I'm just saying...

Because it wouldn't be traveling without poking some fun... 

This is the sound system on the bus we took out to the beachside "resort" in Palomino. A simple wiring plan I think you'll agree. Obviously.

The good news always being that they never exceed a comfortable volume level so everyone can enjoy the music. Oh wait I got that wrong... the goal actually seems to be 'How can we get blood to pour out of the passengers ears without using a scalpel?'. My mistake.  It is one of the themes on this continent.

  BLARE anything you have. 

It is not unusual to be walking down the street past a minimum of two shops (door by door), clearly battling the airwaves alongside a live act playing on the street also pumping the beats, layering in taxis honking over and over. I've actually had moments where I just cover my ears.

Rocking in a ball on the curb is only days away. I know it.  

South Americans also like to speed and generally ignore any road rules. Rules? What rules?  I'm not really sure they have any, I'm just thinking back to ours I think.  I've been on so many buses who advertise in the ticket booth that they publish their speeds inside the bus. I had assumed this was because the drivers would follow the speed limits more and this is therefore desirable to passengers. Living through the drive and al that. Turns out that it is untrue since they almost never actually work. Ohhh you were so close South America. Good effort. 

This is another gem... the old Open 24hours sign for a pharmacy that actually never seems to open their doors. I almost want to guess that the location has moved but I don't see any arrows so I'm thinking no.

South Americans also have a much different understanding concerning "personal space". Seemingly they actually don't need any. It is a subtle thing but feeling the heat of strangers on all sides is totally undesirable. At least to me. A favourite Nikki quote "I should not be able to feel your groceries in my back as I wait to pay". Agreed.   In line at a coffee shop the other day I felt so crowded by this one guy I actually turned around and gestured as if to say "is there something in front of me you need to see?" Blank stare in return. No step back. Serenity Now. I mean it is soooo hot here don't you want some air space? MAYDAY

My favourite is the graffiti.

No matter how small the town there is a worthy artist.

Palomino is a blip of a town, but I wasn't left hanging.

Thanks to all the artists who make the streets come alive. You are inspiring and I have "lifted" your creativity into my journal at each opportunity.

There are of course plenty of quirky South American traits I will miss and have enjoyed laughing at and struggling through.                                                 Felt like you might enjoy a sample.

xo
b

Final days

 Admit it, when you have pictured me out here on this adventure, you home in the cold, heading to work in the dark and returning home in the dark this past winter, you romanticized that this is where I have been this entire time. Among the palms and thatched roofs. 

I've done my best to burst that bubble through this blog because, well, to start I think the truth has been WAY more interesting and I have also hoped that you've found the ridiculous stuff funny which eases the regret you may have of not being out here with me.  As always you're welcome :) and there is always next time. 

So to recap... this oasis is not where I have been for the past 18wks. I've been in sweaty or ice burg-like buses dying a little inside every time at the thought that my backpack is being thieved at every stop. I've been killing time in any number of airports, praying my stuff doesn't get soaked in a variety of "boat-like" structures. I've been slipping around in mud and rain, doing my best to avoid roaches & tarantulas, sharing dorm rooms with up to 11 other human beings (I use the term loosely for some) from all walks of life. People who think nothing of turning on an overhead light at 4am to have a full voice conversation about their need to "hide the coke" because the policia are outside wanting to take them to the "station" if they don't show them their passports.  I've been muddling through spanglish crossing all my limbs that what I ordered for dinner will taste like something more than texture and less than a pet. Trying to work out yet another exchange rate because I know as a gringo I'm getting ripped off but by how much? Always with the knowledge that soon my ears will pop from another major change in altitude. 

To be fair I have also been discovering what it feels like to swim with galapagos penguins, describe wine, hike the Andes, make amazing new friends who also find it hard not to laugh at what is going on around us when the differences are just so thick, savor unique foods (I will miss you Lulo and Mora), breath in sea or crisp mountain air as I practice yoga and generally reinvent myself with each new stop as I see fit.

So yes I suppose you are due some jealousy and for my last three days this is where I was. An oasis 2 hours north east of Santa Marta on the caribbean coast in Palomino, Colombia. 

Wish you were here. Home soon

xo

b

The Sweat Box - aka Cartagena

I am surprised to report that although Cartagena is suffering from what felt like at least 100% humidity (or is that rain?) we stayed here for four nights. I actually can't believe I survived that long but it would have been a shame to leave the beautiful city any sooner and hey they had dorm rooms, jewelry shops and restaurants with a/c. What more could I ask for outside of the ability to draw breath while wandering around the old town?

To give you a sense for how hot it is I have started with a photo showing you a shop keeper just trying to survive. This guy LIVES here and he's struggling. We passed three other employees outside this shop before we entered.  ALL were lying across benches like melted cheese, arms draped over their eyes. Only one took the time to look over at us as we passed by. Not one rose to actually sell us anything. Including this fine gent.  Point made but maybe if he would sell us something he could afford some a/c. It's a thought. 

