Caribbean Colombia

After arriving in the Tayrona area, we were treated to a snack at Casa Tayrona los Naranjos while we waited for our room at Villa Playa los Naranjos. The snack: a fruit drink (lulo) and a potato salad with roasted potatoes, cherry tomatoes, boiled egg, onion, roasted sweet red pepper, and cilantro served with two sauces (avocado and tomato.) These hotels are in a small, private development. The only restaurants are at the lodges. We chose Villa Playa because of it’s more extensive menu and good restaurant reviews.

Upon arrival at Villa Playa, we were treated to chilled coconuts...each was punctured and had a straw inserted. It was a mighty fine refreshing drink. Continuing to sip on our coconuts, we checked into our very spacious suite and appreciated the view over the mouth of the Rio Piedra and the Caribbean. This room was only available for one night but we enjoyed it while it lasted. Our next room was equally nice, just missing the view. After settling into our room we took a walk to the beach.

For dinner, we partook of beef carpaccio followed by grilled fish with garlic sauce along with a fresh mixed salad.  All accompanied by a bottler of Santa Rita 120 Chardonnay. The wine “list” is small but quite good. And the wine is available throughout the day from an honesty bar. 

The next morning we wandered around the hotel grounds and grabbed some photos of the local fauna and flora…birds, caiman sign, cows...

Our excursion for the day was to the Tayronaka Archeological Site with ruins from ancient city of Tairona dating from 2000 BC. Enroute to the site, we stopped to pick up some sun lotion and insect repellent. The shop was interesting because it was laid out to discourage wandering through the aisles…although, if asked, they will provide access by rolling aside that showcase in the front of the photo below.

We chose to walk into the site rather than take the boat upriver. Upon arrival at the site we met our local guide who led us through the museum and the site...and later served us our meal. An interesting range of jobs for one person. And as long as she talked slowly we didn’t need our area guide to translate...amazing. Our Spanish is improving! Still we took advantage of our English speaking guide (Antonio) to clarify points as well as to make observations about his own culture. He is a Wayuu (one of the several indigenous groups, this group is from the plains/desert, not from the mountains.)

The highlight of the museum was what is probably a funerary pot. It was fairly large, maybe 2 feet high and 18 inches around. Inside it features about a dozen characters surrounding  a prone character in what appears to be a funeral ceremony. 

The site features remains of round buildings built on terraces at various levels. The higher the level, the higher your status in the village. Houses for men and women were separate. Women’s housing had doors facing the moon, and men’s housing had doors facing the sun. (We are unsure what they really means. Facing the moon when??  Nevertheless, it was clear that the entrances were oriented differently.) Even in the common buildings women and men had separate entrances with women entering through the doors facing the moon. Note the Tayronaka people are the ancestors of today’s Kogi people. When we late visited the Kogi village, we learned they still have separate housing for men and women and they still maintain the same orientation of the doors. (Note: We don't get it either...how can the door consistently face the moon or the sun???)

We visited a replica of their houses which demonstrated that the roofs were made to keep out the rain and the walls were made to allow air flow for cooling. 

About the peacocks, they are just hanging around in the trees.

The tour was followed by lunch, some very tasty shrimp, rice and patacones. Pantacones are bananas that are sliced and pressed into flat pancake like shapes and then fried. Just one of the MANY ways they serve bananas (plantains) here. After lunch we floated down river on tire tubes. This was truly a float, not a sign of a ripple in the water.

We drove back to the hotel through numerous banana plantations.

Back at Villa Playa we enjoyed spaghetti bolognese for dinner with a bottle of 120 Merlot. A lemon bar for dessert completed our repast. Later we talked with a young couple from Toronto (Ping & Joy) who were looking to speak a little English. Interesting conversation about life and travel.

The next day was our longest and most strenuous. It started with a 2 hour walk up and down and up... to visit two indigenous villages. Note, only try this tour if you are used to walking a lot on rough terrain. It is very dry territory. Our guide carried a bag of water for each of us to use to water one of the newly planted trees along our route. Along the way, we observed many leaf cutter ants busily carrying bits of green leaves home. And our guide point out where the ants later deposited the debris left after the ants had consumed those bits of leaves.

