The waves lap up from water of pure blue Upon the beach of the finest of sand. The sky only hints of storms it once knew, And ignores the ones that nature has planned. A slight breeze blows over the salty air, Gently easing my mind into a sleep. The Caribbean Sea would never dare To steal from anyone slumber’s creep. I will give into the hypnotic game, For there is nothing better I need do, And if I miss this appointment, I’ll shame The slavers that push their agenda through. I will play the victim to this station, Just so I can enjoy my vacation.
The Caribbean is filled with many sandy islands surrounded by clear blue water, and marked by tourists as a destination that they would love to add to their bucket lists. So with all of the islands out there to chose from, why would Isla Baru in Columbia be up for consideration? Can it compete with the other ones with great getaway experiences with a great hotel that allows you to relax at the same time? Does the fact that it is so close to the coast of the continent change the feel of it, so it no longer feels like you are on an island, but instead just an extension of Columbia itself?
Well, to start off, Isla Baru is close to the historic city of Cartegena, Columbia. From there, it is rather easy to get to. You can book a boat to take you out there in a matter of 45 minutes, or there is also a bridge from the mainland that takes a little longer but less expensive of a trip. There are people that have residents on the island, but the main focus like many Caribbean islands is tourism. There are a few hotels on the islands, but I elected to spend a few nights at the Sofitel with its own private beach, and enough amenities that I would never have to leave the grounds. The plan was to have a do nothing vacation, and this looked like the perfect place to do just that.
The place gives you everything you need for that relaxing vacation. There are three different restaurants with varying food choices, and a rooftop bar that also served limited selection of sushi. If that is not enough, during the day, there is a taco truck on the beach where you can get some food as well. They also have a good selection of drinks as well, so you never have to go far to get what you need.
Of course there is a beach to spread out on, but there are also numerous pools that you can use if you wish to avoid the sand and salt water. It is tempting to use, but the water is always a little cooler than what you would find in the Caribbean. They still have nice places to lounge out on, and you can dip into the cool water anytime you start to feel a little too hot in the sun. They also have a specific pool dedicated for adults if you do not wish to be inundated with the screams and laughter of little children. Also, no matter which pool you choose to go to, there is always a bar nearby with a server that comes around to see if they can get you something refreshing to drink.
Sofitel has also made sure that there is plenty of entertainment for you. On any given night, you can find a bonfire with traditional Columbian dancers, or a jazz band playing on the rooftop bar. They also have markets come in once in awhile to sell artwork and jewelry made from the locals. If none of this is your cup of tea, there are also many oversized and regular sized games to be found around the grounds. We sat on the patio from our room and watched many games of chess played out in front of us, but there is also checkers, Parcheesi, Battleship, and even an outdoor ping-pong table.
I know this is not the vacation where I spent my time touring old sights, going on long hikes through beautiful scenery, or experiencing the ins and outs of a new culture. Not all vacations need to be about that. Sometimes all you need is a sandy beach on a remote island where you can just unwind from your busy schedule and let the minutes tick away. Isla Baru in Columbia is exactly this place, and it was wonderful to decompress there for a couple of days.
One of the hardest things while traveling around the world is the days when you are in-between places. There is this strange time where you need to check out of your hotel and before you can move on to the next location. Most hotels will allow you to keep your bags in a back room during these times in limbo, but then you have to wander out from that hotel into the strangeness of the town that you find yourself in.
Now, I know it sounds strange that you might be without a hotel room for a couple of hours should feel weird while on vacation. But there is something a little unsettling not having a place to go back to whenever you want to. I know that my stuff will be safe because I have never experienced a problem when living life like this, but it does not feel right to have all of it hidden in a dark corner of some closet with piles of other people’s luggage.
Despite this unease, it is still a nice way to take in a city for the last time before moving on to your next place during vacation. The latest place where I have found myself in without a home has been Cartagena, and so far, it has been a lovely place to visit and get to know. I spent the first night of my most recent vacation there before heading off to one of the islands, so the original plan was not to get to know the city first, and then experience this day at the end, but to have this day before going off to the most relaxing part of the trip.
