03/10/2022 From Buritaca to Palomino
Taking a moto-taxi
We finally get to relax on the coast! We only needed to get there first.
After putting all of our dirty, smelly laundry deeply into our backpacks and checking out, we caught a moto-taxi to the main road. When we first got to Rio Hostel, we walked those 20 minutes with our backpacks. But coming from the Lost City Trek, our motto was: the less walking, the better. Placing our big bags at the front of the motorbikes and our small bags on our backs, we were ready for the bumpy ride along the river.
From the main road we caught a mini bus to Palomino for $1 each. (They come every 20 minutes and stop everywhere along the road, when you signal them to stop.)
What to expect
Palomino
Palomino […] is one of the most attractive destinations in the Colombian Caribbean. Due to its location at southern Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, its landscape beautifully combines the richness of the mountains with the Caribbean Sea.”
colombia.travel
Bye bye, dirty laundry
We arrived at our hotel Villa Eden Palomino at 1 p.m. – two hours before check-in time. This didn’t matter as we could still use the two pools. We also handed in two big garbage bags of dirty laundry from the Lost City Trek, including our hiking shoes. Oh, how I do NOT miss doing laundry or other household tasks myself! 😉
Amazing hotel
The hotel was amazing! For $10 each, we got a big private room, including our own bathroom (which is not a given 😉) and even had a tasty breakfast included inside the café next door. Colombia, we love you!
Enjoy the hotel pool
Only leaving the pool for food
After hours of relaxing in and by the pool, we went out for dinner (meat and veggie shawarma), where we ran into the German couple from the Lost City Trek. I guess since Palomino only consists of one long dirt road (from the main road to the beach), I shouldn’t have been surprised.
Afterwards we had a drink at our pool bar and then fell asleep early and happily.
04/10/2022 Palomino
Working on my advanced dive certificate
At 5 a.m. we were both wide awake. Looks like our bodies haven’t forgotten about the Lost City Trek just yet.
We enjoyed another free breakfast as well as the time by the pool afterwards. I was still “working” on the theoretical part of the advanced open water dive certificate from Santa Marta. But when you’re doing the online quizzes by the pool, it doesn’t really feel like work.
No ATM in town
The only “to do” that we had to accomplish today was getting money from an ATM. And since the entire town of Palomino doesn’t have an ATM, Blake had to take a moto-taxi to drive 30 minutes to the next city, get money out and drive back.
As it didn’t make sense to pay for two moto-taxis and Blake didn’t want me to go on my own, I “had to” stay by the pool. Poor me 😉.
Maybe we are “washed up”
In the evening we went out for some local “arepa” (a bit dry without the sauce). Call us grandparents, but we were both so happy for these relaxing days and early nights after the four-day-hike to the Lost City.
Arepa is a type of food made of ground maize dough, eaten in the northern region of South American […] It […] can be served with accompaniments such as cheese, cuajada (fresh cheese), various meats, chicken, avocado, or diablito (deviled ham spread).”
wikipedia
05/10/2022 From Palomino to Minca
Treat yourself to a massage
In the next morning we went for a one-hour-massage at our hotel. We actually wanted to have it the day before. But since there was a power cut in town, our hotel couldn’t contact the masseuse.
Relax at the beach
Afterwards we walked to the beach as we both felt bad leaving Palomino without having been to the Caribbean Coast here. (Okay, I wanted to go, Blake didn’t care too much.)
Time flies!
And then it was time to leave the Caribbean Sea for good on this world trip as we were heading further inland now.
I cannot believe we have been in Colombia for almost three weeks already. And there is still so much more to explore!
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You two are remarkable. There is no such word as quit in your vocabulary. As a result you saw and experienced the many wonders of that part of the world that many people myself included would only know through books or magazines.Your pictures and your dialogues make it so real to us, we so much appreciate the work and time you put into your blog. Keep it up because it is the hi-lite of the week when we get your e-mail. Take Care.❤️❤️
Thank you so much, Garry and Diane!! This honestly means so much to me/ us! Take care and all the best!