The End
In a few hours i end my South American adventure by flying to New York where i am going to hang out in Brooklyn, Brighton beach, Coney Island and weirdly a Black Eyed Peas gig with my friend Yanna.
During the course of the trip I have travelled the continent pretty extensively by boat, train, plane, car and predominatly overnight bus. I have visited my new favourite places on the face of planet (aswell as Bolivia), seen Iguazu falls, Partied in Rio, survived a River vs. Boca game in Argentina, Climbed Machu Pichu, caught a piranha in the Amazon, learnt Spanish in Santiago, met some friends for life, and been called a gringo more times than i care to remember. It has been without a doubt the best holiday of my life, and i´ll definately be back.
I´ll finish with a photo of me walking my puma in the Amazon.
Hasta Luego.
31.05.2011 - 04.06.2011 Bogota
Day 1
Took a flight to Bogota from Cartegena and met up with my friends Yev, Freddie and Mike whom i had met in Cali. In the evening we went for a couple of drinks at a tiny local rock bar. It seems in Bogota the locals share music tastes with Brazil, Argentina, and Chile rather than the rest of the country. This makes a nice change from salsa, especially as the bar played old Guns n´Roses videos.
Day 2
Today i took a walk around yet another crazy expensive and plush shopping mall with Yev, before going for a few beers in Zona Rosa (Bogotas expensive nightlife region).
Day 3
Columbia is obviously nowhere near as dangerous as everybody makes out as half the local on duty police force has time to spend the day shooting a Columbia version of pool in hostel Villa Candeleria with me.
Day 4
Today i visited the excellent Museu del Oro (Gold Museum), the attached photo of want i think is a pre-hispanic death mask. In the evening i went for an enjoyable night out with my friends from Hostel Sue (Hi Mum).
Day 5
I spent my last full day in South America living the highlife and watching films in the hostel trying to recover from the night befores over indulgences. I also managed to come to a bizarre arrangement with the hostel where they pay me to sleep in the tv room because i was an idiot and didnt reserve a bed.
25.05.2011 - 30.05.2011 Cartegena
One of the few usefull things i managed to get around to in Medellin was to spruce myself up a little by getting a long overdue haircut, wash my clothes, and shaving (i had grown a beard… of sorts). This drastic grooming action was brought on by the fact people keep assuming i´m French. Now that i have cleaned up my act i get confused for being Swiss, which i guess is a cleaner and neater version of a french person.
In other news i am back in Cartergena after taking a boat (i had previously joked about the unseaworthyness of said boat) back from Playa Blanca with Hugo. This boatrip turned out to be an experience, and i honestly though i was going to be swimming with the fishes at one point. Other than risk my life in the middle of the carribean sea, i spent my time in Cartegena by walking around, going to the beach, replacing items of clothing i have losed, and hanging out with my friends Lucy, Elliot, Fran, Russel, and Kieran.
24.05.2011 Playa Blanca
Today i got up early, took a boat from the old port to Playa Blanca, sunbathed, swam in the carribean sea, ate fish, drank coco loco`s (pina coladas from a coco nut), watched the sunset, listened to music, drank beer, and slept overnight in a hammock on the beach.
Photo is form google images as i was too busy being miserable to take one myself.
23.05.2011 Cartegena
So i arrived bright and early in Columbia`s best known carribean town (Cartegena was used as the setting for one of my all time favourite Michael Douglas films ‘Romancing the Stone’) after an overnight bus ride from Medellin. Shortly after arriving i managed to lose my trainers (im not sure how) whilst deciding i didn`t particularly like a certain hostel. This isnt a big deal as i planned to replace them when i get to New York anyways, but it does now mean i have lossed every single item of white clothing i originally brought with me (three t-shirts, one long sleeved t-shirt, one pair of board shorts, one pair of flip - flops, and every single pair of socks). This doesn`t seem so important after watching the sun set over the city wall and carribean sea.
17.05.2011 - 22.05.2011 Medellin
After a brief walk around Salento whilst waiting for the cash machine to start working, i left for Medellin * with my new friends Lucy, Dinae, and Yurit. Once we had arrived in Columbias second city, we were turned away from our two first choice hostels because they had no room at the inn. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise as we managed to find a bed each at the excellent Pitstop hostel where i had arranged to meet some friends anyway.
I realise that it doesnt make the most enthralling reading hearing how all i do in each city is walk around in the day and party in the evening, but unfortunately that is about all i have done in Medellin also ( After six months in south America i find it hard to get excited about Roman Catholic cathedrals or pre columbian art).
*Medellin used to be the murder capital of the world, but since the demise of Pablo Escobar, its a pretty nice place to be.
16.05.2011 Salento
In order to break up the journey from Cali to Medellin, i stopped off at selento, right in the heart of Columbias coffee region. There is no doubt that the countryside is beautiful, however after one day of recovering from Cali by walking around, i wanted to be back in the hustle and bustle of a city.
13.05.2011 - 15.05.2011 Cali
I filled my weekend in Cali by walking around (there isnt a lot to see), watching films in the hostel, and going out to Menga with my friends Mike, Yev, Gary, Josh and Jeff.
12.05.2011
After another little walk around Popayan i took a bus to Cali (Columbias third largest city). Cali is supposedly Columbia`s capital for nightlife, especially all things salsa.
Shortly after i had arrived and checked into Pelican Larry hostel, i bumped into my friends Trudy and Alex whom i hadnt seen since Montevideo. I joined Trufy and Alex for dinner along with a local girl who later showed us some of her city along with a few salsa bars.
11.05.2011 Popayan
Although Pasto had served its purpose as a safe place to stop for the night, there isnt a great deal to see or do. Therefore i decided to take the 6 hour bus journey to the whitewashed colonial city of Popayan. Popayan is lovely, and an excellent place to wander around and stop for the occasional cup of Juan Valdez (Columbian equivalent of starbucks).
