The Dreamer Hostel Santa Marta; Six months later

As an aspiring travel writer to hear the words, “I am here because of what you wrote.” is a huge compliment and accomplishment. The posting I wrote about the Dreamer Hostel in Santa Marta back in April when I was working there has been my most visited posting. I didn’t realize how many people read it until I returned six months later to visit my friends and relax on the beaches of Santa Marta before traveling South America again. Fulvio one of the owners told me I was famous and my blog was very popular as a lot of his guests had come to the hostel because of my blog. While staying here I even had an older guest tell me I was the reason he was there. He was impressed by what I wrote and liked how personal it was. He told me when he walked through the door to the Dreamer he felt like he stepped into a different world, a traveler paradise. The Dreamer lived up to what I had written and more.

Six months on and a lot has changed. The measly patches of grass that Brian the night worker had to water every night is now a lush green lawn. The bar is up and running with a traveler serving happy hour drinks alongside a pool table. The kitchen is revamped with an additional stove, microwave and more counter space. They have built a grass hut to house Ristorante I’Alchemista serving the best homemade Italian food in Santa Marta. The sketches on the walls have turned into beautiful murals. Reception is way more organized than when I was here before. As well during my stay they hired a Dutch girl to organize activities such as trips to beaches and waterfalls, Quiz nights and football games.


Tigre the little kitten that was mischievously jumping at my ankles my first night here back in February is now a full grown cat that has calmed down to the pace of life on the coast. There are many more improvements planned for The Dreamer to make it the ideal place for travelers to discover the area around Santa Marta and to relax.

It was a bit odd coming back and not being a part of the place, not working here and telling people where to go and what to do. I loved sharing my insights and secrets of the pearl of the Caribbean. The staff has also changed as well Milady the cleaning girl has moved away, the night guy Brian left and young Jose who would collect people from the bus station has gone onto university in Medellin. The Dreamer doesn’t even need him anymore it has gained enormous popularity but still keeps its laid back charm.

I was happy to see my favourite pizza man is still there up the road from the hostel serving pizza even in the pouring rain always smiling and loving what he does. The great and economical fast food joint Rapitoco on the main street near the hostel is also still there serving hamburgers, salchipapas and other great food. The bar La Puerta is still the happening place pumping out reggeaton and popular music. I even drank a bottle of Aguardiente in the parque de los Novios for old time sake. Now the hostel even offers Chiva bus parties on weekends which are a crazy alcohol filled ride through the city stopping to dance on the beach in various locations.

Unfortunately not all travelers share the same dream, the caring and compassion as the owners of The Dreamer Fulvio and Michel. A couple had stayed one night in a private room at The Dreamer and left to Taganga without paying. Fulvio contacted the hostel where they were staying and went to collect the money he forgot to pay. The guest got very angry with him and without reason, he was the one who did not pay his bill. He threatened Fulvio and said he is going to cost him more than the worth of his room. Since then he had written untrue information about the owners of the Dreamer and the hostel on travel sites, forums and blogs. He is saying that the manager of the Dreamer is working with the police in Taganga and they made him with draw a large amount of money from an ATM. He even has gone as far to say they arranged violence on this guy’s girlfriend. (This is what he is writing)This horrible incorrect slander was even written on my blog posting. I was outraged someone wrote something so awful about my friends on my blog, friends of mine who are only trying to live their dream of helping travelers. They have taken this incident in stride there isn’t really anything than can do but continue the outstanding services they offer.

Please do not listen to bad comments made towards The Dreamer I highly recommend the place to anyone. If you have stayed here in the past please tell people about the experience you have had here. Feel free to write a review on Trip Advisor, the Lonely Planet or if you make a reservation through Hostel World remember to review the hostel after you have left.

If you are going to the hostel or even just Santa Marta feel free to contact me about any questions or concerns regarding your travels. I can give you any tips or advice you may need for Parque Tayrona, Ciudad Perdida and other places in the area.

