Santa Marta, Sunday

Sun 1020 Woke up not feeling too bad maybe 7ish, drowsed a bit, got up and went for breakfast maybe 915ish.

Called aqua, got card unblocked with no major fuss (though their automated not-quite-even-a-menu system is a pain to sit through before you get to speak to someone).

Checked prices on hostelworld/booking.com and just been down to reception and paid 80k for nights of 13th/14th - I downgraded to a single room (still with shared bathroom) hence lower price (would have been 70k/night for the double I have now), TBH should prob have done this before, I prob only got a double due to no singles available or price being nearly same when I first signed up here. Still, at least this way I kept my nicely private-ish located room for this stay; there would be no guarantee of getting same room after going and coming back even if I'd paid for same room type. Aqua card worked to pay for hotel which is good.

As I will only be away three nights they will look after my bag for me while I'm away for free, and I checked someone will be there at 530 to let me out and take my bag. I'm going to take my main bag with me on the hike but offload some less essential/more valuable items into the daypack and leave them here.

Guts feel a tiny bit wobbly but I generally feel OK.

I think I will do a bit of illicit laundry in shared bathroom and then "pack" for the hike before going out to supermarket for supplies.

1233 Sort of packed (ie segregated some stuff and left bits lying all over bed), went out to exito, got 2x1.1l bottles water to take with me plus two more (chilled) for today and a 1.5l bottle Uva Postobon sugar free soft drink, and currently up on terrace with UP and bottle of water. UP a bit odd but not bad. Got two cheapish razors (been using same one since left UK so prob due for a change), 2 packets of peanuts and raisins as emergency snacks for trip (eg if the food provided is terrible) and a packet of carrots which isn't ideal but was "easiest" veg they had, I will eat some of those in room later.

1257 Skimming list of essential/nice to have gear in OGB re Ciudad Perdida, I'd be mostly OK even for that. Maybe I should have a knee bandage but my knees have touch wood been OKish after I over-strained them a bit last October. I don't have dozens of anti-diarrhoea tablets (just a few) and my "waterproof pack cover" is a rubble sack, but then again I'm going in dry season. A hiking pole would be nice but I don't have one and no one has offered to rent me one, but I am rather hoping that if one would be useful, someone will offer to rent me a suitable wooden stick (as IIRC happened on the San Pedro ascent in Guatemala). And of course I am *not* doing CP; I don't think the tour I am doing is negligibly strenuous but we are staying at hostels every night and I think it's much more luxurious in that sense, plus I'd imagine while we *may* be away from roads etc during the day, the places we stop every night are probably on the road network.

TBH I am perhaps most edgy about the couple of minutes' walk pre-sunrise (though hopefully not actually dark dark; I believe sunrise is 620 so I'd hope for some light) at 0555ish to the tour agency round corner and whether they'll actually be there.

1746 Went out to Valeria's for lunch (being a bit careful not to go anywhere "new" to reduce chances of nasty health surprises) and had a couple of coffees at MB on way back, though not feeling super relaxed.

In passing, heard a song I liked at breakfast other day which I've just searched and it was apparently "Nada Fue Un Error" .

And IIRC first night in Mango Rock, a crowd-pleasing song (lots of people singing along with the video) seemed to be "La Leyenda del Hada y el Mago" . (One site high in Google results has "del Hada", SpanishDict says "hada" is feminine so maybe it should be "de la hada" but I don't know. Maybe ask Spanish teacher if I remember.)

Feeling a bit edgy re trip. Some people using gym near-ish to outside room so can't go down any more illicit laundry just yet. Once I do get that done might go sit on terrace a bit. Having some raw carrots (washed lightly with bottled water), every little helps I guess.

1908 Have booked a dorm bed in Barranquilla during Carnaval for a whopping 742k (nearly £170) for five nights. This is frankly fucking insane *but* it's free cancellation up to end of 19 Feb and this gives me an option to consider after this tour. This was about the cheapest thing going, although I didn't try airbnb. In fact it was way cheaper than most other options. Obviously it's peak time and I am booking late.

OK TBH while I did my best to consider this carefully it was a bit rushed. There's an economy single room on booking.com (same site) for 945k but it's not refundable, and this is before we get to the question of good location for carnaval or not. Most private rooms are going for at least double what I'm paying for that dorm. To judge from some reviews the location of the hostel I've booked is at least fairly good for some of parades. TBH quick look on MG suggests you "should" buy tickets for the parades, but I might wing it, see what the atmosphere is like etc.

Just popped down to room for water. I'm not even sure I want to go, and not sure what I might do with time between hike and the carnaval booking. But fuck it, I've got a free option on accommodation now and that's something.

Right thumbnail is hurting, no fucking idea why, can't see anything wrong with it.

1942 Occurs to me the "el hada" business might be like "el aguila" or "el agua" . I always find this confusing, but let me go read up on it a bit while I am "interested" . (And thanks, whatever fucking idiot made the Priv keyboard put random spaces in after double quotes.)

Mon 0007 If didn't say had brief WA exchange (they initiated) with tour agency tomorrow reminding me to be there at 6. Have mostly packed, intend to be up at 5 to finish. Bizarrely despite having some stuff in daypack to leave here, I'm struggling to get everything into my main bag despite it containing *less* stuff than usual. But whatever, I've probably just packed it inefficiently, or maybe the two water bottles in the outer pouches are squashing the inside capacity a bit and I haven't packed to prevent that.

Left lower leg has been hurting a bit this evening and intermittently (when sitting, not walking) over last couple of days. Fuck knows. Sure it will all be OK, I don't think this hike is supposed to be trivial but nor is it meant to be hyper-extreme or anything. Meh. Let's post this anyway.