way home I stopped to take some photos of some of the murals across the street from our place. These fish paintings are on the big wall just across the street from our apartment — each fish is about 5 feet tall.
Back home Rudy and I ate leftovers from the fridge for lunch, I plunged into the pool to cool off and started a new book by Wallace Stegner called The Spectator Bird and Rudy resumed whatever it is he does during the day. (I am sure all that reading of politics is going to solve some of the big world problems we are experiencing.)
We woke to quiet. The wind was not screeching and howling around our building but it wasn’t long before it picked up and we escaped down to the streets below to avoid the incessant noise. We were in search of a good cup of coffee (for Rudy) and some delicious breakfast drink for me. As always, we go out in search of food and drink with a little bit of trepidation. Yesterday, for example, we went out for margaritas late afternoon and after some aimless wandering and indecision we stopped at a place and ordered. Before we even got our drinks I was beginning to regret our choice. It smelled of sewer in the vicinity and everything seemed a little dirty. When the drinks arrived my doubts were confirmed. No ice, no salt or tahine on the rims of the glasses, and the drinks certainly didn’t taste very good. Well at least they are 2 for the price of 1, we thought. We thought wrong. They were full price and more expensive than many places we had been. Anyway, back to this morning. We found a cool little hippy place and went inside. The breeze was cool inside and the coffee was delicious (not so the vegan pancakes, but 1 out of 2 is not bad). It was a great experience all in all. A couple of stray dogs came into the restaurant and lay in the cool. Supplies arrived (a man with a huge bag of Columbian coffee beans slung over his shoulder and another man with a bag of coconuts.) There was no loud Latin music playing (instead there was some melodic folk music). We left refreshed and ready for the day.
Midday finds us holed up in the apartment. It is much too hot to venture out unless it is to the pool on the rooftop terrance. I spent time on drawing and watercolour and reading, and Rudy on photo editing and reading the news.
Random Mattress Outlet that was supposed to be the Claro Store
Around three o’clock we ventured out on a mission. Rudy had found that he could get an eSIM for his phone if he went to a bigger ‘official’ Claro store at a mall. He typed the address into google maps and we started out. But…. there are many quadrants in a city and just because you are on the corner of Calle 11 and Carretera 3 doesn’t mean you are at the right place. And of course we weren’t.
But the expedition wasn’t in vain. We saw a new part of the city and it reminded me a lot of many areas in Xela, Guatemala where we lived as a family almost 30 years ago. The area was more true to life for regular folks, I think. It was dirtier, more shops crowded into small areas, and many street vendors selling food and drinks (of course) but also underwear and plastic trinkets and electronic devices. I should have counted the number of shoe shops in one block (not to mention those selling shoes on carts). It seems almost impossible that people can make a living and sell much of anything. And what is to differentiate between one shoe stall and another? After we admitted defeat, (we had been on a road that didn’t lead us to where we wanted to go), we stopped at the bank to take out cash and headed home again.
At 6ish we headed out again. We chose a quiet spot (Don Chuco’s) for seafood. I had coconut shrimp and Rudy some delicious grilled fish with shrimp sauce over it. Don Chuco’s is just off the Parque de Novios but is quiet as opposed to the bars and restaurants across the park on the main walkway. They even had an actual singer who played guitar and it was so quietly refreshing. So far we have been subjected to mostly no-talent outfits who have an amp over their shoulder and basically they rap or sing (and I use this term loosely) karaoke to some canned music. But people must make money and it is that or sell lollipops, or jewelry, or cigarettes on the streets. It is not an easy life for a lot of people.
Well, I really have nothing new or exciting to share today. A travel blog is hard to keep up when we are not moving anywhere. We have sat in one place too long but we do not leave Santa Marta until Thursday. Life is good here but it has little to do with any new discoveries in our physical surroundings. The discoveries that I have had have to do with seeing a street corner in a new way that causes me want to take pencil to paper. It doesn’t even have to be a street corner. It can be a shelf in the apartment or a pot on the rooftop terrance. I continue to enjoy the experience of drawing. It is like learning a new way to say something. So, life is good here but nothing mind blowing to report.
Like many of you (because it was Monday) I did laundry. It took a little longer as I had to figure out a strange washing apparatus that has directions in Spanish. But all worked out and our damp clothes are hanging around the apartment. We continue to do some light cooking in our apartment during the day, but always go out for supper.
We went out for our usual late afternoon walk. There is definitely a safe core area within which we walk and then a seedy area beyond. All in all this central area of town around the port is dirty and sometimes uncomfortable. I don’t wander far even when I am with Rudy. But we did take some great pics this evening and watched the sun set on the ocean.
The wind is wild here. I looked it up and the breeze is names “la loca” and it certainly often feels crazy. All evening and night the wind whistles and screeches through the windows of our apartment. Sometimes when I close my eyes it feels like I am listening to a Manitoba blizzard just outside my door. But no, we are here.
The rooster who resides close by was crowing and had been for quite some time when I finally opened my eyes this morning. It was late and I had slept in. Rudy had as well. Perhaps we had both not slept well. Me because I was hogging the top sheet all night long and had to keep vigilant so Rudy would not be comfortable. And Rudy because he was cold and disoriented, perhaps thinking he was fighting the winter chill in Manitoba.
