Shuttin' Down the Club: 10 Days on the Coast of Colombia

When my Father visited Guatemala, I asked him to write something for my blog. His entry was a well written account of his time in Guatemala. It helped give me yet another perspective on a country  that will forever be dear to me. The following entry is from James Shimer aka Shimmah aka Bones aka Huesos aka SOS aka JimShim. He's one of my best friends and the following are his personal thoughts on his ten days on Colombia's caribbean coast. Enjoy!

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INTRODUCTION:

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is James Shimer, and Javi (aka Jarrett, aka “J”, aka Sweet J) is one of my best friends. We got to know each other through soccer (football for all of you out of the states who cringe at the word ‘soccer’) when we were only 11 or 12 years old. We became real close while “soaring as with eagles’ wings” at St. John’s Prep High School in Danvers, MA. We played high school soccer and club soccer together, enjoyed making fun of people at the local mall, attended Rev’s games with ‘Shady’ (Javi’s dad) and other Prep soccer players, terrorized the town of Beverly with Diego DeLeon, and shared in many other shenanigans together.

After promising I would visit J for the last couple years, I finally got my chance when I finished grad school and had a month off before starting a new job. Along with the old ball and chain, I mean “mi amore” (who I am lucky to have met and snagged at George Washington) Maria Baughman, we visited J for an unforgettable 10-day journey through Colombia. When our trip sadly came to an end on May 26^th, J asked me if I would be interested in writing a submission for his blog. I, of course, said yes because I knew it would be a great way to both document the journey and relive each incredible moment.

Before I break down the trip, however, let me say a BIG thank you to J. You did an outstanding job planning each day to ensure it was one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life, as well as Maria’s. I am lucky to be able to call you a life long friend and look forward to more shenanigans down the road. I also want to say thank you to Maria for coming on this trip with me. I love you more than you know and was in awe of how you handled your first ever trip out of the United States (no people, Toronto does not count). Lastly, to everyone I met over the 10-days/nights (Chelsea, all of J’s Peace Corp buddies, and of course J’s entire English class) it was an absolute pleasure and I hope to see you again soon.

BARRANQUILLA: May 16-19

So our trip started in Barranquilla… in a big way. After months of anticipation, weeks of preparation, hundreds of bucks spent on shots (which were a complete waste of $ by the way - we got bit probably 4 times by mosquitoes the entire trip – to put that into context, if you stood in the back yard of my house in Rowley, MA for 30 seconds, you’d get bit 10 times), and 6 hours of seemingly easy travel, we made it to Colombia. I am absolutely thrilled we started here because if I had to pick one city/experience to keep out of the entire trip, it would not have been the 3 days spent in Barranquilla.

I am by no means an expert on South American culture. While I was an International Studies major at Elon University, my studies focused on Europe. But what I will say is that my travels have helped me to appreciate ‘authentic’ culture. What I mean by that is that Barranquilla felt raw, real, and authentically South American. It was free of the touristy influence that can so easily taint a city’s innate culture. Barranquilla is by no means a ‘sexy’ city. There are many poor sections of the town. Littering is a major problem (I loved watching J yell at a couple morons who just opened their car doors right near where we played soccer to throw a bunch of garbage on the ground… while a trash can sat no more than 40 ft away…). Stray dogs are everywhere (which, as a dog lover, bothered me). A huge portion of the population lives in houses that are half the size of my apartment. Buses look like they are on the verge of breaking down every time the drivers jam the clutch to shift. Etc Etc Etc…. But everyone I have come into contact with LOVES IT THERE and I can certainly see why.

