We are back from the Galapagos, what a great trip it was. We flew there Sunday morning and were met by Fausto, our guide and naturalist at the airport. We also met our group, 14 people, all from the US and the UK, that we would be spending the next week with. It was hot and humid and we headed to the dock for a short dingy ride to our boat. We arrived to the Lammer Law and were greeted by the crew and we settled in to our air conditioned cabins aboard the 93 foot trimaran, the second largest in the world. Our bags arrived and we ate lunch and set out to Isla de los Lobos, a small trip from San Cristobal, where our plane landed. We dropped anchor, had our safety talk and dad and I couldn’t wait to jump into the water. Mom isn’t much of a swimmer, so it was just the two of us for the snorkeling trips. We were the first in the water and made our way over to the rocks. The first thing we saw was a Marine Iguana, an endemic species (only found in the Galapagos), eating algae off of the rocks. We watched in amazement as two sea lions scurried over and scared the Iguana out of the water. We saw another Iguana feeding but it too jumped out of the water. We learned that is a very rare sight and how lucky we were to see it. We swam around and the sea lions played around us, swimming all over, blowing bubbles, and just enjoying themselves and the curious humans around them. After heading back to the boat, we showered and took a short dingy ride to the shore to see the Sea lions from land. There we tons of them, lounging everywhere. One bull, a huge male, patrolled and made sure that we didn’t get too close to any of his ladies. We saw some lava lizards, a yellow bellied warbler, and a few Blue footed Boobies. It was hot, and we could only take so much sun before needing to get back in the shade. We headed back to the boat for the night and a trip onward to Espanñola, a few hours away.
We woke up in a little cove, and after a morning swim we ate breakfast. Breakfast, as with all the meals was spectacular. The chef, really put so much time and effort into every meal, it was great to dine in style with every meal. We took a short dingy ride then headed to land, to see the sea lions that soak up the rays on the beach. There were tons of them, being very lazy, and not caring much about us at all. I sat and watched one little pup playing by himself in the water, letting the wave toss him around. He became very curious about me and sniffed me a bit and posed for some very good pictures. We saw some marine iguanas soaking up the sun and we swam to cool off before heading to the boat for the first snorkeling trip of the day. We went to sea lion rock and saw the usual array of sea life, and headed back to the boat for lunch. We headed around the Island to another cove where we took and afternoon hike. This island has tons of Boobies, a bird that is remarkable and very recognizable because of its feet. There are three types, Blue footed, Red footed, and Nazca or masked boobies. We saw them all over, doing their mating dances and getting ready to nest. We saw one with a baby and one with a chick which was very cool to see
Once back on the boat we took off and headed to Floreana Island for the next mornings adventure. We went to the beach that morning and saw a few flamingos, not too exciting to me as I had seen plenty throughout my trip. We headed to the beach and saw some stingrays laying on the sea bed and even a small shark that had come into eat. We ate and got ready to snorkel at the Devils Crown, which holds the best marine life of all the Galapagos. Once in the water, we saw schools of Albacore, blowfish, and the array of tropical bright colored fish, my favorite being the large bump-headed Parrotfish. We headed around the rocks and then saw what we had hoped to see. 5 or 6 white tipped and black tipped reef sharks swam below us, patrolling the sea. Although harmless to humans, I still felt compelled to hum the Jaws theme song in my snorkel. On of the most beautiful moments came when two sharks swam into an underwater passage and the light illuminated there bodies in a spectacular manner as fish scurried to get out of their way. Once around the small sunken crater the group go on board, but dad and I still swam around to see if anything else would present itself. Sure enough, we saw a school of spotted Eagle rays, being escorted by two sharks. It is beautiful how the rays seem to glide through the water, like birds in slow motion. We took off, even put the sails up and headed to Santa Cruz.
We spent the morning there looking at the captive turtle pens, where they are trying to breed tortoises, whose population was decimated by sailors in the past few centuries. They are doing this at the Charles Darwin Research Center, and thanks to grants from many outside groups, they are thriving and have a 99% success rate whereas in the wild, it is around 1 or 2%. We saw Lonesome George, the last of his breed, and then headed up to the hills surrounding the small town to see the pond were some of the tortoises still live in the wild. We got there and ate lunch then went and walked around the pond. We saw a bunch of them, and even had the good luck of seeing a huge male breeding with a female, a very rare site. We ate Maracuya and wild Cherry tomatoes and then walked through a small lava tube before heading back to the boat.
After a very long boat ride overnight, we arrived at Pinta Island, one of the smallest and most remote islands in the Archipelago. We saw tons of Frigates and Boobies and looked for an owl but didn’t see one. The frigates are amazing as the males try to attract females by blowing up huge red neck pouches. We snorkeled and then hung out on the boat for a while before making another long overnight trip to Isabela, the largest Island.
