Palomino

This is one of those towns you don’t hear about, until you’re traveling in the area.

You start hearing people say “I’m going to Palomino” or “Have you been to Palomino?”

I’ve never heard of it, but it sounds like a pirate town.

It’s on the coast of Colombia nearing the Venezuelan border, the area people say to stay away from still in Colombia.

Supposedly they still have a lot of Guerrillas (not the animal, the group) deep in the jungle here.

As we’re unsure of where to go, debating heading into Tayrona National Park to unplug for a few days we decide to land in Palomino. (we heard they have howler monkeys…)

It’s a small town, all off a dirt road that heads to the Ocean from the “highway” outside of town.

Hopping in a TukTuk we ride into town, getting dropped off outside Rincon Del Mar Hostel.

Some french guys we had been hanging out with in Minca were staying there.

The hostel was full when we arrived, so we start walking down the main dirt road towards the ocean.

We find a hostel labeled “Free Soul Hostel”.

Funny, we started our trip working at “Free Spirit Hostel” and they happen to have the same color scheme, baby blue with cement flooring & walls.

It’s $7 bucks a night including breakfast (and our beds have a personal fan!).

Score, we stay.

It’s a little hippy, touristic, party vibe town that hasn’t been corrupted by the tourism industry, so everyones very nice and not too pushy.

A few people walking around selling Happy Brownies and Magic Mushrooms.

So this morning we posted up at this little coffee shop to get some work done, and it’s where I’m writing from today… Also why it’s a late post.

The outdoor coffee hut doesn’t have wifi working, but we’re talking to the owners.

”So how long have you been here for?” I ask as there’s a handful of huts under construction around it.

“28 days” She replies.

”Very cool, and it’s a school?” I said

“He was in a coffee competition, and tasted over 1,254 coffees around the world and then was flown to Italy to represent Colombia” She says gesturing to her husband who was making the coffees

”He now works with local coffee farms and teaches the owners about running their farm, because a lot have been selling the land to large hotels but this isn’t sustainable for our country” She continues

They continue educating us on coffee, the different processes and types while we sit at the coffee bar.

Village Politics.

”So how long has Palomino been a tourist town?” I ask the lady in the coffee shop.

”10 years” She says and then starts telling us about the history of it.

It was a very violent town for years she explains, until 4 local guys made a change

They befriended some foreigners from Switzerland and Germany and began talking to them about how they can help protect it and end the violence.

It came down to money, and they started building hostels & hotels (this small village is now home to over 400 somehow… I think that may have been a language gap because it’s not big enough to even have 40…)

She told us the foreigners ended up paying for protection to end the violence here.

”Now it’s a very safe town” She explains

”They keep it this way, and everyones happy. But violence and stealing isn’t allowed. For example if someone is caught stealing from a tourist or a local they have to leave the town, if they do not want to leave they’ll be killed” She says pausing at the end.

She told us about how the government or state should help with protection in these villages, but for so long the government gave up on them that you have to hire private protection.

Interesting hearing it from a local in such detail.

Don’t steal in Palomino…

Jungle Town

We came here from Minca, a nice town in the jungle between the beach and Sierra Nevadas (the worlds tallest coastal mountain range)

Minca was a very cool, classic jungle town.

The people were extremely nice, and the forrest was lush, humid, rainy, and full of life.

They had coffee & cacao farms surrounding it (and we caught a glimpse of a weed farm on a hike)

Their was a man sharpening a machete out front of the weed farm we saw, so I quickly pulled out some chocolate chip bread and gave it to him…

A river flowed through town, and the backyard of our hostel we stayed in Rio Element Hostel.

With long swings over the river, and a rescue for lots of stray dogs, the spot was 10 outta 10.

We got a room for $11 a night with a really amazing breakfast included.

Minca has lots to do, including waterfall hikes, harm tours, and offroading.

We rented scooters and drove cliffside way into the jungle, it had beautiful views overlooking the jungle, Santa Marta, and the ocean.

It was one hell of an experience!

Ciao

I have more I could talk about, but I’m gonna organize my calendar a bit and then run down to the ocean!

I’ll be back in the States next week (if all goes well to get back to Cartagena)

Cheers!

Me