About a week ago, we crossed the Equator on our journey from Ecuador up to Cali, Colombia. This was a big moment for us, as it meant we officially went from winter in the Southern Hemisphere to summer in the northern hemisphere. We were back into the season that most of our friends and family had been enjoying for months, which we had been hearing about online and feeling jealous.
Of course, it might have been a distinction without merit, since we had had a nice time on the Peruvian coast and in the jungles of Ecuador. The reality is that around the equator there should be no difference between weather, summer or winter. But, it was a moment that had meaning to us, and it turned out the Colombia has some HEAT.
After the lovely city of Cali, we flew to Santa Marta on the northeast coast, Colombia's oldest city. Founded roughly 480 years ago, the city is in quite an impressive setting. On one side is the expanse of the Caribbean Sea and on the other the Sierra Nevada mountains of South America rise to almost 6,000 meters.
We spent our first 3-4 days up on the coast staying at a surf camp about 40 kms from the city. At the camp, we slept a few feet from the crashing waves, and saw some of the most impressive sunrises and sunsets of the entire trip. Mu and I loved the idea that we had made our way from the most southern city in South America, Ushuaia, Argentina and Tierra del Feugo, to the northern tip of the massive continent, back on an important body of water and feeling proud of the ground covered and the beauty experienced.
One day we headed into Tayrona National Park, a gem of Colombia which encapsulates the topography of this blessed part of the world, beach and mountains in a glorious mashup. We headed out early, as i really wanted to get online for an important email. First, the satellite wifi was out at the camp, with no idea of when it might get turned back on. We took motos to the nearest town, where the Internet cafe did not electricity. 20 kms down the road, a the entrance to the park, there was one last chance for connectivity, but alas they too were not getting electricity at the moment. As the owner of the last casa de internet said - "welcome to Colombia!' (We have already heard this phrase multiple times in the 6 days that we have been in the country).
Mu and I entered the park, hiking along a road for 4 kms before we got to the first beach and a trail to a lookout. All along the road, I kept noticing massive colonies of ants, working more diligently than seems possible. They were literally wearing out paths in the forest, carrying pieces of flotsam and debris that were many times larger than any single ant. It was funny, arriving in a world renown park and being most impressed with the tiny and ubiquitous ant.
That was to change, as we began hiking along the coast from one beach to another. Each beach was more impressive than the last, with massive granite rocks coming right into the water and waves crashing. We eventually got to a bay called La Piscina, which was protected from the rough swells by an intermediate break line of rocks. The water was sublime and felt great after several hours of hiking. With the heat and sun, we sweated profusely and were certainly back in the heart of summer.
Next stop was a beach called Cabo, which was among the prettiest we have seen in this last year, and really any year. A point of rocky land jutted out between two white beaches, with palm trees everywhere and the rugged, green jungle mountains rising quickly off the coast. I could have stayed there for hours, but we had designs on one more stop in our hike.
The last destination was a ruin called Pueblito built by the indigenous tribes that pre-date Columbus, high up in the hills. The trail to the ruins alone was amazing, with massive 10 foot slabs of rock spanning deep gaps in the hills, and stonework that was over a thousand years old. After about a hour of hiking up the mountains, sometimes feeling like we were back hiking in a bikrham yoga studio with sweat dripping, we came upon the ruins. The tranquility of the place was dramatic, so still and private after the busyness of the beach below. You see, we had the place to ourselves, with terraces receding into the jungle and time for a well earned lunch.
We still had an hour and half hike back to the main road, but the day was already a huge success. It was back to the surf camp, a yummy dinner and a good sleep. While we may be hot and sweaty most of the time, it is wonderful to be back in Summer.
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Gorgeous!
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