Tag 184: San Andrés

We are back at the same airport as 5 days ago. Only this time the destination is different. We are flying to Miami Beach, USA.

Yesterday we flew back from the beautiful island 'San Andrés' to Cartagena. The Colombian Caribbean island has given us a few days of paradise. When we arrive at the airport and look for the way to our hostel, we are initially a bit disappointed. The 'city' has little Caribbean character, is very noisy and rather run down. Fortunately, our hostel is different. Of course, we first go straight to the nearest beach and let ourselves be overwhelmed by its sight. If you imagine all the tourists away, you can see a beautiful beach here with palm trees, coconuts, and the most incredible seawater I have ever seen. We find a quiet spot under the palm trees and let the first impression of the island sink in. The next day we book a tour to the nearby smaller islands. We quickly find a new companion and the three of us spend a beautiful day together. The first island is paradisiacal. The water shines in five different shades of blue, like oil on the water, not mixing. After a short walk across the island, we unpack our snorkeling equipment and go fish hunting. The water is incredibly clear, clearer than any body of water I have seen before. The fish, larger than my head, seem to be used to tourists. We swim around, fascinated by the incredible variety of fish and explore the underwater world. After two hours, we continue to the next island. Lunch. With about 100 other tourists, we sit at wooden tables in the middle of the small tropical island and wait for our food. Of course, there is fresh grilled fish, with coconut rice, salad, and fried plantains. After lunch, we take a walk around the island to digest. The view of the sea, the sun, the plants, the atmosphere. It is fantastic. But after the first five meters, it becomes clear: the main attraction of the island is the iguanas. They are everywhere. In all sizes and colors, they hide in the dense foliage on the beach, waiting for the tourists to leave some food behind. After the walk, we lie in the sun for a while, enjoy the view of the ocean, and listen to its sounds. On the third day, we go with a new companion to a beach a bit further away. Between snorkeling, swimming, lying around, and eating coconuts, it suddenly starts raining and storming. We take cover and wait it out. That's the end of our day. The fourth day starts as the third ended. With rain. The entire hostel is flooded, the storm is getting worse, the internet only works sporadically, flights are being canceled. It's very boring. On day 5 we fly back again. Luckily the rain has stopped.

And here we sit now. After four, more or less, dreamy days in the Caribbean and six incredible months in South America, we are ready to continue our journey to the United States of America.