That morning we woke up and ate, then hung out on deck looking for Mola Mola, or huge sunfish that look for food and are seen because the swim clumsily around with one fin out of the water, almost like a shark. With our luck being so good, we saw lots of them, one of the 2000 lb ones even swam right next to the boat. We anchored into a cove and took the dingy out to look for them again. We didn’t see too many, but we did see penguins, much to moms delight. We headed out further and saw a large fin out of the water, and then saw another right next to it and Fausto told us it was a Manta ray. We went over to it and I put my mask and snorkel on and jumped into the water. I got right on top of it. It was huge, probably about 10 to 15 feet across and it glided through the water, ever touching me one time with its massive wings. I swam with it for a bit before it sunk into the depths of the ocean. We headed back to the boat to snorkel with the Sea Turtles that are all over in the waters off of the island. The are beautiful to see, swimming calmly around looking for algae and such to eat. We also saw penguins swimming around in the water. The shelves, formed by the volcanic rock were beautiful, with lots of orange and purple everywhere, and lots of fish feeding off of the rocks there. We headed that afternoon for Bartolome island and while sitting up on the deck enjoying the sun, the captain all of a sudden came running out screaming “WHALE WHALE WHALE” . We looked around and sure enough there was a large Mynke whale swimming along side the boat. We followed it for a bit before it tired of us and went its separate way.
The last morning we climbed to the top of the volcano at Bartolome island. The view was spectacular and it was a good way to end the trip. After our last snorkeling, which was highlighted by seeing a purple octopus, we headed for a very rough overnight trip back to San Cristobal island. On the boat trip back we were looking for Dolphins, something mom really wanted to see. We saw one and it began swimming with us. I looked up and noticed we were cruising through a pod of probably about 1000 of them all over the place. About 20 of them played along side our boat, jumping and swimming in between the pontoons for about 30 minutes. It was absolutely spectacular, I never imagined seeing anything like that. It was the perfect way to end the trip and flew out that morning back to Quito.
So that is it, tomorrow I have a flight back to the US… the end of my journey. It has been a long trip, but amazing. I have so many memories of the year past. I remember what it was like my first few days here, adapting to Chile and getting ready to see what South America had to offer. My first Paro and Machu Picchu in Peru definitely got me ready for the bad and spectacular that was hidden inside of the vast continent. My Bolivian bus riding experiences and the Salar de Uyuni, weekend nights in Santa Cruz, and almost killing myself on the most dangerous road in the world. Steak, wine and parties in Buenas Aires, super clasicos at the Monumental and the Bombonera, the great music and skiing in Argentina. Brazil is a country that I will have so may memories of. Learning a new and difficult language, meeting Flavia, spending a month in Rio lounging on the beach, sipping agua de coco and loving life, and of course my new tattoo. There was one thing that I hid from most people, that I was beaten up and robbed in Porto Seguro, but even that memory couldn’t begin to sour my love of Brazil. Hanging out in Itacarè. Especially the breakfasts where all of the crew sat and laughed and discussed the previous nights adventures. And of course, my week in Jericoacoara with my girl and then cruising down the Amazon. Venezuela was alright, Angel Falls and visits from old friends were great. Colombia, a mostly unknown country, grew on me as well. Lazy days in the Hammock in Tyrona, Carnival in Barranquilla, and Bogota, one of my favorite cities. And then the Galapagos with my parents, a spectacular way to end the adventure, in style, surrounded by amazing wildlife.
I will never forget my friends either. Gerben and Renata, traveling around Chile, Erin at the Pi Shop in Cuzco, roaming around Bolivia with Alister and Eileen in La Paz. Lola in Bariloche, Reagan and Jacob in Cafayate and all over Argentina and some in Brazil, who I will see when I get back to Oakland. Santiago from the bar and the lot of crazy Englishmen that I met at the Milhouse, especially Mark, Gareth, Little Jimbo, and Dan. In Brazil, Flavia, of course, who comes to Oakland in about a week, Schuyler coming to visit me in Rio, hanging out with Scott on Ipanema beach. Sophia in Belo Horizonte. Frank in Olivença and Itacare, and the rest of the crew there, especially Campbell. George in the North and the Amazon, and all the others I met in tight quarters on the boat. Teddy and Jeff in Venezuela, the Carnival crew in Barranquilla, Campbell again in Bogota, and Ivonne, Danilo, and Santi in Bogota. And lastly, the group from the Galapagos.
So that is it, home tomorrow night, to see my friends and family and soon to be together again with Flavia. I am ready to go home, but will be back here soon. What a great experience for me, I have seen and learned and lived so much, I am so happy that I had the opportunity to do this trip, and will never forget this for the rest of my life. For those of you who read my website, thank you, I kept it for you, to share because enjoying this all to myself is far too selfish. Thank you, Obrigado, Gracias, and goodbye. Besos y muitos beijos a tudos. ALE RIVERPLATE, y eo so Carioca!!!
So I took the quick hop from Bogota to Quito. I met my parents at the customs area in the airport. It was very good to see them, and they were excited to see me as well. We grabbed our stuff and headed into town. We were tired and called it a night fairly quickly to prepare for the first day in town. We walked around Quito, which is kind of dirty, and not too nice, but did some sightseeing before heading to Otavalo, a few hours outside of town. It is nice here, although rainy, but very relaxing and we spent most of the day playing cards and just hanging out around the fire. Tomorrow we will go to the market, which is supposed to be the best in South America before heading back to Quito and leaving for the Galapagos on Sunday. I will be away from the computer for a week but will come back with tons of great photos from my adventure. I am very excited about the trip there, it should be amazing. Either way, it is good to see my parents.
