How to become Bob Marley?

Caribbean resorts are not exhausted by the Bahamian Islands, Cuba, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. In the consistently warm caribbean sea, small and very tiny islands scattered, sometimes a few kilometers long, on which it is necessary to spend time – in silence and solitude, surrounded by cute unassuming locals, occasionally accompanied by small tourists. With complete landscape and the necessary normal European Comfort – more national flavor and less traces of civilization. What is she, this civilization, on vacation?

San Andres Island belongs to Colombia – but is located closer to Nicaragua. From Cartagena – 750 kilometers or a summer hour on a small plane, and a few flights happens a day. Here everything is so unlikely to Colombia – absolutely different culture, and the population is black. San Andres inhabit very beautiful people – state, high and slow. They have no place to hurry – the whole island is 12.5 kilometers in length and 3 kilometers width. The road going around the island is 30 kilometers.

But there is its own capital – in the northern part of the island. Low, but mostly the stone city is formally wearing the name of the island – San Andres-Town, but here it is called El Centro. This is where the whole life is focused – shops, hotels, restaurants. Ride huge "Chevrolet" and "Cadillaci" the end of the sixties, the linen of Cuban and in the best condition – the movement on the island is not tense.

Everywhere Spanish inscriptions are duplicated by English: native language of residents of San Andres – the so-called Afro-English (sometimes this language is called "Yamai English"), but they speak and in Spanish – the state language is how-no. Of course, they live well here, but there is no hungry longing in the eyes and poverty. Locals love their island and do not think their lives elsewhere. The farthest point to which they get – Bogota, but there they are frown and hurry to return.

Going to San Andres, it is necessary to keep in mind that in July-August, when the holiday season, or for Christmas and New Year there are quite a few tourists. And despite the fact that staying in a decent hotel stands there inexpensively, dollars 50 a day, or even less, if you choose a hotel a little further from the coast, there may not be free rooms at this time. Therefore, the tour should be booked in advance – it is easiest to do with the help of the Moscow office of the Columbia Avianca airline.

Around the island very little sandy beaches. But in El Centroo Wonderful Beach with White, ivory, sand. Tourists before heading at the disco or casino at night, walk in the embankment in the evenings – and the Moscow residents spend the evening, swimming in the sea. They do not get out of dark turquoise water. Or sit on the waterfront parapet and look at those who pass and pass by. Sometimes chic modern sports trucks appear on the embankment "Porsche". They are three pieces on the whole island, no more. They gently swim by – one way, then to another. Now go nowhere. But passersby have time to notice new cars and hear music coming from open windows. Local music is reggae or salsa. A "Boboes Marley" Slotshnik shy through the streets. To the question of how to make such a hairstyle, answer: "And in no way, just do not comb your hair, and all".

The only three-storey hotel is clearly Valid for the Miniature Island. But there are small hotels. All good and cozy. In them and need to live. And not necessarily in El Centro – with the same success you can stay in San Louis, a wonderful village, inhabited by friendly people. Also with an excellent beach and in addition coral reefs. And the architecture is quite unlike the fact that in the island capital – everything is wooden and completely Latin American. In general, everything is very close here, and in order to see the island, it’s enough to rent a scooter – it is worth not more than $ 20 per day. And go around everything that is on an interesting island. If you ride a bike, the scooter of complexity does not represent – the first few meters you feel uncertain, but then everything goes great.

The main attraction of the island, in addition to the capital, is the Baptist Church in La Lom, the oldest in Latin America. The second is a place where, according to the legend, the glorious pirate Henry Morgan burned in 1670 treasures, looted in Panama. Any passerby will indicate how to get to the lagoon with small crocodiles – Caymans. And indeed, we turn off the highway, drive through the jungle, under the palm trees and huge mango trees, past the humpback cows – and now the sea, the lagoon, and Cayman swim. And they look not like in the fenced crocodile nurseries in large resorts, where crowds come to the crowds, – the crocodiles here live, as a thousand years ago. The only structure of the lagoon – a hut under a mango tree. She is a bar. And here is the owner – the next Bob Marley, calmly swaying under its reggae. It will break away from his endless meditation only to pour the visitor to the beer – and will return to the former lesson. On the island there are all ordinary marine entertainment – scooters, wind surfing, scuba diving. But this is everywhere, but next to San Andres has small islands to which boats constantly go. People take with her bread: feed fish.

Sometimes it rains on San Andres – fast tropical thunderstorm adding pleasant sensations. In July-August, the rain does not have the heat. Usually, Europeans are resting on San Andres (mostly Germans) and Latino – from Argentina, Colombia. There is no one from Russia. Although we just ride on San Andres would be convenient, because with Colombia of Russia visa-free relationship.

So it is quite possible to stroll through the wilderness – while the island, to get acquainted with fun people, inhabiting it, swim in the Caribbean, to achieve absolute, unthinkable calmness. And finally, stumble on cheap island shops – Island Duty Free. By the way, prices there are still 40 percent lower than any large airport, in London or Paris. But that Paris.