We had been planning on going out for waffles but by the time we got organized it seemed too late for breakfast so I made omelettes again and had it with sliced avocado.
After breakfast I hauled out my art supplies determined to use the tutorial I watched online yesterday evening (thanks Drawing with Debbie) and attempt a different looser style. I got my 3 water colour washes mixed, went up to the terrace and roughed in a plant with my pencil and applied the 3 general areas of colour. Back in the apartment I used a pencil to draw the subject and then used pencil crayons and a bit more water colour to create shade and shadow. Why am I telling you all this? Not sure, but Debbie gave a running commentary of what she was doing and I thought I could as well. I had a lot of fun just playing around with shapes and colours and maybe even learned something. I also have been having fun doing blind drawings as an exercise in line study. There is only one of us on this trip that totally loves the rough illustrations of Rudy that I come up with while I am drawing with my eyes closed.
In the afternoon I headed out a bit to walk along the beach. I hadn’t been there in daylight and it was not very good. The water is filthy due to a number of factors: coal ships docking at the harbour, general pollution and sewage. There were some locals swimming but it was all I could do to wade up to my ankles. I went quite a ways down the beach and nothing really changed. It was super discouraging. I came back and cooled at the pool and tried to forget about the ocean. I won’t be going down there again.
As usual supper hour is one of the best times of the day. Rudy and I sit for a few hours drinking and eating and enjoying great conversation. When away from friends and other family and only having each other to converse with brings up a whole range of conversations and time just flies.
I feel like I am settling in and looking forward to tomorrow.
The highlight today for me was the pool and rooftop. But I won’t get carried away with waxing eloquent about how lovely sitting in the breeze up there was before I do some chronological reporting.
The beginning of the day found me making breakfast at our new place. I scrambled eggs with cheese and we had coffee and tea. Do you really care? Just because I am away in another country do I have the right to bore you with my mundane comings and goings? Whether I have the right or not, that is exactly what I am doing.
After this stupendous breakfast I left all the cleanup to someone who cares about that (Rudy Nikkel) and went for a walking adventure. My route was determined by how much shade I could find. I basically followed those shady sides of the street and wandered around the historical district and somewhat beyond. I do not quite feel at home here yet and am not sure which areas are more shady (the other shady, as in ‘not quite safe’) so I had to keep my eyes open. Every so often I encountered police on the corner and so felt okay, although at one point I found myself walking down a street that was lined with men and I soon began to feel somewhat uncomfortable. They were calling out to me so I picked up my pace and turned at the next corner. I found myself very near the shipyards where all the cargo comes in. Santa Marta is one of the deepest harbours in the world so it has a huge shipping industry. Perhaps this is not a very savoury area so I quickly made my way back to an area that was a little less seedy and continued my walk.
Walking in the Shade
Walkways
Just Before I Hit the Shady Part of Town
On returning to our apartment I spent a chunk of the rest of the morning trying to do some art. I had brought along some watercolour markers and experimented with these (not a lot of success). I then worked on some line drawings and finally some blind drawings (some even with my left hand). They are hilarious and wonderful at the same time. Not to mention a lot of fun to do because the stakes are not very high and the quality and strange placement of lines on the page result in objects that are somewhat recognizable but also look abstract and like a kind of modern art.
Then it was time to ascend the steps to the rooftop. Ah, the glorious cool refreshing water. There is nothing like a tub of cool water on a hot day. I alternated between immersing myself in the pool and reading, drawing, and doing sudoko.
At one point Rudy came up to check in. He had been traipsing up and down the streets trying to find a bank to get money. But he was not content to get money at any cost. He wanted a good rate of exchange and not too high a fee, and so far none of the ATMs he’d tried had a ‘reasonable’ exchange rate. And even when he ‘accepted’ the exchange rate at a few of the banks, his transaction was declined. Now what? No cash? We may have to use our credit card until we figure this out.
Rudy went back to the room and asked ChatGPT for help. He learned that recently Canada’s Scotiabank had purchased Copatria, a Colombian bank, and they didn’t charge Canadian ATM cards a premium. Okay. Google maps showed a branch was not too far away. You would think his troubles were over. Not so. No matter how many times he put his card into the slot and answered all the prompts, the machine spit out his card — transaction declined. He even had number of bank workers as well as friendly patrons offering their help. What was the problem? He was about to give up when one of the ‘helpers’ suggested he go to one of the tellers and see if he could withdraw money that way. Rudy wasn’t optimistic, but got in line. And as he thought about it and looked at his credit union phone app, it dawned on him! He remembered that after his last cash withdrawal he had put a hold on his card using the app. He logged in and clicked the ‘lock’ off. He left the lineup and went back to the ATM and tried again. Chug, chug, chug — out came MILLIONS of Colombian pesos. He took stuffed the wad of bills into his pocket, wiped the egg off his face, and headed back to the apartment.
Was that enough excitement for the day? Nope, I guess not, because Rudy managed to get the Jets game streaming and we are happy to announce that they won again. (I guess all you folks know that already because you were right close to Winnipeg where it all was happening.)