We were staying close to the old part of the city which has been around since Sir Francis Drake raided the city and forced the inhabitants to build a wall to prevent from it ever happening again. The colorful city that these walls hold have a feel of Europe combined with Africa all combined with a Latin America vibe. I have never experienced anything like it before, and it was fun wandering around its windy streets knowing that I would have to cross the wall if I was willing to escape. And if I was bored, I could walk along the wall itself, and see how they were able to defend themselves in the 16th century from pirates and unfriendly nations.
It was not an ideal way to spend a day, but I was able to make the most out of the experience. It gave me hints and clues about what I wished to do when I finally made it back after my island experience. I was able to get a brief overview of one of the world’s more interesting cities, and it would not have happened if I was not without a hotel room during that day. The experience will happen again where my luggage has place to stay but I do not, and I hope that I find myself in a place like Cartagena the next time that it does.
When the final scallop has been eaten And I’ve mopped up the spicy sauce with bread; When the volcano top has been beaten, Just so I could disprove what you had said; After the kayak has been put to shore From skimming out to a calving glacier; After we have visited the gift store We are forced to see on a museum tour; When the mementoes are in the cases That we have purchased without much thinking; When we have gotten rid of all traces In hotels where our butts had been sinking; With the memories of this holiday, We can return to our regular fray.
After all the time we spent together Traveling the vast globe from pole to pole, After a month of seeing all weather From the icy winds to the blazing sol, After we have put the parents to bed Reversing the roles we now have to share, After the good nights which we both have said Accompanied by a kiss of our care, After we have unpacked the suitcases Finding spots in our house for new trinkets, After we have bathed and washed out faces And got into bed under thick blankets, We can put away our long vacation Returning to our normal rotation.
Vacation is not always vacation. Sometimes it feels as if it is a little bit of a chore that you go off in order to gain more experiences in this thing called life. Because of this, you can run off to exotic locations around the world to try to see what there is to see there, and enjoy all the things that the place has to offer only to find out that when you return from it, you are more tired than when you left for vacation. It is not a bad thing because those memories are what we hold on to while we work our way through employment. But every once in a while, it is nice to go off to some place with no other plan than to sit by a pool, have a couple of drinks, and let those tight muscles unwind as you let go of the worries of the world you left behind.
Of course, Thanksgiving weekend is the perfect time to do exactly just this, especially if you live far enough away from the United States where you cannot enjoy the American traditions. I am lucky enough to work for an American company in Peru, so I still got the holiday off, and it makes it even better when the rest of the country does not. This allowed me to run off to a relaxing weekend without the holiday crowds that might be attracted there by those who also have the time off. I took off down south from Lima to a resort that was situated on the grounds of a winery, and enjoyed myself by sitting back and finding out what this out-of-the-way place had to offer.
This was to be a different kind of vacation, one where I did not go hunting for the great touristy thing to do; instead, I just looked at what the place around me had to offer and enjoyed that. There was no reason for me to leave the resort because there were a lot of fun things to do, and it was always accompanied by a glass of wine straight from the vineyard.
What fun and games that the place did not have available were accompanied by a couple boardgames that I brought with me, as well as the other games that the people I went out there with as well. If I am being honest, the weekend turned into me playing board games, and reading books by the pool. I know that does not sound very exciting, but as a teacher approaching the end of the semester, this was the type of vacation that I needed.
And if I ever felt like I was going to be bored, I could always take a stroll out in the fields. The weather was perfect for this, and at dusk, it was fun to wander through the vines, looking at the grapes, and trying to find what creatures were out there waiting for their chance to dine. I did find many birds flying about, but it was better at dusk because this was when the surprises would start to wander around.
We went out into the fields for the main purpose of finding owls that we could take pictures of. We had heard that they were out there, and it did not take us long to find a few of them. Getting a good picture of them was a little more difficult because when I got to close to them, they would screech at me and fly away. Still, I was not to be deterred, and I was able to finally get a picture that I am happy to share with you now.
