Tara's Motorcycle Excursion in Colombia

Speaker 1

[00.00.00]

Then we have to turn down this road that just is like straight mud, straight up a mountain. And it was like probably the worst road I've ever seen. Like you couldn't take a car down it, not even four wheel drive like you had to take a motorcycle. It was like the only way you're going to make it.

Speaker 2

[00.00.19]

Hello and welcome to one off Travel Stories. I'm your host, Andrew Tower's journey here. Each episode, I chat with someone about one of their favorite travel stories, that one story they've told countless times to friends and family around the dinner table. On this episode, I'm joined by Tara, a solo traveler, US Marine Corps vet, and outdoor enthusiast based in Hawaii. Tara has traveled across the United States, has solo backpacked in South and Central America, and she was even deployed with the US Marine Corps to the Pacific. She's got some awesome travel content online, some really inspiring content. I definitely suggest checking her out on social media. You can find her at adventurer. She's going to tell us a story about her time in Colombia. She was there on a work exchange, working, uh, actually for a motorcycle tour company, and she was doing a little exploring around where she was living at the time, which was Santa Marta, Colombia, kind of off the beaten path. And she found herself in a bit of a sticky situation, uh, which also involved motorcycles. So I'll let her tell us more. Hey, Tara. Welcome to the podcast.

Speaker 1

[00.01.37]

Hey, Andrew. Great to be here.

Speaker 2

[00.01.39]

Yeah, it's awesome to have you. Thanks for making time.

Speaker 1

[00.01.42]

Of course. Thank you for having me.

Speaker 2

[00.01.45]

Um, yeah, I like to to generally get started by asking people where they are at the moment, where they're calling in from. So. Yeah. Where are you?

Speaker 1

[00.01.52]

Yeah, sure. I'm on Oahu, Hawaii right now, which is where I'm based out of.

Speaker 2

[00.01.57]

Oh. That's beautiful. Based out of. That's that. Is that home for you now or

Speaker 1

[00.02.01]

it is home for me now? I'm not from here. Um, I kind of like. It was one of the places I went during my travels. And just the place that felt like home the most. And so I am really happy to be here.

Speaker 2

[00.02.15]

Awesome. How long have you been based out of there?

Speaker 1

[00.02.18]

So I moved here officially in December, so it's been almost a year. But I also lived here with a friend during Covid, so almost like a year and a half total.

Speaker 2

[00.02.31]

That's amazing, I'm sure. Um, myself included. A lot of people would be jealous to hear that you're living in Hawaii full time. Um. I know this a little from from, um, from reading, uh, your website and being on your Instagram. A bit of the story about, you know, your travels. And I talked about it a little bit in the introduction, but since it's it's kind of an inspiring story, I would love to sort of hear in your own words, um, how you got into traveling. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I think I always had the travel bug from when I was a little kid. My dad had lived all over the world, and I just remember going to bed listening to stories about him traveling, and that was kind of the end goal always. And then fast forward to graduating from high school. I knew that I didn't really want to take the traditional path, so I tried to line up an internship in Costa Rica in the remote mountains of Costa Rica, and it kind of fell through. And then I ended up joining the Marine Corps. And I thought, you know, this is my ticket to travel the world. And I ended up getting stationed at the Pentagon in D.C., and I'm from Maryland. So it was kind of anticlimactic. Yeah. Um, and then when I was getting out, you know, I thought I had everything lined up, I had. I was doing an internship in D.C. at one of the biggest marketing firms in the world, and I had a job lined up, and then Covid hit and everything kind of fell through. The job offer fell through me and my boyfriend, who I was living with at the time we broke up. Um, it just felt like kind of everything was crumbling. I was like, okay, now I don't have a job, now I don't have a place to live. But then kind of the silver lining was I had nothing tying me anywhere. And then everything went remote. So I ended up starting freelancing remotely and finishing college online. And I was kind of very lost and depressed at that point. And I was like, you know what? I never wanted to live in D.C. I'm just going to pack my car and start driving. And kind of the thought was, I'm going to visit my friends and family that I haven't seen in so long because I was in the military. Yeah. Um, and things kept being remote, and I just kept traveling, and that's actually how I made it to Hawaii. One of my friends from the Marine Corps was stationed here, and he was like, if you want to come to Hawaii, you just you should. And so I was going to come for three weeks because I had to quarantine for two. One week to explore. And I ended up staying for six months, and I just fell in love with it here. And it's kind of what kickstarted my international travels. I met a girl here just at a coffee shop, and she invited me to Costa Rica for a month. And then that opened my eyes into budget backpacking, and I was working full time remotely, and I was still unhappy in my job. And so it kind of like lit the fire under my feet to be like, you know what? This is doable. And it's really cheap. Um, I can just quit my job and travel around South America for a couple of months. And that's what I did. I traveled throughout South America, and then I also did some more travel in the US across the country, camping out of my Honda Civic at the time.