We first reached the Kogi village and managed a tour through the village but the people chose not to meet with us. It was unclear why. From there we used tubes to cross the river to visit with the Arahuaco people. Here they served us a traditional lunch of sancocho (soup) with chicken and vegetables in a tasty broth. Later we had a tour of the village. The first stop was to see the cocoa trees (cocoa is a main source of income for the village). While there are native trees, they find that trees from India are more productive. Even cocoa from these imported trees is apparently a very fine cocoa. Our local guide picked a large cocoa fruit and opened it with his machete. Then he passed it around for us to taste the fruit that covers the beans. Delightful.  

Several of the men were invited to help press sugar cane (which makes a juice that has a mild nutty taste with a touch of lemon). 

Next the Mamo (the local chief / spiritual guide of the village) demonstrated roasting Coca leaves until they are ready for ceremonial use. 

Nearby were some coca plants and suddenly Pat realized that those lovely red berries we had passed by were on coca shrubs. The berries aren’t used as medicine or drugs, but they are pretty.

From there we returned to the main village for a ceremonial goodbye, which included having 2 braided string bracelets tied on each of our wrists to bring us good luck. We didn’t realize how soon we would need that luck. 

The next stage of our journey was to return to our vehicles by floating downriver on more tubes for about 2 hours. Our small group of four (the two of us and our two guides) had our 4 tubes tied together and had a fine float downriver, being careful to sit high in our tubes in the shallows and holding our breath at the rapids. The others, a group of 8 had their tubes also tied together…but this was a mistake. Two groups of four would have been easier to manage. But that came to pass…on the third rapid, a rock came between the tubes and bone a rope. Suddenly they were two groups but it seemed to work fine from there to where we got out of the river.

The river was low and slow while the rapids were stronger than usual. And it was getting darker and darker. So they called the drivers and had them meet us upriver from the planned landing. It was challenging getting out of the river as it was already dark. But our luck was still with us and everything worked out. In summary, It was a pretty exciting tubing ride with some pretty exciting rapids. Almost as exciting as our rafting trip. Honestly, it was lots more fun than that calm float the previous day. 

One of the local guides captured the float downriver in photos. We hope to receive them but, as you can imagine, the internet service is not so great in the High Sierra.

Being later than planned we would arrive at our hotel after the dining service was closed. Hence our tour leader treated us to a tasty salmon dinner at a local restaurant, Las Acacias.

Our last adventure day for the Colombian trip, was our horseback tour in Parque Nacional Tayrona. A 1.5 hour ride out (with our guides trailing us on foot), along some narrow and steep (up and down) trails to the beach of the park. 

We enjoyed swimming in the surf and exploring the beaches. 

As we walked back along the beaches and through the forest, we saw a caiman, monkeys, birds, geckos, …We had help spotting the flora and fauna from a local botanist, Manfry.  

After a much shorter horseback ride back we stopped at Las Acacias for more wonderfully cooked fish. Mojarra for Bill, Sawfish for Pat.

Later, after a swim in the hotel pool and after a short rest we managed to find room to enjoy some langostinos & salad…I am still not sure how we did that!

Our final day in the area was spent relaxing. reviewing photos, writing our blog and visiting a nearby beach.  A well deserved rest after three adventuresome days. Lunch was the best burgers and fries we have had in a while, both with excellent flavor and texture. For dinner we enjoyed a bottle of Chandon sparkling wine from Argentina along with beef carpaccio and red snapper.

It is 155 miles from Playa los Naranjos to Cartagena. Much of it is along the coast. Some parts were clean and open. Others filled with shacks. Compared to the beautiful beaches we had been enjoying, this long drive is disappointing. We stopped Barranquilla for lunch at a colorful local place. WE shared a plate of  Deditos de Ollaya (fried cheese sticks). Bill had Ajillo con Robalo, actually it was listed as Robalo al Ajillo (but it looked more like garlic with some seabass). He liked it. Pat had Bocachico Frito (Bocachico is a flaky, bony fish. But the bones are small and edible. The fish was quite tasty).

Bill's Garlic with Seabass