Amazing Iguazu Falls

I originally was not planning to make the trip up to Iguazu due to the distance however virtually everyone I´ve met along the way has raved about the place. By bus its a 16 hour journey one way but I figured after bussing for the past month it was ok to treat myself to a round trip flight. So Monday morning Faustman and I hoped on our flight for what is probably my most memorable time in South America.

Faustman swears by hostels.com and he really hit a home run in Iguazu. As our bus pulled off the road it looked like were entering a resort. It used to be an old casino that has been converted into a youth hostel with a huge pool in front! At $15 US a night the place is a by far my favorite hostel in South America.

The falls are located on the border of Argentina and Brazil and its recommended to spend time on each side. The Brasil side offers all encompasing views but can be done in a couple of hours while the Argentinean side allows you to hike in and around the actual falls. We initially were hoping to make it to the Brazil side on the first day but due to visas were not allowed. The second day we woke up early and spent the entire time hiking amongst waterfall after waterfall. The shere size and amount of water coming down these things is like nothing I´ve seen before. Do yourself a favor and Google Iguazu to get an idea about what I´m talking about. One of my favorite momments was booking a boat tour that took us directly under the falls where we got completely drenched as we watched massive amounts of water pour off the edge. If you are ever in Argentina Iguazu is a must!!!!

After a great couple of days lounging by the pool and touring the falls its back to BA for the grand finale. All of my traveling companions are heading in different directions tomorrow and on top of that its Robin´s birthday so tonight is going to be a big send off. 5 days left in South America!!!

Buenos Aires, Part 1

The contrast between Mendoza and Buenos Aires couldn´t be more different. We went from a small city feel in the country to a bustling city where a third of the population lives. In addition our group of three became four with the arrival of my college buddy, Matt Faustman. We spent the first day doing a city walk to get a feel for the Buenos Aires and where everything is located. Keeping with the theme throughout South America protesting is very big here and there are paint splashes all over city hall from past rallies. We also learned that in 2001 there were huge protests that resulted in the president stepping down due to the economy. This country has been through so much turmoil in the past 50 years and there is still tension to this day.

One of my highlights for Buenos Aires was an amazing Tango show we saw the first night. I always pictured Tango as a man in tux with a rose in his mouth sticking his arm straight out and prancing around cheek to cheek with his date. That couldn´t be farther from the truth! It requires so much coordination and timing between the two dancers as the float across the floor intertwining legs and spinning each other around. I can honestly say I was entertained for the full show and this is coming from someone who sat through way too many dance recitals at a young age (thank you Jenna).

The other highlight for me is the two soccer matches we went to. The games themselves were alright but listening to the fans cheer at the top of their lungs throughout the games and go back and forth with the opposing fans was awesome. There were banners everywhere, flares burning red and blue and lots of security and barbed wire. We couldn´t leave for a half an hour after the first game got out because we had to wait for the away fans to completely clear the stadium to avoid any fights. The second game was the famous Boca Juniors in a very rough part of town. Boca is the port area at the mouth of the river where a lot of poor Italian immigrants settled. It is known for its tin houses that are painted in all kinds of bright colors left over from ships. Walking around this area in day light is intimidating and they tell tourists to stay on the main streets regardless of the time of day. Before the game started everyone was throwing streamers from the top deck and we helped roll out a humongous banner which covered the bottom, middle and half of the top section. Rolling that sucker back up had my forearms burning! It was awesome!

Matt and I are making a quick excursion up to see world renowned Iquazu Falls for a couple of days before returning to Buenos Aires for the last few days. I´m slowing down on my red meat consumption but not without taking down a huge butterflied t-bone steak that would have made the old 96er self conscious.

