Rather than describe these two weeks in detail I decided it is better to focus on the highlights; the first being the people and culture of the coast. Here I observed a much different vibe; a more laid back, friendly, talk now and work later atmosphere. On one occasion I struck up a conversation with the park maintenance man after he offered the park hose so I could wash my feet free of sand from the beach. After 1o minutes of choppy spanish conversation the gentleman invited me to his house for a lunch of fish and a game of street futbol. Unfortunately, when I went to meet him that Sunday in the park I failed to find him and thus missed out on this experience; but the simple fact I was invited to his house after 10 minutes of conversation is a great example of the generosity and openness of Colombians.
Another aspect of the culture I have grown to enjoy immensely is the chaos of the street markets. Imagine the complete opposite of peace and quite. Sellers line the streets for numerous blocks and hawk their goods to passerbye. Clothes, backpacks, crafts, artisan goods, pirated movies for 50 cents, food stands, fresh juice stands, and all the junk you can imagine. My absolute favorite aspect of Santa Marta was the fresh juice. For 1 dollar you can buy a custom made juice blended with either milk or water and two fruits of your choice. This, accompanied by a fresh Patacon (pressed and fried plantain filled with meat, potatoes, rice, cheese, and vegetables) for 35 cents, makes a fabulous lunch.
The second highlight was Parque Tayrona. This national park, one of many in Colombia, is known for it´s beautiful beaches. I spent 3 days and 2 nights hiking to different beaches of the park, swimming, and sleeping in a hammock on the beach.
Last, but certainly not least, was the Carnaval of Baranquilla. Carnaval consists of many parades, parties, and celebrations leading up to the Catholic period of Lent. It takes place in many different places, with Baranquilla being the second largest of Latin America next to Brazil. Due to the fact I was a 2 hour bus journey from Baranquilla I couldn´t miss it. The accomodation I thought I had arranged in Baranquilla fell through at the last minute, so I decided to take a bus in the morning and stay as long as I could into the night before taking a bus back to Santa Marta to sleep. I headed off with a few friends, with no plan and no idea what to expect...
What turned out to be a great day, turned into an even better night. Initially we found the parade and watched for a few minutes under the heat of the sun before we were escorted by police officers to the front row under the shade of a canopy. They told us it was safer and because of the tremendous upgrade we did not argue. From here we enjoyed the parade, met the locals around us, had shaving cream battles with the kids, and enjoyed delicious sausages that a local lady we had just met purchased for us. Afterwards, one of the locals we met during the parade invited us to his barrio for a night full of partying and dancing in the street.
He was the perfect host; after taking us to the best street stand for food, we walked through the streets lined with party after party. Each block had huge speakers blasting cumbia, bachata, and salsa into the night. As we walked the songs changed but the atmosphere and celebrations of the people stayed the same. We settled on his block and chatted and danced the night away. At about 1 or 2 in the morning one of the neighbors brought piping hot soup out for everyone and the dancing continued. Finally, at 6am the next morning we caught a bus back to Santa Marta for some much needed sleep. Overall, I had a great time in Santa Marta, but after two weeks it was time to leave...
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