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From San Gil, all nine of us got a bus to Santa Marta up on the north coast and then on to Taganga, a small fishing village nearby. After we checked into La Case de Felipe we all walked down for breakfast and realised quickly how hot it is here! The day was spent at the beach and later a great meal at the hostel – a French chef works in the restaurant there so it was delicious steak all round!

The next day we went back to Santa Marta, with plans to go to Tyrona National Park the next morning. Now, we weren’t quite prepared for it. First of all it was lashing rain all morning so were totally soaked getting on the bus. Then, not thinking clearly, half of us were wearing flip flops, having been told we would be able to avoid the trek in and get horses. But, by the time we got to the bus (had to walk, actually wade through streets full of water) it was too late for the horses so we had to walk! We started walking in the flip flops, not the most sensible, then had to ditch them when the mud got too much – we’re talking mid calf level and I’m sure there was horse poo mixed in with it! So, when we eventually got to our campsite, it was quite a relief as it was nearly dark aswell but it was worth it! A delicious meal of sweet bread (most bread has sugar in it here, not the most appetising) and tuna that we had brought for lunch along with fried bananna chips – you get lots of them here, actually quite tasty!

The beaches are beautiful there, really postcard perfect. We slept in hammocks for two nights – all nine of us in a row! Not as romantic as you would think when you get woken up by a donkey in the middle of the night! But it was really cool, falling asleep listening to the water (the first night) or buckets of rain (the second night).