Mendona, Argentina

We have been in Mendoza for five days now and I´ve enjoyed every minute of it. It´s a small town with more trees than people and surrounded by 1200 vineyards!!! It is also one of the wealthier regions in Argentina so a lot of people speak English. That couldn´t have come at a better time because after spending the past month in Peru, Bolivia and Chile the women here are beautiful. We went out for beers on Friday night and couldn't help staring at all the stunning women. It is also going to take some time to get used to the schedule. Most people don't eat dinner until after 11 and the clubs are empty until 2. How these people are able to get anything done during the day is a mystery to me. I have been living on a steady diet of red meat and red wine. The meat has a higher fat concentration due to the type of cows they have in Argentina and they are not shy about the portions. I have no idea how the people aren´t all obese.

So what have we been up to...

Yesterday we rented bikes and spent the day touring different vineyards. We stuck to smaller, boutique vineyards and tasted some excellent wine. The bottles are relatively inexpensive so we bought a couple of our favorites for $10-15 US each. We weren´t able to get to happy on the ride because the vineyards are pretty spaced out and the bikes were pretty old. I went for an old school cruiser and my ass is still sore from all the bumps. All in all a great way to spend a day in wine country.

After all this red meat we have been trying to get in some exercize to avoid packing on the lbs. Robin and I were running through a local park the other day as one of the local professional soccer matches was getting out and we witnessed our first soccer related violence. A couple of guys wearing jerseys from the opposing side were cornered by gang of locals 15 years olds. One guy had his shirt ripped off and a glass thrown at him resulting in his back bleeding. It´s crazy how fast the whole thing went down and as we walked into town we could see police hoping into cars with shotguns. We also heard about an older man being beaten by a group of local kids for wearing the wrong jersey. And they say people in Buenos Aires are even crazier about their soccer!

The club scene in Mendoza is a lot of fun. All of the big clubs are 20 minutes outside of town but they are huge. We went out two nights and met a ton of locals. We have to be careful ordering drinks because they do things a little different than we´re used to. A round of drinks equals everyone getting a cup full of alcohol with another empty glass and a chaser. Harmless rounds of drinks turn into double fisting 50/50 time bombs. One of our friends was dancing with a girl who had a few too many and she threw up red bull vodka all over his shirt! Other than that we´ve had some great times dancing the night away with some fun Argentineans. If only we could get some sleep...

From here we head to Buenos Aires where I´m meeting up with one of my buddies from college, hoping up to Iguazu falls for a couple of days and finishing out the last bit of my travels.

Chile

Throughout my travels across Asia and Europe I have done everything in my power to avoid taking 24+ hour bus journeys. The thought of sitting on a bus for a full day coupled with some of the horror stories I've heard from fellow travelers had me fearing for the worst. Unfortunately San Pedro de Atacama is 1000 miles north of Santiago and the airlines know they can change whatever they want. However looking I have to say it really wasn't that bad. We stocked up on munchies beforehand, had plenty of time to catch up on sleep and each other for company. We were also extremely lucky to be in Chile where the roads are straight and smooth and the buses are well maintained!

We arrived in Santiago the next afternoon and checked into a hostel in the center of town. After the long bus ride and living off of salami, bread and snickers bars we were all eager for a good meal. We wandered down a tree lined boulevard and stumbled upon a great little restaurant for a menu del dia. I had an awesome chicken stuffed with cheese and ham and finished it off with some excellent rasberry ice cream. I spent the next couple of days wondering around the city and can say that Santiago is the first city I've been to in South America that has a european feel to it. It sits at the base of the Andes with wide pedestrian roads for strolling and has some trendy neighborhoods with great bars and restaurants. However with that being said it was obvious the city has seen better times. The pollution is so bad at times it was hard to see the mountains, everything is expensive and I can't say there is a ton of stuff to do. The girls left for Australia on Monday and after three days we decided it was time to head to Vina del Mar to soak up the sun for a couple of days.