Sorry I have been slipping lately on the journal updates, I guess I only have a few left. I am staying at JP's apartment for the final few days, as it is really nice and, well, free. Last weekend I headed to Villa de Leyva with a friend, Campbell for a few very relaxing days. Leyva is about 4 hours outside of Bogota, tucked in between some large peaks, and a very popular spot for weekend visitors from Bogota. I went during the week, when it was completely empty, and spent the days walking the cobblestone streets, the farms, and swimming in natural pools. Leyva is beautiful, rolling hills, friendly but formal locals, nice food, weather, and just a very relaxed feel. Campbell is a great guy, he really reminds me of Matt, from home. We had a blast together, he seems to keep me laughing which always makes a good travel buddy.
So these are my last few days in Colombia. I have to say that I really enjoyed it here. The north coast was beautiful, although very hot. Tyrona was so relaxing and enjoyable, I would like to return some day. Bogota is a great city. A great climate, tons of nightlife and cuisine, beautiful people, greenery, and full of energy and is actually pretty clean. I didn't feel any danger here, none at all, which was a relief. I understand that the country is not completely safe, and stories of grenade attacks and bombings still are told around the local pubs, although it is safer now. The one thing that is most notable about the Colombians is their pride for being Colombian. For example, I think the entire country watched the Oscars in hopes that Catalina Moreno would win, and just the pride of her being nominated was felt throughout the country. Flags are everywhere, shirts and bags proclaim the love for the country, and the people hold such a high level of respect whenever speaking of Colombia.
Tomorrow I am headed to Quito to meet up with my parents, it will be amazing to see them after a year, and the Galapagos should be spectacular. I will leave Bogota a bit bittersweet as I have some great friends here. JP has been a great host, and he and his girlfriend have adopted me, so I don't feel so bad mooching off of them! They have both treated me so kindly, I hope to be able to repay them someday. Ivonne and Danilo have been so kind as well. Showing me the city, taking me to clubs, and just really showing me what a typical Cachaka (person from Bogota) is like. Thank you Colombia, nos vemos!
I really am enjoying my time in Bogota. I have been here two weeks, and it is growing on me, like my other favorite large cities, such as Rio and Buenas Aires. Bogota is so big, that even with going to different parts of the city daily, I still have a lot that I want to see. This weekend I went out with my friends, Daneelo, Ivonne, las Dianas (2 of them), and Santiago, that I met in Bariloche all those months back. The took me to a discoteca an hour outside of the city that was a very fun place. Recycled goods, vintage photos, and assorted elements such as windmills lining the outside make Andres Carne de la Res a can't miss for those who enjoy nightlife. Sunday night I was invited to a dinner party at JP's girlfriends house, which was very nice, although it was officially my first "old person" dinner party!!! It was an assorted crowd, diplomats and professors, and of course, the dirty stinky backpacker type! On Monday, I went with my friend Campbell, who I spent time with in Itacarè, and just showed up here a few days ago, to the Catedral de Sal. It is located in Zipaquira, about 30 miles outside of Bogota. One of the largest salt deposits in the world is inside of the mountain there, and the inside has been carved out. The inside of the mountain is carved out to form a church, which with the black salt rock, and beautiful carvings made it very original and spectacular. The cielings are 35 feet high and 14 chambers are carved out where people pass to pray, and still only a few minors work there. I will leave tomorrow for a few days, to head to Villa de Leyva, a small town a few hours away from here, but return for the weekend.
I knew when I got that business card of Jean-Paul it was one to hold on to. The gold, Department of the Treasury seal made this one stand apart from the other mess of business cards, scraps of paper, tissues, and such that everyone else had written their email addresses on. I was on Ipanema beach, back in September, hanging out with some friends, loving Rio, when we started chatting. JP works at the US embassy here in Bogotà, in the office of Foreign Assets Control, along with 1500 other Americans. I called him up a few days ago and he told me he would take me out and show me the town. He rolled by around 6:30, and the girl working here told me, in spanish, that a very elegant man in a very expensive car was looking for me. I have never been in a bulletproof, bombproof car, and the first thing you notice is the one and a half inch thick windows, and the fact that the doors of the Jeep Grand Cherokee are so heavy, as the car is pretty much a tank. He swore that the car could take 3 AK-47 shots in the same spot before one of the windows shattered, and the rest of the car was armored in case of Grenade attacks. Jose, his driver, was dropped off and we rolled to his apartment, a beautiful, huge, apartment in the north part of the city.
