Guachaca, Colombia

After my time in the mountain jungle around Minca, I headed to the beach. I chose a relatively deserted stretch of beach between Santa Marta and Palimino, just outside the Tayrona Parque Nacional and near the village of Guachaca.

I stayed at the Blue Mango Hotel, on the advice of a couple I met in Bogotá. It was a good choice. I stayed in a tiny little rustic cabana, right next to the pool and shaded outside dining area, just 30 yards/meters from the sandy beach.

I’m familiar with the beaches in this part of the world, having sailed quite a bit off the coast of nearby Panama and its offshore islands. The beaches are nice, but not among the nicest, in my opinion. For me, the sand seems a bit dull and grey, the low-lying jungle foilage a bit scrubby looking and the ocean cloudy from sediment from the many rivers and streams that flow into it. That’s my snooty beach-connoisseur take. From an environmental perspective, the beaches are mostly undeveloped, there are very few people and quite a bit of wildlife. That more than makes up for any aesthetic shortcomings in my book, a nice enough place to plop down on for a spell.

I spent my days at the Blue Mango lounging at the pool and on the beach, taking long beach runs, reading, taking advantage of the 2 for 1 Happy Hour each day, eating and sleeping.

For some reason, I felt like keeping to myself and I don’t think I spoke ten words in conversation while I was there. Most of the time I felt okay about that, but sometimes I felt lonely, sometimes I felt like there was something wrong with being so introverted. Earlier in my trip when I felt lonely, I decided to treat my solo travel experience as a sort of silent retreat. I guess I was doing that and when I looked at it that way, I felt better.

All the other guests at the hotel were either couples or families, as far as I could tell, except for one woman who was on her own. A very beautiful Colombian woman, with light brown skin, high cheekbones, big brown eyes, and a lovely smile. She looked dignified and quietly confident. Most of the time she sat by the pool, reading, lounging, sleeping, often taking dips in the pool to cool off. She spent some time chatting with another woman but seemed to be happy to be spending most of the time on her own.

I found her very attractive and was intrigued but was enveloped by my introverted state. We caught ourselves looking at each other several times and smiled. The interest was mutual, yet we both kept our distance.

I never did end up talking to her. I kind of regret that. She seemed like a very nice person.

My awareness of impermanence is heightened when I travel. I come, and I go. Where I call home changes every few days. Acquaintances are made, then people move on. The scenery is constantly changing as I move through space. Nothing stays the same.

I let the moment with the beautiful Colombian woman pass, just as it did.