Salto Santo Domingo

It was the first time I was travelling far out of my comfort zone. During a year of volunteer work in Colombia, I left with a group from the Universidad de los Andes for a week in the Macarena park, best known for Cano Cristales, the river with the colourful algea.
We went to a completely different area of the park, which is the largest in Colombia, and hiked up Cano Santo Domingo all the way up to the fall (salto) at its source.
Was it the fact that I was travelling with about 25 complete strangers and fast befriending a few? Was it the gruelling 3-hour walk to the river, followed by another 2 gruelling hours hiking against the current? Was it that neither of the 2 young men I was hiking with knew any more than I did that such an awesome sight was our destination? Was it the sheer fun and exhilaration of finding companions where I least expected it?
When Simon stopped suddenly at a bend in the river, I almost heard his jaw hit the stones on which we were hiking. His hand shot out toward me and he just hissed “Julie – Julie!”
I joined him as fast as I could, looked up… and there it was.
We actually ran to the wall behind the 200-foot-tall fall.
I will try to get the picture downloaded soon.