We hung out, drank some good Argentinean wine, and went out to the nicest meal I have eaten in a year. A nice Asain fusion restaurant and then a night out to the best and highest priced bars in the city. It was an amazing treat to be able to live like this here in Bogota, and to see the people out and about on a random Thursday night. There are a lot of foriegners here, shirt and tie embassy workers from all over the world, DEA, Marines, and the random assortment of businessmen. The Zona Rosa area of the city is clean, safe, and very upper class. Dozens of restaurants, bars, and upscale clothing stores line the red brick pedestrian streets. H2's, vintage Mercedes, new BMW's, and Ducati 900's shows the wealth that sometimes hides itself in Colombia, a country with so much poverty. The bars and discotecas were packed, even with the rain, even though it was the middle of the week. Salsa and Merengue were everywhere, everyone was dancing and enjoying themselves. Last night was one of those nights that I will remember for a long time, reminds me of why I love to travel, even after a year, and why I still love the life on the road.
That means lots of partying. I spent my first weekend in Bogota, it was a great time. The weather finally started to clear up so I have had more of an oportunity to see the city. On Friday, I met up with my friend Juan Pablo that I met in Tyrona a few weeks ago and we went out with him and his friends. The nights start early here, pretty much the same type of schedual as in the US, with bars closing around 2 or 3, which is different from everywhere else in South America. We went to a part of the city called Zona Rosa, a very upper class area with clothing stores like Versace and Boss, and lots of really nice, if expensive bars. We ended up outside of that area at a local bar, and spent the night there joking and listening to music, it was a classic rock joint. They were very fun to hang out with, kind of punk rock, and one of their friends reminded me 100% of one of my friends from when I was younger, minus the language. On Saturday it was raining so I went to see a movie. That night I met up with some other friends, some locals that I met in Bariloche, back in July. They are a very upper class family, and live in a very nice part of town. It was different to go out with them, them having their own car, and going out to a nice discoteca. They took me to La Plaza, one of the nicest places I have been too in my time in South America. Very nice service, and the interior was built like an old plaza, and they had a great show that they did also, remakes of Greece, Backstreet Boys, and The Fifth element were some of the acts. It was really fun and we drank Aguardiente (not the driver of course) and danced the night away.
It was a really good two nights of partying. People are really friendly, interested in learning about me and the US, and very willing to tell me about their lives in Colombia. On Sunday, I went to a futbol game, my first one in a long time. There were few people there, but all were packed in the cheap seats, where we were. Going to games in foriegn countries are always a fun time, this was no different, and the home team, Santa Fe, won 3-1. Last night I walked down to the movie theatre to see Ray, which was really good by the way. Sunday night in Bogota is pretty strange, and a little scary to walk around. All the freaks are out, but there is lots of segurity, men with really big guns and even bigger dogs! It is strange to see guns everywhere, grenade launchers, AK 47's, tanks, and such, that remind me that although Bogota is safe, this is still a country at war. The effects of the war are everywhere, from military checkpoints, to sheer poverty, as many families have had to flee to the city to avoid the fighting. Amazingly though, the pride of being Colombian still is evident everywhere, with flags and reminders everywhere. The most dangerous thing I have noticed about the city is walking. The traffic is awful, and don't stop for anyone. The poor families steal manhole covers and melt them down and sell them, so you have to be careful where you walk. Also watching where you walk is important, because like in Buenas Aires or Santiago, there is dog crap all over, so never look at the buildings for too long while walking! Now that it has cleared up, I don't want to leave here, I will stay here all week, looking around the city, hanging out with my friends, and discovering why so many people love this city.
Friday night in Bogota could not have come at a better time. I really have a reason to go out and celebrate tonight as Flavia recieved her visa to come to the US today. At the end of March she will be in Oakland, and we will pick up from there, after a long break. I am very excited to see her, and everyone else of course. She will be taking classes in San Fran to perfect her english and we will hopefully live together in Rockridge. She looks forward to meeting everyone!
I decided to jump on a plane and head to Bogota, as it was a few dollars more expensive and 20 hours quicker, and safer as well. While getting on the plane I saw to guys around my age, and one of them had a DU backpack on (my university). There are two 4th year students there and we have a ton of mutual friends. I sat on the flight and talked to them about the school and such. The world sometimes is a very small place. Bogota is a big change. First off, it's chilly here, as we are 6000ft up or so, I haven't felt cold since the south of Brazil, 7 months ago or so. I had to pull out the fleece and walk around with that, kind of interesting, but it will be nice not to sweat for one day! My first impressions of Bogota are that it seems like a nice city. It is big, about 6.5 million and set in the mountains surrounded by green. My hotel is near the presidential palace and I had to walk by it with all of my stuff, and they did a thorough check to make sure I didn't have any bombs or anything. There is a huge military presence, on every corner, fully armed, I guess necessary though. The colonial part of the city is all red roofed and looks a bit like La Paz, while the downtown sector reminds me of Buenas Aires, with nice new buildings, and lots of plazas. I am meeting up with some friends this weekend, including two that I met in Bariloche, Argentina, about 8 months ago, I taught them how to have a snowball fight! I plan on spending a week or so here.
