Santa Marta → Palomino → Camarones → Riohacha

[amw]

I think i left you feeling in two minds about whether i wanted to stay in Santa Marta or not. In the end i did stay there, till after the election, but the town didn't really click with me

Comments

[alefy]

This leg of the journey looks like was more ‘colourful’ and not always in a good way! Stay safe, hey?

The river (gorge?) is gorgeous though. Reminds me of Mossman Gorge in Queensland that I went to a few years back- but more exotic!

[amw]

Actually, that's exactly what i was thinking when i was cycling along the hilly/rainforest-y bit of the journey - this reminds me so much of Australia! There's definitely some awesome nature around Santa Marta, although perhaps easier to get to with a motorized vehicle than a bike due to the steep hills. I think because i am more of a plains person than a mountains person, i didn't really appreciate it the same way someone else would.

Overall i had a pretty good week. I tend to grumble a bit more in my entries than my real life experience because it's more fun to write (and hopefully read).

[opakele]

Goats on the beach!

Great pictures.

The bike is giving you some flexibility you need.

Safe travels.

[nahele_101]

Total side note and my own projection, but please tell me you cover up with sunscreen and long sleeves at times? Your skin tone is similar to mine, and I don't want you to experience the fun of melanoma and dermatologist visits forever.

I'm also stoked you wear a safety vest when biking.

[amw]

I do wear sunscreen with a stupidly high SPF, but to be honest i know i'm not doing the best that i could. The local people wear those sensible long-sleeved shirts and leggings, plus a T-shirt wrapped around their head like a balaclava. So far i haven't had a really bad sunburn (like with peeling skin), but it's definitely redder than would be ideal. On the other hand, i find that my mood is better if i get a few hours of sun every day, i don't think i'd ever want to be one of those dour shut-ins with porcelain skin.

[coercedbynutmeg]

Dang, that spot between Riohacha and Palomino doesn't look like a desert on Google Earth. That must have been an unpleasant surprise.

[amw]

Yeah, it kinda sneaks up on you. For a while it's more Texas-y - lots of softly rolling plains with trees along the side of the road and cattle grazing... then you turn a corner and it's completely flat with a few of those stunted bushes and cactuses and goats and that's it. Felt i like i popped out in the Kalahari or something. I knew the peninsula area was a "serious" desert, but i didn't expect it to start till east of Riohacha. Still, it is a landscape i enjoy on the face of it, so it's more hitting it at the end of the ride when i had no proverbial gas left in the tank that made it tough.