People in Barranquilla live such a simple life style. Those who don’t have much, don’t need much to be perfectly content, happy, and generous towards others. Coming from such a materialistic culture as Washington, D.C., that was incredibly refreshing to experience. People were always offering Maria and I whatever they had to ensure that we had an incredible time. J’s host grandfather (who was the absolute man by the way), never hesitated to greet Maria and I with fresh juice and fruit while we waited for Sweet J to shave the 3 hairs he possessed off his face. Noticing how goofy and white I was (thus lacking any Salsa game whatsoever), Meyra (one of J’s best friends) was nice enough to dance with me in order to give me some beginner pointers (I hope I wasn’t too embarrassing, Meyra!). And of course, how could I forget J’s English class. MAN that was an AWESOME experience. After quizzing his class (and by quizzing I mean holding brief/simple conversations with them in English, such as ‘hi, how are you, how old are you… etc), the students brought Maria and I into the classroom for some Colombian fun. They gave us Carnival necklaces and bracelets. A couple of the female students rented formal outfits to show us a Colombian dance. And of course who could forget allllll that food/dessert. YUM. We had like 8 entrees and 10 desserts prepared for us and of course had to try it all (not to mention the best tasting Pepsi I have ever had because it was made with cane sugar). Without a doubt, the English class was the best experience of the trip. Thank you everyone for making it so unforgettable!

There were many other incredible moments/memories during this part of the trip. We met a ton of people that J worked with through the Peace Corps, stayed at our first hostel and enjoyed meeting Gianni (the owner), learned how to Salsa, ate incredible Lebanese food (yes… in Colombia), worked our butts off at J’s nightly workout class for women, met J’s host mother, brother, and grandfather (hi to you all again and thanks for letting us swing by!), and of course played football… in an indoor setting, but outdoors. That was one hell of a workout. I think I lost 10 lbs alone, sweating in that Colombian heat, but it was a lot of fun to play against/with J’s friends. Oh and who could forget La Troja, a fun outdoors/indoors salsa nightclub that is apparently infamous around Colombia.

From start to finish, Barranquilla was incredible and certainly a place anyone should consider checking out when traveling through Colombia! Here are some of my favorite moments captured through photo.

 Me in the Hostel.

Maria in the Hostel

English quizzes.

Get in line, it's eating time!

Hmmmm!

Typical Colombian Folk Dancing.

 English Class.

COLOMBIA!

 Old Prep boys unite!

Indoor/Outdoor field.

Straight sweating in Colombia

Salsa!

La Troja.

Can't get away from Mcdonald's  . . . even in Colombia

J not happy about not having ANY Bacon on his BACON Cheeseburger! Shut it down! No Bacon?!

SANTA MARTA: May 19-20

Santa Marta was a truly beautiful city. It felt to me more like a Caribbean city that celebrated its proximity to the water. Every alleyway and building were magnificent. The buildings were rich in heritage, design, and architecture. The coast was spectacular because the mountains seemingly ran right up next to the water in the background, while the city’s youth did not hesitate to cool down in the water. One fun moment here was when we were at the water and this 10 yr. old boy with his snorkel came up to us. He said in Spanish to throw a coin in and he would go down and find it. Of course we had to test this kid out because the water was so dark, but he immediately found our coin. And of again of course he then told us to throw another ‘more expensive’ coin in… That boy knew how to hustle.

I wish we could have spent more time here because the city was so beautiful, but maybe next trip. Here are some Santa Marta photos.

Beautiful park.

 J and I.

 Maria and I.

Me telling Sweet J, he's full of BS.

 TAYRONA NATIONAL PARK: May 20-23

Parque Tayrona… wow… Certainly never had any experience quite like Tayrona. It was a mix of camping out and being in a Corona commercial. Everything was memorable, from the beaches, to the shack, to the food, to the company, to the walks, to the wildlife… everything. Upon arriving to the outer part of Tayrona, we hired a guy with a horse to carry our belongings about 30 min (walking) to where we would stay. The walk was more of a hike, but was incredible. You really could tell you were in a tropical area not just because of how visually stunning it was, but because you could hear SO MUCH buzzing, chirping, moving, etc. The jungle/woods/whatever you want to call it was very much alive.

Once we finally got to our campsite, we negotiated a fair price for our shack. To say the shack was ‘rustic’ would be like saying Vince Wilfork (325 lb D Lineman for the Patriots) is ‘voluptuous,’ ‘big boned,’ or ‘festively plump’ (take your pick). The shower was just a light stream of water, there was no toilet seat, the mattresses had bed bugs (no delicate way to put that, I got my ass chewed up), and the shack looked like a falling coconut would collapse the entire structure. But when push came to shove, it was rather fun to go through (exhausting yes, but a cool experience). We especially thought it was crazy when Hurricane Katrina’s cousin rolled up the second night (BIG storm) because we felt like we were outside experiencing it. But not one drop of water got in and the shack stayed absolutely still. Pretty impressive.

