Mompós (August, 30th)

I sleep long, have a shower and then leave my cool room. The heat is intense, a lot more so than yesterday! I have a look at the roof-top terrace but have to get out of the sun quickly.

So I try to keep to the shade, which is very scarce and usually already occupied by the locals who avoid the sun, too. I first visit the "botanical garden", an unkempt patch of land not far from the hostel. The old man, Ernesto, who lives there takes me around and shares his extensive knowledge about the medicinal properties of the different plants. It´s a very interesting visit and maybe one the most memorable botanical gardens I have ever been to!

Then I continue my slow and unhurried discovery of this charming town. As long as I stay out of the sun I can just about stand the heat, but around midday it becomes extremely oppresive.



The "fur" mat is used by men to prevent the sun from causing damage to the most sensitive body parts ...



Not even an ice-cold fresh orange juice ease the "suffering", so I enter an internet place, enjoy the fun and fast broadband connection. Excellent opportunity to update my blogs! At 2 pm I return to the hostel because I´m going to take a boat tour of the swamps and the river a bit later on. I had planned to hit the shower but the woman in charge of the hostel, Carmen, and I have a nice long conversation in a typical momposine rocking chair instead. Shortly before 3 o´clock the Australian-Norwegian friends arrive, too and soon after that we meet Freddy, our captain. The breeze on the river is just delicious and while Freddy skillfully navigates through the canals, rivers and lagoons, he points out iguanas, herons, egrets, some monkeys  and a great number of kingfishers to us.

En route we pass a few tiny fishing villages, fight our way through overgrown canals and finally reach an island. The family taking care of the island is very friendly. They raise all sorts of animals and have different crops, too. It´s been a while since I last saw people so peaceful and calm, it even reflects in their relaxed facial expressions. Freddy takes us around and explains plants and the local way of life. It´s all incredibly scenic and very interesting.

We leave the tranquility of the island and head for a lagoon, where some of us, including myself of course, go for a swim in the very warm tanine-coloured waters. There are patches that are just as warm as a thermal pool! It´s difficult to climb back into the boat, but with a little help from Freddy we all make it and then it´s time to return. The breeze on my wet body feels fantastic. We experience a very colourful sunset on the water and when we return we are all glad we got on the trip!

I talk to Freddy and Carmen for a while, then hit the shower and head for the restaurant, where I meet with my friends from Australia and Norway and some more people from the boat. The evening is wonderful - good food, good conversations and no worries! Then it´s time to say good-bye, but I´ve got a feeling we will meet again some day. I walk back to the hostel. There´s nobody else on the street and the thermometer I pass still says 34°C at 11 pm...