Santa Marta to Cartegena (and the Lost City)

16 Feb 2020

My apologies for the lack of updates on this blog, my first week in Colombia has been busy and tiring. I think I’ll stick to weekly posts but will update when I have the time and when I have enough content to provide.

Firstly Colombian is hot. At least on the North coast. This is the dry season which means that the humidity is not the problem, however the midday sun can get as hot as 40° and with little to no shade on the Caribbean coast you have to be prepared. I carry at least 4 litres of water per day and reapply suncream every few hours. That being said the horrendous cycling tan line is coming along well. To limit this shirtless cycling in the late afternoon is a must.

Now lets go back to day one. The flight from London to Bogota was fine and the stress of getting the bike on the flight to Santa Marta was reduced when a friendly Colombian man offered to help me. This was of course for a fee but I feel that the 2 pounds I paid was a good deal. Next into Santa Marta. Colombians love cycling and everyone wants to offer advice or talk to you when you have a bike. When arriving into the airport I had a thermal shock when compared to the weather I left behind in London. A taxi driver offered to help adjust my brakes and we spoke about the Tour de France. The Spanish is functional. A short cycle to Dreamer Hostel and I was ready for a beer.

At the hostel I signed up for the Lost City trek. This four day tour would delay the start of my cycling adventure but this trip for me is about more than just the bike. I also ended up meeting people that became friends and who I met up with over and over again on the North coast. This trek is special, you hike over two days through the National Park of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta until you stumble across an ancient city in the mountains lost for hundreds of years before being discovered and pillaged for its gold. The beauty of seeing a lost civilisation high up in the jungle is truly breathtaking and I cannot recommend the tour enough.

I was dropped back off at my hostel on Thursday where I cleaned myself, studied some Spanish and heading into town with some friends I’d met on the tour. Tomorrow was the first of the cycling days and I was itching to start.

After leaving around 9am I headed up the highway towards Barranquilla. This road is fun and it has a real Caribbean vibe; loud music is played in all of the little villages which is perfect for me on the bike but I cannot imagine being in the houses. It is deafening. Fresh fruit and juices are sold every few metres which is perfect for a sugar boost on the bike. Children run up shouting “Quintana!” and you receive lots of thumbs up. The Colombian people are warm and open. My taxi driver friend from the first day drove past me honking and cheering. My spirits are high and my legs feel good.

Although there is a party vibe along this coast it is also dry, hot and barren. After a 40km cycle into a headwind I decided to stop off at a little shop just outside of Barranquilla for a drink and a snack. A cute kid sat next to me as I ate my plantain crisps (the only available food). I presumed he was the son of the shop owner so asked if I could offer him some crisps which he replied of course. The child then snatched my crisps and ran away. I’d have to make do with only half a pack!

Carrying on towards Barranquilla saw me crossing a huge bridge and with a wonderful view of the city. I found a cycle lane going into the city which just stopped abruptly at one point. A bunch of local kids ran over and helped me pick up my bike to get it back on the road, this is not the first time I have received help from strangers and I don’t think the last. I was told that this was the birth place of Shakira but the busy streets and high levels of pollution made entry into the city hot and dirty. I however loved the experience and find being in cities fascinating. Although I stood out as a pasty white tourist I felt safe. My Hostel for the night was Quintana Bacana a perfect little family run hostel where I shared a room with French people. So far on this trip I have met many French people and been speaking a lot of French. Much more than the Spanish I was hoping to learn…

It was carnival week in Barranquilla and you could feel the energy in the city. My Hostel roommates were ready to party and invited me for drinks and shots. I however declinded and went searching for food. I wasn’t in the mood to drink after 105km on the bike, I got a recommendation for food and headed out. The hostel recommended a seafood cocktail restaurant around the corner. The waitress was interested in me and what I was doing in Barranquilla, we spoke whilst I ate. My Spanish is improving. After eating I went over to see the Carnival and the atmosphere was crazy. It felt a little intense but was hugely exciting and colourful. The streets were filled with people dancing and partying. I explored the city and went back for an early night.

Saturday I had planned a big cycle to Cartegena to meet up with friends from the trek. This was around a 130km trip. I asked for advice from the hostel about what routes to take and the owner (a huge cycle fan of course) told me about some of the best roads in the country. He then requested that I took a picture in front of his hostel to be used on their website. I set off at 8am and remember having sore legs and a sore bum. 130km seemed like too far and I doubted I’d be able to do it under the hot sun. As soon as I got out of the city however my muscles had relaxed and I found my rhythm. I cycled through to a stop off where I bought some fresh mango and made friends with a dog. My experience with dogs so far has been good although I am expecting more annoying ones as I venture towards Peru.

I found a small restaurant on the way which looked welcoming and I needed a break from the sun. A man ran out to greet me and was almost overly friendly explaining to me all that he had. I guess he really wanted my custom. I took the Almuerzo del dia: a soup followed by chicken and rice, I then bought a juice on top for a grand total of 5 pounds. After some small talk the man paused and said “eres d’Argentina”? This is either an insult to the Argentinians or my Spanish is improving !

The rest of the journey was more peaceful as the sun’s heat calmed down. I passed by more fruit stalls and as I approached Cartegena my mood was good. I’d planned dinner with friends in the city and this motivated me on. Cartegena is huge, it’s bigger than I anticipated at least. Cycling into it is at first shocking, the slums on the outskirts are poor and dirty. The kids are still happy but they always are and the adults had music blaring away like all along the coast. People are dancing. Again I felt very safe going through here but I would not like to be here at night. Luckily my hostel is in the city centre.

I cycle along the beachfront and need help getting over a sand dune formed by the strong winds blowing in from the coast. Again a man runs up to me to help, my bike is over 30kg and I needed the help. He shakes my hand and I continue. As I cycle up to the Pachamama hostel I am hot, sweaty and very dirty. Guess who I see waving at me from the reception, my friends from the tour. This gives me energy and I quickly shower to join them for dinner. A couple of beers later and I feel as good as new. I’ve noted that my hair is a bit hot in the sun. Maybe I’ll shave it if tomorrow.