Our bag of water, held up by an available hammock cord
Like most things in Colombia, Tayrona used to be more or less off limits for tourists as it was quite dangerous. Tayrona was associated more with civil war and the narcotics trade than with tourism. For years the park and its environs were a battleground between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), one of the Western Hemisphere’s oldest Marxist guerrilla groups, and right-wing paramilitary groups, both of whom coveted the region as a base for cocaine processing and smuggling. In 2003, armed gunmen kidnapped eight foreigners, during a raid inside the park. Three of Tayrona’s directors have been killed in recent years, most recently Marta Lucia Hernández, who was gunned down three and a half years ago, apparently because she resisted the demands of paramilitary groups to use the park as a cocaine-shipment point.
Don't let recent history sway you, though. A lot of things can happen in 5 years. Under President Uribe, things have been cleaned up considerably and Tayrona is now being touted as a paradise-like location for travelers and for good reason, too.
After arriving by boat, we first needed to find a place to stay. There are basically 3 options: luxuriously appointed Ecohabs, hammocks, or camping. After seeing that we could stay in hammocks in a hut overlooking the ocean, the choice became clear. At a mere $7.50 a night we had our own hammocks complete with the best views in the park. Granted, it does suck to try to sleep when it is pouring rain and the rain is being blown directly on you, but hey, it's still worth it.
Our Humble Abode
Inside the Humble Abode
The views every where we turned were spectacular. There was clear, blue ocean water pounding against rocks that looked as if they were carved by hand, which is surrounded by white sand beaches and all of it is backed by jungle and soaring mountains.
The view from our hammocks
Bessie and the Ocean
But of course, the best things about the park are those which are not advertised in the tourist brochures. On our first night we were treated by quite an unexpected light show as we watched the lightning dance around the sky and temporarily light up the sea in front of us for at least an hour.
Night time lightning
If that wasn't enough, on the way back our boat crossed through a pod of dolphins. Dolphins, being pretty much the best creatures on the face of the earth, like to play around boats by jumping out of the water and acting like the pet dolphin that you never had.
Finally, in tribute, I wrote a song to Tayrona, set to the tune of "My Sharona" by The Knack:
Ooh my little pretty sun, pretty sun.
When can I have some more time, Tayrona?
Ooh you make my have some fun, have some fun.
Better than taquila and lime Tayrona
Never gonna leave, give it up.
Such a lovely find. Always get it up for the touch
of a sand so fine. My my my i yi woo. M M M My Tayrona...
Come a little closer huh, ah will ya huh.
Close enough to see with my eyes, Tayrona.
Keeping it a mystery just for me
Running through the depths of my mind, Tayrona
Never gonna leave, give it up.
Such a lovely find. Always get it up for the touch
of a sand so fine. My my my i yi woo. M M M My Tayrona...
When do I return to see, return to see.
It is just a matter of time Tayrona
Is it just destiny, destiny?
Or is it just a game in my mind, Tayrona?
Never gonna leave, give it up.
Such a lovely find. Always get it up for the touch
of a sand so fine. My my my i yi woo. M M M My Tayrona...
When can I have some more time, Tayrona?
Ooh you make my have some fun, have some fun.
Better than taquila and lime Tayrona
Never gonna leave, give it up.
Such a lovely find. Always get it up for the touch
of a sand so fine. My my my i yi woo. M M M My Tayrona...
Come a little closer huh, ah will ya huh.
Close enough to see with my eyes, Tayrona.
Keeping it a mystery just for me
Running through the depths of my mind, Tayrona
Never gonna leave, give it up.
Such a lovely find. Always get it up for the touch
of a sand so fine. My my my i yi woo. M M M My Tayrona...
When do I return to see, return to see.
It is just a matter of time Tayrona
Is it just destiny, destiny?
Or is it just a game in my mind, Tayrona?
Never gonna leave, give it up.
Such a lovely find. Always get it up for the touch
of a sand so fine. My my my i yi woo. M M M My Tayrona...
We're silly and adventurous, computer geeks and yoga peeps.
October 22, 2008
Den C
October 24, 2008
Kyle
October 22, 2008
Rachel Z
October 24, 2008
Kyle
October 22, 2008
mumsie
October 22, 2008
DADDIO
October 24, 2008
Linda
September 10, 2010
Luna