Ciudad Perdida Part three: Playing with the Military

I heard a rumour in the hostel about some girl who was kidnapped by the FARC but fell for one of the guys who kidnapped her and joined the cause. She sent a photo to her boyfriend in her bikini holding a rifle with ammunition trapped across her chest and her new Colombian boyfriend standing behind. That was how she broke up with him. An American girl told me this story. Sometime later I was talking with one of my long term guests in the hostel who was telling me about the Ciudad Perdida trek. He mentioned he found some guys blogs
http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/blog-359374.html

which gives a fantastic account of the trek, really well written with great photos. The best part he got to hang out with the military protecting the site and there was a photo of his girlfriend holding a rifle with ammunition trapped to her and a cheesy military guy standing behind. Underneath the photo was written, “I dared her...she did it....now it is a rumour on the Gringo trail.” The exact rumour I heard!
My friend Joe and I both agreed it was an amazing blog but I could do a better photo. The girl looked good but the guy was smiling, that is so not tough. So when I decided to do my Ciudad Perdida trek Joe said to me as I was leaving the hostel, “You know what you have to do.”
I came prepared. On the day that we left to hike the 1800 steps to the top I threw a bag with packages of cigarettes and a lighter in my backpack. One of the girls in my group had injured her knee and another ripped the nail off her toe so they were moving quite slowly. I knew I didn’t have much time to accomplish my mission so I kept a steady pace and tried not to slip on the wet uneven stairs. Once we got to the top and had a bit of a rest I was off on my own. I ditched my group in search of the military. I was told I would see them all over the place during the trek but I really had to search for them. It was getting very foggy and you could hardly see anything through the jungle. I kept on hiking further to the top until I saw a phone cable. I knew I was close then they noticed me and told me I wasn't allowed up there. I held up my bag of cigarettes and told them I have presents. They started to trickle down from their makeshift station and I did what I do best, chatted them up. I waited until we were all good friends, listened to some Daddy Yankee, made a few jokes while they smoke my cigarettes then I ask for a photo with the gun. It was the head commander guy I was asking and he wasn’t a fan of the idea. He asked me how I was going to convince him, at first I thought he wanted me to “do” something for him but he meant verbally convince him it’s a good idea, give him a reason. I told him I knew of a girl who came here and got a photo with the rifle and I wanted one as well. He didn’t buy it at first but wanted my IPod. That wasn’t going to happen. After much pleading and my putting my best flirting skills to the test he agreed. He told me I wasn’t allowed to tell anyone else and only I could do it. He didn’t want every tourist coming up asking for a photo (Sorry!).

I had my camo bikini and American Eagle Military shorts just for this occasion. My camo Che Guevara hat added to the effect. I posed alone without a cheesy military guy smiling behind me. The fog swirled around me as they showed me how the hold the rifle and took the photo. They seemed to like them quite a lot because after they all wanted to be friends with me on facebook.
We left early without seeing much because of the fog and it was starting to rain, a bit too much like Machu Picchu. What is with me and rainy ancient sites? I couldn’t imagine going up those traitorous steps again but our guides said it would be possible for us to go up again in the morning and I knew I had to.

The morning was bright and sunny and the steps were so much easier the second time around. I made it to the top in no time. I wasn’t preoccupied about getting my gun photo this time so I was able to enjoy and take in the site. No it wasn’t Machu Picchu but it was still equally incredible. Take away the dramatic landscape of Machu Picchu and take away Wayna Picchu the tall mountain that towers over the city then what do you have? Ciudad Perdida was a 3 day trek in the jungle. It is surrounded by lush vegetation and cascading waterfalls in the distance. Up until the end of Feb tourists actually camped right on the site. I was unaware of this, had I known I was have got my butt there sooner instead of spending an entire month on the beaches of Santa Marta. Our guide showed us the circles which used to be the houses and the shaman throne. In the centre of the site is a rock pointing towards the sun which is the fertility rock, I stirred clear of that rock; don’t want to be fertile just yet.

We saw my military boys coming down as we were going up. Had a little chat and kept walking. There is so much history in this site going back to the Tayronas and they believed it was a very sacred place. Some of my group agreed they seemed a lot like Avatar; I had yet to see the movie. You did feel a mystical presence there in all the beauty but I wasn’t as moved as the actress’s friends were telling me. They must be some of those movies stars that are into the whole new age voodoo. I was just taken back by the beauty of the place and the remoteness. There was no one up there but our guide, me, the Belgium girl and the Israeli guy from my group. Where else can you go to an important archaeological site and be the only one there?
Before going back down to camp I took a few more photos with the military guys that were left up there. I still wanted to play and I had one more mission yet to get accomplished. I needed to get a Colombian Military dog tag. Joe would be more than impressed. I asked to see their dog tags and asked questions about them. It was all fun and games until one guy pulled out a zip lock bag with a few tags in it. He told me they were friends of his who were killed near Medellin. You forget every now and then that this country isn’t stable and there is a civil war going on. No matter what I like to tell people back home kidnapping has happened and there still are dangerous parts to Colombia. This military guy’s comrades were just killed the year before. I almost felt guilty when he eventually let me have his dog tag. We were going to trade my necklace for it but my necklace wouldn’t come off, then he just ended up giving it to me. I gave him a kiss on the cheek for a thank you and walk away with my Colombian dog tag in the palm of my hand. Missions a success!!

