As a continuation from a previous post about some favorite travels, I thought I’d share one of those stories…
So after traveling on a tiny fishing boat with a couple of friends (where the roof fell off and we had to hold it back in place), and after a few hours of being on rough waves that overtook the boat… we finally saw the most glorious sight I have ever seen… LAND. I had never been that far out in the ocean before and the conditions of our boat were making think we may never arrive.
As we approached the tiny island in Columbia, we saw that there was no dock. The boat got a bit closer, and then the captain took our backpacks, tossed them in the water and wished us well! So we jumped in, grabbed our bags, and swam to shore.
When we got there, there was a cute little sign in the sand that said ‘Hugo’s Hostel’ in hand written letters. We walked up to it and noticed a man sitting nearby in a chair. We asked about the hostel. He said ‘here it is!” and pointed to a hammock underneath a tarp. We said we would consider it but would keep looking. We did end up finding a very cool hostel that had a giant thatched roof, no walls, and hammocks all around a central pole - like spokes on a wheel. It was right on the water, and we later found out it was in a perfect position for no mosquitoes because of the wind and proximity to the waves. That ended up being our hostel for two weeks. Sleeping in a hammock in the fresh air offered an amazing night’s sleep.
There was no electricity or running water (which also meant no refrigeration). The hostel had a decent amount of food storage that they received from incoming boats. Our breakfast came from The Fruit Lady, who carried a GIANT basket of fruit on her head every morning. As each day went by, the fruit was less and less fresh… until about day 7 when she would re-stock.
For dinner, we walked around and saw another sign that said ‘Hugo’s Restaurant’. We saw the same man who owned the ‘hostel’ and asked him about the restaurant. He pointed to a cooler, a small table and a fire pit and said ‘here it is!’. He opened the cooler for us to pick out a fish he had just caught. Threw it on the fire, skin and all. Squeezed a little lime, sprinkled some salt. The best. fish. I have ever eaten. hands down.
It was those small things that were so special.
I don’t have too many photos from there - I think honestly we were so in a mode of feeling beautifully detached from many modern things that I got lost into every moment, every sight, smell, taste, sensation. And there’s also a paradox.. of wanting to capture moments so we can share them later.. and knowing it can pull us temporarily out of the moment. I think there is a way to have both. It just takes intention.
That’s where the magic is… enjoying those moments, getting to be in this world with humans who are there with you to experience it… To really feel life through all our senses. We can do that any moment, honestly… by just really being with someone and savoring their presence, savoring how much joy they add to your life. Noticing what’s special about a moment is something that is always available.
(And.. it’s also soooo fun to see the incredible variety of sights that are here for us to explore as well. There are so many spectacular places just in the US and Canada alone.)
But it’s the people we get to share this beautiful world with that really matter... it’s about having those shared moments with them while we can... we never know when those opportunities won't be there anymore. Life passes quickly.. we need to make the most of it while we can.
Sometimes it’s something so simple that can take your breath away.
Back to basics.
With Love from Me to You
xoxo Stefanie
and happy valentine's day 🙂
love love LOVE... and sooo much more to come...
this is from a wall in Cartagena.. an enchanting city
Here’s to more adventures (and stories) coming soon. (some from the back country!)*
*yet another reason I'm happy to have first aid skills from my adventure medic certification - and will be getting more for my first responder level later in march!)
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