We were up early, had a quick breakfast and headed to the bank to withdraw cash, as there are no ATMs in Palomino and the hotel charged an extra 10% to pay by card. The first place ran out of cash and shut down, after we had withdrawn 600,000 pesos, so we had to detour, on our way to the bus stop, to find another one. We located several in a little square in what appeared to be the commercial district. Having withdrawn another 1.2 million (it's easy to be a millionaire here), we set off again, weaving through the narrow streets until we hit the market. The place was full of noise and colour and would be well worth taking photos but the local bus to Palomino had just pulled in, so we jumped on, found two seats and stowed our bags on the overhead rack. The bus waited for around 15 minutes, until it was almost full, while we sweated, drinking lots of ice cold water, purchased from the stall by the bus. The journey took around two hours, making frequent stops to pick up and drop off local people who lived or worked along the route. There were probably only 6 or 8 tourists on board, heading for Palomino, so I guess many people took the Brasilia private bus instead, which takes half the time but takes the challenge and the interest out of the ride. We passed by the famous Taranga Park, which is supposed to be very beautiful, both inland and on the coast. However, glimpses of the sea told us it was very rough out there, with a big swell and waves breaking on the shore. We also passed through a beautiful area of market gardens, with stunning flowers and shrubs growing on both sides of the roads. The many little villages along the road were filled with the smell of food, fresh baking bread, smoking sausages and other street delicacies. At each stop, local vendors would board the bus to sell drinks, food and other local goods. It made for an entertaining trip, although we both had a numb backside by the time we arrived in the sandy town of Palomino. We climbed off the bus and were approached by young men offering rides to our hotel. We could take a tuk tuk or a moto taxi, basically ride pillion on a small motorbike, with no helmet. We chose to have a thirst quenching beer in the nearest bar and then walk the kilometre to out hotel. The roads were unmade, with a thick layer of sand, many potholes and thick braided ropes across which acted as speed bumps. They were busy with motorcycles, tuk tuks, trucks and other vehicles. Half way there, the side strap on my walking sandal detached itself from the sole, so was hanging on by the ankle strap, which was annoying. Nothing lasts for long in this climate. We came to a junction and turned right and approached the first shops and cafes of Palomino downtown. Everything was vegan, plant-based, yoga or a craft workshop and the majority of people we passed had braids, tattoos and body piercings. Pete said that I had brought him to a new age hippie commune. At the crossroads, we took a left and as we were early to check into our hotel, we stopped at an outdoor bakery, under the trees for beer and a pork and cheese sandwich. Having had our fill, we continued down the road. There were shops selling clothes, local crafts and souvenirs and provisions, as well as small bars, restaurants, bakeries, hostels and hotels. There was sand flying everywhere as traffic moved up and down the roads. We turned into our hotel, via the back gate, then found our way to the reception, walking down white stoned paths between 2 high, white-washed walls, which eradicated the dust and most of the noise. We were still early for our 3pm check in but the proprietors were in the office and were happy to admit us. They were French and spoke perfect English; a bonus, as hardly anyone speaks anything but Spanish. We completed the forms, paid the fees (£160 for 3 nights, including breakfast) and Junior, our host, took us to our villa, called Charlotte. At MAPUWI Villa and Suites, there are currently six villas, with between 3 and 5 double rooms. Each villa has a shared pool, kitchen, utility, two living areas and private wifi. It's clean, stunningly beautiful and very peaceful. Families or groups can book an entire villa, or individual rooms can be booked, as we had done. We had a duluxe double, which was a detached building in the far corner of the villa, overlooking the garden. We could just see the end of the pool, making it very private. The other two rooms in Charlotte were semi-detached and facing onto the pool. We had a super king sized bed, with aircon and fan, a massive shower and twin basins. There was a TV too, not that we would switch it on. We had struck gold. This boutique hotel was everything that was shown on Google and more. Even if Pete hadn't taken to Palomino immediately, we had found a perfect oasis in which to relax for a few days.
