14/Jul/2012, Minca - Colombia
A short (10 mins) film of our time at Minca... the trip there, a bit of watching the world go by and a hike to a waterfall .... lots of flora and some fauna.
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13/Jul/2012, Minca - Magdelene - Colombia
A short break away from the boat and into the nearby hills. The village of Minca is just fourteen miles distant from Santa Marta marina, but seems to be hidden in another world. Lush green vegetation pampered with abundant deluges of water most days. Located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada gave a freshness to the air not found on the coastal strip during this season. A treat indeed to sleep at night without muggy humidity pressing in from all sides, nor the need for the noise of a fan blowing cooling air. The negative side was the large insect population. Mosquito nets suspended over the beds gave respite during sleeping hours.
Our hostel gave a variety of accommodations. The most simple was the hammock slung beneath mosquito net; a popular choice for backpackers roaming South America on a strict budget. Our rooms were more luxurious with mattresses, beds and the aforementioned ubiquitous mosquito net. Interesting to meet other travelers from many countries and to hear about their experiences throughout South America. Patagonia, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and other far flung places we hope to visit one day....
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... Our second day in Minca and we set off on a hike to the Cascade, a local waterfall, allegedly only a one hour hike. Maybe it was stops for photos, or perhaps too much chatter or even the heat of the day but a good two hours of sweaty walking later we reached our objective. The work getting there was rewarded with an hour of sitting in cool water, laying beneath waterfalls and generally "Chilling Out"...
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...the flora and fauna were something special. Large colourful butterflies flitted past as we walked, birds were dazzling yellows, greens and blues. Insects came in a variety of sizes and shapes. Repairs to the track were being undertaken, materials brought in by mule, concrete mixed by hand. Hard manual labour in steamy tropical heat...
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... Convivial evenings were enjoyed by the merry band of cruisers having a short vacation away from the boats. The girls went off for an afternoon of craft activities (more from Sue later on that one) while the guys tested hammocks back at base. A meeting arranged at a local bar was delayed into the hours of darkness as craft work ran later than scheduled. An interesting couple of hours watching the world go by as we sat opposite the fortified police station. The air of frontier living has been all too real within the past decade with battles being waged between Guerrillas and government forces in this village. A large and heavily armed police presence remains with roadblocks and patrols a constant backdrop.
Photo shows the girls having located the well oiled chaps before searching out an excellent local restaurant for a meal.... Left to Right > Kate & Paul (Iolea), Sue (Spruce), Marion & Mark (Zenna)....
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..Not always restaurant meals ... one night we bought supplies and barbecued at the hostel. A great evening in spite of discovering the steaks would probably have been better stewed; none the less very tasty fare. The claim it only rains for an hour each day up here was found inaccurate as three closely spaced one hour long downpours challenged male prowess at the BBQ; various techniques were employed to stop the tropical rain drowning our embryonic fire...all turned out well and a lovely atmosphere for our meal on the eve of Sue's birthday... Clockwise from bottom left >> Andy, Kate, Paul, Sue, Mark, Marion.... in the background some of the other visitors to the hostel....
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