Travelling round the world 101 - Playa Blanca, near Cartengena, Colombia

We arrived on the island yesterday and it was literally like stepping into paradise. The water was a nice deepening blue as we sped along on in a ridiculously loaded old school steely white speedboat. It was murky and polluted at Mercado Bromeda but then faded to a blue deep as we set off, zipping along for just over an hour. We had arrived at the port at 08.10 to find it rammed from top to toe with locals selling everything from padlocks to pigs ears. We were eventually put on a boat but then had to wait for almost two hours in the very hot, rather sticky heat while the front of the boat was piled high with fruit, veg, pillows, mops, a cooker, as well as bags of goodness knows what. We set off eventually though after a couple of false starts. However, the wait was so very much worth it.

Gradually a line of white appeared in the distance, as we drew closer palm trees and dried out palm tree leaves roofed huts appeared as the water became pure, transparent and turquoise. We alighted into the clear, warm water and stepped onto a soft almost pure white sand beach that stretched on for literally miles into the distance. It almost seems too perfect really. My friend and I strolled purposefully along the shore line to ´Hugos place´ where we decided to hammock down for the night.

We spent an amusing, if slightly frustrating at times, afternoon after we'd dropped off our rucksacks, sunbathing and taking it in turns to dive into the waves. As on previous Colombian beaches we'd visited, several groups of women, sometimes in twos or threes, or by themselves strolled up and down the beach accompanied by buckets. A few times we'd dosed off to be woken by these women rubbing soapy sudsey water into our legs asking if we wanted a massage? We of course knew that they were just trying to make a living for themselves but we found it a bit frustrating as you felt like you couldn't relax properly - plus we had to keep re applying sun-cream where we'd been 'massage soaped' and we were running out. Anyway - first world problems.

9.35pm
I know I should be feeling like I am in heaven right now. I am to be rocked to sleep by the sound of the ocean, a cool breeze playing in my hair and around my face. Playa Blanca is unbelievably beautiful but I have to say I prefer yellow sand beaches that don't have this 'almost-to-perfect-to-be-real' feel about them. I don´t know I guess I feel a little dissatisfied like I haven’t earnt this to sit on this stunning beach in the Caribbean sun. I mean I worked, saved up, paid for all the flights by myself etc, but I should be off fighting crime or tackling world poverty or something. I know that I am so so lucky, and have been given so much especially in comparison to the rest of the world. I don´t deserve this and so am very grateful for this incredible opportunity. Most people I know are currently more than half a world away at work or at university in rainy/sunny/snowy England while I lie here on these heaven reflecting sands.

Monday, 16.49pm in an internet café, Cartagena
On Wednesday we leave for the san blas islands (for those of you who don’t know what it is…google image it. Woweee). Everyone we have met said that it was the highlight of their trip and like heaven on earth. Excited!