Palomino

Just when hiking for the 8^th straight day was beginning to feel like work, just when taking off your shoes to cross another stream wasn’t exciting, but annoying.  Just when I wanted to stop for a moment, just to breath, my wish was granted…

After a non-stop 36 hours, all I wanted to do was stop, rest, and enjoy the Caribbean ocean – welcome to tiny Palomino.

Just an hour north, the town itself is nothing special, actually it’s terrible and rundown, but just 20 minutes walk there are great hostels and ocean views.

Along the walk, I was pleasantly surprised to see Gary and Anna (from the UK and the lost city tour) walking out to catch a bus to Tayrona.  They also had gotten an email from Lesley saying she was ok.  (while I was writing this, I just saw one of the German couples from the Lost City tour) even out traveling, it’s a small world.

When I finally got to put my bag down at La Sirena, I was home.  The place and scenery were really great, but it was just the simple things I most enjoyed: the owner was American and spoke English and was very welcoming, the price wasn’t jacked up just because they could, I didn’t have to pay right then, they only needed my name (not full passport info), the toilet had toilet paper, and you could drink the water.  It just felt a lot more like home, chill and relaxed people for once not trying to rip you off and take your money.  Just peace and quiet, for a change.

There was only one thing that stopped me turned my one great afternoon into a week full of great afternoons, sleep.  Not sure if it was the third consecutive night sleeping in a hammock, third night going to sleep at the ripe hour of 9 o’clock (with no electricity or fire there really isn’t a lot to do in the dark), or because it was a coldest night yet.  I was shivering for several hours, tried using my damp clothes as blankets, but it just didn’t work.  It’s time to get back indoors. 

Lonely Planet said the only things to worry about here were the falling coconuts, well one just fell about 10 feet from me with a thud, and that indeed is the only danger here.

Well that and the cold nights…