I've always thought the water off the coast of San Francisco was freezing but the Chilean water really takes your breath away. We bet Niall $10 US to stay in for 5 minutes and had a secondary bet to see who would have to rescue him. Luckily he was able to make it our before losing circulation to his legs and saved Robin and myself from some serious shrinkage. Outside of relaxing on the beach and getting in an awesome run we also stumbled into a casino where we managed to clean house. I managed to make enough money to pay for my time in Chile and buy the table of a couple of rounds of drinks. At one point Robin and I were having a rough go at it and made a couple of profane comments to the dealer at which point he informed us he spent three years in the states and spoke english. Opps!!! Luckily from there we got really hot and we strolled out of the casino at sun rise smoking cubans feeling like high rollers. After three days of sitting on the beach we all decided it was finally time to head to Argentina. After one and a half months I couldn't be more excited to finally bite into some juicy red meat!!!

Bolivian Salt Flats and Atacama Desert

We left La Paz on an overnight bus and I can honestly say I will never forget that ride. The first couple of hours were relatively smooth until the pavement ended just after 1 am and we spent the last 5 hours shaking like crazy with the windows rattling so loud it was impossible to sleep. The one good thing is we managed to meet three English girls who we booked a salt flatts tour with. The 6 of us arranged a 4x4 jeep for 3 days and 2 nights to take is through the antiplano and drop us off at the Chilean border.

We spent the entire first day driving though the salt flats which stretch in all directions as far as the eye can see. Millions of years ago when the pacific plates collided with the South American continent and the Andes were formed a large body of salt water was trapped forming a lake. Over time that lake evaporated resulting in a 25 meter layer of salt which is absolutely amazing to see. We got some awesome pictures and spent the first night in a salt hostel. We sat down for dinner at a table made of salt and slept in salt bed frames.

The second day we left the salt flats and headed south. We passed smoking volcanos, toxic lakes crowded with colorful flamingos and a petrified tree in the middle of the desert. It's crazy how the land changes so drastically and all the extremes we were able to see throughout the day. That night we stayed in a very simple hotel where we were able to meet some other groups on similar tours and have some drinks. What a night!!! It never ceases to amaze me what a couple of beers can do to you at +4,000 meters. We laughed our asses off and I ended the night with my first official game of yanef with some new Israeli friends. The next morning was very interesting getting moving at 4:30 without any power. Luckily nothing was left behind and within an hour we were watching the sun rise over geysers and enjoying some natural hot springs. Our driver dropped us off at the border just before noon where we cleared customers and headed into Chile.

I can't imagine more of a contrast between two bordering countries. One minute you are in the poorest country in South America struggling to breath where you haven't been on a paved road in three days and then next your quickly descending down some of the smoothest highways in the world to South America's most expensive country. The bus dropped us off in San Pedro de Atacama which is a small oasis town on the north part of the Atacama desert that existed purely for tourist. We spent $12 each on a menu of the day and despite the sticker shock were rewarded with an awesome lunch. We had a lightly fried seafood starter followed by a tender steak all washed down with a glass of awesome Chilean house wine. Unfortunately there really isn't much to do here and since everything is so expensive we are heading to Santiago tomorrow with the girls.

Its so nice to be at a normal altitude after three weeks!!!

Bolivia, Home of the World's Highest Everything

Yes, I am alive. It's been a while since I've posted anything so I have a lot of catching up to do. My first stop in Bolivia was along the shores of Lake Titikaka in a town called Copacabana. The plan was to check out some local islands where the Inka's believe their forefathers came from before heading to La Paz. After arriving in the late morning after an overnight bus journey, Niall and I checked into a hostel right next to the lake. We tried to hit up an ATM but all the banks were closed for lunch so despite not having money we figured we'd grab some lunch and take turns running back to the bank. Big mistake!!! Turns out the only cash machine in town was broken and the closest ATM was 3 hours away in Peru. Welcome to Bolivia! The only good news is we were not alone and a group of 10 of us were able to work out a tab system with the restaurant that Niall and I had lunch at. It might have not been so bad if there was something interesting to do in the town however we found out quickly that wasn't the case. The bank was positive that a new machine would be up and running the following afternoon however as one quickly learns in South America the locals are right about half the time. I went to bed that night wondering if I was ever going to make it out of this Bolivian time warp or if my debt to the local restaurant would seal my fate forever. By chance I decided to check my money belt in the morning and realized that 100 Peruvian soles (~$33 USD) had some how slipped between some papers. It was just enough money to pay off my hostel, my debts to the local mobs boss and get a bus ticket the hell out of there!!!

