Guilty as Charged - Part 2

The Lost City was incredible but after we got back to Santa Marta we didn't have time to dwell on the experience as we only had a few days to get ready to leave and go our own ways... *sniff*.  It was only for two weeks but it was a strange concept after spending everyday together for 8 months to be planning 2 weeks apart.

I was off to New York to see my wonderful Naomi and have a brilliant exploration of the city and it's surroundings. Jarvis was going more 'jungle man' with his trip and heading to Nicaragua with his friends Todd and Brandon, yet all of this was not before Jarvis and I took a fantastic last day together where at the end he surprised me beyond belief.

We wandered around all the best parts of Santa Marta treating ourselves to their amazing fresh smoothies, good beer and a delicious steak lunch. We laughed and ran around the park acting like the big kids we are until exhausted and then came back to our Croc Bones to sit and have dinner on the dock watching the sunset. As i was coming out of the boat bringing the last items for dinner I heard our song come on and was presented with the most beautiful hand carved jewelery box. Jarvis had been working on it for 3 months. It was lined with red velvet, varnished and contained a note saying...

  "there is a question i have for you..."

as the sun set to a purple and crimson sky he proposed and made me the happiest person alive (i said yes by the way), and after a hell of a lot of jumpy up and down times we sat, ate and enjoyed the last of what felt like the best day ever.

We're Engaged :)

The next day we were off our own ways. Our trips were amazing and the only minor hiccup was the eventfulness of the Colombia bus transport that i had to take to get to and from the airport in Bogota.

On average it is a 16 hr overnight journey, but it's on a pretty comfortable coach and has stops for breakfast. The only downside is their obsession with air conditioning. At 30+ degrees outside you sit on the coach in as many layers as you can still shivering whilst staring out at all the sweaty people - very strange but all good. Yet on the way back there was an extra 7 hour detour because of a storm washing away the main bridge that connects the north to the south (that is the level of road quality), we were boarded twice by the army who searched every male on board (apparently women are ok) and at the food stop i witnessed the most violent fight i had ever seen, watching as the army stationed there stood by and watched too.

Back in boat land we awaited the arrival of the boys Jarvis had holidayed with in Nicaragua. They arrived on the evening of my birthday and we all went out to a brilliant restaurant called Ben and Joseph's on the promenade for huge steaks that melted in your mouth and drank into the night catching up. Over the next few days we tried to take the boys out for a sail but with no wind we soon came back and focused more on fully sampling the local beer.

Happy Birthday to me

Great food right on the sea front

Todd, me, Brandon and Jarvis happily full

Before their arrival we had been given a small leaflet by a random guy advertising a little place up in the mountains called Minca. It boasted Eco-huts, waterfalls, water tubing and every ad said to talk to a guy called "Jungle Joe" so, of course, we had to go. The four of us taxied it 3 quarters of the way there (had to walk the rest as the driver ran out of petrol hehe) and after much a complicated Spanish discussion found ourselves in a big wooden lodge on edge of the mountain looking down over Santa Marta. It was stunning.

Our hamock hut outside our eco house

The view from our house

Some of the other Eco Houses

On day two the little lady who ran the place cooked us a full Colombian breakfast - heavy corn cakes, fried plantain, a coffee based hot chocolate and a delicious potato omelet. With full bellies we explored the surrounding jungle and then set about contacting Mr Jungle Joe and found a guy at the Edlewies restaurant (the only restaurant) who called him for us. Joe was awesome, not many people know that the only way to make a strong Bamboo house is to only cut it on a full moon (it lets out it's power apparently), and after a good price haggle by Todd we arranged to meet for a half day adventure the next morning.

Our breakfast being cooked inside one of the huts

Now trips like this away make me smile. I think mostly because it brings out the British rationality and caution in me as my brain ticks off the multitude of things that just wouldn't happen in the UK due to health and safetu. We had a local kid guide us for an hour up through the muddy river banks, across slick rocks and places of very strong current to arrive and a secluded waterfall. Then it's playtime in the icey water until we go onwards and get on to the tubing. There are life jackets that are all one size and slip off me, helmets that are one size and don't fit Brandon and tubes which don't really fit anyone. Then its sit down and have a firm push to send you flying down some extensive rapids that are bitterly cold, riddled with rocks and have huge drops and yet despite all that, and all the bruises and near hypothermia, it was AWESOME. After all it's the unknown and 'could never do it elsewhere' aspect that makes it so appealing.

Boys will be boys

Two days later it was time to say cheerio to the boys. They were so awesome to have on board and it was very entertaining to watch these two very tall men try to sleep in the back cabin and not play night-footsie so we were sad to see them go. As for us it was time to get cracking and get ourselves on our way to Jamaica.

We had another awesome friend to meet and time was of the essence so only a day after their departure we we re-fueled,cleared out of the country and ready to go...

...but don't get too excited for the stories of our Jamaican fun times just yet - we still had to get there. The most stressful and dangerous times at sea for us had just begun!

Tia and Jarvis, over and out!