As we prepared to leave and explore, we met Paul, another Englishman, who was staying in room 2. We would briefly meet his partner, Ophelie, the next morning. We headed out to explore a little of the town and then the beach, the latter being narrow, somewhat dirty, crowded and with big rollers coming in. We had been told it wasn't suitable for swimming at this time of year but we had expected a prettier beach. It wasn't possible to walk east towards the quieter side and the river, as the surf was coming right up to the buildings. We retraced our steps, bought beer at a little shop and booked a tour to visit the indigenous people, tomorrow, before returning to the hotel to cool off in the pool. Part of the pool was only about 6 inches deep, before dropping off vertically to about 4 feet; perfect for sitting in the cool with a beer or for laying back, almost under the water. We had it all to ourselves for a couple of hours, before we headed indoors to shower and change for dinner, as the sun set.
Palomino looked very different in the dark, with fairy lights strung around and the glow and music coming from the shops, bars and restaurants. You could still feel the sand underfoot but it wasn't so visible. We headed in the opposite direction to the beach, looking for Justos, a restaurant where we had been told we could have steak. On the way, we went to the Zoo, a hostel with a pool and had happy hour drinks. For me, that was 2 mojitos for 30,000 pesos (£6). Justos was very welcoming and had a great atmosphere and great 80's music. As is usual here, there were a number of friendly dogs and cats roaming around, favouring those who had food on the table. Pete ordered the French Grill i.e. steak and fries and I had the seabass with brandy cream sauce and creamed potatoes. Both were delicious and the animals didn't get much from us. We paid the bill and slowly wandered back to the hotel, having a relatively early night. Everything was very quiet and it was great not hearing the wind ripping through and over the boat.
On Wednesday morning we were awoken early by the dawn chorus, a cacophony of sound from some loud and tuneful species. We were ready for breakfast at 7.30am, as we were being picked up for our trip an hour later. There was a choice of three breakfasts, one cooked, one sweet and one healthy. All came with a bowl of fresh, seasonal fruit, tea or coffee and juice. Pete had the eggs, scrambled with onions and tomatoes and topped with crispy bacon, which was accompanied by 3 slices of focacia. I was decadent and had the sweet lovers; pancakes with chocolate and mandarin sauce, accompanied by a chocolate brownie. Even I couldn't eat all that sweet stuff at this time in the morning. At 0830, two moto taxis arrived to pick us up; no helmets. We climbed aboard and hung on while they negotiated the unmade street, up to the main road, where we climbed off and presented our tour voucher. Then they indicated that we should climb aboard again. We were dismayed but thought perhaps we were taking a short ride to meet another group and would then continue by jeep or other vehicle. That wasn't the case and we rode, at great speed, along the main road, for around 20 minutes, being passed by juggernauts and express buses. I was scared sh*tless! We were wearing shorts, linen shirts, baseball hats and flipflops and had rucksacks on our backs. If we came off, we were curtains. Lesson learned - ask about mode of transport when booking a tour. We stopped at a shop to buy water and some bags of cookies for the kids and then we turned off the main highway and onto the unmade road, up into the mountains and I began to relax. We weren't travelling fast, due to the terrain and there was plenty to see; the river, indigenous people and villages, the mountains and scenery. Eventually we arrived at Tungueka and were met by a local tribesman, assigned to manage tourists. We were the only two people here, other than our drivers. We were taken around the village, about 200 huts, housing 800 people, mostly families of four. As we moved around, children came running, to take advantage of the cookies and some of their mothers came too. There were no men around, as they were all out working, either locally, or in the town. The huts were built with wooden frames, made from tree branches and most were covered in a mud daub but some of the newer ones used woven reeds. All had reeds for the roof and dirt floors inside. There were no beds or even mats to sleep on. Everyone wore the same clothes, impractical white tunics, trousers for the older women. Surprisingly, there was solar power in the village. We heard modern pop music, which was coming from the supermarket and there was a small hospital too. We were taken down to the river, a sacred place where the people hold their rituals and sacrifices. Along the way we saw many leaf-cutter ants, making their paths across our path and there were butterflies, lizards and dragonflies. The river tumbled around and over rocks and overhung with vines. It was a gorgeous place to be and we would have liked to stay longer. In the rainy season, it would be boiling with water, several metres higher than today. We retraced our steps, distributed the remaining cookies and said our farewells to the people. Then we returned to Palomino, on the motorcycles, meeting several jeeps and motorbikes heading towards the village. The return journey was less frightening, as the road was so much quieter. We were back at our hotel by 11.30am, having an early but much needed beer, sitting in the pool. The tour had been well worth the £25 each, especially having the village and people to ourselves.