From Copacabana I boarded a bus to La Paz, the world's highest capital city at 3660 meters (~12,000 ft). La Paz is one of the coolest looking cities I have ever visited because it is set within a valley and the town starts at the bottom and spreads up along the valley walls in all directions. I spent the first day wandering around the many different markets of the city. The most famous is the Witches market where you can buy lama fetuss which the locals bury under new houses for good luck and all kinds of magical potions to cure anything you can imagine. One constant in all of the countries I've visited so far is that all of the local people have some "magical" tea or soup that they swear by. A celery tea saved my stomach along the Inka trail but now that I was feeling normal I wasn't about to try any of the crazy teas and soups they were selling at the witches market. The next day I signed up to bike down the "World's Most Dangerous Road." The slippery dirt road snakes its way down 3000 meters hugging the mountain with 7 feet of clearance on each side. Countless Bolivians have lost their lives along with road as it used to be a major road with constant traffic going in both directions. Luckily the government paved a new road three years ago and now its just gringo's looking for an adrenaline rush. It was awesome!!! You drop 12,000 feet throughout the day starting above the tree line and finishing in the humid jungle. Highly recommended if you ever find yourself in La Paz with a day to kill. The next day I went with a new friend to rent a 4x4 ATV and roll around the Valley of the Moon. Another awesome experience. We spent three hours getting covered in dirt exploring different valleys and lakes and took in some awesome views of the city.

After the Inka trail a large portion of our group was headed to La Paz so we had a mini reunion at our hostel one night. It turned out that one of the Aussies, Rob, needs to be in Buenos Aires that exact same time as myself so we decided to join forces. Now there are three of us traveling together and with all of our different backgrounds its been very entertaining. Unfortunately after the above mentioned activities there isn't much to do in La Paz so the last few days have turned into some late nights. After seeing the sun rise the past two mornings we all made the collective decision to get the hell out of town. Tonight we catch a night bus to the south to do a 4x4 tour of the antiplano and salt flatts.

Cuzco

After returning from the trek I made the executive decision to stick around Cuzco for a while. I wanted to give my system a chance to properly acclimate to the altitude and recover from the trek. It has been a nice change from how I usually travel because it has given me to opportunity to get to know the city a little better, sleep in and just enjoy myself.

So how have I been spending my time? First off, I signed up for 10 hours of Spanish classes which has been a great refresher. I signed up with a comapany called Proyecto Peru and on top of offering very affordable one on one Spanish classes they offer a couple of free events each week. One day after class I stuck around for some traditional Peruvian drinks followed by Salsa lessions. I definately recommend them in that order!!! When I´m not in class I have been wondering around some of the different markets admiring all the different sights and smells (not all pleasant). They have an amazing assortment of potatos and corn that we don´t see in the USA. They have a black corn that they use to make a purplish, sweet drink called Chicha Morada. It is usually served with lunch and is very refreshing. That brings me to my next topic... what have I been eating. I´ve made it a mission to get away from the tourist areas and more times than not I´m the only gringo in a particular restaurant. The main meal of the day is lunch and most restaurants offer a menu del dia which consists of an appetizer, soup, main dish and desert/cold drink. I have been going back to this one place where I leave completely stuffed for $2. The food is usually pretty basic consisting of lots of vegetables and rice with a little chicken or beef.

