Colombia: Minca

After colonial city flair, we are in great need of some relaxation in the countryside. We drive to the mountain village of Minca, located above Santa Marta. Here, we have to switch from a minibus to an even smaller one and cruise up the (as always) extremely narrow and winding roads into the mountains. But even this short glimpse of Santa Marta is terrible for us - smog, littered streets and run-down houses. Luckily, we only have to change here.

Arriving in Minca, we are greeted by a horde of 'Mototaxis', motorcyclists who are eager to give us a ride on their motorcycles to the hostel. However, since our 'Marymonte' (sounds like an Italian pasta dish, but it is actually our accommodation that lives up to its name) is within walking distance, we politely decline and begin the ascent.

At the check-in on the terrace, we are already rewarded with an incredibly beautiful view and look out over the surrounding mountains and Santa Marta all the way to the sea. From up here, Santa Marta doesn't look so bad. After settling into our private bungalow, we buy fresh fruits and vegetables at the small Tiendas, mini supermarkets. In the evening, we cook and enjoy the evening view from the terrace. Here, we also meet Coline and Jonathan from Paris, who are exploring Central and South America with their bicycles for a year. After dinner, we have a delicious Mojito a la Juan - hostel owner and bartender.

Minca is very small, but the beautiful nature that surrounds the village is diverse and invites you to outdoor activities such as hiking. That is also our plan for the second day. Juan explains the hike to us, which is actually completely foolproof. There is a circular hiking trail that leads to two waterfalls and then up to the viewpoint 'Los Pinos' and the resting place with a huge hammock 'Casa Elemento' on top of the mountain. From here, you can walk down the mountain in a circular route and automatically return to the hostel. But: From the waterfalls, there is also a small path that leads directly through the thicket of the jungle to the viewpoint. Let's go! Fresh and dynamic, we start our hike and leave the village towards the jungle. It is quite muddy here, but the wide paths and the shade-giving treetops make the first ascent very pleasant. Soon, we reach the waterfalls - here the path becomes steeper, and the sun burns more and more intensely. Lisa's circulation briefly feels uncomfortable, but of course, we continue with the hike. Take a little break? Oh nonsense!

Now we have two options: The wide hiking trail, which takes more time, or the small and steep jungle path, which will lead us to the destination faster. Of course, we (especially Lisa) choose the jungle! Our host did not exaggerate - the path leads through the deepest thicket. However, he was wrong about one thing: You can't get lost. Far from it, because there are constantly small junctions, and we can only guess which path to take. So, we work our way up the mountain bit by bit. Phew, it's really hot. And hardly any shade. And it's steep here... Our dynamism is gradually replaced by a slight discomfort because there is no end in sight, and Lisa's head does not find this sunny path dynamic at all. And then suddenly: loud barking of dogs. Two fairly large specimens of the species 'get out of my territory' rush towards us, barking and baring their teeth - this super hike just keeps getting better. But just before they reach us, they stop and let us continue the grueling ascent. Lisa's head is pounding, Sebastian has had enough of this stupid jungle with all its creatures that only want to attack and sting him, but turning back is no longer an option. After another episode of dog teeth baring, we finally reach the main hiking trail at the mountain top after what feels like eternity (because the more than challenging ascent required many breaks). Can you believe it? Here we are again faced with a choice: right or left? We decide to go right. And we no longer care about this stupid viewpoint. We need water and something to eat. Fortunately, we come across a hostel where we are taken care of. Our caretakers are also self-sufficient, all of them having immigrated to Colombia from their home countries. After a tour of the premises, including a theoretical introduction to the enlightening world of Ayahuasca ceremonies and newfound energy, we begin the descent. Of course, we only follow the main hiking trail. We've had enough experiments for today.

Finally, when we arrive at the hostel, Lisa just falls into bed, while Sebastian has dinner on the terrace. We look at Casa Elemento and Los Pinos in photo format on Coline's phone the next morning.

The next morning starts perfectly, as Sebastian buys a warm, fragrant chocolate bread in the popular village bakery - an absolute rarity in South America. He also gets a delicious, almost German, country bread - all self-baked. Combined with Juan's freshly brewed breakfast, the morning refreshment is perfect. Even more perfect are our plans for the day: nothing, nada, nichts. So, we move from bungalow to terrace, from chair to hammock and enjoy doing nothing. Wonderful.

Conclusion: Apart from the wrong hiking trails, Minca was a very idyllic place for us in the middle of nature, inviting us to relax. Of course, also for hiking, but we can only say: be careful!