Everywhere in nature there are reminders of that unsquishable drive to thrive, to live . . . as evidenced by the twigs and leaves erupting from fallen logs on the beach in the photo above. We, too, must find a way to go on, to thrive, no matter what the circumstances may be.
I had to check the World clock on my phone this morning; I’d gotten the reminder that Daylight Savings Time begins. But as I assumed – no, not here – where the sun rises and sets consistently throughout the year at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. I wonder if the locals find the whole concept of Daylight Savings Time befuddling?
I am sitting on the patio at my hotel in Santa Marta, Colombia. It is 80 degrees at 8 a.m.; the melodic calling of mourning doves seeking their mates echoes all around. There is greenery in every direction and cheery purple, yellow, and pink walls surround me. It is a beautiful morning.
I decided to come to Colombia two weeks ago and booked it rather quickly, first the tour, and then the flights and hotels. It came together quite smoothly. At the same time, I landed on Colombian soil with minimal knowledge of what to expect. That, I think, is the excitement of travel. It is discovering as you go, turning the pages in the book, not knowing what the next flip may hold.
Of course I did research on safety and ultimately decided upon a very simple itinerary; I spent the night in Bogota (yes Tony, in a hotel, not on the airport floor), then flew to Santa Marta for a few days (which is where I am now). I didn’t want the stress of figuring out what to do and where to go in other cities. Tomorrow I’ll join 15 other people who come from around the world to trek to The Lost City. I am so super excited!
The temperature in Colombia is fairly constant, ranging from the 70s at night to the 90s during the day. There are wet and dry seasons, with mid-March typically being a point where the weather turns from dry to wet. Colombians refer to the wet seasons as winter and the dry seasons as summer . . . but to be honest, I haven’t totally figured this out.
A street in Santa Marta. Dogs, dogs, everywhere!
I am finding that few people in Colombia speak English. This, of course, makes it all the more interesting. I am an expert at saying “buenas dias,” “no comprende Espanol” and “gracias.” And flipping my hands up to say “I don’t understand!”
Yesterday I took a tour to the Tayrona National Park and one of Colombia’s most beautiful beaches. The listing stated “Tour in English” . . . but it wasn’t. I heard not a word of English all day. But it was still a wonderful day. When we got to the beach a young man recruited me to share the cost of a cabana with he and his wife and another young woman (all accomplished, of course, with hand signals and head nods.) What kind and helpful people they were! We progressed from hand signals and me attempting to speak Spanish based on google translate (which I apparently totally flubbed as they didn’t understand me at all) to just passing my phone back and forth as we typed messages. They looked out for me the entire afternoon, telling me when I needed to go here and there (generally via pointing), what money I needed to pay (which meant I held out a handful of pesos and they extracted what was needed), etc. It was a delightful time and once again, I am reminded of the goodness and kindness in people all over the world. While I had planned on an English speaking tour, I received an even better gift . . . the kindness of strangers.
While on the beach a local came around with a tray full of dead fish – completely intact. I shook my head no (yuck! they still had their eyes!) but my companions indicated this was part of the package. So I pointed at one that looked as though it had friendly eyes and a nice smile (top right). While the eyes had been gouged out when served to me, I just wished it would close its mouth so I didn’t have to look at its teeth.
And of course, restrooms (banos). Basically a porcelain toilet, no seat, just the rim, with a bucket of water outside. For 1000 pesos you can use it (bring your own tp and don’t flush it!) and the attendant will pour water in it to wash down your deposit. Alternative? The ocean . . .
The few homes on the beach were quite primitive. But I am reminded that each of us is where we’re at in life because of where we were born and the environment we were born into. While financial stability certainly makes life easier, happiness does not depend upon economic status.
A kindergarten class in Ohio (Ft. Recovery) is following along on this adventure. On Friday we were able to facetime with a worker at my hotel who speaks both English and Spanish. When asked what he liked about living in Colombia, he said “the people – they are all so warm and friendly.” I am finding that is the case!
This Journey I Take... 