A getaway to the Colombian Pacific

Hello, My name is Alejandra! and I am a fan of adventure travel and meeting people, I want to explore my country traveling every time I can go away, I love to traveling to backpaking and to have relaxing experiences because I believe that the valuest things in the world doesn't need to expend much money to be remember, just need a good attitude and gratitude for the partners that we made on the road. When I travel I use to eat each thing as my guts support, I like to taste the different way of cook in each place and buy something to remember that place is a compulsory task. I love to see beautiful landscapes and relaxing sunsets; I always try to think what I have ever done to do it in the next travel and add new experiences. Traveling is to share experiences with new people and to know that those experiences is the way of life of many of those people, this sensitizes to know other realities and try to work to improve life conditions or adapt costumes to your lifestyle, to be a better person, more grateful and happy.

I think all the people look for information about the next place that will meet, in this case, to read some experiences by the blog of others give them ideas to do or to don’t do when they go to travel there.

I hope this blog let us know little experiences of one of the places that I love more: San Cipriano Nature Reserve, located in Buenaventura where is the largest humid tropical rain forest in Colombia.

Travel to San Cipriano is a magical experience, you will found a landscape full of trees and wooden houses, with a big river that runs next to them, the color of the river was so clear that it changed according to the color of the earth below it. One immediate impression that you have is that the nature around is beautiful and peaceful, and the  climate is to hot and humid that make the clothes stick to your body. There is a kind of little car which is used to transport people using old train’s rails is called “Brujitas” and is very famous to be dangerous and fun at same time, it is something that you only try once at life and for this reason it is so valuable to experience it.

When I got there, I saw a lot of afro people, sea food, a big river near the little houses, kids running everywhere, people wearing swimwear and caps, and a lot of places to eat, I felt that I was in love with the place, you can feel the food melting in your mouth, you can hear how nature says goodbye to a day and it is so magical, is so relaxing and beautiful. Being away from civilization in the most beautiful humid tropical rain forest is inexplicably delicious. Everything to me was special, to live in Colombia and could met this places reinforces my belief that my country is spectacular.  The landscapes were awesome, the food so delicious, the people were very friendly and getting to the place was quite a journey. 

You can do many things, to start, I was walking around my hostel to meet the area, meet the river, play with the kids, eat a lot of shrimp and fish fried, just walking until I get tired and need fresh water, I met two beautiful rainfalls and some hidden places to rest, the principal landmarks to visit are the rainfall called “la ventiadora”, jacussis of natural water and the well of the lovers, where I rest together whith my couple and in a momento, a circle of little colorful fishes start to surrounded us, was a magical moment. One unexpected experience was one of the local ask me if am I there to looking to get pregnant because thanks for the weather they believes that is the right place to this.  I learned to love nature as they do, to enjoy the heat and the breeze, and to smile when you heard music and share with friends.

San Cipriano is a place of multisensory stimulation, another of the most important attractions of the place is the food, I tasted a delicious ceviche of shrimp and fried cheese arepa, and also the music, you will heard music everywhere, people singing traditional songs and listening reggueton and salsa, and how to forget the smells, some smells are indescribable, the smell of fried fish and damp earth are the ones I remember the most.

There is a cultural practice and is to drink “Viche” o “arrechón” they say it is an elixir of the pacific, and while you drink you can also sing whit them typical songs of the region. And if you want you can dance with them if you can keep the rhythm, this  is a good way to interact with many people, I fell in love with a little baby who sold candies with his mom who let me carry him for a moment; I met the most charismatic and friendly tour guide, and I was also able to speak with the cooks at the restaurants to see if I would take out the recipes or encourage them to return with me. Drinking arrechon and viche and dancing Currulao are both the most important cultural practices or rituals of the people.

If your plan is to go out of the routine and take a breath San Cipriano must be one of your options to travel in Colombia. Magic and wild beauty.