Hi everyone, sorry it has been a while. I guess I haven't had that much to talk about. I am in Barranquilla for Carnival, today is the last day, it officially ends at midnight tonight. Barranquilla, as a city, is by far the ugliest city that I have ever seen in my life. It is flat, dirty, hot, very poor, and with nothing to do. I guess everyone lives here for 351 days waiting for these four. I got a nice hotel room, with AC to escape the heat, and a balcony, where my friends and I have been hanging out when not at the parties. Carnival started on Saturday with the kick off parade, although we couldn't see everything, it was more about the people than the parade itself. Everyone is throwing things, like water, talc, foam, everywhere, and us being gringos makes us a target for a bag or two of water. I have been with 5 people here, that I met in Cartagena. It was nice to have them, so I didn't need to go out alone or anything. Everything is closed here, it took days for me to find an open internet cafe. Everyone dresses up, in their brightest and most fun clothes for the events. Cars are decorated, streets are closed, and everyone has a beer in their hand. The music is a local type, *****bia, with 3 beats per measure. It is blasting everywhere, it all kind of sounds the same, and most of the time it is the 3 or 4 same songs over and over again. There is also tons of Salsa and Merengue as well, and everyone is dancing, all the time.
At night, every neighborhood puts together a party, so every few blocks, there is something. The cities in Colombia are very easy to navigate. The streets are in a grid system, carreras running one way (starting with Carrera 1 and going from there), and Calles run the other way. It really is a place where the streets have no names. We got invited to tons of parties, so we would just kind of go from one to another. Saturday night we went to a street with tons of bars, packed with people, all just having a great time, most of them just partying on the streets. There are also concerts, but we haven't gone to any yet, hopefully we will go tonight. I will be alright to leave here tomorrow, as it has been a crazy few days. I am going to head south, towards Bogota, maybe even fly. Hope everyone enjoyed their carnival!
This is one of my favorite times of the day, when I jump into an internet cafe. It's not the computer only, it's air-conditioning! It is so damn hot here, dirty, height of summer (while you are all sitting around in jackets, it is very hard to walk around all day... yes I am complaining. I have been keeping myself busy slowly here, as I do in large hot cities. I go to movies a lot, internet, drink lots of juices, I just had Maracuya, my favorite. It's impossible to walk around all day, just a few hours, to try to keep busy. I spend a lot of time in my room as well, watching TV, reading, listening to music and such. Cartagena is nicer in the evenings, when there is a nice sea breeze and the sun isn't baking everything. It's crowded here, and the huge poverty problem in Colombia is noticed everywhere. I speak to a lot of locals about the conditions in their country. I am reminded that although the cities and coasts are safe, there is a war being fought in the jungles, between multiple parties, and a lot of money goes to funding that war. That means that there is less money and the poverty rivals Brazil or Bolivia. I am going to stay here a few days for the weekend then head to another beach for a few days, before gearing up for Carnaval.
As much as I loved Parque Tyrona, I packed up and left yesterday. It was a very relaxing five days and I would like to go back, maybe I will. I enjoy wasting the day walking on the beach, throwing coconuts like footballs, playing in the water, and such. When I went back I found my friend Juan Pablo, and spent the hot afternoons resting in my hammock and searching for coconuts. It was very sunny, and hot, and we took a walk one day to Pueblito, I thought just a few minutes away. I didn't wear a shirt nor shoes, and after hours of walking through the jungle, being bitten by ants and such, I realized I should have brought my sandles at least. It was a nice hike through, the final bit up the side of a hill on rocks. The rocks had been placed by the Indians and some are placed, on purpose, to rock and make noise when stepped on, as to alert the Indians in case of intrudors.
My last night, I awoke and found a large group of hippies playing music in my covered area, and I just didn't know how to react. All of us there had woken up, and although I wanted to be mad, I couldn't do anything but laugh, as the three (singer, flautist, and drummer) were the three worst musicians I have every heard in my life, and am pretty certain I won't find any worse, EVER!!! It was tough to leave, but these two Mexicans, and a Peruana convinced me to go to Cartagena for at least one weekend night, as it has great nightlife.
I took the four hour trip and here I am. Cartagena is a very old city, that was the main port for the Spanish in the 1600's from South America, and due to many attacks, they decided to wall the city for protection. So the place has a nice feel, historic, reminds me of some of the cities in the north of Brazil. Although it is touristy, it feels very mellow, which I was worried about after my experience in Salvador. I will spend a few days here, maybe a week.
I am killing time before heading south, because in 10 days, Carnaval starts. Although I would rather be with Flavia in Brazil for the real one, I can't, but in Barranquilla, it is said that they have the best Carnaval outside of Brazil. It is just two hours from here, so I may as well check it out. It will be much cheaper than the one in Brazil anyway. I hope to find a spot to watch the football today, I believe it will probably be warmer here than in Philly or Pittsburgh!!!
Just a quick update, due to a few reasons I will not be going on the 6 day trek to Ciudad Perdida. Although security is a concern, moreover is the mosquitos, the knee deep mud, and me not really wanting to go, have all lead me to the conclusion to head back to Arrecifes for a few more days where the only worry is falling coconuts. So tomorrow I will pack up and head back there, I got a refund from my deposit from the trek so have some money to hang around the beach. I might be there 6 days or 10, I am not sure yet, I will write when I get back.