Speaker 1

[00.05.48]

Um, so it kind of was just like one thing led to the other.

Speaker 2

[00.05.52]

Yeah. Um, you know, I mean, since starting this, I've, I've also traveled a lot, but, um, just over the years and for work and studying, whatever. But it seems like from chatting with people that, um, that story around Covid isn't, isn't super unique like a lot of people had there. Had to hit reset, if you will. Yeah. And then a lot of people discovered like, wait, like, you know, I can travel and I can do it on a budget. Um, I can do it solo, which I know you talk a lot about on your Instagram as well, so, um. Yeah, kind of amazing.

Speaker 1

[00.06.28]

Yeah. I mean, for me, like, honestly, Covid saved me. And, I mean, I don't want to diminish the fact that it was horrible for so many people, but. It really was the wakeup call that I needed. You know, I was climbing this corporate ladder and, you know, I was like, okay, I'm going to get my master's, I'm going to get married. I'm going to have the white picket fence, you know, all of the things. And yeah, I realized that that wasn't my dream. And I don't know what I mean. I think I had a perfect storm. It was like the Marine Corps, my ex-boyfriend, like, covered all of it together. But I'm like, I don't know, like, if I think of for a lot of people. And that's kind of what I see traveling is because you'll meet people and it's like immediately you go into like, why are you here? You know, and a lot of people, it was like they hit a rock bottom of some sort, and it just kind of forced them into doing something really scary, like buying a one way ticket to South America or living in your car. I mean, neither one of those things are inherently glamorous, but I mean, it leads to some pretty cool opportunities and places to see

Speaker 2

[00.07.36]

and, um, some pretty cool stories as well, I imagine. Yeah. Um, so just segueing there, um, as you know, um, and thank you. Thank you for sharing. Um, you know, as I said, I've seen more and more of this, and there's a lot of people traveling on a budget, backpacking, um, solo, doing doing whatever they can. And I think it's it's a great it's a great thing to do. It's a great experience. And, you know, that that ideal kind of white picket fence scenario, not for everyone. Or you can always get back to that, you know, you know, go experience

Speaker 1

[00.08.11]

of life, you know. Yeah. Um,

Speaker 2

[00.08.14]

as I was saying, the podcast is about, uh, stories. So like, the stories that kind of stick with you, that you tell people about after after you get back for, you know, years later, you bring up again. So I know you've got, um, a story to tell us from your travels, which I'm excited about. Um, just to set kind of the context and background, um, usually, you know, I try to ask, like, setting the groundwork. Could you give us a little bit about, um, where where you were going? So the place itself, kind of the time, uh, the time or year, if you will. And, uh, yeah. Like, why were you. Why were you going there?

Speaker 1

[00.08.57]

Yeah. Okay. Of course. Yeah. Actually, it's so funny. Just like two days ago, this popped up in my memories. So actually, like, a beginning, part of the trip popped in my memory. So it might have been exactly two years ago right now that this happened. It was in 2022, and it was a little bit after I initially went to South America and spent a couple of months there, and I actually got called back to the Marine Corps to deploy, which I could have said no to, but I, I was still kind of in like my travel era. And I was like, this could be a unique opportunity to see a place from a different lens. Um, so I was excited about it, but I also was like, oh my gosh, I need a last hurrah of traveling before I'm a little bit locked down again. So I decided to go on a quick trip to Colombia, and it was a really last minute trip, and I was doing a work exchange program through this company, World Packers, which, if people don't know, basically like it, connects you with opportunities around the world to basically exchange your time or expertise in some sort of volunteering capacity for accommodation, food, and the one I was doing was actually with a motorcycle tour company, so they paid for where I was staying, and then I could use the motorcycles to explore Colombia on my off time. So on the weekends I would go do little weekend trips. So this one particular weekend I was going, I was staying in Santa Marta, Colombia, which is kind of unlike the northern coast. Um, and then I was going to Menorca, which is up in the mountains, this mountain village, it's it's really people go there for like ecotourism. There's coffee plantations, cacao farms, really, really beautiful. But up, up in the mountains overlooking the sea below, basically.

