4/15
We decided to head out to the province of Guajira,which is the northernmost part of South America and a land that is very, very wild, undeveloped, and harsh...not to mention tough to get to.
We started by taking a bus from Taganga to Santa Marta. Then a bus from Santa Marta to Riohacha. From Riohacha we took a collectivo (shared taxi) to Uribia. From Uribia we sat in the back of an old dodge 4x4 pickup (which they use as buses on the rough roads, or often roadless areas of the deep part of the province) for a bumpy and dusty ride to Cabo de la Vela. The road was through dry desert scrubland and was often sandy or hardly existant. Cabo de la Vela, is also in the desert, but it sits along a very long sandy beach afronted by the emerald green Caribbean. We arrived at dusk and enjoyed a big fresh fish dinner, which of course is the standard food in this region since nothing can really grow or be farmed on the harsh land. The room we were in was not particularly pleasant as it came complete with lots of cockroaches and a very active mouse!
4/16
In the morning, we were supposed to have a ride to Punta Gallinas, but they were trying to pack 12 people in a land cruiser meant for 8 or 9. As we were the last to book and some of the people complained of lack of space (who wouldn't in that scenario), we got the boot, which meant we had the day to explor Cabo de La Vela. First we walked along the long beach and then hiked up to El Faro (the lighthouse) for some nice views of the rugged coast. From that high (and extremely windy) vantage point, we watched a successful rabbit hunt where 3 men down below, a lookout, and a dog, captured a rabbit. From the Faro, we hiked down to a little beach called Ojos del Mar. From there, we hiked overland across the coast, climbing up some ridges and little peaks before running into the main trail at Playa Azucar (sugar beach). The walk along the coast was cool as the coast was very rugged and waves were loudly crashing into the rocks. Luckily there was a stiff breeze or it would have been unbearably hot bc in this treeless land, there was no shade! Playa Azucar was a pretty beach with rust colored sand and of course the typical emerald color of the Caribbean lapping up against the rusty sand. We enjoyed some sweet mangos we had packed before ascending up Pilon de Azucar, a small hill complete with a statue of Mary (Our Lady of Fatima) providing nice views.
We walked back and made it just in time to grab some empanadas before watching the sunset. We had a tasty fresh fish (red snapper) and yucca dinner. Bc of the mice and cockroach roommates in the room the night before, we opted for sleeping suspended above ground outside in hammocks this night.
The long, all day hike, gave us a nice perspective on the area. The Guijara is very dry with the vegetation being scrublike if it exists at all. The landscape is also dotted with cacti. It reminded us of how we picture southern Texas or Northern Mexico due to the landscape but also the lack of people and the feeling of being in the middle of nowhere. Flying around the desert are these giant cricket things which the locals call Langosta (Langosta means lobster, but they call them this bc apparently they look similar). And these aren't just large crickets, they are huge! The look like birds when they fly. This area is home to the Wayuu people who are supposedly fiercely independent. They are one of the only South American peoples to never have been conquered by the Spanish. They live in little thatched huts made out of the inside of cacti. They are mainly fisher/lobstermen but do raise some goats in this very harsh land.
Although it's a harsh land, the place we were staying still had satellite TV. We were watching the news (in spanish of course). Most of it was dealing with the election, recounting, and riots associated with the election in Venezuela after Hugo Chavez died this past March (Colombia has currently closed its border with Venezuela bc of the problems), but it was here that we found out about the tragic bombing at the Boston Marathon.
4/17
This time we were all able to fit into the Land Cruiser. Again there were 12 of us tourists; however, this was a bigger landcruiser, so we all squeezed in. The road was of course rough and at times wild enroute to Punta Gallinas. Along the way we stopped at Taroa dunes and Taroa beach. Here there are these large and tall (about 100 ft) dunes that tumble right into the ocean as well as a strip of beach. You can basically slide down the dunes and land in the ocean. Elisha and I spent some time playing and sliding down the dunes and then caught some waves in the ocean. We continued on by 4x4 into the harsh landscape before arriving at a nice viewpoint looking down on the emerald waters of the Caribbean and Bahia (Bay) Hondia. Shorly thereafter we arrived at Punta Gallinas where just a very few Wayuu families live. We relaxed in hammocks until lunch, staring out at the sea. For lunch, Elisha and I had two fresh and very tasty and large fish. In the evening we headed out to a beach to watch the sunset. That night we had freshly caught lobsters. 2 complete lobsters plus fried bananas, rice, and a salad for $15. Very tasty! That night the gang slept in Chinchurros (deluxe, supercomfortable hammocks made by the Wayuu) overlooking Hondia Bay.
4/18
In the morning as the sun was rising, we walked out to the lighthouse on Punta Gallinas which is the most northern point of South America (at about 12 degrees N.) After breakfast, we loaded back up in the landcruiser for the 5 hour journey on rouch desert roads back to Uribia. The ride was entertaining bc of this guy (Dan) from Atlanta who was pretty hilarious.
Elisha had left a stuff sack (full of socks and underwear) that she was using as a pillow in the hammocks back in Cabo de la Vela. Luckily, one of the people in the car was heading back there, so a motorbike was coming to pick this girl up. Thus, at this tiny little store in the middle of nowhere, a guy on a motorbike rooled up carrying Elisha's bag of underwear on his bike handlebars. Pretty crazy.
From Uribia, we took a collectivo to Riohacha. From there we took a bus to Santa Marta and then an overnight bus to Bucaramanga.