Having cleaned up, we went in search of cerviche, which Pete wanted for lunch, finding shrimp in a local hostelry. I had crepes with beef teriyaki, which was also tasty. We bought a bottle of wine, from a shop but at Santa Marta restaurant price and spent the remainder of the afternoon relaxing in the pool. We met the Dutch couple from room 1, who were extremely nice and spoke perfect English. Paul and Ophelie, from room 2 had left and were soon replaced by another young couple who appeared to speak Spanish but kept themselves to themselves. We headed back to Juntos for dinner, where we both had the steak and this time it was even better then the night before. I didn't sleep well overnight, having tremendous pain in my triceps. I still don't know whether it was the Pilates, hanging on whilst on the motorbike or a combination of both but it continued for 2 to 3 days.
I decided to get up and head out to the pool just after 6am. I had a quick dip and then relaxed on a lounger with my book. It was delightful to watch the birds soaring over the pool, either drinking or picking off flies or mosquitos for breakfast. Next came a beautiful hummingbird, black and iridescent red, drinking the nectar from the orange lilies around the pool. It was so peaceful, sitting there on my own. Pete appeared around 8.30am, so we had a later breakfast. I had the sweet lovers again but Pete opted for healthy; yoghurt, granola and honey. We relaxed by the pool all morning, chatting to the Dutch couple, until they checked out at midday. Paninis at the French bakery for lunch were a mistake, cool and unappetising, so we tried again, with cerviche, fish bites and yuca fries, which taste just like potato but are probably lower in carbs. Then we returned to the pool. We decided to eat later tonight, especially having had lunch twice. We were relaxing in the room when a message came in. Adam and Beverley, from Blu, had just arrived and reception was closed for a while, as Junior was out for dinner. Pete let them in and they dumped their bags in our room, freshened up and we all went out for dinner. We tried somewhere new, with a vegetarian menu, as well as meat, as Bev is pescatarian, although we had planned to go there anyway, for a change. Bev had a lionfish burger and the rest of us had steak and Bev got the better deal. The steak was tough and came with a very small salad of wilted lettuce and a couple of cherry tomatoes. The food and drinks were overpriced and the service was slow. You win some, you lose some. We returned to the hotel, where Junior was waiting to check in Adam and Bev and as it turned out, they were in Charlotte, room 1, vacated by the Dutch at lunchtime. Tomorrow we would be leaving and Mitch, Avi and Amanda would take rooms 2 and 3, a happy group of friends with their own villa.
On Friday, we slept in until 8.15am, showered and went for breakfast. This time I had the eggs. The they closed the kitchen, for gas works, so Adam and Bev had to go elsewhere to eat. We packed our bags and I dumped by walking sandals in the bin. We returned our key and said goodbye, thanked Junior, our host and the owners and walked up to the main road for the local bus back to Santa Marta. The bus had just arrived, so we took the front seats, opposite the door, which was great for the breeze. Pete paid the 14,000 peso fare per person and eventually the bus departed. Passing one of the wide rivers, Pete saw a large, black cat crossing, possibly a panther. With traffic jams going into town, the return journey was 2 hours 15 minutes and we were glad to get off. After a 15 minute walk, we were in the cathedral area, hungry and thirsty, so paused to have lunch and beer at an Arabian restaurant. The food, a shrimp cocktail and a Caesar salad, were delicious. The waiter was from Palestine and said that his parents are still there, in the war zone, so we commiserated with him. We walked back to the boat, unpacked, then headed to the AC Hotel to use the pool, cool down and relax. We had tea on board; chicken and salad. Overnight it was seriously windy and we wished we were back at the MAPUWI hotel.