Christmas in Colombia
Lochmarin
Wed 25 Dec 2013 15:43
We arrived in Santa Marta, Colombia yesterday afternoon. Being Christmas Eve it was too late for the office so we have no electricity, water or internet. More importantly, it was too late to get set up for the fancy finger print activated door locks on the the shower block. This means we have to accost passing strangers and request the loan if their finger to get access to the loo.
Once we'd sorted the lines (40 knot winds were predicted overnight), put on the sail covers, and put up the cockpit awning, we headed into town to find an ATM to get some local money. It's Pesos, 10,000 of them is worth about £1.70... Tricky to convert!
Walking the few blocks through town there was so much to take in. The Christmas Eve beach was thronging, small buses jostled with three wheeled bicycle load carriers on the streets, venders were everywhere: bracelets; coffee; carved wooden masks; Ray Ban's (genuine, of course); cold drink concoctions involving shaved ice, tamarind syrup and condensed milk; watches... It felt very safe, we saw four lots of police, with smiles and "Buenos tardes".
By the time we were back we were shattered and crashed on a non-rolling bed for the first time in three days. We woke in the dark but still in time to go ashore for a little marina party. We didn't last long, but long enough to meet some lovely new people and catch up with the Tulus and Field Trippers. Then we slept like babies for the whole night, waking up to the Colombian Christmas sunshine!
Merry Christmas everyone!