Speaker 2

[00.10.52]

Gotcha. And, um, were you so in the Marine Corps? So are you a reservist? Is that is that how how it works when you get called up?

Speaker 1

[00.11.01]

Yeah. Kind of. So when you join the military, most likely you'll do four years active, but you're contracts for eight years, so you do four active and four inactive. Um, but like in those inactive years, if you're not actively in the reserves. You're basically still in, but you don't have to do anything. Like you could grow a beard. Not me. But you know, the guys can grow a beard. You can basically just live your life, but they could call you back up. And I could have said no, but I said yes. So okay, that's kind of how it

Speaker 2

[00.11.35]

works. Sorry. That was sort of a sidebar. I was just curious. I didn't really think about the beard thing, though. That. That's funny. Um, yeah. World Packers that that sounds amazing. Funnily enough, I did something similar in Ecuador years ago. Um, so I think it's just a good thing for people to look into if, if they're trying to find like again, cheap travel, um,

Speaker 1

[00.11.57]

for sure. And you know what? It kind of like, I mean, I'll get into the story and I got into a little bit of a sticky situation. Not too bad. But if you're worried about going to a country that you don't know anyone in, it also is kind of like a safety net, because you're going to meet people who are expecting you, and they can give you kind of like the lay of the land, like, go here, don't go here. Like I know people in this town if you need something. So it was definitely a good I mean, I had already been traveling for a while, so I wasn't super worried about it, but it was like a good safety net and kind of a good built in network in the area.

Speaker 2

[00.12.36]

Right. Um, I'm assuming. So when you arrive, you've got someone like you're supposed to meet and sort of a plan that they help you with.

Speaker 1

[00.12.46]

Yeah, I mean, mine was a little bit loose, but, um, yeah, I mean, they coordinate a lot of this stuff. Like if they for me, they were providing accommodation. So like I showed up and then like, I didn't have to do any of the planning for the accommodation or anything like that. So it kind of eliminates some of the logistics. And then just it gives you at least somebody to talk to. If, you know, traveling solo is new to you.

Speaker 2

[00.13.16]

Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Um, yeah. So take us, take us to Colombia.

Speaker 1

[00.13.21]

Yeah, yeah. So, I mean, last minute trip. I've kind of fallen in love with South America. I would still love to go back to Colombia. There's so much to do there. And I just saw, like, a tiny pocket of it. Um, but, yeah, this particular weekend I was going to Minka, which is really close to Santa Marta, where I was staying, about like a 45 minute drive up the mountains like winding mountain roads through some smaller villages. And this weekend, for some reason, like they had a bunch of motorcycle tours going on, so I couldn't use one of the motorcycles. So I was just going to take the bus. But I had met some people at a local cafe like the day before, and this German guy was like, oh, I have a motorcycle. I'm going to make a two if you want to ride. Like you can just ride with me. And I was like, oh, that's perfect. You know, like the bus is fine, but like, if he's going to pick me up right at my hostel in a motorcycle, like, that's perfect. Um, and like, he picks me up. I had a helmet and everything because I was working at the motorcycle place. Right. And, um. Immediately I was like, hmm, I don't know if he's the best motorcycle driver.

Speaker 2

[00.14.37]

What gave you that sense?

Speaker 1

[00.14.38]

He just seemed a little unsteady. And then because he was bringing all his stuff, he actually was living on a boat, and he was, like, traveling around on a boat. So he had just rented this motorcycle, like, moments before he picked me up. Okay. Yeah, yeah. And, um, he had this, like, giant backpack on. Not like a backpacking backpack, but it was like a big, boxy one that was, like, waterproof because he was living on the boat, and I just had, like, a tiny backpack, so I, like, stuffed it in this giant backpack that he had. But because we were sharing the motorcycle, he was like, here, you wear the backpack. And so I put it on this backpack. And honestly, this thing was like so big and so boxy that I had a hard time even just like getting on the motorcycle and balancing with it. So like, let alone him being unsteady on this motorcycle. Me on the back with a backpack that's like throwing the balance off of this thing. And then these Columbia roads are like motorcycles everywhere, like it's pandemonium. And then it's also rainy season. And so when it rains, then the roads flood like I'm talking like six inches of water you're just driving through. Luckily, it wasn't flooded right now, but. And then he was like, okay, we need to stop and get gas. And then he reveals to me that he doesn't know where we're going at all. And. So luckily, like I had data on my phone, I had an eSIM. And so I was like, okay,

Speaker 2

[00.16.18]

how long have you been driving for? Sorry.