I packed up my gear and headed out to Arrecifes to check out the beaches that I have read so much about. It was an adventure getting there, as the bus just drops you off at the front gate of the park and then I had to just walk in. After about an hour on the road you cut through the rainforest for about another hour or so. It had rained, A LOT, and the ground was so soft, and tons of mud everywhere, making it a slippery trek to the beaches. I thought it would be easy, so like a fool, I brought all of my stuff, which made me pretty tired by the end.
As I walked out to El Paraiso, I couldn't help but immidiatly make some friends with some campers right next to where I had slung up my hammock. I went to the beach, you have to walk to where it is safe to swim. In the book I read about this place, one of the main characters dies right there on that beach, so I heeded the advice and headed to the safe beach. After the sun set, I opened a bottle of wine and me and the 8 Colombians sat around the fire drinking and laughing until well past our bed times. They left the next morning and I hung out and read and did nothing for the day, sat in my hammock, walked on the beach, drank fresh juice, searched for coconuts, and today came back to Santa Marta. Tuesday I will leave for the 6 day trek to Ciudad Perdida, in the heart of the Sierra Nevada's. It is a pretty tough trek, my last one in South America, and it will definitaly be the most difficult, longest, and wettest one. I will write again when I get home from there, which should be next Monday, but maybe Tuesday depending on when I get back here.
Borders are always an interesting experience, and leaving Venezuela was no different. I got up at 3 to catch an old Cadilac to the first town inside of Colombia, Maicao. On the road to the border, about 2 hours from Maracaibo, there were 12, yah 12 passport checks in Venezuela. Every corner we had to show our do*****ents, it was rediculous. At the border, all of the people had to pay a 15 dollar tax to leave the country, and I paid, but the 4 other people refused, saying that it was BS that they should have to leave their own country. Then they started arguing with the border guards (always a good idea), then cursing about Chavez, which got the situation pretty intense. I sat back and didn't say anything and after a half hour or they finally paid.
I jumped on a bus in Maicao and got to Santa Marta in the early afternoon. I walked around an got some money and checked out the town. The people are so friendly, while at the bank, there was a line at the ATM. The three people in front of me said I looked "in a hurry", and let me cut them!!! I headed to the beach and played some drums and then ate dinner and slept like a baby. Tomorrow I will head up the coast to Arrecifes, a series of beaches where lots of backpackers go to waste a few days doing nothing. I will sleep in my hammock and try to make it back sunday or so. From there I will go to Ciudad Perdida, a 6 day trek before making my way down the coast to Cartagena.
I am in Maracaibo, in the northwest of Venezuela killing time before my third bus trip in 30 hours or so. I have come a long way since the extremely tranquil surroundings deep in the Venezuelan Rainforest only 2 days ago. I went to Salto Angel, a very remote and spectacular waterfall, hidden deep in the south of Venezuela. Discovered by Jimmy Angel, a missionary whose plane crashed in 1937, it has no become Venezuela's main tourist destination and although it is very hard to reach tons of people still come every year. I got to Ciudad Bolivar last Wednesday night, and with the help of a guide I met a few weeks ago, was rushed into a tour leaving early the next morning. I took a flight to Canaima, I know the who flying thing, yet it is impossible to reach Canaima by land, so I had to make an exception. I hung out and met the group, 2 french, 2 Austrians, 1 Argentine, and 3 crazy Colombian women, and we took off shortly after lunch. Our first trip in the small motorized canoe was around Canaima falls and then we got off and walked to Sapo falls, where Last of the Mohicans was filmed. We then loaded up the boat again and took off up to our first night camp. After 2 hours sitting on the wooden seat in the cold, we finally arrived and got set up for the night, right as it got dark.
Just then, it started absolutely pouring rain. It rained hard all night, and when we woke up it was completely foggy and we couldn't see a damn thing. The group was in a grim mood as we feared that we would be stuck with fog all day, even though our guide Jose Angel assured us that it would clear. I asked a little favor to Pacha Mama, the Incan Mother Nature who I still wear around my neck, and asked for a little sun if she would be so kind. We got back in the boat and headed 3 hours upstream in the canoe without the weather lifting at all. When we got to the base of the falls, it was still fogged in and we were all pissed, especially me. I walked ahead and cursed and *****ed, and when we got to the viewpoint we couldn't see a damn thing. We waited and waited, and then, just like when Pacha Mama cleared the skies at Machu Picchu in March, the sky cleared up and revealed the amazing site of Salto Angel. It is really spectacular, how high it is, 973 meters of freefall. The pouring rain from the night before and morning made it even better because the usual trickle of water, was now a huge rush, splitting into 3 or 4 streams as it poured over the edge. I precariously crawled out and got a good seat looking right up at the falls, and sat and looked at it, uninterrupted for about 20 minutes or so. After a while we packed up and I ran down ahead of the group, with a very big smile, and hungry for some chicken!!! We ate, I swam, and we headed back downstream to camp. Everyone was happy, and we laughed, ate, and drank rum until I curled up with the little 3 week old puppy and dozed off for the night.