We decided to head out to the province of Guajira,which is the northernmost part of South America and a land that is very, very wild, undeveloped, and harsh...not to mention tough to get to.
We started by taking a bus from Taganga to Santa Marta. Then a bus from Santa Marta to Riohacha. From Riohacha we took a collectivo (shared taxi) to Uribia. From Uribia we sat in the back of an old dodge 4x4 pickup (which they use as buses on the rough roads, or often roadless areas of the deep part of the province) for a bumpy and dusty ride to Cabo de la Vela. The road was through dry desert scrubland and was often sandy or hardly existant. Cabo de la Vela, is also in the desert, but it sits along a very long sandy beach afronted by the emerald green Caribbean. We arrived at dusk and enjoyed a big fresh fish dinner, which of course is the standard food in this region since nothing can really grow or be farmed on the harsh land. The room we were in was not particularly pleasant as it came complete with lots of cockroaches and a very active mouse!
4/16
In the morning, we were supposed to have a ride to Punta Gallinas, but they were trying to pack 12 people in a land cruiser meant for 8 or 9. As we were the last to book and some of the people complained of lack of space (who wouldn't in that scenario), we got the boot, which meant we had the day to explor Cabo de La Vela. First we walked along the long beach and then hiked up to El Faro (the lighthouse) for some nice views of the rugged coast. From that high (and extremely windy) vantage point, we watched a successful rabbit hunt where 3 men down below, a lookout, and a dog, captured a rabbit. From the Faro, we hiked down to a little beach called Ojos del Mar. From there, we hiked overland across the coast, climbing up some ridges and little peaks before running into the main trail at Playa Azucar (sugar beach). The walk along the coast was cool as the coast was very rugged and waves were loudly crashing into the rocks. Luckily there was a stiff breeze or it would have been unbearably hot bc in this treeless land, there was no shade! Playa Azucar was a pretty beach with rust colored sand and of course the typical emerald color of the Caribbean lapping up against the rusty sand. We enjoyed some sweet mangos we had packed before ascending up Pilon de Azucar, a small hill complete with a statue of Mary (Our Lady of Fatima) providing nice views.
We walked back and made it just in time to grab some empanadas before watching the sunset. We had a tasty fresh fish (red snapper) and yucca dinner. Bc of the mice and cockroach roommates in the room the night before, we opted for sleeping suspended above ground outside in hammocks this night.
The long, all day hike, gave us a nice perspective on the area. The Guijara is very dry with the vegetation being scrublike if it exists at all. The landscape is also dotted with cacti. It reminded us of how we picture southern Texas or Northern Mexico due to the landscape but also the lack of people and the feeling of being in the middle of nowhere. Flying around the desert are these giant cricket things which the locals call Langosta (Langosta means lobster, but they call them this bc apparently they look similar). And these aren't just large crickets, they are huge! The look like birds when they fly. This area is home to the Wayuu people who are supposedly fiercely independent. They are one of the only South American peoples to never have been conquered by the Spanish. They live in little thatched huts made out of the inside of cacti. They are mainly fisher/lobstermen but do raise some goats in this very harsh land.
Although it's a harsh land, the place we were staying still had satellite TV. We were watching the news (in spanish of course). Most of it was dealing with the election, recounting, and riots associated with the election in Venezuela after Hugo Chavez died this past March (Colombia has currently closed its border with Venezuela bc of the problems), but it was here that we found out about the tragic bombing at the Boston Marathon.
4/17
This time we were all able to fit into the Land Cruiser. Again there were 12 of us tourists; however, this was a bigger landcruiser, so we all squeezed in. The road was of course rough and at times wild enroute to Punta Gallinas. Along the way we stopped at Taroa dunes and Taroa beach. Here there are these large and tall (about 100 ft) dunes that tumble right into the ocean as well as a strip of beach. You can basically slide down the dunes and land in the ocean. Elisha and I spent some time playing and sliding down the dunes and then caught some waves in the ocean. We continued on by 4x4 into the harsh landscape before arriving at a nice viewpoint looking down on the emerald waters of the Caribbean and Bahia (Bay) Hondia. Shorly thereafter we arrived at Punta Gallinas where just a very few Wayuu families live. We relaxed in hammocks until lunch, staring out at the sea. For lunch, Elisha and I had two fresh and very tasty and large fish. In the evening we headed out to a beach to watch the sunset. That night we had freshly caught lobsters. 2 complete lobsters plus fried bananas, rice, and a salad for $15. Very tasty! That night the gang slept in Chinchurros (deluxe, supercomfortable hammocks made by the Wayuu) overlooking Hondia Bay.
4/18
In the morning as the sun was rising, we walked out to the lighthouse on Punta Gallinas which is the most northern point of South America (at about 12 degrees N.) After breakfast, we loaded back up in the landcruiser for the 5 hour journey on rouch desert roads back to Uribia. The ride was entertaining bc of this guy (Dan) from Atlanta who was pretty hilarious.
Elisha had left a stuff sack (full of socks and underwear) that she was using as a pillow in the hammocks back in Cabo de la Vela. Luckily, one of the people in the car was heading back there, so a motorbike was coming to pick this girl up. Thus, at this tiny little store in the middle of nowhere, a guy on a motorbike rooled up carrying Elisha's bag of underwear on his bike handlebars. Pretty crazy.
From Uribia, we took a collectivo to Riohacha. From there we took a bus to Santa Marta and then an overnight bus to Bucaramanga.
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