Taganga

After fleeing Cartagena in search of greener pastures, I ended up in Taganga, Colombia. Still not the white sand Caribbean beach of my dreams, it is quite nice in other ways. Namely, the craggy mountains that surround the (perfectly still) water bay that I get to go trail running in early (early early) in the morning when the sun wakes me up at 6:00. Also, not a 10 minute hike up and around of the the mountains is a nicer beach (the beach right near the town has a tendency to collect trash at a semi-alarming rate) with crystal clear water reminiscent of a swimming pool, albeit a little saltier. I´ve been hanging out here for the past week or so doing just about absolutely nothing. After failed attempts to find a job (there are huge fines for employing foreigners under the table, and the neighbors are known to rat you out), my days are passed very...leisurely. After the first couple nights spent in a hostel, I found a really nice apartment on the non-touristy part of town that I am renting (for $6.50 a night, same price as a bed in a dorm room) from a Belgian couple who had been living here for the past year or so. I´ve met a few other gringos who are hanging around here for a decently extended period of time, most of them passing the time getting scuba diving certified for various levels). Me? I´m spending my time getting tan, on accident. Today at the beach besides sitting in the shade under a tarp strug up between trees, and wearing 45spf sunscreen, I managed a slight burn. I must be THAT white, the UV rays can spot whities a mile away and converge on the target in a sneak attack that goes undetected until it is too late.


My typical day starts at 6:00 am when I awake to the blazing sunshine (sun is up around 5:45, Colombia´s time zone is all messed up). Go for a run, come back and make a MASSIVE breakfast and head down to the beach. By 11am it´s already too hot to be in the sun, so it´s fruit juice and siesta time. The fruit juice... Oh, my, the fruit juice. A 16oz cup of blended fresh tropical fruit heaven costs 1500 pesos, around 65 cents. Passion fruit, star fruit, lulo, mango, banana, pineapple, mora (like a blackberry)...you name it, it will go in a blender with some ice and suger and end up being the most delicious liquid experience of your life. Life becomes livable again around 3pm when the sun has slid a little further down the horizon. Maybe a sunset on the beach, maybe some time in an internet cafe...read...waste away a few hours before making dinner and going to bed around 9:30 (hey, I did get up at 6am, remember?). Then the whole thing starts over again early early the next morning. Will I get bored of this? Most definitely. I´m just hoping I can happily spend the next weeks until Angel comes to visit burning under a tarp and chatting up the gringos, occasionally finding someone who wants to toss around a frisbee with me.