I spent the next day in Canaima playing with the monkey and sitting on the beach before heading back to Ciudad Bolivar and starting my trip to here, 12 hours to Valencia, then 10 to Maracaibo. Tonight at 3 am I have a car ride to Macao, then I catch a bus to Santa Marta, on the northern coast of Colombia.
I want to make this clear, I am not being foolish going to Colombia. I have done a lot of research about Colombia, including the US Embassy in Bogotá, travelers who have just come from there, and Colombians I have met along the way. I know what happens in Colombia, and I know how often and to who, that being said, backpackers are at little risk. I don't want people to worry about me, I have been through Brazil, Venezuela, and braved night buses in Bolivia, which I think is the stupidest thing of all. In Colombia, I will stay in constant communication with the Embassy, only travel during the day, stay away from small towns and trouble spots, speak as much spanish as possible, and just generally not do anything stupid. I feel that Colombia offers me a great opportunity to explore a country less traveled, and meet great people, as they hold some of the friendliest people I have met along my trip, who are willing to open their doors to me when I arrive in their cities.
Some final thoughts on Venezuela. It definitely was a trip after how great Brazil was. Not to say it was bad, but they just don't know tourism as well, as one local said, we know oil, that's it. The beaches were alright at best and everything is spread out, so I think that in my 3 weeks here, I have seen enough and am very eager to get to Colombia. If I could offer some advise to the Venezuelans it would be to chill out a bit. The people were friendly, but not like they should be. The people are so concerned with how they look that it seemed they would rather just look good than enjoy themselves. The women are beautiful, but disgusting in the respect that they are so made up, fake tits, lips, suction, tons of make-up, and the men are so machismo that one wrong look at them or their company could start a fight. Speaking of the woman, man they love really huge women here. Like fat, tall, just enormous women wear the skimpyest clothes, I don't know whether to laugh or feel nautious sometimes. It is hilarious. And they can`t go 5 feet without getting honked at or whistled, whereas the really good looking ones almost go unnoticed. I guess after how cool everyone in Brazil is, it would be hard to equal that. Also I made it all the way through Venezuela without meeting one person who supports Chavez, I don't get it, everyone hates him and is scared of what he is doing to the country. So that's it, tonight I head to Colombia, my trip is coming to an end, about 2 months left, wow!
I don't know if you could tell from my last post, but I had serious Island fever. The rain, us being sick as hell, and just boredom, really made me want to get out of there. I haven't had a 10 day period on my trip where I didn't do anything, so now I am going to occupy myself and finish in Venezuela and get into Colombia. The last day we were on the Island we went to a great beach, El Yaque, which really changed my impression of the island, lots of people our age, having fun and just hanging out. Our hotel was all old people and their kids, and it made hanging out there pretty boring all in all. I think we just unfortunatly got stuck at the wrong hotel, and in the end I don't think I would return to Isla Margarita.
Today I am headed to Ciudad Bolivar to do a trip for 4 days to see Salto Angel, the highest waterfall in the world, and other smaller falls around it, it is supposed to be spectacular. I need some pictures from here anyway. One thing that I have been meaning to write but always forget. The price of gas in Venezuela is rediculous, it is almost unimaginable. 10 CENTS A GALLON, they are practically giving it away.
As new years approached it started absolutly pouring rain. A huge party night turned into running for shelter everytime the sky opened and it began to pour. The club that we went to was about 3/4 outdoors and since we had prepaid we were stuck there. It wasn't too bad, but just not what I planned. Dinner was great, lobster and such, so that was fun. Unfortunatly it rained that last two days, and we are all kind of sick, so I guess I am ready to get out of here. I think we are going to get to a beach today, which will be nice. Thats about all I have to say...
It has certainly been fun having Teddy and Jeff here. I have been living the high live and just enjoying life with some class, instead of being a broke backpacker. We went to a club last night right on the beach and partied till well after the sun came up, I think we found the spot for new years. The Island is nice, the beaches are alright, unfortunatly Teddy sleeps most of the day, so it is really a hassle if I want to get him up before 2 or so.
My thoughts are with all of the people effected by the horrible tsunami, and the devestation that it has left in its wake. I know a staggering amount of backpackers that I have met along the way that have just dissapeared. I have seen too many names of friends that people are searching for. The backpacker world does sometimes feel like a small community. I wish everyone a happy New Years and a great 2005.
My 2004, well what can I say, definitaly the most amazing year of my life. I have seen and done things that will stay with me forever. I have travelled so far, probably around 30000 miles or so, and seen a part of the world that remains hidden to may people. I have climbed Machu Picchu, sipped Coco's on Ipanema beach, partied with the stars in Buenas Aires, and enjoyed the stars on the Amazon. I have felt the cold of the Bolivian Altiplano, and the warmth of my girlfriends hugs. I have scaled 18000 foot peaks, and swam to the bottom of muddy rivers. I have screamed and gone crazy at an Argentinian futbol match, and almost been beaten up in the Chaos of a Bolivian protest. I have endured 40 hour bus rides on bumpy roads, and spent nights screaming "I told you not to eat that". I have eaten huge steaks, beautiful fish, horrible tripe, drank savory wine, yummy pisco sours, Caiparinha's, and just really lived my life. I have learned so much about myself, the world, history, people, culture, religion, poverty and language. I don't know what 2005 holds in store for me, I guess I will have to wait to see.
