The Jungle Trek

Got up early this am because Emily had arranged (in her inebriated state) to go trekking with our new German travel companion Chole

to a secluded beach known for its clear waters and beauty located in Tayrona at the playa El Cabo. So we hastily divided our bags to create a two day pack for hiking that I would carry through the jungle. It was going to be a hard hike so after we packed everything we wanted and I could barely lift it (without water) so we had to revise. I removed Emily's in-case-I-get-cold outfits and she removed my long pants and my headphone case by carelessly tossing it over her shoulder and I watched it slide under the bed (remember this detail). We had lite breakfast of oats and yogurt then set off a little later than expected. Then we waited for the bus which arrived a little later then expected. Oh, how I have forgotten these bus rides. Loud music, bright colors, and chickens! Emily revealed her girly side as a crate of baby chicks was placed next to her.

Through the city we preformed accelerations and decelerations that would make a NASA astronaut queasy our horn thundered like a fog horn that could raise the dead. Then once out of the city our driver really cut loose. Threading the needle at 1000 mph between lumbering trucks/semis, whipping around tight cliff side corners, and some times off-roading to get around obstacles. My favorite part was that, as I tried not to view my life flashing before my eyes as I watched the chaos unfold out the front window, Emily sat nonchalantly reading her book without a care in the world. Man, I love this girl! We arrived super late to the trail head, why do I keep mentioning being late you ask? It's because now it was 1130am and the sun was near it's precipice providing a heat-stroke-inducing temperature of 103 with humidity at 110%. So we set off through the sweaty jungle in the blistering heat for our 3 hour hike, Emily bouncing around like a sexy deer and myself carrying all of our supply's feeling like we're on the million-mile-march.

And it grew hotter. Though despite the heat, humidity, weight, and elevation changes it was a beautiful hike. We stopped frequently to watch superhighways of fire ants carrying chunks of leaves to their home,

listened to the diverse birds in a symphony of surround-sound, and stared awestruck at monstrous Jurassic-looking trees.

At one point we lost the trail and had to cross a mile of beach at noon.  I was wearing a towel like a hijab because I could feel my face on fire.

Ironically, it was through this portion of the trek that Emily was trying to convince me that our next trip should be to the Middle East (at this point I would prefer a extra "s" in my desert).

But alas! We made it! Please ignore every gripe/complaint up until now. The jungle gave way to an immaculate cove straight out of a good novel by a great writer.  Crystal clear water as far as the eye could see, with a hint of sapphire blue gently massaging a white sand beach etched with bowing palm trees. At the far end of the cove large boulders stretch out into the ocean where more violent waves smash themselves in an explosion of froth and foam. We check in a a little tiki-like stand and got our hammocks for the night under a thatched roof. The rest of the day was spend frolicking in the translucent water and napping on the beach. Ah, this is the life... Sorry these were late but we have been completely off the grid lately. Stay tuned for the next installment. It is life changing....