The Dreamer Hostel, Santa Marta, Colombia

I normally wouldn’t write about a hostel in a blog. I have learned while traveling to be very careful who I recommend a hostel to. One person’s palace is another person’s nightmare. The Dreamer hostel is different though because it was where I arranged to work.
Back in August I was surfing the net looking for information on Colombia and perhaps opportunities for work when I came across a forum. Some guy put up a post inquiring if he would be able to work in Colombia to stay longer. There were the usual replies from knobs such as, “you are not Colombian you can’t work there, why do you want to take job away from the locals”, or the usual English teaching job suggestions. Then I saw a reply from a hostel owner saying he will be opening up a hostel in Santa Marta Colombia in either December or January and is looking for staff. I replied to the hostel owner hoping he would forget this guy and hire me. We kept in contact since and I arranged to arrive in late February after Carnaval. On my way through Peru and Ecuador I tried promoting the hostel to help him out.
I didn’t know much about the hostel, only that is was somewhere in Santa Marta and the owner was Italian. I was a bit weary though because I had no idea what it was going to be like. I feared it was going to be one of those party hostels that you find all over South America. The bar is raging all night full of drunken Canadians, Aussies, Brits and the rests of the gringos. Girls are coming out in groups from the bathroom after having done lines of coke. People are shagging in one bed while coke is being dealt in another. A guy is so messed up on coke and drunk that he shits on a white pool chair.
I wasn’t sure what my new job was going to be but if it was going to be behind the bar I was afraid I would be the one feeding this mob and creating the disaster.
I left late from Barranquilla on a last minute decision and got on the last bus to Santa Marta. I got dropped off somewhere on the side of the road in the dark and the bus driver grabbed a taxi for me. The taxi driver had no idea where he was going and had to ask directions several times, we eventually got to The Dreamer Hostel. I was tired from the bus ride and from the week of Carnaval so I didn’t take in much of the hostel only that I was greeted by a very friendly attractive Italian who told me they had been waiting for me.



In the morning I was refreshed and able to discover the hostel and Santa Marta. It is beautifully designed with one storey colonial buildings surrounding a swimming pool. To one end is a guest kitchen with a bar yet to be established. Off of reception is a TV room with comfy couches and all the way around hammocks are hanging waiting for the tired traveller. It is a traveller’s paradise. The owners Fulvio and Miguel are young Italian guys who also share the passion for travel. They went on an around the world trip in 2006 for 18 months with the thought in the back of their minds to try and find a location for a hostel. They travelled the United States, Mexico, Central and South America, India, South East Asia and more countries but of all those places they fell in love with Santa Marta, Colombia. At the time as well there weren’t any hostels in Santa Marta. In the last year they have been popping up all over.
They have a lot of enthusiasm towards their hostel and pay a lot of attention to their guests. I haven’t seen hostel owners as helpful as them. I started out trying to organize them and make touristic information for the guests then I worked in reception. When we had a full house we made BBQs and on weekends we took the guests to the city centre to drink Aguardiente in the Parque De Los Novios and dance in the discos.



I was delightfully relieved that is was just the type of hostel I was hoping for. It reminded me of the hostel I worked in, in Mexico. It felt like home and the owners and employees felt like my family. The hostel is located in a neighbourhood outside of Santa Marta called Mamatoco, set amongst beautiful houses with grandmas rocking in their rocking chairs on their front porch trying to cool off from the hot Santa Marta nights where at midnight the temperature hovers at 35C.
The Buena Vista shopping centre is only 3 blocks away with a huge super market and at night you can get the best pizza in Colombia from a street side vendor for 2000pesos a slice ($1).
I would lie in a hammock by the pool of the hostel writing on my laptop in my bikini thinking to myself, Carrie Bradshaw had her location all wrong.



Check out my updated post about the Dreamer hostel; The Dreamer Hostel Santa Marta Six Months later