Another travel lesson learned- when you can, book a flight! I avoided the 14 hour bus trek and got a cheaper flight, about $34 USD to Medellin. I flew out with a girl who I met in my hostal and was happy to have some company arriving in a new city. We found two Swiss girls backpacking and split a cab to the hostal, which was actually quite far from the airport. The airplane ride, albeit short, was nejoyable. An episode of Modern Family, complimentary coffee and juice box, reclining seats (US airlines need to take a lesson in how to service their customers and show a little hospitalirty...). Even though it was domestic flight, I was able to check a bag AND take a carry-on for no extra charge. I even brought water through security and kept my shoes on through the whole process. TSA agents eat your heart out!
I´m welcoming Medellin´s cooler climate and happy to escape to humid cover that I experienced in Cartagena. There is an excellent view of the city from where I´m staying. Day one_ Metro system, wide cars, on time, clear maps, no unplesant odors, well lit... This city has bike lanes, a free botanical garden, (with free yoga classes which we enjoyed!), and a barefoot park where they encourage you to enjoy the sand. I guess that´s the temporary escape for city folk who need a brief respite from the concrete jungle. What is not to love? I think I´ll stay longer. Saw the mariposario (butterfly garden) - twas pretty amazing to watch these creatures suck the sugar out of a fermenting watermelon. Considering the Pablo Escobar tour, although I hear that you can ask his brother questions at the end of it, but the guys remains pretty vague, so perhaps not worth it... Enjoyed my papaya picnic in the park and making food for myself in the ample hostal kitchens. In other news, met a couple from Dallas who sold their apartment and were taking their 7 year old around South America. The husband can work from his computer, so they are taking 6 months to travel as a family. How cool is that? Plus, they knew where the Valley was. Ahh, that made me feel at home.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Cartagena Part 2- 8/21-8/23
Back in the city I was able to meet up with former coordinators of Arajuno Road Project in Ecuador who gave me some great tips for what to expect, where to go, how to manage volunteers, etc. Did some good people watching in the park and kept things pretty low key.
I should also mention, I looked for Liga de Mujeres Desplazadas (the displaced women´s community) I researched in college. Found an old address on a website that hadn´t been updated in ages. An older man at a bike repair shop knew who I was talking about but mentioned they had moved years ago. Hey, at least I tried...
I did find a new cultural center, only 8 months old started by some young artists. They had photos and art posted, a book exchange and different afro dance classes, yoga, acro yoga and a young Argentinian couple providing a taller. I went for the last two days I was in Cartagena and super glad I had made this discovery and was able to move a bit, find a new community. They had rope swings, threw us up into headstands and made me want to join the circus. We´ll have to see about that.
I also splurged and went on an official tour of the Volcan Totumo, a mud volcano located about an hour outside the city. We climbed up a ladder in our bathing suits, entered at the top and found that I could not control my buyoancy due to the funky density properties. It was an unreal sensation, floating, not being able to push my legs down or really submerge myself, or having someone´s leg fly up in the air unexpectedly. There are several locals who offer massages, photo ops (Israeli girl I met on the bus has some pics, maybe I´ll get to see them eventually), and afterwards women who take your hand once you reach the lakeshore, and give you a rapid rub down with a bucket. For 3,000pesos, I think she got most of the dirt out of my ears. This felt like the thermal pools we found in Ojo Caliente, New Mexico- apparently these are supposed to have good properties for clarifying your skin as well. We will have to see.
I should also mention, I looked for Liga de Mujeres Desplazadas (the displaced women´s community) I researched in college. Found an old address on a website that hadn´t been updated in ages. An older man at a bike repair shop knew who I was talking about but mentioned they had moved years ago. Hey, at least I tried...
I did find a new cultural center, only 8 months old started by some young artists. They had photos and art posted, a book exchange and different afro dance classes, yoga, acro yoga and a young Argentinian couple providing a taller. I went for the last two days I was in Cartagena and super glad I had made this discovery and was able to move a bit, find a new community. They had rope swings, threw us up into headstands and made me want to join the circus. We´ll have to see about that.
I also splurged and went on an official tour of the Volcan Totumo, a mud volcano located about an hour outside the city. We climbed up a ladder in our bathing suits, entered at the top and found that I could not control my buyoancy due to the funky density properties. It was an unreal sensation, floating, not being able to push my legs down or really submerge myself, or having someone´s leg fly up in the air unexpectedly. There are several locals who offer massages, photo ops (Israeli girl I met on the bus has some pics, maybe I´ll get to see them eventually), and afterwards women who take your hand once you reach the lakeshore, and give you a rapid rub down with a bucket. For 3,000pesos, I think she got most of the dirt out of my ears. This felt like the thermal pools we found in Ojo Caliente, New Mexico- apparently these are supposed to have good properties for clarifying your skin as well. We will have to see.
Parque Tyrona 8/18-8/20
After a 5 hour bus ride to Santa Marta and listening to a computer engineer from Turkey talk about his year long travels, (this is a guy that decided to hike Patagonia by himself without ever going camping before). We´re talking 127 Hours situation waiting to happen... Anyway, awesome stories, met an Aussie, who Katie would be happy to know had red hair and said ´heaps´ a lot. Purchase food to make aguacate-queso sandwiches and had my jar of peanut butter, so I knew I´d be able to survive in the jungle with the only food option being expensive fish dishes. Lugged my nalgene and new foldable water bladder (thanks mom!) the hour walk into the jungle, made it to the first beach Arrecifes and scored a $6 hammock.