Here's a sample of what the old city looks like. Stunning. Obviously Joan Wilder knew there were more reasons to be here, outside of searching for her sister with Michael Douglas.

The old city is surrounded by an old stone wall separating it from the port and the new areas of the city which I honestly didn't have any interest in seeing.

One downfall of this place is the incessant honking, mostly from cabbies but sometimes it seems regular citizens join in for the joy of making LOUD NOISES (like Steve Carell in Anchorman) for no apparent reason. I will admit to getting a mild case of turrets after a few days. I mean for GAWD's sake why can't they just trust me to flag them down when I DO need a lift?

In order to make my feelings clear, I should have just "borrowed" this sign, which  I found in one of the squares,  and walked around with it over my shoulder.    They clearly know it is an aggravating problem if they are making signs right?

The two main adventures available around the Cartagena area include...

ONE: Soaking in the bubbling mud from a nearby volcano.

Riiiggghhht

Okay so this doesn't just sound gross... BUT... I needed a creative way to wish my girl Kate"PooPoo" Roy a Happy 6th Birthday and this seemed like the perfect venue.

Imagine sitting in a 15' wide "bathtub" of warm gurgling mud, elbow to elbow with 10 other gringos and 3 Colombian men would want to "massage" you (for a fee) while another guy takes photos (for a fee) and later women try to clean you off in the nearby lagoon (for a fee).  I agreed to photos only.

Yarf-ville

Nikki kept laughing at me, due, she said, to the pained expression I had on my face the entire time.  "Are we done yet?"

TWO: Visit Playa Blanco via a 20 minute poorly organized boat ride for the day. I say poorly organized because once again (why am I still surprised by this after almost five months of repeated exposure?) we learned we had to pay an incremental "park tax" after we'd bought our boat tickets at the hostel... TO - GO - TO - THE - PARK ... Why don't they just include everything in the one ticket? I mean you can't opt out of paying the park tax but still go to the park? Hello? Okay breath... it must be the heat.

Then they had us wait almost two hours in the sun at the port waiting to leave with no explanation as to why or when we might do so. Lack of information is a killer for North Americans Nikki and I have decided. Every time we asked for a departure time we received the "we will go in five minutes" lie. We started to count out our raging outbursts using the helpful, one one thousand, two one thousand method. Sheer Torture.

Anyways, you can stay on the island as well if you want but it's a 'sleeping in hammocks arrangement' peppered with swarms of mosquitos at dusk. We took a pass, and just enjoyed a day in the surf before buying our bus tickets on to Santa Marta for the following afternoon. I say afternoon because we had to squeeze in one more trip to the ice cream shop for my final bowl of Lulo and Mora helado before heading further up the coast.

xox
b

A 'moving' last day in Medellin

Most people who know of Medellin think only of the times when cocaine wars ravaged the country driven by Pablo Escobar's Medellin cartel, and of course the fact that there were streets with invisible lines drawn - to cross them would result in being shot down - no questions asked.

Yes tough neighbourhood.  I agree. 

Good thing so much has changed and the citizens and gov't are due some 'props' for turning things around so significantly.

As I mentioned earlier, there has been a significant investment made into the city and one of the improvements was to install a Metocable system connecting the city to a National Park in the hills just above the slums. Connecting all citizens to the beauty that surrounds them.

The gondola cars are spotless and uber safe even though they glide over, and have multiple stops in, one of the poorest area of the city.  At one station they also have a huge beautiful library sitting on the edge of the hill. They really seem intent on making the lives of the less fortunate better. Not something you see in many countries that deal with serious poverty.

Much to our surprise, as we rose through the hills, we began to notice at least a dozen huge cloth pictures draped across walls and roofs of the slums promoting "justice", "tolerance", "love" etc.

The inspirational posters reflect the faces of all kinds of Colombians; all age ranges, male & female, young & old, light & dark to surround the inhabitants and those cruising above with some inspiration.






It was really a very moving part of the journey.  I wish Canada had this kind of huge art installation throughout our cities.





When we finally reached the National Park we actually didn't have any significant time to walk around because, in the afternoon, we were heading to the airport bound for Cartagena via Bogota.

Yes you read me right. Planes number 13 &14 to date. I suppose the purchase of some carbon offsets will be in order when I get back home.

While at the entrance to the park, I did take a quick snapshot of a sleeping dog because I have recently felt remiss in not commenting on how relaxed the 'perros' (dogs) of South America have been.  Never in my life do I recall seeing dogs just lay down and nap ANYWHERE. Busy sidewalks, streets, shops... it makes no difference.

Originally I though maybe they were dead but no, healthy as ever so not to worry Kruz,  Frankers and all you other dog lovers out there.

I suppose we just tell our dogs to move "off the couch", "out of the doorway" etc in North America so in our culture they stick to the safe zones. These dogs don't even flinch when people walk by or over them to continue on their way. Strange.

Off to Cartagena - wish us luck.
xo
b