“content warning” – personal check-in – might bore you to tears
It is good to be out of the humidity of Cartegna, I would have liked to stay there another few days. It is an interesting place and there was a lot more to see and do. We have landed in a small fishing village called Taganga, about 3k from Santa Marta. It is hot but the humidity is nothing as bad as Cartegna thankfully. Tourism has reached here but it is still very relaxed. The water is a salty bath, the pace of life is slow. I am ready to stop for a few days. We do not need to leave this region for about 10 days so there is a nice bit of time. There is still plenty to do here, there is a Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona that needs exploring, Gabby is keen to do a scuba course, beaches to swim and sun to be soaked up….. and mosquitos to kill!!! They are no joke here!
I have to say on a personal note I am feeling pretty good and healthy. Peru was definitely more salubrious. Colombia is not as healthy, there is more of a party energy here so my monkey brain has tapped into that a bit and I have been enjoying the cheap beer and cocktails a lot more than in Peru where we drank very little. But when in Colombia do as the Colombians do and it is lovely here. The Peruvian people we met were really low key and grounded. I really enjoyed them, open-hearted, no stress. Colombians are very similar but there is a bit of higher energy about them. So generous and open. They love a drink and love to top you up with whatever bottle they have to hand. Lovely interest in you and what you’re doing in your life. So far we have not been met with any real attempts at scamming or have met any aggression (touch wood… please may it continue as so).
My mental state is good, I have a tendency towards overthinking and negativity sometimes. I do get the odd flash of my critic shouting “what the hell are you doing!?” but overall I am feeling really good about this journey and I really feel I am doing the right thing. People ask “what is the plan” Well our plan is still to have no plan and I am still really enjoying not having a plan. I am excited about getting to NZ to see how that is going to be and I am really enjoying just being in the moment and traveling. I have always really enjoyed traveling, I really enjoy being out of my usual environment and how that makes me react to situations. I find a deep relaxation and confidence in self I do not have when I am in the city doing the daily grind, trying to fit in. Traveling with a partner is a new experience for me also. We are really similar in our expectations and wanted levels of comfort. I am really enjoying this journey with my wife, still learning and growing together. When hunger hits or tiredness our frustrations flare but they vanish as quickly…. so far at least 🙂
My general health is good also, usually, there is always something wrong with me but again, being out of the daily grind and the physicality of traveling has brought my body and mind back into agreement a bit more. Earlier this year I was maybe looking at back surgery and my gut was in knots but even though I have the odd beer now and eat the street food I am feeling good. I know the beer is not ideal but it is so cheap. My IBS seems to agree with my pocket and does not complain too much about it. Creatively I am feeling good and loose. The travel feels very creative so I am not getting much down on paper but I am really enjoying the photography. I was nervous about bringing my camera and laptop here but it has been really worth it. I feel I have pushed forward my skills. I have started to think a bit about what sort of work I can do. I would really like to find some way to find some remote work and I am slowly researching options. Having a little money coming in would be great. We are traveling reasonably cheaply, we could be a lot cheaper but we do need a bit of comfort and security. So some cost-cutting options like hostel dorms are out. Airbnb has been a great help. We have tried booking.com, hostel world but airbnb has been overall the best and cheapest. To get a private room in a hostel is about £30 per night. Airbnb we sometimes get a whole apartment for £10-£15 a night. It means we do not have access to social people as much but it is very nice to have your own place and most places have been really nice and you’re also giving money right to people instead of a hostel/hotel chain.
The street food is cheap and really tasty. Corn is used a lot in the cooking here so I seem to be able to eat most things. Luckily my gut seems to be holding up well. Arepas, empanadas, fried potato balls and there is a dough ball that is very tasty! Salsa and hot sauce!! mmmmmmm.
I am currently laying in bed under our mosquito net in a lovely studio apartment about 5 minutes down to the beach but a 15-minute steep walk back up. We have a kitchen and large patio. The birdlife is thick around us. Currently, there is a saxophone player somewhere going through their scales and generally fooling about. Gabby is out on the patio doing her exercises. I cooked a lovely breakfast of oat pancakes and made real coffee, this is the first place in a while we have had a proper kitchen. Today we have no real plans. Will wander out to the beach soon. Feeling very lucky and grateful. Love to you all, thanks for being part of this journey also.
