Los Aventuras de Edmundo y Linda

We took a bus from Taganga to a city called Santa Marta, then a taxi to a bus station, then a bus to Parque Tayrona, then a jeep into the park, then rode horses through the jungle to the beach. We rented hammocks right next to the beach to sleep in! We took a walk down the beach and watched the sunset and then checked out all the toads that hang around the hammocks and eat mosquitoes so they are our friends. We (especially Linda) got tons of mosquito bites every night so we did ever sleep that well.

We took a hike through the jungle to the nearby beaches and realized there was a way cooler beach to stay at called El Cabo. There were lots of crabs and lizards on the way to the beach. El Cabo was the most beautiful beach we´ve seen so far… amazing scenery, huge rocks surrounded the bay. We drank many fruit drinks and had great meals. El Cabo had a hut on the tops of the rocks that overlooked the entire bay and we were so disappointed that we didn´t stay there.  Other then the mosquitoes, we barely got any sleep because there was a bunch of high school kids on a excursion that didn´t go to bed all night and partied.

We went to a secluded beach with nice water with a cool Colombia couple (Nelfor and Nayyirih) we met the previous night. They showed a cool secret beach, a cave hidden in the rocks and took us to a small little restaurant in the jungle and had a great lunch (freshly caught fish, and Linda´s favourite plantains).  They took really great care of us and even bartered a taxi for us later so we didn´t have to pay gringo price!  Thanks guys!  We wish we had some pictures but the camera battery was dead that day… sorry.

Taganga is a cute little town nestled in a bay and surrounded by mountains. We walked around town and the beach the first day. The beach really isn´t the nicest and neither is the water… so no swimming, only sun tanning. The locals had no problem with the water though and gladdly play all day in it.  Their were many hippies on the beach that asked us if we had any culture. So, when I bought some jewelery we made sure that those guys didn´t get our business. The rest of the night we lounged around in the hammocks in the hostel and made jokes. Oh… and notice the picture below of the guy in the chip ad… he is a famous Colombian soccer player who looks like a clown.  He looks so funny!  We bought ice cream and Edmundo ended up buying rum and raisin by accident… his Dad is going to be proud.

The hostel we´re staying at is really nice.  We get breakfast there every morning and eat it on the patio overlooking the town and the bay.

There are lots of bays and beaches near town.  We hiked through the mountains to check them out.  It was so hot that we could feel the heat coming off the rocks.  During our stay in Taganga we drank about 2 fresh fruit smoothies a day! Ha!

We weren´t planning on spending so much time in Taganga but we both got sick!  Pretty bad actually.  Luckily we were prepared with the proper Traveler´s Diarrea med but that knocked us out for 3 days.  While Edmund was bed ridden Linda drew tattoos on him.

After growing his beard for over 6 weeks Edmund finally got a shave! It cost $2 to get a straight razor shave in Cartegena from a barber working in the same room as a photocopy company. The barber had huge thick glasses but did a great job.

We met up with the crew from the boat for supper. We all ordered steak!

The next day we met up with Guillermo and his friend Lijia and visited some local food and beer spots.

The kitchen in our hostel is about the same size as a small closet. Linda cooked us an amazing meal!

We did a sweet day trip to a mud volcano!  The mud was cool it was impossible to swim or sink.  After the mud we stopped at a small fishing village for some seafood.  While making supper at the hostel, Linda knocked a bottle of oil onto the floor and then 2 minutes later a pot of eggs.  So we continue on with the theme of our trip: Linda be more careful.  Later that night we met the boat crew at Cafe Havana for live music and drinks.  Lutwig, the captain, bit both of us on the neck (and Linda´s leg earlier – see photo) as a goodbye gift.

We woke up late, didn´t have money to buy food and then spent many hours trying to find a stupid bank to exchange our stupid american money into stupid colombian pesos.  Stupid.  Finally got that done, stuffed ourselves with good food and then chilled at our hostel and did some sweet trip planning.

The first day out on the open ocean was really wavy and everyone felt kind of poopy.  Edmund was a zombie because he took sea sickness pills.

Linda felt poopy for most of the trip.  During one of her night watches our friend J lifted up his arms to the sky and said: “Universe, give us a fish!”  2 seconds later a flying fish flew onto the boat!!!!  They threw the fish back into the ocean but the captain was mad because flying fish are supposed to be one of the best tasting fish.  A huge wave came crashing over the upper deck on the boat and completely soaked everyone.  And not surprisingly… more DOLPHINS!!!!

While arriving to Cartegena we both got strapped into harnesses and took turns being pulled up to the crows nest, 20 meters above the boat.  We had to hold onto the mast on the way up to keep from swinging out of control.  Edmund and a few others on the boat got sick with a nasty cold.  Edmund fought back by eating a clove of garlic each morning, taking lots of vitamin C, cold fx, and washing his sinuses with salt water by snorting it out of a glass (a trick Stefan taught him).

