San Andrés – AlpineRock

San Andrés is an Island of Colombia, although its geographical position doesn’t give a hint of this belonging. San Andres is situated 770km from the coastline of Colombia but only 190km from the coastline of Nicaragua. As well the Island is very small, but as usually little things have a great value. This happened to me with the Island San Andres. I could never imagine living in such a small place surrounded by only water…but this Island and its people have their charm. I fall in love.

The climate during my stay in San Andrés was really great. It felt like 30 degrees in the shadow, so that I really was happy about the wind. Not only to keep me a bit cool, as well I started to do windsurf and so it was my friend and enemy at the same time. The wind gave me the possibilities to navigate and to obtain velocity, but at the same time the wind changed its direction and its forces. So I landed a lot of times in the water.

Santa Marta and Cartagena were my first places at the Caribbean. I had a great time but there is no possibility to compare these places. San Andrés is so different to Colombia. I wasn’t really feeling that I’m still in this country. As well many people on the Island speak a mix of Spanish and English which is called creole. This has an historical background. The people on the Island are a mix of African, English and Spanish people. I heard that the people from San Andrés don’t like to speak Spanish because they want to distinguish themselves to the Colombians. Well I realized that the people from the Island talk to each other in their language, but with me they talked Spanish. And all of them were really nice to us Tourists. It is really great to live nearby to the people of San Andrés and not to be separate like in other places of the Caribbean. But well as I said San Andrés is very special to me.

During the night time you can go to the city center, walking there or dancing in one of its discotheques. Or you can chill out in one of the reggae bars which are situated around the Island. During day and night time there are mostly motorbikes on the road. Motorbikes with up to 5 persons! It looks dangerous but for them it is normal. They grew up with this kind of transportation. One child is sitting in front of his father and behind him there are his three girls, but all are looking really happy and not anxious with their situation. As well these people have an inborn talent. They can dance, sing and make music. It is just amazing. Their instruments are simple but they can play it so impressively good. One member of a band used an animal skull to play music; the other one had a self-made trammel. You just have to see it with your own eyes.

Although during my stay not everything went right and leaded to some moments of stress, all in all I enjoyed my time there to the upmost and my mind is still there on the Island.