Penguin Spotter

First port - Santa Marta, Columbia - not a typical cruise stop at all, not a lot of prior information to be found and only a few tour options from the ship. Two options would be rugged hiking in their rain forest preserve or a city bus tour that did not get such great prior reviews when visited on past non-InDepth port stops. But it was also a very easy port to do on your own, so that was our choice.

 

We ended up very charmed by this historic, Spanish colonial port - over all observation was it was like Antigua, Guatamala or Cartegena, Columbia but with one huge difference - this was a living city; not a tourist destination. Hurrah, Maasdam InDepth for giving us a real city to visit, yet with much of the historic charm of the more frequent port stops. It was very walkable, had interesting crafts, an excellent gold museum, lovely plazas, trees, balconied colonial buildings, along with lively everyday modern life.

 

A typical local surprise we found in our city wanderings - a chain of Juan Valdez coffee cafes - Juan Valdez was the original stock character marketing for Columbian coffee in the US at one time. We assumed this would be hokey and commercial, but in fact this is where all the young Columbians hung out and it had fantastic coffee - the one we chose to visit had a open air patio under huge spreading trees - a total oasis in this hot city where families and "young professionals" enjoyed their own national drink.

 

Modern and traditional life all coming together for the residents; not just for foreign tourists. The city is destination for Columbian tourists so there is an infrastructure, but it just felt so different from other more typical cruise port stops.

 

This same more local experience was repeated in both Golfito and Quepos, Costa Rica. San Blas Islands are touristed more frequently but by much smaller ships than the Maasdam, but the setting is so unique it was a chance to see how both modern life and older traditions are being locally protected and encouraged.

 

So this constant travel dilemma - enjoying a place because it has not yet been over-touristed but recognizing one is being a tourist themselves, and a day tripper tourist at that. Just glad the Maasdam is offering these new itineraries and lucky to be on the very first one - will they change the places after a few more visits or will other new destinations be sought out or will the infrequency of the small cruise ship encounter not change life too much after all. Will we be the creator and preserver of local culture or ultimately the destroyer of what we demand to keep them in a sterile time capsule?

 

We certainly were welcomed and even before we arrived they were building local tour infrastructure because they look to their own economic development too. Which we found yesterday in San Martin Peru - a new port facility being built and a very nice new airport that serviced the Nazca Lines flyovers. Yet also surrounded by a protected the Paracas Nature Preserve.

 

Golfito, Costa Rica welcomed us with a flotilla of local boats and a floating band and sent us off with some fireworks set off on both sides of the narrow channel. The former headquarters of the long departed United Fruit Company is seeking ways to now keep their declining economy going while protected their ancient growth rain forests too. There we silently kayaked around the lush mangrove forests and enjoyed a stop for fresh local pineapple and coconut. Kept it natural, even if the fireworks probably scared the monkeys for a while too.

 

It has been a dazzling feast so far. We got so immersed in Central and South American history up to this point, we are glad we now have this four sea day interlude to ease into the entirely different Polynesian triangle culture.

 

Thor Hyerdahl was not correct after all even though he proved his Kontiki could sail this direction - there was in fact now determined by genetic studies there was no primary westward migration across Polynesia after all - Taiwan is now speculated to be the original source. Later contact and trading still went on even in these remotely situated islands as food and other items show multiple cross-cultural origins over time.

OlsSalt;

In a few weeks we will be on a cruise to Santa Marta, Columbia.

How were you able to get from the port to town? Was there a shuttle?

How did you find getting around town?

Charles