So our typical day involved getting up, walking about 20-30 min to a swimmable beach (usually Cabo), swimming and laying out until about 5pm, walking back to our camping site, ordering DELICIOUS food while playing cards and drinking beers, and then going back to the shack to read before lights went out. In more full detail, Cabo was incredible. As J puts it, the beach is shaped like a McDonald’s symbol (two connecting arches). In the middle of the arches out on the point sits this tiki hut with several hammocks you can rent for the night (I can only imagine how terrifying it would have been to be up there while Hurricane Katrina’s cousin storm rolled through). Where the tiki hut sat was the perfect place to snap a lot of great pictures and eat lunch out on the rocks facing the ocean. It was a pretty impressive place to eat lunch. I could describe Cabo, but the pictures will do much better justice. The dinners, however, I will try to describe (though probably unsuccessfully). I had a sausage, beans, and rice dish one night and a veggie fried rice plate another night. But the second night, due to the owner’s recommendation, I had one of the best fish dinners I’ve ever experienced: fresh Barracuda. For those of you who don’t know me or know where Rowley, MA is located, it is 10 min from the coast. I eat tremendous, fresh from the water seafood all the time. So when I say this was one of the best seafood dinners I’ve had, I mean it…

Tayrona was a truly one of a kind event. While I don’t miss the bed bugs or toilet situation, the beaches, food, wildlife, and company were all moments I will never forget.

Hiking in.

Almost there . . . 

We found our peanut butter like this after we bought it . . . some a-hole opened it, sampled it, and then put it back - wtf mate!

J holding the boulder up . . .

Thanks for the help Maria . . . ?

J's new best friend?

On top of the world in Tayrona

One of my favorite pictures from the trip . . . 

Not bad for a lunch date view, eh?

Open your eyes J!

Mcdonald's Arch!

Amazing sunset.

CARTAGENA: May 23-26

After a long day of travel on the 23^rd, we arrived in Cartagena. I got to be honest; it was just what the doctor ordered after Tayrona. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the experience in Tayrona, but having a cushy apartment, with AC, a comfy king bed, great plumbing, and 19^th floor view was just what we needed. I think within 15 min of being there I hopped in the shower and just sat there for about 30 minutes.

The first night a good friend of J’s, Chelsea Willett, met up with us to stay as the fourth in the apartment. J met Chels while serving in Peace Corp Guatemala (Chels served in Peace Corp El Salvador – I believe that’s right, don’t kill me if its not Chels haha). Anyways, apparently Chelsea is the most patient person on the planet because she actually met J and still wanted to hang out with him years later when he offered to meet up in Cartagena. There aren’t many people, Chelsea, who would voluntarily hang out with Sweet J, so you are a saint. Hahah but seriously it was great that you came and we had so much fun hanging out with you.

The first night we got some dinner close by and then came back to the apartment to hang out, play cards, and take it easy. When you have an unobstructed, 19^th floor view of the Gulf of Mexico on a mild, breezy night, staying in and playing cards on the balcony is not a bad option… what so ever. The second day was without a doubt one of the most fun days of the entire trip. We went to a burger joint that J loves where I got to practice my Spanish by ordering in the native tongue, while the entire group laughed when I said “Pomme Frites” (apparently I missed the memo that he didn’t speak French). We then got groceries, before laying out at our buildings private pool (once again, not a bad perk). After making/devouring tacos, we consumed a few light adult beverages… yea… and then made one of the dumbest videos ever. I haven’t seen it myself but it may or may not involve us dancing around drunk for about 30 min to J’s music in order to prep for a night of Salsa-ing. If you’re friends with J on Facebook and want to have blackmail on J/me/Maria/Chelsea, I’d recommend asking to see that video!

After thoroughly pre-gaming we went out to meet up with a bunch of J’s buddies from the Peace Corp. After aimlessly wandering around for a bit we landed at a Salsa club. White Thunder (my self-given nickname) of course proceeded to shut the club down with some phenomenal Salsa moves. As a matter of fact, the way I remember it, I was giving J Salsa lessons by the end of the night. Four words J. Shutting. The. Club. Down… K so maybe my moves weren’t so good/fresh/smooth, but hell Maria and I had a blast.

