They say it's just like the setting of Lost...

It's been an action-packed week! But a very fun and relaxing one. I've enjoyed the pace... a nice balance of doing/seeing and chilling/napping. I've reeeeeeeeally enjoyed all the quality time with my travel companions and hostesses, too... I sure can't say that enough.

So to do a bit of a recap...

At Sunday's Pool Party

Sunday was pool party day here at Michelle and Lindsey's place. It was lovely. I think I far too often underestimate my capacity to do very little. So the time just chilling by the pool all afternoon was a real treat. Favorite part? Getting to put faces and personalities to the names that I have heard so much about for the last ten months from Lindsey and Michelle (many of their coworkers came over) - most were as I had imagined... only shorter in height.:)

Monday was a day to explore Cartagena. Ash, Nick, Jachin and I enjoyed bumming around the city... followed by dinner-in with Michelle, Lindsey and Kike (Michelle's boyfriend). We hit up the Castillo de San Felipe, which is an incredible fort up on the top of a hill. It's a crazy structure. The photos don't do it justice. Our tour guide had pretty tough English to sort out though. Favorite part? Fantastic views of the city from the castillo and the strange tunnels that ran under the castillo... seriously... the tunnels were great.

The Castillo

The castillo invaders

Crazy cool tunnels

Tuesday after Michelle and Lindsey went to work, the four of us took off for Tayrona National Park. They said it was just like the setting of the tv show Lost... so we couldn't turn that down. Actually getting there was filled with a series of miscommunications around transportation... but that in and of itself gave us a quality Latin American experience.:) We were en route for most of the day. But then when we finally arrived, after riding in two different vans, in a taxi and in a shuttle, we did an absolutely awesome hike through a very tropical forest. Saw some monkeys, some really reeeeally productive ants (seriously. they had these incredibly long and complex trails and were carry large leafy items.), and it just felt fantastic to be amongst all things green. The air really did feel fresher. We landed at a hostel just off the beach and settled in for a night sleeping in hammocks. Favorite part? We perhaps spent some quality time on the beach after dark with some rum and cigars. It seemed altogether like the right place to be.

Our sleeping quarters in Tayrona

Wednesday was beach day! And Tayrona beaches sure aren't the average beach! Seriously. Incredible. We did a lot of walking... hopping from beach to beach with a little bit of swimming in between. It was a crazy refreshing day. Loaded with beautiful sights. We worked our way down the chain of beaches until the last main beach where we caught a boat at the end of the day and took off for Teganga, the epitome of a small beach town next to Tayrona Park. We found ourselves a great little hostel with a roof top bar and settled in for the night... literally. Jachin and I never actually left the hostel until the next morning when we caught a bus back to Cartagena. Instead we ate and drank on the roof top... until we hit the hay. Learned that we all like Aguadiente, the hard liquor of choice here in Colombia. Favorite part? The fantastic nap I took on a really beautiful beach.

Seriously. Tayrona beaches are amazing.

Our rooftop view of Teganga

Thursday we returned to Cartagena. We had a MUCH smoother transportation experience on the way back. Everything went without a glitch. And then we got to hang out with Lindsey, Michelle and Kike last night again. We went to one of the better known ceviche places in town last night... had some REALLY tasty ceviche. Favorite part? Getting to see Lindsey and Michelle again. No doubt there.

And here we are. It's massage morning for Jachin, Nick and Ashley. A masseuse came to the apartment this morning, Jachin's first in the line-up before he and I hit the beach. Then we're off to Lindsey and Michelle's school this afternoon to see the kiddos! Very grateful and content to be here. I'm really enjoying playing with Spanish again. It's affirming to realize that I never really do underestimate how much I love traveling. I've really enjoyed seeing and learning about Jachin's travel style. And I think I'll have some fresh passion fruit juice on the beach this morning.:)

:)