My farewell day to Cartagena was spent lying on another beach of the beautiful Islas del Rosario, this one’s name is Isla Bela and it lives up to its name. This time as we pull in with our boat we’re met with a vista of a white sandy beach lined with reclining beach chairs and beds with umbrellas. Who doesn’t want an outdoor bed to lay on in the middle of the Caribbean? Our boat crew consists of a very charismatic 1st mate who enthusiastically blows a telescoping horn as we glide in the remaining few feet. The staff come out on que to greet us. Before we get off the boat he blows his horn again and says, ‘remember that when you hear this sound again it’s time to get back on the boat, not to order another drink, not to go for a swim, not to go to the bathroom, nothing but come back here.’ Ok, we all nod. 

Even though I’m solo I’m given a double bed for the day and I can’t complain. A few minutes later my neighbours arrive: six friends in their 40’s who have all known each other for the last 17 years because they’re all flight attendants for the same American airline. They’re boisterous and joking with each other from the moment they put their bags down on the beds next to me. The two women closest to me are traveling solo, the other two beds are couples. They’re a lot of fun to chat with sharing all kinds of stories with me about customer questions and comments throughout their careers. Apparently they’ve been asked questions like: why the airplane has been parked for the last two hours because the sun hasn’t moved outside their window. I share a few of my favourites from my bookstore dayslike I’m looking for a book and the cover is blue.

After a while they tell me they book a trip like this every year together, the flights for them are dirt cheap as they only have to pay their airport taxes/fees. They rent an airbnb with three bedrooms and because it’s Colombia it comes with a chef who cooks breakfast and dinner for them. It ends up costing them about $70/day with food, a bit more if they go shopping for souvenirs. What a great way to have a good time with your friends. 

The day goes by so fast. I spend as much time in the water as I can without risking another sunburn and enjoy my last meal of delicious fried fish. My dinner neighbours are a very young couple from the Boston area. His family is Colombian, though he grew up in the US and it seems like they’re here so that she can experience part of his culture. She’s really friendly and into animals. She’s really worried about the health of the stray dogs wandering around the beach and is concerned if they get enough to eat. She reminds me of what it’s like to be 21, full of curiosity and all kinds of naive notions of the world. 

Back on the beach beds my airline companions are drinking coconut water with aguardiente, the local spirit I suggested they try as the bar only had José Cuervo tequila. They love it, and have ordered another round. About an hour too soon for me, one of them starts repacking her bag and getting ready to leave. Her friend teases her about being organized and always early for work whereas she prides herself on being just right on time even if it means not having breakfast. The return horn blows and we line up on the docks. Because the folks from the airline came on another boat, they get in the first one and the couple I visited with at lunch also happens to be on that boat. Suddenly all of them are waving at me, saying, “Goodbye Vanessa! Have a fun trip!!” And one of them men mouths, ‘be safe’ nods, and gives me a thumbs up as the boat peels away from the dock.