"Thankyou for visiting Colombia!"

A pattern has emerged while we've been in Colombia and I like it. It seems everywhere we go we meet a particularly friendly or memorable person who makes the trip that little bit more enjoyable. It's nice to connect the places we visit to the people we meet.

In Salento, there was obviously Omar and his generous hospitality. But there was also Alex. Alex was Cali born but had worked as a tour guide for many years in the Cocora Valley. We met him when he hitched a ride in our jeep on the way to the Valley. He was another typical Colombian: extraordinarily friendly. The whole way he talked passionately about Salento and Colombia and introduced us to unique words in Colombian Spanish. At the end of the ride he insisted on meeting us that evening so he could show us around town, so we made loose plans to meet him outside a restaurant, thinking he'd probably have better things to do than give a couple of tourists a free tour on a Saturday night. I'd clearly misjudged Alex, who arrived ten minutes early, eager to take us all to a local haunt for a game of Tejo. This is a serious and competitive sport in Colombia, rarely played without beer in hand. The 'field' is a clay-filled box, probably a little less than a meter squared. In the centre is a small metal ring inside of which are carefully placed triangular paper packets which are filled with gun powder. The object of the game? To create an explosion by throwing a weight (usually 2kg or more) at the ring. It's a very blokey game, and the distances they throw from are very impressive, sometimes over 20m. I teamed up with Julian, Bec with Alex, and we played a few rounds. Not surprisingly, Julian and I had the disadvantage on the Tejo experience front and we failed dismally at winning one round. Not to worry, Alex later took us dancing at a tiny hole-in-the-wall bar, again filled with locals, and taught us some salsa and merengue moves. This was more my style.

A googled pic of the Tejo 'field'

After Salento we spent a night in Villa de Leyva, a small colonial town that we'd heard was a not-to-be-missed. Unfortunately it rained, or threatened rain, for most of the time we were there, so we didn't get a lot of exploring in. We did, however, enjoy a delicious meal at a place called 'Antique', a charming little restaurant with antique furnishings (surprise, surprise) and an in-house Spanish-guitar player. Apart from the meal - a scrumptious pork steak with a fresh mango chutney which I'm going to insist that my wonderful cook of a father recreate for me on my return home - the memorable person on this occasion was the intoxicated Colombian who kept insisting on taking to the microphone. My personal favourite was his slurred rendition of 'Girl from Ipanema'. Eventually the waiter discreetly switched the mic off, not that our friend had the slightest idea.

A moment of clear skies in Villa de Leyva

Next was San Gil and our appointed 'admin day', and then it was time to head for the coast, Taganga the next port of call. The reviews on Taganga are varying. Some describe it as a sleepy little fishing village boasting an unspoiled coastline. Others say it's an overcrowded tourist hub. Bec and I were part of the latter group. While the town is somewhat pretty, the beach is packed with sun burnt westerners, the water littered with rubbish. Even a walk along to the next beach, the apparently less-crowded 'Playa Grande', saw the same thing. For us, it wasn't anything to write home about. We did however enjoy a few stunning sunsets while staying at the 'Casablanca' hostel, which was right on the beach.

The view from our hostel room in Taganga

Taganga at sunset - at least there's something good about this place!

And who was the notable personality in Taganga? There were a couple, but one particularly stuck out. It was while we were wandering the streets, backpack laden and sweltering in the intense Caribbean Sea heat that we first encountered 'the t-shirt guy'. He was sitting at a cafe eating breakfast when he waved his arms, yelling at us: "Thank you for visiting Colombia!" It wasn't the only time he'd say this to us during our stay. You can't miss this guy around Tagana with his long locks, round glasses and bright Colombia t-shirt, Colombia wrist bands and Colombia belts - Colombia everything! Just before we left Taganga for our Lost City trek he joined our table as we waited for our breakfast at a cafe. He enthusiastically described the meaning behind the Colombian flag: yellow for the country's richness, its gold and land; blue for its abundant water supply; and red for the passion of its people. He then proceeded to explain the significance of frogs in the Lost City...

Finally, there was the Tayrona National Park. Most guide books will give you the tip off about its pristine beaches and, of course, we had to see its three main ones for ourselves: Arrecifes, La Piscina and El Cabo. And it was that day we discovered that chivalry is still alive and well in Colombia. It appeared first with our misfortune on the public bus we boarded from Santa Marta to Tayrona. The bus driver had decided to ventilate the bus by leaving the door wide open. Unfortunately for us in the seat adjoining the door, when we hit one of the many bumps in the road our food supply that was sitting at our feet went flying...out the door and onto the road! Back home, our precious supply of marshmallows and raisins would have been long gone, but not here. We watched amazed as the bus conductor ordered the driver to pull to the side of the road, jumped in front of the oncoming traffic and retrieved our goods. Crisis averted! Then there were the the two 16-ish year old guys we disembarked the bus with. Not only did they offer to escort us on the shuttle to the park's entrance, but they waited for us to tie our shoes before trailing us the whole 40 minute walk to Arrecifes, jumping ahead at one point to lend a hand at a tricky bit in the path. The funny part was, they didn't say a word the whole time! So, although terribly shy, their manners earned them a big tick. I'm sure their Mums would be proud.

As for the Park itself, the photos below do the talking. This place makes Taganga's beach look like a murky, urine-filled children's swimming pool! Once at Arrecifes (where you can't swim because the currents are too strong), we walked through dense forest all the way to El Cabo, where we elected to hire a tent for the night. I've mentioned before that camping and I don't mix, and the flooding of our tent (and my mattress) during the thunder storm that night only confirmed this. If I ever went again I'd take the hammock option. But it only took a swim in those crystal clear waters to erase it from my mind. I'll probably never be a camper, but I'm sure appreciating the outdoors.

El Cabo beach

One of the stunning beaches in Tayrona National Park