There were a lot of other surprises that could be found on the grounds of the resort. Not just the views, but the old relics that they collected to add a little character to the place. There were the women placed on the front of ships to guide the sailors through their long ocean voyages, old carts that were used to carry the wine into town, and old clay pots that used to be buried under the ground used to let the wine ferment.
I was also fortunate enough to be able to make this trip with a great group of friends. It made this holiday weekend away from the United States feel like I had found a family that I could celebrate with. There was plenty of downtime, but there was also a person there ready to pick me up when I felt like having something to do. It made this little getaway resort feel like a bigger vacation than it actually was, and will be part of the reason that it will stick with me for years to come.
It is the reason that many people reserve the place for large gatherings. They create a destination event where a lot of friends can gather together to enjoy their time together. The place will organize the food, the wine, and the entertainment with you, and then after the event, all you have to do is stumble your way to your room and crash for the evening. There are also enough places on the ground where various parties can go on at the same time without having to disturb another one some place else.
It was a great way to spend the long weekend, and I look forward to finding other little places like this one in Peru where I can get away from the big city and recharge again. It will make my time out here even more enjoyable.
I have been really grateful about the move we have made to Peru. I really have loved living in Lima, and the drastic change in cultural experiences. I have loved the food that I have been able to enjoy since I have moved here. I have loved the dog-friendly environment that has allowed my dog to transition into this new lifestyle. I have not loved the long schedules in-between breaks that have pushed me and my students to really struggle towards the end of the long stretches. I have not loved the few opportunities to go out and see more of the country. So when I have an opportunity to get out there and see more of it, I have taken that chance.
It has only been my second trip out of Lima out of the five months I have lived here, and this time, it was only for the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend. No, Peru does not celebrate this very American holiday, but when you work at an American school, they observe this holiday. The nice thing about this is that many of the places out there do not have that many guests staying at it because it is right before the big tourist season, and most of the people who live in the country have to work on Thursday and Friday. This means that we get to have a relatively quiet getaway in what would be an otherwise crowded location of Peru.
We hired a driver to take us south of Lima to the city of Ica where the desert of the country meets the more fertile land of the Andes mountains. It is the perfect climate to grow grapes, so it is here where the wine country of Peru resides, and there is a winery where you can rent a room on their grounds. They do have a big hotel with many things to do to keep me occupied during this long weekend, but the main thing I am going to do is relax and enjoy the holiday.
It will not be like a traditional Thanksgiving that I would find back in the States, but I think it will do. As of right now, there are not many plans of leaving the grounds until I have to head back to Lima on Sunday, but I will still explore all the little nooks and crannies of this location to get you a lowdown on what this place as to offer while I am here. Please join me in the next couple of days while I explain what this little paradise on the foot of the Andes has to offer.
Should I regret the last meal I have here Because it marks the end of vacation. I will have to pack away all the cheer, And the enjoyment of relaxation, But I get to have a final moment Where I can raise up my golden chalice, Toasting to this meal in this restaurant Off from Responsibility’s malice. I will push away thoughts of tomorrow For there is nothing I can do about it; Instead, I will uncrease my furrowed brow, And empty the pain from my stomach’s pit. For I still have this short amount of time, And my goal will be to make it sublime.
The water of the river rushes by, And I sip off a frosty pisco sour, Hearing the day telling me to comply By not paying attention to the hour. It is easy to do because I sit In the warming comfort of the hot spring, Taking away the way my muscles knit Themselves into a tight stressful feeling. But here I am safe within this valley, Isolated from the problems outside, A place where I am able to just be And where I wish I could always reside. I will place that idea behind me, And just enjoy the moment to be free.
There is no reason for us to quicken Up the pace of the day we are living For there is nothing that can be taken When the moment is all about giving. We’ve found ourselves in the heart of old town With windy paths waiting to be explored. If the choice is bad, we can go back down To find one our memories will adore. There are rest’rants with food to be eaten, And mementoes chirping from the store fronts. Though the many streets have been well beaten, It feels like we’re the only one who hunts. This day and this city belongs to us, And where it takes us, I will put my trust.
