Note this is going to be a long one as I did a major tourist event, apologies in advance ;-)

As there was a lot of activities to do in San Gil we decide to stay another day. It was a toss up between some more rafting and cave exploring but by the time we got our act together the rafting was full. I was not too pushed about it though as we already had done some in Banos.

Caving was a great experince. Pretty much walking, diving ,swimming and crawling in a mile long cave. I saw some great stalactites, stalagmites, pillars and even some bats flying around. It was also handy to get a quick refresher in primary school geography! That evening we jumped on a night bus to Santa Marta (SM) for some fun in the Caribbean. SM is the gateway city for getting to Tayrona National Park and doing 'La Cuidad Perdida'(lost city). So maybe the fun would have to wait a few days..

I got into SM about 9 am the next morning and much to my delight the spongey, ultra absorbant padding on the back of my rucksack had been lying in some liquid and now stank something similiar to rotting fish. The baking hot temperatures and 100% humidity of SM did not help. Personally I was not a fan of SM, it's too hot, noisy and a bit run down but it is a good place to book the lost city trek from. The agent finally reopened from about a year long siesta and we were delighted to find out that there was a group leaving the next morning! Wasn't so delighted about the 600,000 pesos (E240) I'd to pay. I still find it strange going to the ATM and taking out half million..

At 8am the next morning I set off with a bag of clothes, my body weight in insect repellent, a pack of cards and a bottle of rum. I had woken up that morning in the hostel with about 17 new bites(no exaggeration) on my foot/calf so I was expecting the worst when we actually hit the jungle.

The trip is supposed to be a five day trip but some of the group were in a rush so we had an option to do it in four. As Pete and I are also stuck for time we decided to do the shorter one. To be honest the regular trip is only about three-four hours walking a day so there is a lot of hanging about in the cabins

We eventually stared our trek about 1 pm and we were aiming for camp one. Within about ten minutes we were crossing rivers and climbing up the mountains. Humidity was a killer and made the ascents very tough but we had a good few rests and fruit breaks so it was managable. Our guide and chefs were great and helped out all they could. I may have been delusional from the 5.30 am starts but it was hotter in the mornings than the afternoons. At 7.30 am it was tough to keep going and you were sweating from head to toe.

Afternoons bring the thunderstoms and torrential rain which is generally quite welcome.. Well except going down muddy slopes and having to cross the swollen rivers at the end. I had been warned about that but the rivers literally swell to twice/three times the size, change from crystal clear to muddy torrents raging past you. It takes a few hours for this the pass and it goes back to normal flow- it's quite uncanny really.

As we were doing the shorter tour we got caught by the river one afternoon. We spent an hour waiting for the other guides to come down from the camp and help us cross. Basicallly they threw a rope across, tied it off and then and we crossed over attached to the rope. Thankfully the water wasn't that deep at that stage but current did nearly sweep my spindly legs away with it.

We saw some pretty impressive landscapes, parts of the jungle, rivers, got a history of drug plantations and met some indigenous families. One of the kids wanted my nasty smelling, obnoxiously red coloured hat but I couldn't part way with it. My bald head would have roasted beyond repair. I was going to get an Indiana jones-esque hat but I thought that my red one already made me look like a jerk so I let it be..

On the third morning we made it to the Lost City. The main part is quite small but there are hundreds of terraces containing ruins of old huts and some of the materials they used back in the day. When it was first found it was looted by robbers and lots of fighting happened relating to ownership. Since then the Colombian goverment has stepped in and there are some soldiers who hang out in a camp above the place. We had a 9 am victory beer up the top with the group and took a lot of photos. I will put them up soon.

So I made it back to SM with really sore feet, a bag of stinking clothes, not many more mosquito bites and a great sense of accomplishment which is not so bad.

We high tailed it to Taganga and are planning a few days of chilling. It's a tiny fishing village and thanks to it's cheap prices, reputation as a good party palce, there are now more gringos than locals. It is also a great place to get your open water PADI licence - cheaper than Asia I have been told. Pete and I took the day off yesterday and we started out PADI course thursday morning. It seems like it should be great despite my nervy start to mask removal underwater. However I am back in the land of study and have to read some books in the evenings. Still it'll be finished by Saturday so I've loads of time to party! On second thoughts maybe I'll get that hat afterall..

Slan.