To sum up the night out in Cartagena: Cartagena 1. Maria 0. Between the night out, the Colombian diet, and probably being a bit exhausted from the trip, Maria wasn’t at her best the next day. However, she held on like a trooper and came out to everything with us. We did more lounging by the pool, got lunch within the Walled City (the original part of Cartagena that used to be protected by a wall that surrounded the entire city), and then came back to watch the Champions League Finals: Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund. The game was AWESOME. For those who haven’t seen it and like watching soccer, you need to go watch it. Besides some epic choking by Robben, who luckily saved himself and his team at the end, the play was first class, exciting, and high tempo. Bayern of course won the game and thus the entire tournament. After the game we ventured yet again to the Walled City to do some last minute souvenir shopping (yes I am a tourist and wanted some goods for my family in the states, shoot me – I also may or may not have kept a purchase that was supposed to be a gift to one of my cousins…. Whooooops, sorry Ian. Can’t help that the jersey seemed as custom fit for me as a Masters Green Jacket). After spending some moolah and making the vendors very happy we returned to the apartment to make fresh salad with chicken and vegetables. Whereas all of us were exhausted, we decided to stay in. Thank god we did because had we gone out we never would have seen my boy Steven Cohen (apparently a world-renowned magician) narrowly escape death on the History Channel while performing the bullet catch. Whew, that was a close one Steve (keep in mind Maria was drooling on my shoulder by the end of the show).

Cartagena was out of this world. If I could come back to Colombia, I would make sure that I spent least 5 days if not an entire week in this city. We did not even begin to scratch the surface and it was truly relaxing… what a vacation should be. The city was beautiful and filled with tons of entertainment. Salsa dancing especially (and I can speak for Maria) was one of the highlights of the trip because everyone had such an incredible time. Again, here are some pictures that highlight our time in Cartagena.  

View from the 19th floor!

Cards at night.

Baller status Pool.

Google search secret service and Hotel Caribe.

Damn. Como se dice "smoke show" en Española? Tu es muy muy bonita mi amor.

Don't worry only three or four people on the planet understand this one.

Love this photo guys

Casa Suiza - DELICIOUS lunch(Not Maria's fondest memory of Colombia though)

 Walled City photos . . . 

St. John's Prep -  Class of 2005 - Eagles on the Warpath

PANAMA CITY: May 26-27

The next day we grabbed coffee at Juan Valdez, said our goodbyes to Chelsea and made the trek back to Barranquilla. J dropped us off at the airport, got us to the gate, and we inevitably said our sad goodbyes. It was only then that I realized our trip, which we had anticipated for so long, was now finally coming to an end. However, while the trip was over, the travel gods weren’t yet ready to let us go. To sum it up, the Barranquilla plane did not arrive in Barranquilla until right around the time we were supposed to be boarding our connecting flight in Panama City. Through broken Spanish, Maria was able to find out that we could still hop on the flight and stay in Panama City for free. After a little bit of thought, Maria correctly decided we should do it and see a bonus city. I am thrilled we did because the hotel we stayed in was probably a 5-star establishment. I kind of laughed when we got there because it almost seemed unfair that Copa Airlines apologized for screwing our flight up, when we got to stay and eat at this hotel for free. The cherry on top was that we each got $150 flight vouchers towards any Copa flight in the next year. Jamaica anyone?

 Count them stars!

 They're letting us stay here . . . and giving us a 150$ voucher!?!

 Room in PC

Room in PC 2

CONCLUSION:

All in all, Colombia was unforgettable. Hard to describe in words, yet fun to attempt because it is forcing me to remember all of these moments, experiences, events, and shenanigans. Once again thank you to everyone who made it such a special trip. J, I cannot begin to describe how lucky I am to have a friend like you. You have clearly done some remarkable things the past 3.5 years and I feel fortunate that I even got to share 10 days of it with you. Thank you again for everything. Maria, we have grown so much together over this past year and this trip would not have even been close to the same without you. I love you so much that I might just let you decide where we will travel next. 

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Having James and Maria in Colombia was amazing. Thank you guys so much!!!!