Thursday, June 30, 2022
Well, my bad luck continues. I got some money out of the ATM yesterday because people have been telling me that there’s lots of cash only places once you leave Santa Marta and there’s no ATMs. If there is an ATM, it’s not rare for it to run out of cash for a few days. I got around $100, bringing my total cash to around $150, and while I was packing my things, it was STOLEN.
After some investigation, I think it was a British guy in our hostel dorm. I talked to some other people in the dorm, one being my friend, and one being another girl who said she also had a small amount of cash stolen when she left her wallet out. This is annoying to me because I feel like hostels are supposed to be a safe space. All of us are traveling on a budget, but also none of us are so poor we’re starving to death. Taking advantage of someone just because you can really rubs me the wrong way. I’m also annoyed because I normally would never get that much cash unless I absolutely had to and I would never leave it unlocked, but I was literally just brushing my teeth in the middle of packing up, so my bag was out.
We think it was the British guy because he checked out of the hostel early according to the front desk. I’m annoyed that I couldn’t confront the guy because I really didn’t have any evidence and he was gone before I got to him anyway. Lots of people get robbed in Colombia so this isn’t something I wasn’t prepared for, but I don’t even get to share a fun story because it was a fellow traveler who did it. It’s also not a good feeling since I’m planning to spend the next couple of weeks in areas with little access to cash, so I’ll need to be carrying a decent amount.
I also lost my antique necklace from the Naschmarkt here behind the lockers, so I’m pretty down. I gather my things and head to the bus stop. It’s on a corner not far from the hostel so I walk there (thankfully I don’t get robbed on the way), and buy a ticket in a small office for a colectivo (colectivos operate like the Willies in Salento- they are like a bus except they leave when they are full instead of on a schedule). When I got to Minca, I took a mototaxi (like I feared) to the hostel, which is not a smooth or quick ride. I also had to wear my big backpack on my back which was a challenge in my current state. I made it in one piece, without hurting my back. It should be easier on the way down.
Mundo Nuevo is an ecolodge in the Sierra Nevada. They make all of their own food and it’s vegetarian. It’s absolutely delicious, so don’t worry about that at all. You might want to bring some snacks though since it’s far away from town. I chose this hostel because it’s suppsed to have the best sunset, and it doesn’t disappoint. My only complaint is that it doesn’t have a common area that’s inside and it can be cloudy and rainy a lot of the time, so after awhile you just feel damp and cold. It’s also far from town so don’t come here expecting to go there each day. Stay a few nights and do some hikes or bird watching, and then head back to town.
Friday, July 1, 2022
I just hung around Mundo Nuevo today in a hammock because I’m trying to rest. The food from the hostel was delicious and it’s served family style so I’ve met a good amount of people. A group of us decided to play cards, and then after a while we went on a short hike to a coffee and cocoa farm.
It’s a short hike from Mundo Nuevo to La Candelaria. We got cake and hot chocolate which was delicious. Some of the people complained the next day that they think the water in the hot chocolate could have been bad because their stomaches were hurting, but I was fine. That’s going to be a concern wherever you go on the coast because the drinking water is not safe. I definitely suggest you carry immodium and antibiotics, which you can get over the counter here (I recommend Azithromycin Tablets USP, 500 mg. You take a pill once a day for three days and it costs about $10-15. Only resort to antibiotics in the worst case scenario because if they are overused they might stop working for you.). After our quick hike, we watched the sunset at the hostel which was beautiful.
I also happened to be in the bunk above a guy from my dorm in Santa Marta, so I jokingly asked him if he robbed me. He said no, and I believe him because it was clear he was an honest guy after getting to know him. He told me later after going through his bag that he had also had something stolen, but not money (I assume a watch or something of the sort).
Saturday, July 2, 2022
After two nights in Mundo Nuevo, I need to get back to town. I’d love to relax there and get some work done but the WiFi and cell service were terrible so the most I can do is read my book. When I got to town, I went to a restaurant named Amora Cocina Saludable and I ordered two breakfasts because it was already almost lunch time (a yogurt parfait and pancakes), and I ate every last bite.
Then I went to Cafeteria y Laboratorio de Cafe Canocosta to use the WiFi, but they wouldn’t share the password so I just stayed a short while drinking my iced chai, which was pretty good. For dinner, I went to The Lazy Cat, which I found had the worst service and mediocre food, as well as a shortage of beer. However, I had nowhere to be and I made friends with their cat, so I’m happy.
I went back to my hostel after dinner (I checked in before heading to dinner). I wanted to stay at Casa Loma, but they don’t have lockers and are booked so I ended up at a hostel named Costeño River Hostel. This hostel was sort of a catfish from the pictures on Hostelworld, but it could just be the dorm I’m in. It also seemed to be under construction. If it was amazing I might have stayed longer, but I’m glad I’m only staying one night. I also found that there were mainly Spanish speakers at this hostel, which can be a positive or negative depending on what you’re looking for.
The hostel is also a long walk from the town, so you either will be hiking with your bags or need a mototaxi. Without bags, it’s okay in the daylight but at night there are scary dogs. I’ve never been afraid of a dog in my life until this moment. They were barking at me so loudly that I questioned what to do. I decided to keep walking, and thankfully they let me pass. They are just trying to guard their properties but I didn’t know whether I would be safe walking on the road past them.
Sunday, July 3, 2022
Before heading home, I want to check out one of the attractions in Minca. I grab breakfast at Amora Cocina Saludable again, which is as good as last time. When I came back, the lady told her employee that I was “the girl who ordered two breakfasts.” Then I hopped on a mototaxi to Pozo Azul. You can pay to take the mototaxi all the way down to the waterfall, but I recommend walking because it’s an easy hike but the mototaxi would be really bumpy, and they are generally annoying to all the hikers.
The water in the waterfall is super cold (as they are), and it’s incredibly busy. There’s several pools, and the ones further away are much less crowded, but you’ll have to pretty much rock climb up to them. It’s not incredibly difficult, but you have to consider whether you want to do it barefoot or get your shoes soaked and covered in mud. I left my shoes with a lady at the first pool, so I had no choice but to go barefoot. (Edit: A local later recommended me Marinka as an alternative waterfall to visit that is less touristy, and also note that Sunday is when all the Colombians come to visit Minca, so going any other day of the week would probably be better.)
After grabbing my stuff from the hostel, I got a colectivo back to town and checked into Mr. Baboon hostel, as recommended by someone at Mundo Nuevo (I didn’t want to go back to Masaya since it feels tainted, even though it was a lovely hostel). The hostel is nice, but quiet. The dorm is really nice, and for the first time ever I got a full sized bunk bed. I found it to have a ton of mosquitoes, maybe because of the pool in the middle which I took full advantage of. The bathroom situation was good, but the water was cold.
For lunch I went back to Entre Cuates. Then for dinner I went to Majito Ali Lebanese and Vegetarian Cuisine. While eating this I was thanking the Lord for some spicy food, and I was excited that it was vegetarian too, however, the next morning my stomach is a bit upset so I’m not sure whether I trust this place, which is really too bad. Eat at your own risk.
Check Out My Guide to Minca ⧉
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