Today is my last day in Cuzco and I couldn´t leave without sampling the local specialty, guinea pig. I have to say its pretty intimidating when they bring it out because its very apparent what you are about it eat. I went with a friend and his guinea pig still had a tooth in the mouth!!! The skin is very hard so you have to peel it apart to get to the meat. The meat itself was very salty and it took a fair amount of work to get to all of it. Not something I would eat on a regular basis but you´re only in Peru once!!!

Tonight I am heading to the Bolivian side of Lake Titikaka with a friend from the Inka trail. We are planning to check out a couple of the islands before heading to La Paz. My body is finally acclimated to the altitude of Cuzco however La Paz is even higher so keep your fingers crossed!

The Inka Trail to Machu Pichu

Well I can now say I survived the Inka trail! It turned out to be much harder than I expected but in the end it made for a very memorable experience. We trekked 40 KM over 4 days, climbed two mountains passes over 4,000 meters (+13,000 ft) and were constantly surrounded by breath taking views of the Andes. We had 14 people (7 Aussies, 4 Yanks, a Chinese, a German and a hilarious Irish) in our group and I made some good friends that I plan to meet up with in Bolivia. So where to start...

Day 1 was a 14 Km hike with some climbing but nothing too hard. It quickly became apparent that these guys were going to do everything in their power to make sure no one lost any weight on this trip. For lunch and dinner the platters just kept coming and coming until there was no room left on the table and we were forced to fill our plates to make room for the other platters. It was ridiculous! We had monster sized portions of lightly fried meat, rice and steamed veggies for lunch followed by pounds of pasta for dinner. It is also important to note that over-eating at high altitudes is a death wish...

Day 2 turned out to be the hardest hike I´ve ever done. We hiked 16 Km climbing two +4,000 meter passes and I did most of it on an empty stomach suffering from altitude sickness. After a light breakfast we started our ascent up the first mountain which took 2.5 hours to climb 900 m. For the last hour I had to stop ever 15 feet to catch my breath and rest up for the next 15 feet. I have never hiked at 13,000 ft before but it´s unbelievable how the altitude takes its toll. Upon reaching the top we were treated to unbelievable views as we were now above cloud level. It´s also amazing how quickly the weather can change at that height. One moment I was sweating from the ascent without a cloud in the sky and 10 minutes later we are surrounded by clouds rushing to put on extra layers. From there we descended 600 m down uneven rocks that make your knees feel like jello. After an hour we reached our lunch spot or if you´re part of every other trekking company, your camping spot for the night. I can´t say I was pumped to be the only group climbing both passes in one day (especially with my stomach acting up) but in the end it really worked out for the best. It allowed our group to have the trail to ourselves for most of the trip and avoid the horrible crowds you always hear about on the Inka trail. So after the others filled up on hearty portions we headed off to trek our second +4,000 m pass of the day. I try to black out this part of the day because it was basically mind over matter, one foot after the other. The second part of the day took about 5 hours and I collapsed once we got into camp. The good news is after passing out for an hour my appetite returned and I ate my weight in popcorn! The campsite that night was on a bluff overlooking a cloud forest with Inka ruins scattered on the hill sides. Spectacular!!! I slept like a baby and luckily the worst was over.

Day 3 and 4 were both much easier where we spent the mornings walking and the afternoons exploring Inka ruins and relaxing. We woke up at 3:30 on the 4th day to make sure we were the first ones in line at the entry gate. We were and at 5:30 the gate opened and it was a race to the sun gate where Machu Pichu can first be seen. As we were speed walking the sun was rising over a distant peak lighting up the valley below. It was a great opportunity to take some pictures and catch my breath! After climbing the final 50 steps to the top of the Sun Gate covered in sweat we turned the corner to see the valley below completely covered in fog! Pretty anti-climatic and we all felt a little foolish for pushing it so hard. For the Sun Gate it is a 45 minute walk down to the entrance gate to Machu Pichu and by the time we made it to the bottom the fog had completely cleared and there was famous Machu Pichu before us. We dodged a couple of llamas and headed to the famous viewing area to take pictures. The weather cooperated extremely well I got some amazing pictures but they still cannot do justice to the real thing. The ruins of Machu Pichu are so vast and the panaramic cannot be described. It is truly mind blowing that the Inkas could build something so big this high up.