Speaker 1

[00.16.21]

We had been I mean, we just went to the gas station. It was probably like ten minutes.

Speaker 2

[00.16.25]

Okay, okay.

Speaker 1

[00.16.27]

Yeah. Um, he's like, I don't know where we're going. And in his defense, it was like we were at a part that was like kind of the most confusing part, where there were like roundabouts and different exits to take, and it was just a little bit crazy. So I was like, okay, like, I'll navigate us, no big deal. I'll carry all your stuff, um, navigate for us. And so then after this part, it gets like you're getting up in the mountains. So the roads are kind of winding like switchbacks. And this guy is just like, flying around the corners. And I was like, okay, we're gonna make it. It's going to be fine. But then the part that got me was like, we'd go through these villages and they're like these small villages with, like, children and like animals in the road. Like, you need to slow down, like. Five miles per hour, and he was going like 40mph through these towns. And I was like, oh my gosh, we're gonna like take out, I don't know, a dog chicken or something. Yeah.

Speaker 2

[00.17.32]

Question two. So by that point, have you, had you been using the like, were you quite proficient in motorcycles, given where you were staying? Like,

Speaker 1

[00.17.40]

no. Okay. Not really. So

Speaker 2

[00.17.44]

you hadn't been like biking around through villages and stuff yet?

Speaker 1

[00.17.48]

I mean, I had been biking around, but like just on my own, like, I don't think I don't trust myself to bike around with somebody on the back.

Speaker 2

[00.17.58]

Gotcha. Okay. Yeah. So you had a little bit of the lay of the land, though.

Speaker 1

[00.18.02]

Yeah. I, I like, knew my way around the town, but then I had never been to this area before. Okay. So you're now flying around switchbacks and flying through towns.

Speaker 2

[00.18.14]

Yes. Okay.

Speaker 1

[00.18.16]

And then you get to the town and it's really small. It's like super mountainous. And even the hostels are pretty far out from the main town, down like dirt roads. More like up crazy dirt roads. So we were staying in different areas. Um, but he was like, okay. So I'm the navigator. Bring me, bring us to my hostel, which was like way out there. And I'm like, okay, that's fine. Mind you, I my plan in my mind was when we get there, I need to go to the ATM because I don't have any money.

Speaker 2

[00.18.55]

Yeah, I have a great feeling.

Speaker 1

[00.18.57]

No, but I was so sure I was like, it's fine, we'll get there. I'll get money, we'll get to the hostels. It's fine. But I didn't really realize that the hostels were so spread out away from like the main center of the town, which is pretty small. And so then we have to turn down this road that just is like straight mud, straight up a mountain. And it was like probably the worst road I've ever seen. Like you couldn't take a car down it, not even four wheel drive like you had to take a motorcycle. It was like the only way you're going to make it and. And I was like, let's go slow. You know, because he had been flying and I'm like, okay, we're about to get on this super slick thing, like take it slow. And he was like, no, we need to go fast to maintain our speed. And so he just starts trying to fly up this thing and we're like slipping everywhere, losing traction. And I don't know how far we made it up the mountain a while, but I finally was like, just let me off, take your stuff, let me off. And I mean, at this moment, I was thankful that I had been navigating because I knew where we were, even though it was kind of far from civilization. I was literally on this. We hadn't seen a soul. We were just on this road. Yeah. And he was like, are you sure? I'm like, yep, you're good. Just keep on going. I'll be fine. And I actually took a video of him, like leaving me there, and I posted it on my story and it was so bad, people thought that it was a joke because he was, like, super Unstable, just even himself, with his giant backpack going up the mountain like his feet were like dangling off the sides. And he was like. It was really bad. People were like, that has to be a joke. But unfortunately it was not.

Speaker 2

[00.20.58]

They were. Yeah. They thought you were just uploading some some person driving by what you thought you thought looked hilarious because they're driving up this mud road.

Speaker 1

[00.21.07]

Oh my gosh.

Speaker 2

[00.21.08]

Okay. Well um, probably smart on your, on your end, but now you're standing on the side of a mountain, a muddy mountain road that can't handle cars. So, uh. Yeah, I mean, what were you what was going through your head at that moment?

