Roughing it in the name of adventure. We packed small rucksacks with minimal stuff for 3 days, left our main bags in the hostel and set off for the Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona. This is a large (apparently privately owned) natural reserve on Colombia's northern coast, renowned for the incredible coastline, protected fauna (not that we saw anything but lizards and crabs), and a few minor ruins.

Not for us the easy option of a taxi then a boat. Nope, that's cheating. Three buses and a 2 hour hike in soaring temperatures through the forest to get to the beachside campsite is the way to earn your stripes!

Bus number two was interesting. A somewhat dilapidated inter-town coach with a dozen or so (sorry for this but there's no other way) poor locals with a dozen or so teeth between them. As we set off a guy jumped up and proceeded to make a sales pitch for some dental wonder pill that seemed to promise to restore everyone's mouths to US college kid perfection. The flip book presentation of badly decayed mouths and the look of wonder from the dentally challenged passengers was mind boggling to say the least. No sales.

He was followed by a guy selling a powder that appeared to promise protection from colon cancer. The word "sex" also popped up in the speil. He sold a few packets.

At this point we thankfully reached our stop (I'm pretty sure unscheduled - we certainly weren't issued with a ticket and no-one else got on or off), god knows what was next on the itinery.

At the park entrance we met a couple of French travellers who convinced us that the second campsite was the one to go to - hence the 2 hour hike rather than the gentle 1 hour stroll in a tree filled sauna. Thanks for the tip, mes amis.

It was a trade off. Twice the price and far inferior facilities, but an absolutely stunning location right on a bay of 4 beaches. Once I get the photos up all will become clear.

And so followed two days of complete relaxation. True, it is massively overpriced roughing it. There's no cash points out there and so by staying in the expensive campsite our careful cash budgeting came a cropper. Enter our trusty Swiss friend again to lend us some cash, the shame. She then dumped us in favour of a large group of younger and more fun folk, stopping by now and again to complain about an upset stomach. I think we were parent figures.

The second night we were 'treated' to the most spectacular thunderstorm I have ever experienced. Absolutely deafening at times and a light show to behold over the ocean. Thankfully the tent and its contents survived the downpour intact.

Two nights of slumming it in "el paradiso" was quite enough and we donned our walking shoes back to civilisation. We took a cab from right outside the park gates...