Spent the days wandering thru the selva and exploring other small beaches. Coarse sand, warm water, many warnings about all the people who had drown in an idealic setting. Serriously, this place looks like a honey moon postcard. Too bad I wasn´t on my honey moon. I got a lot of reading done and managed to stay dry for the most part despite the deluges that camp down in the nighttime. I felt bad for those camping who needed to seek out higher ground. There are people who actually pay mules to bring down all their baggage for them. The scene looks like a Woodstock campground after awhile, a splattering of colored tents, clothes lines strung with vibrant colored bathing suits, people snacking on fruit. Twas fun. Met a lot of Colombians on holiday. Got an offer to visit folks in Cali and almost took some one up on the offer to ride down to the Santander Valley on motorcycle. They had extra space but desfortunadamente, I had left my larger backpack in a hostal in Cartagena and just brought a small drawstring backpack with me. Darn. It was fortunate though that I was able to leave my 33kg pack back in the city though, otherwise I don´t think I would´ve made it all the way to my final destination.
Hiked back out of the park on Monday, caught the micro from parking lot to entrance, caught collectivo from Tyrona to Santa Marta and then hopped on the back of a motorcycle (because the old lady on the corner told me this was way faster than the bus and also safe) in order to beeline to the bus terminal. Caught my bus back to Cartagena. Done. Enough transport for one day. Return back to find all spaces full in Casa Viena, time to head to Media Luna (or as I have now figured out, party central). I left with a new Chilean friend and mysterious red bites all over my legs. I should really review these places before I committ to sleeping in a room the reeks of heavy BO and where the music is not shut off until after 12pm. You know you are old and the hostal is dangerous when there is a pool-bar area in the center. Note to self...
Spent the days wandering thru the selva and exploring other small beaches. Coarse sand, warm water, many warnings about all the people who had drown in an idealic setting. Serriously, this place looks like a honey moon postcard. Too bad I wasn´t on my honey moon. I got a lot of reading done and managed to stay dry for the most part despite the deluges that camp down in the nighttime. I felt bad for those camping who needed to seek out higher ground. There are people who actually pay mules to bring down all their baggage for them. The scene looks like a Woodstock campground after awhile, a splattering of colored tents, clothes lines strung with vibrant colored bathing suits, people snacking on fruit. Twas fun. Met a lot of Colombians on holiday. Got an offer to visit folks in Cali and almost took some one up on the offer to ride down to the Santander Valley on motorcycle. They had extra space but desfortunadamente, I had left my larger backpack in a hostal in Cartagena and just brought a small drawstring backpack with me. Darn. It was fortunate though that I was able to leave my 33kg pack back in the city though, otherwise I don´t think I would´ve made it all the way to my final destination.
Hiked back out of the park on Monday, caught the micro from parking lot to entrance, caught collectivo from Tyrona to Santa Marta and then hopped on the back of a motorcycle (because the old lady on the corner told me this was way faster than the bus and also safe) in order to beeline to the bus terminal. Caught my bus back to Cartagena. Done. Enough transport for one day. Return back to find all spaces full in Casa Viena, time to head to Media Luna (or as I have now figured out, party central). I left with a new Chilean friend and mysterious red bites all over my legs. I should really review these places before I committ to sleeping in a room the reeks of heavy BO and where the music is not shut off until after 12pm. You know you are old and the hostal is dangerous when there is a pool-bar area in the center. Note to self...
Cartagena, Colombia 8-15-12
Wednesday August 15th. I left the Atlantic City Airport with official backpacker gear (thanks to Kate Binns) and found out some important stuff the hard way. Lesson ·1- You need to have this thing called a return ticket to actually leave the country. Honestly, I don´t think Colombia would´ve minded that much if I bussed my way around South America, but apparently the American Embassy does have a problem with this, and Spirit Airlines have found a way to make it profitable. I knew that cheap ticket was too good to be true. $127 later, I have a one way ticket from Medellin to Ft. Lauderdale leaving sometime in September that no one will loose. What did Poppop say, never break a deal over $5? I could´ve tried to print out a bus itinerary perhaps, but at 5;30am with one cup of coffee in my system, how do you make such a decision? You hand over the plastic, shrug off another pricey mistake, swear it´ll be the last one (hey, at least I´m not missing my flight as I have in past experiences) and hop in the security line. Phew. 10 min out of the car and first crisis averted, or dealt with at least.
Plane from Florida-Cartagena, sit next to Alejandro, originally from Bogota and gives me the scoop on Miami strip and Colombian cities. He gives me my first 20,000 pesos for the cab ride downtown since there was not an available money exchange when I arrived in the airport. Things to do PRE ARRIVAL. What happened to my checklist? I get the green light in Colombian security line, hop in the cab, see coastline and colonial city of Cartagena.
First days there are spent wandering the Old City, historic center, officially changing my moolah and drinking several cups of extremely small ´tinto´(cafe), to get up to my daily, half a pot caffeine level.
Plane from Florida-Cartagena, sit next to Alejandro, originally from Bogota and gives me the scoop on Miami strip and Colombian cities. He gives me my first 20,000 pesos for the cab ride downtown since there was not an available money exchange when I arrived in the airport. Things to do PRE ARRIVAL. What happened to my checklist? I get the green light in Colombian security line, hop in the cab, see coastline and colonial city of Cartagena.
First days there are spent wandering the Old City, historic center, officially changing my moolah and drinking several cups of extremely small ´tinto´(cafe), to get up to my daily, half a pot caffeine level.
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