Speaker 1

[00.21.25]

I mean, I think I was relieved, to be honest. I mean, after solo traveling for so long, I feel like you kind of get this mentality of like, okay, when it's me, like, I can take care of me. But then when you get into a situation that you can't really control, like all of a sudden I'm on the back of this essentially strangers bike. I mean, when you're solo traveling, you meet people all the time, and part of the beauty of it is being open to meeting people and experiences and making new friends. But. You also kind of have to keep your guard up a little and be like, is this a safe situation to stay in? And at that point I was like, this is not a safe situation to stay in, so I'm going to get myself out. So, I mean, I was thankful that I knew where I was if I didn't have an eSIM on my phone, I don't think I even had service really where we were at that point, but I at least knew how we got there so I could backtrack.

Speaker 2

[00.22.21]

I think, um, before we get to the to the how you're getting out of there, it's a great point to sort of pause on, which is like that, um, openness to meet new people, but then sort of a decisiveness, like, you think you've learned that decisiveness over time, which is I don't like the scenario. I'm out. Um, yeah. Yeah, I think that's probably I mean, it carries over into life, too. And I think that probably the military kind of gave it to me a little bit too. But even just living in my car, you're your guard is kind of always up because you're going to these new places with new people. And it really just is a good lesson to trust your intuition because. Luckily, I have never gotten into a situation where I'm like, this is really bad, or I'm getting mugged or anything like that. But there have been times when I've been traveling or on the road where I just like, feel like something's off and I, I don't even question it. I'm like, okay, maybe it's fine, but like, I don't want to risk it. I'm going to turn around or I'm going to go the other way, or I'm just going to stay in tonight. One time when I was on the road, I pulled into this park and I was just going to sit there for a minute and try and figure out my directions to the next place I was going, and for some reason I felt like really off. And I was like, okay, I'm just going to plug in my directions and go. And in the two minutes that I was sitting there, I witnessed somebody's bike get stolen. Like this guy just like set his bike down to like, get a drink of water. And somebody just came up, got on the bike and eroded away. And he was like, running after the person, like, hey, that's my bike. Oh, man.

Speaker 1

[00.24.06]

It's crazy how like. You can really you can feel it and you just need to listen to that sense.

Speaker 2

[00.24.14]

Yeah. And also trust yourself. I mean, as you said, you are in the middle of nowhere, but you felt confident you could get out based on what you knew. Sort of. Not a terrible lot of preparation needed necessarily, but you

Speaker 1

[00.24.28]

know. No definitely not. It's just kind of having it in the back of your mind to know. I feel like the people that I have met that have gotten into more situations, I mean, granted, bad things can happen anywhere but more most of the people who I ran into who had gotten like mugged or something, if you just watch how they go about their day, it's like they're not paying attention to what's happening around them. Just being like a little bit extra alert, I think goes a really long way. Mhm.

Speaker 2

[00.25.02]

Okay. So um, you got out of there, you're off the bike, but you are in the middle of what presumably is a jungle maybe, but the woods anyway.

Speaker 1

[00.25.13]

Yeah. And it's muddy jungle. Yeah.

Speaker 2

[00.25.15]

Yeah. What's next.

Speaker 1

[00.25.18]

Yeah. So I actually continued up the road instead of going back down the road because, I don't know, I was like, I'm already way out here. There's obviously something up there. Um, do I want to walk an hour back to town with when maybe there's something cool, like, not that far up the road. So I ended up walking up the road, and not too long after, maybe like a 20 minute walk, I ran into this couple who was Australian, and I was like, what are you guys doing? Like, where are you going? And they were headed to a cacao farm. And I was like, oh, that sounds fun. Like I'll go to. And so I ended up spending the day with them at this cacao farm. And the guy literally, like, picked it from the tree. And then we did the whole process to make it into chocolate. And he put like this chocolate face mask on me, and we drank our hot chocolate. And I did have a little bit of money. I had enough money to do that, which was like, not a lot. Um, but then after that I was completely out of money, so I figured I was taking the hour and a half trek back to town, which was not even to my hostel, just to the ATM in town.

Speaker 2

[00.26.41]

Um. I mean, it's kind of hilarious. You're, like, figuring it out, but it's like, I'll just go do this side. This side. This sounds nice, you know, like, uh, I

Speaker 1

[00.26.51]

mean, I'm already this part of this road. Am I going to come up this road again? Probably not.

Speaker 2

[00.26.56]

Yeah. Did you did you tell the couple, like, what happened to you?

Speaker 1

[00.27.00]

I did, I did, and then I think like the whole rest of the weekend, I was kind of looking around me like, oh no, am I going to run into this guy again? And he, is he going to be mad at me? Not that it really matters, you know? Yeah.