After a few days of lounging around in my bed in Puerto La Cruz watching cable (even if my Raiders did lose), I took the ferry to Isla Margarita. Arriving at our 4 star hotel was really nice, and when Teddy and Jeff arrived the fun really started. It was great to see them, just so much fun to shoot the breeze and hang out with a friend from back home. I have a feeling that Isla Margarita will be a great time. Although the beach doesn't seem too nice, I am sure we will suffer our way through it. Teddy rented a car, so at least we have a way around the island, which is far larger than I thought it would be. Last night we went to Señor Frogs, which was an absolute blast, even if Teddy did pour a bucket of Ice on my head!
A few impressions of Venezuela. First off, for a country that hates the US, this is by far the most Americanized country I have ever visited. Everything is America, and all the people I have met love the US and immediatly jump on the chance to talk Baseball and such. I have not met any Chavez supporters, and after talking to people, both rich and poor, I am trying to figure out exactly how he won, but I guess that I can't figure out how Bush won as well. It seems as if Chavez is ramming info down peoples throats, everywhere there is pictures and propoganda, and last night he was on 8 of the 15 or so channels on TV. The people that I have met have been so friendly, and fun to hang out with and party with, and yes it is true that Venezuela has some of the most beautiful women in the world, and has bred the most Miss Universes of anywhere, but keep off me girls, I am taken. Also, there love there Salsa and Merengue here, and good, so do I. Well, I am heading off now, maybe Teddy and Jeff woke up, talk to you soon!
Trying to catch a bus in South America during Christmas time is like trying to swat mosquitos off of you with a splintered 2X4, even when you get one, you still think that there has to be a better way!!! So I finally, and I stress, FINALLY made it to Puerto La Cruz on the Caribean coast. In the last week I have spent 1 full night in a hotel, the rest have been on the road. I have taken 6 buses, one boat, one big rig (will explain later), walked across a border in a freak thunder storm, and countless taxis that don't really matter. I figure I spent a total of 20 hours, more or less, waiting for the buses or boats to leave. I have spent now 7 of the hardest days of my trip in transport to try to make it here, and finally I made it, just a boat trip is left for me to Isla Margarita, I need a vacation. Those who think travel is easy, I challenge you to do what I have done in the last week, see if you could do it.
Today's trip definitaly put the exclamation point on everything. Last night at 7, not 7:30 like the ticket said, they rushed me on to the bus, and at least it was a good bus. Like all buses here, the AC blasted and froze us and for some reason in Venezuela they keep the curtains closed the whole time. I slept a bit, although every once in a while, a national guard man would come on and check passports and ID's. I was supposed to arrive in Barcelona, 15 minutes away from Puerto La Cruz, this morning at around 10. Around 12 I started to wonder what was going on. Finally, I asked someone and they said that we had passed it. I went to the front and asked the driver and he said, calmy, yah it was 2 and a half hours back. He pulled the bus over as I went back to my seat to contemplate my next move. "Tendrias que saberlo", he said, I barked, "que", how the hell should I have known. He gave me that framilier latino shrug that meant no comment was needed and that I was obviously in the wrong. How was I supposed to know, I asked again, he told me that I was supposed to tell him to stop. I stayed calm, believe it or not, and then he changed the story and had announced that we were passing Barcelona, and at least all of the rest of the passengers helped me by telling him he was lying. He said that I needed to tell him that I was getting off, and I told him that I had explained to every other person at the company that I was getting off there, since he didn't get on the bus until well into the night to take his shift. He told me to get my stuff, and wait across at the other side of the toll station, or I would have to pay the extra fare to Caracas. Not calmy, and with a few words deleted, I said No, I don't want to go there. I got off and sat across the street and waited as full bus after full bus told me that I could not get on. Finally I started to thumb it, and finally Jorge, in the big rig decided he would give me a ride. We talked politics, he is very anti-chavez, baseball, the countries most popular sport, and he explained the anti-americanism in the country, and how strange it is at the fascination of a culture that is hated so much, ie all the cars, baseball jerseys, music, tv, and such.
Finally I made it to Barcelona, hitched a final bus, and got to Puerto La Cruz, probably the most hectic city I have seen in South America. I had no money, and when I went to the first 2 banks, my card didn't work. I laughed it off and went to 2 more banks with the same result. I started to panick and called the bank back in the US and they said it was the banks here. Finally after 3 hours I found a bank open at the ungodly hour of 5:30 pm and got some money and got into a hotel. I found a nice place, with cable (haven't seen that since the first week of October). I watched the "Whats big in 04" show to see all the crap that I missed back home. I took a hot shower for the first time in a long time, and ate a meal that didn't involve rice and beans for the first time since I can remember. So I made it, now I will relax here for 2 days or so, tomorrow will be very, very hectic around here with all the shopping, I think I will just buy a bunch of fireworks and amuse myself with them, since my mom would never let me play with them at home when I was a little kid.