There are two things that I will always remember from this trek. The first is the crazy porters with their monstrous backpacks overflowing with all our gear charging up mountain passes. These guys are machines!!! Our group kept a pretty good pace but no matter what they would always be waiting in camp with our tents pitched and a warm meal waiting. Some of these guys did it in sandals too. These guys should look into starting a moving company in SF and they could save money on not using moving trucks! The second thing I will always remember is the amazing views. The Inka trail takes you high in the mountains and you are constantly looking down on rivers snaking their way though valleys with the Andes stretching on a far as the eye can see. It was probably my favorite part and something I will always remember!

¡Adios Colombia, Hola Peru!

After Santa Marta I headed back to Cartagena where I spent the last couple of days making sure I saw everything there was to see. I got lost in old town Cartagena taking way too many pictures, attended a baptism and slept in the ghettos of Monteria and took a boat to a beautiful beach with some new friends. Colombia was a very interesting place to start the trip because its still so new to tourist. More often than not I was the only gringo in a particular place and I can count the number of people who spoke English on one hand. With that being said it does make the whole experience that much more gratifying and if I can get by on my limited Spanish in Colombia I should be fine down the road.

So after two wonderful weeks in Colombia I boarded a plan to Peru yesterday morning and spent the day in Mira Flores, just outside of Lima. After spending the previous night sleeping at the airport in Bogota I decided to spend a little extra on a boutique hostel for my one night in Lima. I also decided it was time to confront one of my fears that I have been putting off since I first landed in South America. I have been in desperate need of a haircut but have been putting it off for fear that some barber would take one look at my overflowing mane and decide to make it his rat tail masterpiece. It turned out just fine and for $5 I got a hair wash, masace and nice haircut. Not a bad deal!!!

Before ending this entry I wanted to write about my favorite meal so far on my trip. This part of Peru is located on the Pacific ocean and is known for their ceviche and fish. I decided I wanted to splurge a little so I got a good recommendation from my hostel and ate like a king. I started off with some amazing ceviche followed by a tasty marisco soup all washed down with some Spanish White wine. I was in heaven and after two glasses of wine slept like a baby. Today I fly to Cuzco high up in the Andes to try and get acclimated to the altitude before my trek to Machu Pichu on Saturday.

Santa Marta and Parque Tyrona

As much as I was enjoying Cartagena it was time for a change of scene. Monday I headed four hours up the coast to another popular beach town called Santa Marta. Santa Marta is located next to a mountain range called the Sierra Nevada with spectacular speaks that rise dramatically from the sea and is much less developed than Cartagena. My motivation for making the trip was to spend some time in Parque Tyrona, which is one of the most popular national parks in Colombia because of its lush rainforests which give way to beautiful beaches. It used to be the home of the Tyrona Indians before the Spaniards wiped them out and is still home to some indigenous people.

Unfortunately when I got into town I had to take it easy for a couple of days because my stomach was not cooperating with the local food. After a quick trip to the doctor I picked up some drugs (not that kind) and spent the next two days exploring Santa Marta and some of the surrounding beaches.

