05/10/2022 From Palomino to Minca
What to expect
Minca
Cooler temperatures
When we got into the small bus in Palomino, we were both sweating like crazy. But when we reached Minca up in the mountains about three hours later, we were both pretty cold (okay, I was, Blake loved the cooler temperatures after the humidity – at first).
Quite the ride
The 30-minute-jeep-ride from the centre of Minca up to our hostel in the mountains was absolutely crazy. No wonder they need 4×4 drives for that road as it is bumpy, muddy and tight, passing lots of bamboo trees and other tall trees on the way. I have no idea how people get up here by moto-taxis, but we were soon going to find out…
Great hostel views
Having arrived at our hostel Masaya Casas Viejas, the views over the valley all the way to Santa Marta were absolutely stunning! Even better, we had a (heated!) infinity pool from where we could enjoy these views.
Communal dinner
We got to the hostel just in time for dinner. Every night you get two (different) food options: veggie or meat. Then they cook the same two dishes for everyone and serve it at the same time. This way everyone sits and eats together, which is a nice way for getting to know everyone straight away.
06/10/2022 Minca
Join a yoga class in the mountains
In the next morning I joined the one-hour-yoga class right next to the infinity pool. We did an “animal flow” (I just pretended I knew what he was talking about), which was actually quite the exercise (or I’m still weak from the Lost City hike).
Breakfast in the mountains
After yoga Blake and I enjoyed porridge with fruits and nuts while overlooking the infinity pool and the jungle.
Relax in the infinity pool
Blake and I took it easy today and relaxed in the hostel’s rocking chairs, on the sunbeds and in the heated pool while socializing with other backpackers. The atmosphere at the hostel was very special and everyone seemed really friendly and easy to talk to!
In the evening we had another delicious dinner, chatted with other backpackers at the bon fire and had a free shot and drinks at the hostel bar while watching others dance salsa (our time will still come 😉).
07/10/2022 Minca
We woke up to rain, rain and more rain! This has probably been the wettest and coldest for us in the past three months.
We “made use” of the rain and planned some of our further travels – my German efficiency was on fire!
Do a hike in the mountains
In the afternoon it had finally stopped raining. So Blake and I went on a little hike in the mountains, which was quite steep and slippery after all the rain.
Visit a coffee plantation
The area is also known for its coffee. We were too late for a coffee tour, but we still enjoyed a cup of coffee in the coffee farm near our hostel.
Hike to the sunset viewpoint
We walked further until two moto-taxis approached us. We did not know how far the sunset viewpoint was still away, so we “trusted” the locals and hopped onto the back of the motorbikes to drive us there. It was actually still quite far away, we had just been too optimistic with the distance and our timing again.
We had local beers at the viewpoint and enjoyed the really nice and clear view over the mountains all the way to Santa Marta.
Last time taking a moto-taxi?
And then we took the moto-taxis back to our hostel. Let’s just say, it was a ride I don’t need every day. The mud on the roads that I had mentioned earlier had not magically disappeared. Neither had the bumps and rocks on the road. We were both just really happy that we made it safe and sound back to our hostel and already made a mental note to take the jeep and NOT the motorbikes back to Minca the next day.
08/10/2022 From Minca to Medellin
Another 6 a.m. morning call – you could think we love waking up early these days. This time, however, it wasn’t by accident, as we were on a mission: a birdwatching mission.
Go birdwatching
To be honest, birdwatching had never been high on my bucket list, but Minca is one of the places with the most biodiversity *double check. Plus, Blake still hadn’t seen his toucan (his toucan is like my sloth, with the difference that I had seen my animal several times by now). If we didn’t see a toucan here, would there even be another chance to see it – ever?
Where are all the toucans?
Together with three American girls, a Colombian birdwatching experts and six binoculars, we were ready to see some bad-ass birds. In the first hour we did see lots of colourful birds, but still no toucan. In my sleep 6 a.m. mind I pictured us watching a few birds in the area. But I did not know that this would turn into a three-hour-hike – and even worse: before breakfast! We were about 10 minutes away from the end of the tour, we did see a lot of nice nature, views and birds – but still no toucan. Even with Blake holding up the binoculars, I could still see the frustration in his face.
And then – on the last few metres – our guide spotted two toucans! And they did not disappoint! I was really happy for Blake to have finally seen “his animal”, too! What a happy end 😀.
After birdwatching, we had a dip in the pool, showered and had breakfast with that stunning view one last time.
Change of plans
After three weeks in Colombia it was time to leave Colombia’s north and discover the rest of the country. Our next stop was Medellín, which we every backpacker seems to love. The plan was to take a bus from Santa Marta to Medellín. However, we heard that the bus would take 21 hours instead of 16 hours with the AC being ice cold and the bus driver driving like a maniac (like everyone else in Colombia). This is why we decided to take our first flight after the one from Canada to Costa Rica.
So let’s see if Medellín is really as amazing as everyone says.
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