La Guajira (Colombia)

La Guajira was the final stage and climax of my holiday in Columbia. Leaving from Riohacha, the nearest 'big' town, we travelled by collective taxi and jeep to cross the desert and reach the stunning, far flung beach of Cabo de la Vella. Crossing near-empty villages, meeting Wayuu communities that still live off their crafts and then ending up in a picture postcard setting was worth the long, dusty journey and scorching heat.

Once there, activities are limited - it's all about relaxing. We chose to sleep in hammocks under starry skies at one of the few hotels open and at lunchtime ate crayfish in a little restaurant lit by a solitary light bulb. Afterwards, we hung around for an hour so as to avoid walking back under the hot, tropical sun. At teatime three of us (!!) climbed on to a moped, put on our helmets and headed to Cabo Beach, which is considered to be one of the most beautiful in the world.

And there was a barely a soul in sight! With the canyon's cliffs as our backdrop, we watched Wayuu craft sellers show their colourful wares to the few tourists who had ventured this far. Imagine shopping for souvenirs in front of a turquoise sea view that stretches as far as the eye can see. By the time we left we were wonderfully chilled out, smiling at having met such lovely people, with our batteries recharged and ready to confront the hustle and bustle of every day life.