Today I hired an English speaking guide named Eddy and headed into Tyrona park. I can’t tell you how lucky I am to have found an English speaking local because NOBODY speaks English around here. Eddy picked me up from my hostel at 6 am and we grabbed a local bus from the market to an unmarked stop about an hour up the road. From there we headed into the thick of the rainforest to start our trek. We hiked for two hours before turning off the road to visit one of Eddy’s indigenous friends. One of the ways the indigenous people make money is by hand weaving small bags (takes a month each!!!) which they can then sell at the local markets for $20. The day before Eddy asked me to pick up a box of sewing needles to give as a gift which the indigenous people can then use to make money. What an idea!!! After handing over the needles we sat around talking and one of the kids made us some fresh juice from one of their local fruits (Eddy told me the name but it went in one ear and out the other). From there we continued another hour to a small settling called Pueblito. This is where the Tyronas used to make their sacrifices to the gods and perform other religious ceremonies. For the most part there wasn’t too much there so after resting for a little bit we continued on to what I surely thought was going to be my death...

At this point we crossed over the mountains and were headed down to the beach through thick fauna. From here the walkway becomes much more enclosed as you’re stepping from stone to stone which have been there for centuries. All of a sudden the combination of the humidity and heat just hits you and the sweat ducts turn on. I couldn’t figure out what the hell had just happened! Did I get bit by some crazy Colombian bug that made me break out into an immediate fever and will shortly have me in cardiac arrest? On top of dealing with the massive amounts of sweat coming off my dome the footing along the trail has become extremely technical where each step must be taken carefully. As we continue on I can’t help but picture the indigenous chief chanting as he slaps my limp body down on the sacrificial stone. After about an hour and 5 mental breakdowns we finally make it level ground and all vital signs returned to normal!!! I was really feeling like a wimp until I looped at Eddy and he was just as nasty as I was.

The good news was after walking for 15 more minutes we came to the beach area. The dramatic change in terrain and weather is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. One moment I’m fighting for my life in the humidity of the rainforest and the next I’m sitting on a beautiful beach staring out at the Caribbean. There was a large camping area with campsites, hammocks and a restaurant so we grabbed lunch and chilled for a couple of hours. Eddy took a nap and I did some exploring. After an intense 4 hour hike it felt like I had stumbled upon some secret paradise that few people know about. Unfortunately as we were resting some storm clouds rolled in. Luckily, we took a much short and easier way back along some beaches because before we knew it it started to rain. It started out light and then grew heavier and heavier as we walked. Before we knew it there was thunder and lighting and the rain was coming down in buckets. The rainforest over us initially provided some cover but the rain was coming down so heavy we had no option but to run. We sprinted for a good 10 minutes jumping from place to place to avoid growing rain puddles before finally getting to the parking lot where the collectivo was supposed to pick us up. I might has rung a gallon of water off my shirt. Sitting under a hut all I could think about was how excited I was to head back to the hostel, take a warm shower and get in a warm bed but then it hit me.... There is no warm water in Colombia and my room is probably pushing 100% humidity.

Cartagena, the Jewel of the Caribbean

A little background for everyone....Cartagena is located on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean and was the main port that the Spaniards used to ship their gold, cocoa and other goods back to the old world. As you can imagine it was pretty popular with the pirates and after a number of attacks they decided to fortify the city and it has remained unchanged since then. If youve ever wanted to get off one of the boats on Pirates of the Caribbean and go exploring this is your place, except the pirates are actually Colombians. Ive also noticed a major change in the way people look. They are much darker than the people in Bogota and their version of Spanish is impossible to understand. The words run together, they drop letters at will and talk way too fast for this gringo!

Ive been here for a couple of days now and I don´t want to leave. I was met at the airport by Robert and his driver Juan Carlos. Robert is the 21 year old nephew of one of my old colleagues at Agilent and he has been great so far. He can speak both languages flawlessly and its so nice to have a local show you around. He assured me that the costensas are much more laid back than people from Bogota and as long as I wasn't walking around with all my bling safety would not be an issue on the north coast.

So what have we been up to??? Lounging on the beach during the day and heading into the old city at night to rumbla (basically get stupid on run, aquardient, and frias). Its amazing how much better my Spanish gets after a few drinks! One night we were drinking some rum in the old town and I picked his brain on everything Colombian. It was interesting to hear his side on the past 40 years in Colombia. Its very confusing to understand all the different groups and how they relate to one another but it sounds like the current president been able to disarm some of the paramilitary groups and as a result Colombia has become much safer over the past 8 years.