Speaker 2

[00.27.17]

No, as you said, you did what you thought was best. Um, so from there, did you have to walk all the way back?

Speaker 1

[00.27.24]

I started the walk. The couple ended up. They were going kind of a different way because they wanted to stop at this waterfall. And I guess you had to pay to see the waterfall. And I was like, that sounds cool, guys, but I am broke. I can't see the waterfall. So then we we went our separate ways and I started walking down and it was kind of like towards the end of the day at this point it was not it wasn't getting dark, but it was like, definitely people were heading to their hostels. Um, and. Well, how it operates there is they have these moto taxi drivers because motorcycles are the only thing that can get down these roads. So this motorcycle taxi guy, he didn't even see me at first. And then he saw me and he stopped and he was like, oh, you need a ride. But he didn't speak English. So it was like, all in Spanish. And I was like, no, I'm sorry, but I have no money. And he was like, I mean, he was going down the mountain anyway, so it didn't really matter if he got paid like something was better than nothing. And I was like, no, I swear, like, I'm not kidding, I have no money. And, um, I literally opened up my little belt bag and counted the money I had, and it was equivalent to $1. And and he was like, that's fine, I'll give you a ride. Where do you need to go? And I told him to the ATM. So my plan was I was going to pay him when we got to the ATM. Um, but he was so nice. He literally he took me to the ATM, and then he took me to the hostel. Only for that $1 that I had. And then, um, it was cool because we ended up, like, becoming friends, and we hung out for the whole next day, and he showed me a lot of really cool spots all around Minka.

Speaker 2

[00.29.18]

Nice. I mean, that a different motorcycle experience, uh, kind of redemption. Yeah.

Speaker 1

[00.29.25]

Way better. Way better experience. And I didn't know anyone in that town at all. So it was. It was kind of cool. He dropped me off, and then I, I messaged him and I was like, hey, like, I want to go see the sunset where it should be. Where should I see the sunset? And he was just like, I'll pick you up, I'll take you to a spot. And, um, I mean, we couldn't really communicate because, I mean, my Spanish is basic, so we tried to communicate. Um, he spoke no English, so. I mean, it was really just, you know, lots of hand gestures and whatnot, but, um. Yeah. Then the next day, he picked me up and we went all over. I mean, they're they're beautiful mountain roads in the clouds. There's also a lot of indigenous. Um. Culture in Colombia. And so it was really cool to go up these roads and see how, like indigenous tribes were living up in those mountains, just, you know, like they always have been.

Speaker 2

[00.30.24]

Yeah, yeah. Um, that's pretty fascinating. Uh, I was going to ask about Spanish. I forgot earlier on, like, whether you had, um, whether you spoke Spanish, I guess, had you just been picking it up along the way. By that point, you had been to a bunch of South American countries, right?

Speaker 1

[00.30.42]

Yeah. I mean, the thing about it is you you learn some and then you forget. But I did take Spanish in high school, probably for like three years. And then, um, yeah, at this point I've spent, I don't know, over six months in Spanish speaking countries, but it's kind of like you pick up a little bit and then you lose it, and then you pick up a little bit more. So I still do my Duolingo every day, but we're slowly learning.

Speaker 2

[00.31.12]

That's great. I know. Uh, yeah. You just you have to do it every day and you have to do the you have to do the mix too. Um, listening, writing, watching, whatever. Yeah,

Speaker 1

[00.31.26]

but it really does help when you're there. Like, when I was traveling around with this moto taxi driver, I felt like those two days, I learned more Spanish than I ever have. Because you're just forced to figure it out.

Speaker 2

[00.31.41]

Yeah, I that always holds true. It's amazing. It's impossible to replicate. I mean, you can try. I've actually tried, like, change my phone to a different language and change all my, like, TV shows and like, podcasts, everything. And like, you could it's okay. But it is not the same as being forced. Like something in your brain. Um, when you're like, I have to figure this out. It's it's different, right?

Speaker 1

[00.32.09]

And I feel like just the stakes of communicating with another person makes it more meaningful than just like, oh, I'm watching the news or listening to this podcast. It's kind of easy to just drown it out, but when you're actually trying to get a point across, you're like, I need to learn this because I can't communicate.

Speaker 2

[00.32.30]

Yeah. Um, it kind of awesome that it's on your way, like down the mountain. Now, um, on your way back, that you met someone else on a motorcycle that ended up, you know, taking you around. And so you got to explore.