Here is one of the earliest pictures of what is now the Stahlratte (“Steel Rat” in German) boat.  Lots of modification have been made since its original construction.

The boat was ported at the marina in Port Antonio, Jamaica. The marina was pretty posh, so we spent some time in the pool and on the free internet.

We took a taxi to Long Bay with our friends Elisa and Guillermo from the boat. We relaxed on the beach for the day and had some extremely tasty local food and played some dominos. We met up with some cool French dudes that are sailing around lots of the world. We went out with them to a wierd bar that was litterally a wooden box in an alley. Linda was nervous of Jamaican guys because of how aggressive they talk. Not to worry though because Edmund was there to protect her.

The park right next to the marina played insanely loud music all the time that seriously rattled the boat. So it was a 24 dance party everywhere.

Stefan, our friend and crew member on the boat, gave us a sweet tour of the massive engine in the boat.

We took a trip to the Blue Mountains. Tons of cool tropical jungle and mountain scenery. We did a couple hikes in the mountains, saw a sweet view of Kingston (the capital city of Jamaica), stopped at a coffee plantation, and swam at a sweet waterfall. We went behind the waterfall!!!!!

Took a taxi to Winifred Beach with our friends Guillermo, Elisa, and J from the boat. The beach was beautiful and had amazingly clear water which made for spectactular snorkeling. We saw a massive barracuda, a crab, tons of fish, and loads of sea urchins. Later that night we all gathered at the boat for an amazing Jerk Chicken supper.

Our first night in Santiago de Cuba kind of sucked.  Gross food, bad night club, lots of people bothering us, and our old crappy ’51 Chevy “taxi” got a flat tire on the way back to the marina.  Oh, and we just found out that most of our pictures from the city don’t work anymore for some reason.  The next day was amazing though, which easily made up for the first night.  We went to a market to buy some food for the boat, ate lots of $0.04 ice cream cones, found a tiny book store with a live band playing and stayed there for a few hours and had beers with the band and danced with some locals.  Then we went for the best meal we had in Cuba at a nice little restaurant with more great live music.  At night we returned to the restaurant for more great live Cuban music and tons of dancing and beers and rum!  Lots of fun!

Next stop Jamaica!  Sorry for the lack of pictures here but like I said we lost most of them due to camera problems.

Anchored in 3 different spots around the islands on our way to Santiago de Cuba.  Did lots of snorkeling, caught and ate a bunch of conch, traded some beers and rum to some fisherman for a cooler full of fish, ate lots and lots of fish, and did more snorkeling.  We were hunted by a huge barracuda when we were snorkeling and both got stung by jellyfish but we saw tons of cool fish and marine life… and we saw more dolphins!!!!  Lutwig, the captain, plays and sings amazing Spanish guitar songs.  Stayed up late one night listening to him play while wearing a huge blond wig and then had a dance party!

Our “taxi” from Havana showed up 2 hours late, stopped about 5 times to visit his friends, and got stopped 3 times by the cops.  He didn’t get in trouble for driving us because he said that we were his friends and we weren’t paying him.  As we approached Trinidad we drove over tons of huge crabs which walk accross the road twice a day between the forest and the ocean. 

Trinidad is a beautiful city too!  Lots of parties for the 1st of May celebrations.  Did lots of serious city exploring and then headed back to the boat to sail to some cool Cuban islands called “Los Jardines de la Reine”

Havana is an amazing city!  One of the top cities we have visited so far.  We saw a Flamenco show, ate lots of gross food, ate lots of tasty ice cream and cheap, cheap pizzas ($0.30), bought beer from a vending mahcine, went to markets, the Revolution Museum, visited China Town (with no Chinese people to be seen), met lots of cool people, went dancing, drank mojitos, listened to lots of excellent Cuban music and of course explore the beautiful city.  We stayed at a “Casa Particulare” which was sweet because we were actually staying in a house with a Cuban family.  They helped us get around and cooked us breakfast every morning.  Amazing people!

Woke up in Cuba!  We ported at Cienfuegos.  It took pretty much all day to go through customs.  The officials brought dogs to search the whole boat for drugs and examine every part of the boat.  We went to shore at night and had supper in a restaurant in a huge old mansion that was owned by a rich american.  The city was cool and a 1950 / communist feel to it.  Cuba is very clean!  And safe!  There are horse-and-cart taxis here that use a flamming can as a light at night.  We organized an unofficial taxi (illegal but very cheap) to pick us up at the marina and drive us to Havana.  The boat will sail to Trinidad while we are in Havana and we will meet back up with them there.