点评:We had an amazing time on this trip—especially thanks to the amazing and accommodating people at Expotur. We had a weather delay on our flight to Colombia, meaning we didn’t make it to Santa Marta the day before the hike as planned. But Expotur graciously picked us up at the airport the morning of the hike and even waited patiently as we filed a claim for a lost bag. The guides, translator, and cook really made this trip amazing. I love to hike—but at 42 I hike a lot slower than the younger people in our group. The guides were very accommodating, never rushed me to go faster, and even sometimes carried my backpack on the really steep hills to help me out. I’m not sure I would not have given up the first day if not for Carlos, our translator, who carried my bag up the steepest hills and chatted and joked with us to keep my spirits up. I have to give a special shout out to Luis, who walked with me at the back the most. He was always willing to help if I needed it but also gave me the space to go at my own pace and carry my backpack myself.
This hike is amazing but also definitely difficult. The hike is broken into manageable chucks with breaks for swimming or fruit and meals along the way. I felt like the difficulty of the hike went down each day. The steep up hill in the afternoon heat was killer. There is an original path that is narrow, more scenic, but steeper, and a new path, partly paved, that accommodates pack mules and motorcycles. We took the original path, but the steepness is no joke. There is also a steep uphill section on Day 2 in the afternoon, but while definitely hard, it seemed easier than the day before. The third day, you will have the steep, uneven stairs to the Lost City and some steep ups and downs. We did the 5-day itinerary, which takes you off the main trail to a couple of waterfalls on day 4 and finish hiking out on day 5. This was one of the highlights of the trip. First, both days are easier and more relaxed. Second, you are not hiking the same trails with hundreds of other people. Day 4 felt like the jungle hike I expected. It was really peaceful and beautiful.
Both Carlos, Luis, and our primary guide, Sixto, were very informative. They showed us different plants, insects, and birds, and told us about the history of the area and the cultures of the indigenous people. Sixto did a good job pacing and breaking up his Spanish-language information so that Carlos could translate. Our cook was great too. The food was always very good and good portions for hiking all day. Some of the guys were also able to get seconds most of the meals.
Bottom line: this hike is amazing but hard. Don’t underestimate the elevation change and the heat and humidity. Expotur will make sure you have the best trip possible, especially if your Spanish is limited or nonexistent.
翻译:我们在这次旅行中度过了一段美妙的时光——尤其要感谢 Expotur 的出色和热情的员工。我们飞往哥伦比亚的航班因天气原因延误,这意味着我们未能按计划在徒步旅行前一天到达圣玛尔塔。但 Expotur 在徒步旅行的早晨慷慨地在机场接我们,甚至耐心地等待我们申请丢失行李的索赔。导游、翻译和厨师真的让这次旅行变得如此美妙。我喜欢徒步旅行——但我 42 岁了,比我们团队中的年轻人慢得多。导游非常随和,从不催促我加快速度,甚至有时在非常陡峭的山坡上帮我背背包。如果不是我们的翻译 Carlos,我肯定不会在第一天就放弃,他帮我背着包爬上了最陡峭的山坡,并和我们聊天开玩笑,让我振作起来。我必须特别感谢 Luis,他陪我走得最多。他总是愿意在我需要的时候提供帮助,但也给了我空间,让我按照自己的节奏走,自己背上背包。
这次徒步旅行很棒,但也绝对困难。徒步旅行被分成几个可控的阶段,沿途有游泳、吃水果和吃饭的休息时间。我觉得徒步旅行的难度每天都在下降。下午的高温下,陡峭的上坡简直要命。有一条狭窄的原始路径,风景更美,但更陡峭,还有一条部分铺好的新路径,可以容纳驮骡和摩托车。我们走了原来的路,但陡峭的路可不是开玩笑的。第二天下午还有一段陡峭的上坡路,但虽然很难,但似乎比前一天容易多了。第三天,你将经过陡峭、不平坦的楼梯前往失落之城,还有一些陡峭的上下坡。我们做了 5 天的行程,第 4 天离开主路,前往几个瀑布,第 5 天完成徒步旅行。这是这次旅行的亮点之一。首先,这两天都更轻松、更放松。其次,您不会与数百人一起徒步相同的路线。第 4 天感觉就像我预期的丛林徒步旅行。它真的很宁静美丽。
Carlos、Luis 和我们的主要导游 Sixto 都非常博学。他们向我们展示了不同的植物、昆虫和鸟类,并向我们讲述了该地区的历史和土著人的文化。Sixto 很好地安排了节奏,并分解了他的西班牙语信息,以便 Carlos 可以翻译。我们的厨师也很棒。食物总是很好,份量很足,适合全天徒步旅行。有些人还可以吃到大多数餐点的复食。
底线:这次徒步旅行很棒但很艰难。不要低估海拔变化和高温和湿度。Expotur 将确保您拥有最好的旅行,特别是如果您的西班牙语水平有限或不会。