Speaker 1

[00.32.46]

Yeah. I mean, when, you know, the roads. Actually, it's so funny, when I went back on Monday to my volunteer experience. I mean, they ride these roads all the time and they take tourists down them and stuff. And I told them about my experience and they were like, where are you going? And I told them and they their eyes got wide and they were like, no, not that road. Like it's almost impossible to ride that road with a passenger on the back of a bike.

Speaker 2

[00.33.17]

So after those two days, um, yeah. Were you staying in that town at a hostel?

Speaker 1

[00.33.23]

Yeah, I was staying at a hostel in Santa Marta, so not too far away.

Speaker 2

[00.33.29]

Okay, so after, after sort of, um, exploring, um, manga. Manga? Um, yeah. You got back. Yeah, it was just a quick weekend trip, which it was. The cool thing about volunteering was that you could go on the weekend trips, but it's also when you're used to just doing whatever you want, whenever you want. And you're like, okay, wait, I have to work during the week, and then I only have two days to go do something fun. Yeah,

Speaker 1

[00.33.57]

uh, but definitely worth it.

Speaker 2

[00.33.58]

Did you ever run into, um, the the German man again?

Speaker 1

[00.34.05]

No. Not really. I think I passed him when I was on the other motorcycle the next day. Um, but, I mean, it's kind of hard to tell when you're going by each other so fast, and you have helmets on and everything. Um. But no, I didn't.

Speaker 2

[00.34.24]

It's just. Just curious. You never know. I mean, explaining that this was an unsafe road to go after, I know all the reactions from the people is kind of funny, but, um, the other thing,

Speaker 1

[00.34.37]

I felt more justified.

Speaker 2

[00.34.38]

Yeah, definitely. Sounds like you made the right choice. Also, um, you know, I was remembering traveling myself, and, um, it, like it was really normal to hitchhike, like, um, but not like hitchhiking, like we think of in the US. It's just people will. Like, if you're walking, people usually with pickups was my experience. But they'll like, it's super normal to stop and they'll be like, hey, jump in. And I remember specifically you like, you just gave them a dollar. Like that's that's all they would want is like, I would just give them like it's almost like a tip, right? Like here's a buck or whatever. So do they have is it like that in Colombia as well or where you were.

Speaker 1

[00.35.22]

Um, not necessarily, but I mean, yeah, a lot of places in South and Central America, it's not really real taxes. It's just like if you have a car and you're driving down the road, or you have a motorcycle and you're driving down the road, and I mean, you can kind of ask them, like, how much do you want? But you can bargain with them and it's fine. You know, it's like I feel like in the US people think it's really scary. They're like, you get in and myself included, I don't think I'd get in a random car in the US, but in other countries it's like, yeah, it's just like a taxi.

Speaker 2

[00.35.55]

Yeah, basically. I mean, most of my experience was they're trying to help people out. Like it wasn't just tourists. I saw lots of other locals doing the same thing, which makes you a little bit more comfortable, right?

Speaker 1

[00.36.06]

Yeah. Good point. I mean, the place that I get the most sketched out is the airport there. I try and take something more. More.

Speaker 2

[00.36.16]

That's a bit of a trap, right?

Speaker 1

[00.36.17]

Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 2

[00.36.19]

Um, well, I like how, I guess. How was the rest of your time in Colombia?

Speaker 1

[00.36.26]

It was really good. I mean, I because I was volunteering, it felt like a little more chill. It was kind of like you got into routine with everything, but the people that I was volunteering with were really cool. Um, they were actually Americans, like most of them who moved down to Colombia, and they were kind of homesteading there. Wow. Um, I actually my uncle is married to an indigenous Colombian lady, so it's kind of like a really interesting tie that I didn't even really think about when I was down there. But since being down there, I have met her and she has told me a lot about their customs and their culture. I mean, she doesn't speak English either, so it's, you know, how much I can interpret from what she's saying because it's also like she'll speak Spanish, but then also their indigenous language, and it's just really interesting. I feel like Colombia was the place where I noticed that the most. I mean, I feel like in Peru and other places there is still the indigenous culture, but I felt like it was very small. And in Colombia, at least where I was, it felt very prominent. Hmm.

Speaker 2

[00.37.43]

That's fascinating. I honestly haven't heard a lot about it. Like I've had a lot of friends visit Colombia. I haven't had the chance. But it's funny, like, um, I hear about it more around Peru.

Speaker 1

[00.37.56]

Um,

Speaker 2

[00.37.57]

and along the Andes, I guess, like all the way up and down. Um, but yeah, I've really not a lot about indigenous culture in Colombia. So that's. Yeah, that's very interesting.