So what about the food? Unfortunately Robert only eats one meal a day (major problem for me since this is probably my favorite part of traveling) so Ive had to plead with him to get two meals a day. We had arrepas one night which are little corn pancakes filled with all kinds of goodness. I had one filled with four different types of meat and was licking my fingers all the way to old town. You can order a specially seasoned rice with your main dish called cocoa rice. I'm not sure how they season it but it has pepper and something sweet and it`s bomb!!! Soups are extremely popular and this being the coast we had a green fish soup filled with potatoes and different kinds of fish on the beach the other day. Robert introduced me to Aquaradient on last night and I woke up naked j/k. Its a cheaper liquor made with anise (I don´t know what that is either) that is sweet and will have you seeing double before you know it. I also got a taste of that Colombian cafe Ive been searching for. There are vendors constantly walking the streets yelling "tinto" selling 15 cent steaming hot shots of sweetened espresso. I swear I put back at least 5 a day.

We are going to lay low tonight because the past two days have been crazy. We are planning to head out to some of the local islands one day and I still want to walk around the old town and take tons of pictures. I'm still trying to figure out the best way to upload pictures and videos but will post some when I figure it out.

Day Late but Finally Made it!

I finally made it to Colombia!!! I can happily report the rat tail and mullet are alive and well in South America! First off I must say never fly with Delta and if you book your ticket on Orbitz, Travelocy, etc. you´re on your own if anything goes wrong. Despite not being on a single Delta flight I was informed I would have to fork over a exorbinate amount of money to issue the exact same ticket for one day later even though there were plenty of open seats. So after some intense internet activity I boarded a red eye to Orlando where I had an 8 hour layover before catching my flight to Bogota. So what is the lesson here kids.... be at the airport at least 30 minutes early for domestic flights and one full hour for international!!! Luckily it was a good excuse to drop in on my buddy Jeremy and hang out in world-renowned Orlando for a couple of hours.

I can honestly say I was the only English speaking person on the Jetblue flight with the exception of the bi-lingual flight crew. I´ve heard Colombia is still pretty untouched by backpackers but I expected atleast one other gringo on the flight. After landing I grabbed my bag, changed out some $$$US for Colombian pesos and before I knew it I was on my way into the cocaine trafficing capital of the world!!! Now I have to be honest here, I have been pretty anxious about backpacking alone in Colombia (and by anxious I mean scared shitless) but once I was in the cab I couldn´t help but smile. First of all, I´m finally in South America. Second of all, I´M IN FREAKING COLOMBIA!!! You can´t help but be excited for what is about to unfold when heading into a completely foreign city for the first time. You know there will be some amazing stories and other times when you just want to end it all but no matter what you are going to return a different person. I checked into my fortified hostel and turned it in early to catch some sleep.

After missing my initial flight I now only have half a day in Bogota before I board my flight to Cartagena to meet up with the nephew of an old co-worker. Before leaving for Colombia I had lunch with the same guy to get some suggestions and the one thing he said to see in Bogota was the museo del Oro (gold museum for those that took french in high school). The place is amazing. The Spaniards would send the gold through Colombia to Cartagena where it would board the ships headed back to Spain so they have quite the collection. Gold helmets, masks, nose plates, figurines, etc. One of the more interesting museums I´ve been to in my travels and well worth checking out if you´re ever in the area to pay off the randsome of an old friend. From there I wandered around the streets for an hour, took some quick pictures and grabbed my first cup of coffee at the Colombian version of Starbucks, called Juan Valdez. Pretty good but I was expecting a little more considering the amount of coffee this place exports. From here its a quick quick bite to eat and then back to the airport for Cartagena.