Even more reasons to Love COLOMBIA! BUCEO!! (Diving)
Well, this was my second time in Colombia and I stayed on the northern coast. I spent a few days in Cartagena, and then wondered why once I got to Taganga, a little fishing village. Taganga is a great little place, that apparently is a secret to most. You can walk the town in about 20 minutes and if you stay there for about a week, you can get to know many of the locals.

I decided to do my Open Water Dive Course there and found a very professional, laid back, and extremely friendly and fun outfit, called Oceano. Amanda is the owner (she's pictured in the post below this one) and she is all things professional! We did 8 dives altogether and all of them were in the ocean. Tons of brain coral, lots of other coral and tons of fish. Lots of moray eels and even a pretty large seahorse. Super cool stuff! The furthest we went down was 60 feet and it was all wonderful! Can't wait till my next dive!

Getting the flippers on.
Checking all my straps.

Securing my BCD.
Strapping down the spare regulator.
Okay! I'm ready!
Yee Haw!!!
I LOVE DIVING!!!

Why I love Colombia and you would too!!!

Incredibly beautiful beaches...I'll make mention that I had this bay/inlet all to myself for 2 straight days! Can you say...topless tanning?! :-) These first beach photos are in Tayrona National Park, north east of Cartagena by about 6 hours.
Here's the other side of my little paradise.
To the right, notice my sarong and bag. The water was so clear, gentle, perfect temp and clean that I was able to lay right in the sand and just relax with the water keeping me cool.
Here's another beach just around the corner from where I swam and layed out. (notice...no one's there!!!)
Santa Marta which is a town 5 minutes by camioneta (50¢ transport) from Taganga (my little fishing village/scuba puebla) has great shopping, services, malecon, and awesome cheap food and street meats, fresh squeezed juices (tropical fruits...my personal favorite, maracuya).
Street food vendors. It's great eating al fresco every night!!
Little mini restaurants spring up on the side walks. All the food tastes home made...because it is!
This is a view from our lunch spot during our diving training days.
Yup...the dog is jumping off the rock into the water for the stick. How fun!
Rock jumping during our long lunch breaks. Gotta let that Nitrogen escape your system before the second scuba dive.

Sorry, missed the shot of the splash. That would've been a nice completion to these three photos.
Lily looking super hot in her scuba gear. She was my instructor for two of the four days.
Chucho, our boat driving and all things scuba. Hot!
Super cute kids in Colombia...and so happy!
Our appetizer for lunch...fresh (THE FRESHEST!) fruit. Bananas, watermelon, pineapple, mangos (small, personal sized mangos), tangerines, fresh coconut. Just amazing flavors.
Hmmm...another deserted beach. Gorgeous. This one actually is at another lunch spot during our dive trips.
Super sweet little mangos. Yummy!

Our dive boat.
Amanda, the owner of Oceano dive/training shop in Taganga. So nice!!!
This is a coco con carne stand. Not coconut with beef, but if you order a coco con carne, you first drink all the coco water out and then hand the guy back the coconut. He then splits it open for you and spoons out all the frest coconut flesh (meat/carne) for you to eat. All for a whopping $.75! Wouldn't it be great to get that in the states?!
Daily life in Santa Marta.
Beautiful children here!
Rotiserrie Chicken breast chicken dinner. 6000 colombian pesos which is approximately $3.00. Incredibly delicious!
Nice, huh?
Beautiful cathedral in Santa Marta.
You can take a moto-taxi ride. (actually you can do that loads of places in C. and S. America...I just hadn't until this time in Santa Marta headed for Taganga.
Dive deck hands! (part-time rock jumpers too)
This is in Tayrona National Park again. This is the beach in front of the campground. Yes...you can stay the night in that palapa spot up top there. Mostly hammocks but I think a few beds too.
This is the looking from the palapa side of the beach at the opposite side. Again, out in front of our campground space.
The campground.
Here's how food/drinks/etc...are brought into our campground and restaurant.
Here's one of the hammock sections of our campground. I think you rent a hammock for about $6/night.
Another view of the beach from out in front of the campground.
Still from out in front of our campground.
Now this is the section of the beach right out in front of the campground and restaurant.
Closer to the palapa hotel, I'll call it.
Sunset from our beach.
Cartagena, Taganga, Tayrona Parque, and Santa Marta are now some of my most favorite spots I've traveled to. I really think you'd like them too.