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Caribbean Nights: Mosquitoes and Salvation

Published: 25.08.2017

'This is probably the worst time of year for the coast, and I have to come here now.' Cursing a thousand curses, I decide to commit mass murder of potentially stinging or biting crawling and flying insects with insect repellent spray.


It is August and along with the heat comes the rain. It doesn't offer a successful cooling off, but instead adds moisture and more breeding grounds for mosquitoes, especially if things go really wrong, in my own bedroom. Because what looks like a roof doesn't necessarily mean it's watertight.

Rain at the beach in Palomino. Waiting and drinking beer...
Rain at the beach in Palomino. Waiting and drinking beer...


People on the coast are different. Locals and backpackers are closer here than anywhere else. For example, in Palomino or Taganga. The small, once romantic fishing villages are now a haven for those tired of capitalism and full-time stoners.

Band bus of Soulfire Project in Palomino
Band bus of Soulfire Project in Palomino


Somehow, everyone here is very close to the universe and they like to show it with what can sometimes look like an exorcism-like dance in front of restaurant guests.

Well, with enough alcohol and marijuana, it's not that far to the gates of heaven anymore.

Small beach bar in Palomino. Here you can get fresh juices, fresh salads, seafood and fish fresh from the sea.
Small beach bar in Palomino. Here you can get fresh juices, fresh salads, seafood and fish fresh from the sea.


Somehow, I feel out of place here with my bourgeois demands. Perhaps it's also because I have a less pronounced spiritual connection to the universe and I want to shower more than once a week, I don't find it charming when the guy in the store puts the moldy cookie he just complained about back into the plastic container, and I don't want to consider it a travel experience to have as many insect bites as possible, including dengue fever or malaria, because I'm against capitalist insect sprays.

Palomino after the rain
Palomino after the rain. Power outage and no water for 26 hours. All no problem 10 years ago. But today, it is. Because there is no wifi anymore. The stoner also finds that uncool.

The hostel in Rincon del mar is ten steps away from the sea.
The hostel in Rincon del mar is ten steps away from the sea.

And then I find it. My spirituality. When I stand by the sea, listen to the force of the waves crashing against the rocks, smell the salty air, watch the blazing sun sink into the sea, or when eerie silence and weightlessness surround me and I only hear the regular sound of the scuba diving regulator as I glide past colorful coral reefs.
Rincon del Mar has undiscovered diving spots. The journey there can be adventurous. But it
Rincon del Mar has undiscovered diving spots. The journey on the boat out to open sea can be adventurous depending on the weather. But it's worth it!

Well camouflaged...
Well camouflaged...
Close, but no cigar...
Close, but no cigar...
Airport hall with a view at Santa Marta Aeropuerto
Airport hall with a view at Santa Marta Aeropuerto
Graffiti in Santa Marta
Graffiti in Santa Marta
Beautiful but dangerous for the underwater world. The lionfish has no natural enemies. Lucky for divers. It can be hunted and eaten.
Beautiful but dangerous for the underwater world. The lionfish has no natural enemies. Lucky for divers. It can be hunted and eaten.
Diving boats start from Taganga to the Tayrona National Park
Diving boats start from Taganga to the Tayrona National Park
Malecon in Santa Marta
Malecon in Santa Marta
Sunset in the port of Santa Marta
Sunset in the port of Santa Marta





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