Along the Carribean: Bonitas, bugs, and beaches

Colombia is renowned for its bevy of beautiful women - Medellin, a city in the west, claims to possess the most beautiful women in the world. And so, there is perhaps no better place to witness the country's infatuation with good looks than a beauty contest itself.

I arrived in Cartagena a week before the country exploded into a craze with Colombia's largest beauty contest, Miss Colombia. While I didn't make it to the finalist event, I attended the pre-selection phase of "Miss Cartagena" with some other travelers. We were told that the event began at 4pm, and so we caught a taxi around 3:30 and headed to the plaza. A line of avid bystanders snaked from the entrance of the plaza several kilometers down.
We later realized that we had waited in line for over two hours - but we didn't notice the passing time because the line was a party of its own.Vendors pushed carts of cold beer up and down the line as the crowd swayed to the thrum of horns and maracas.

I was amazed at how much the contest reminded me of a sporting event. The crowd's raucous enthusiasm was remniscent of shouting fans at a soccer match. Each contestant was supported by a noisome group of fans wearing t-shirts which bore the name and photo of the contestant from their designated district. We sidled up to the loudest group who screamed for the victory of "Obrero" beneath streams of silly string and an enormous banner held up by small girls. Amid the blaring of the vuvuzelas, someone passed me a fistful of balloons and, aided by a large box of aguardiente (Colombia's national anise flavored liquor), we matched the crowd's enthusiastic roars.

The girls were all stunning. 40 or so contestants paraded about the stage in  bikinis and high heels for over 3 hours, while the crowd danced in the night's persuasive heat. A man pointed out his daughter onstage, a gorgeous, lanky woman with a billowing afro. "Her chances aren't good," he explained, knotting his hands nervously around a handkerchief, "she has the darkest skin."
A quick internet search reveals the lack of diversity among contest winners - in the years since the competition's inception in 1934, there has only ever been one Afro-Colombian winner. 

We lost interest somewhere amid the endless mirage of bikinis and left, wandering haphazardly back toward our hostel.

Perhaps ill-advisidly, we had booked a bus for a 5 hour bus ride to Tayrona National Park at  4 am the following morning. I woke to the sound of pounding rain and a throbbing headache. I quickly packed my bags and headed downstairs to wait for the arrival of the bus. I hadn't read up on Tayrona at all and anticipated white sands, blue sea, and a comfortable hostel on the beach.
When the bus pulled up into the entrance at the national park, we were instructed to board another bus. After riding for half an hour more, the bus stopped in an enclave of rainforest with no beach in sight. In its place stood a slight manger where several skinny horses gazed out impassively beneath the hum of mosquitoes.
The sleepy-eyed guide explained that we could either hike for 2 hours through the jungle or reach the coast in 1 hour on horseback.
We opted for horseback. As I winded my way through the humid rainforest on the back of my horse, Mona Lisa, I looked up to see a tiny squirrel monkey peering down at us.

We arrived at dusk, just as the local insects buzzed hungrily, ready for their evening meal. Tonight's entree? Gringa fresca.

Even at the cost of the bugs, the beaches made it all worthwhile. The days were spent swimming with mercurial fish in the clear warm waters of the Carribean. Each night we ate fresh, fat shrimp for dinner and drank wine on the shore.
After a sudden rainstorm soaked my entire wardrobe, I was ready to return to Cartagena and civilization.

And now, I'm ready (hopefully) for the wild again. Tomorrow I  embark on a 5 day trek through Cuidad Perdida (the lost city), which is described in my Lonely Planet guide with the following compelling depictions: "some travelers have returned with hundreds of mosquito bites," "be sure to bring masses of insect repellent," "the terrain is rough," and "you will often hike through waist deep creeks and your clothes will be soaked for several hours after."

I just stocked up on bug repellent so...I'm ready?

Also- I have to mention my new favorite breed of cat, The Carribean Cat, a docile, quiet breed that loves to eat roasted peppers and warm white rice.
MEooooooooooW!