Speaker 1

[00.38.08]

I feel like most people they go to more of like the bigger cities, like Medellin. And I mean, you wouldn't see it there or like Cartagena and Cartagena. I don't know how you say it. Um. But yeah. Um, yeah, that was the part that I thought was the most interesting, but I guess I was a little bit more off the beaten path there. So.

Speaker 2

[00.38.32]

Yeah, I mean,

Speaker 1

[00.38.34]

actually Minka is where a lot of backpackers go for the Lost City trek, which is kind of like, I don't know, like the Machu Picchu of Colombia, just lesser known. I feel like it's it's a pretty old indigenous site. Um, and like the indigenous population is still pretty active there. So I think that's part of the pull of the trek is because you get to see kind of how they're living their life.

Speaker 2

[00.39.01]

Got it. I yeah, I haven't heard of that. Did you do that trek?

Speaker 1

[00.39.04]

I didn't do it. I mean, I didn't have enough time because I only had the weekend, but I think it's like a 3 or 4 day trek. And I know people who did it and they, they said it was really cool, but it's, um, it's in the jungle. So it was like lots of bugs, really rainy. They said it was an adventure.

Speaker 2

[00.39.23]

Gotcha. For sure. Um, and then, um. Yeah. Well, just because you start here, I guess when you, when you got back and then, um, you you shipped out, I suppose.

Speaker 1

[00.39.35]

I did. It was it was a culture shock. I got back home and then I drove to North Carolina and it was like an immediate different world, going to the range and doing training and getting ready to leave the country with a group of Marines that I didn't even know.

Speaker 2

[00.39.53]

Yeah. That's crazy. Um, just it's just an interesting kind of juxtaposition of, um, what you were doing and then where you were going.

Speaker 1

[00.40.03]

I literally laughed when I got there. I mean, you're supposed to be kind of serious, but when I, like, sat down and they kind of gave me the rundown of what was going to happen, I literally was like, I was just backpacking in Colombia, and now you're telling me that I'm going to go to this like crazy military training and then fly halfway across the world the next day? Like, is this a movie?

Speaker 2

[00.40.27]

It kind of sounds like it. I mean, that's it's a wild story. Something maybe you should write someday. Um,

Speaker 1

[00.40.33]

I should, I should, yeah.

Speaker 2

[00.40.36]

Um, awesome. I before before wrap. What do you like? What do you have planned next? I know you've been doing. You've kind of kept up with the travel. Um, you've got great content on your Instagram. What's what's coming up?

Speaker 1

[00.40.50]

Oh, my gosh. You know, I don't know. I'm definitely more more of a last minute planner kind of person. Yeah. Um, I actually just got back from a trip on the mainland. Um, which is always fun. I don't know, I'm thinking about maybe doing vanlife in the summer. I want to get back to the Philippines, do some Asia while I'm close in Hawaii. So. I also want to do a couple months in Mexico, you know, solidify that Spanish. So really it's a toss up. You know, I feel like that's the answer I usually get when I, when I ask folks, um, that have sort of made travel part of their life. So. Mhm. All right. Yeah.

Speaker 2

[00.41.35]

Well um I really appreciate you coming on and sharing your story. Um, a lot of ups and downs on motorcycles literally. Oh yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Thank you for having me on Andrew. I love this idea that you have. I mean, so many like travel stories or just unlike any other kind of stories. Sometimes they'll just come out and I'll realize that they're not really a normal story. Right?

Speaker 1

[00.42.02]

But when you invited me, I was like, I need to think of something, I don't know. So

Speaker 2

[00.42.07]

yeah. And I think, um, maybe you don't realize it till you get home, but some of the learnings are they stick with you, they're important elsewhere. And as we were talking about in yours, like that kind of decisiveness. Trust in your gut. Like, um, you need that.

Speaker 1

[00.42.23]

Absolutely. Everybody needs that. Trust yourself.

Speaker 2

[00.42.26]

Yeah, definitely. Thanks so much.

Speaker 1

[00.42.29]

Thanks, Andrew.

Speaker 2

[00.42.33]

Well, thanks so much to Tara for coming on the podcast today and sharing another great story and one with an important lesson about assessing situations and then sticking to your gut and and being decisive. It can be really important when you're when you're traveling. As I mentioned at the beginning, she's got great content online, lots for solo travelers, and lots of inspiring stuff. So check her out at adventurer, um, or across social media. And as always, if you've got an interesting travel story that you love to share, or you can find me at one off Travel stories.com.