You might think that after my time in Tayrona it’d be a bit of a downer to go back to the city, but frankly, though I loved the park I wasn’t at all disappointed because Santa Marta is a pretty charming place to “have” to come back to.

Some destinations loom large in the collective imagination. Leading up to my trip to El Parque de Tayrona, everyone who I mentioned it to had the same reaction: It’s gorgeous, it’s amazing, can we come too? I admit to going into it rather blindly, excited by everybody else’s excitement, but other than that pretty clueless as to what exactly made Tayrona so special.

December in Colombia means several things with names that are quite likely as of yet unrecognizable to you: novenas and alumbrados, natillas and buñuelos, though if you spend any time in Colombia during this time of year you will quickly become well acquainted with them.

I’ve written here about the sacred 4 pm. merienda (afternoon snack) in Colombia before, the beloved fourth meal of the day between lunch and dinner. Merienda (also called “el algo”, “the something”) is often something sweet, along the lines of a pastry, or maybe one of the numerous cheese-based breads that Colombian bakeries excel at.