Jan 2017: Leaving Cabo de la Vela was rough and stark. The photo above embodies my landscape memories of this place. We were saddened as we passed the small Wayuu rancherias with so very little. We were hopeful that more rain would come for them. And we wondered how long it would be until some big resort snatched up the real estate of these pristine beaches.
It took us almost an hour, driving in the dirt before we reached the main road. It took another 40minutes to reach Uribia. At Uribia, we turned right and headed to Manaure.
Manaure is known for its salt flats. The town center is neat and clean, but once you leave the concrete structures, it is just a shanty-town with broken down lean-tos and lots and lots of garbage.
The salt flats are impressive just in their enormity. They are large areas that are filled with sea water and then as the water evaporates, it leaves behind the salt and minerals. Remember, this part of the country gets very little rain, so the sun beats down on a daily basis. When we arrived at the salt flats, it was mid-morning and it was hot. There was no one around because most of the work is done in the early hours before it gets too hot. Once a flat is dried, they scoop up the salt with shovels and huge plows, and then take it to a processing plant near by.
Aiden was surprised by how rough and hard the salt slabs were. Leila just wanted to lick it. I wondered how they separate out the dirt from the salt.
Albania is a town about 1hr south of Manaure and, although it is so close, the landscape is completely different. This area is much more lush since it is located west of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain (and not in its rain shadow). Albania is the location of the Cerrejon Coal Mine. The coal mine is the largest open pit coal mine in Latin America and, although it has been there for over 30years, it is still controversial. But, we did not go to Albania to see the mine, we went for the “luxurious” hotel – Waya Guajira.
After roughing it for several nights, yes, I recognize that sleeping in an actual bed is not roughing it, the kids were excited to have air conditioning and a big fancy pool to swim in.
My kids love the water but they especially love two specific kinds of water: big ocean waves that you can body surf in and a crystal clear swimming pool.
The hotel staff greeted us with piña coladas while we were checking in and carried our bags to our room. Heavenly. The restaurant had a long and varied menu as well as a huge buffet. The waiters were happy to bring us cold drinks while we lounged by the pool.
This was our last night in La Guajira before our 2 day drive back to Medellin and it was lovely!
Below is a map of our journey.
Leave a Reply