Hermit Crabs

Today Chase and I went on a boat tour, and spent the afternoon at beach on a local island. The beach was called Playa Blanca. It was sandy and nice and there were too many guys trying to sell us necklaces. But we saw a hermit crab prancing along the sand and it was cool.



Tomorrow we fly to Bogota.

Caribe!

Cartegena is hot, really hot, but quite lovely. Strangely, its an awful lot like Essaouira, Morocco. (Also, see below for a new post on Medellin).

Locals Tour of Medellin

As part of its remarkable comeback story, Medellin´s metro system includes a cable car that reaches high up one of the mountains that surrounds the city.



For the price of admission to the subway - about 75 cents - one can ride up for a lovely view of Medellin and a peek at one of the neighborhoods that make up Colombia´s second city.

We alighted the cable car to have a look around yesterday afternoon. As ususal, many of the locals eyed us with great curioisity - not avarice, nort suspicion, just genuine, good-hearted curiosity. A couple of young men, Juan Carlos and Carmilo, asked us our names and where we were from. We chatted for a bit, and I gave them each a postcard from Washington, DC and some bracelets I had back from Otavalo, Ecuador. Then our new 12 year old friends insisted on giving us a tour of the brand new library in their barrio, very proud of this towering, hillside stone building, largely funded by the Spanish crown.



After the tour, the gentlemen walked us back to the cable car, and off we were back to central Medellin.

Marbellous Medellin!

This place has come a long way from the grim days of Pablo Escobar. It has probably the most modern metro I´ve ever ridden, clean streets, low hassle for toutists, friendly locals (even met a guy on the street who owns a Cleveland Indians jersey who gave us directions, how rad). It´s traffic is awful, but has numerous taxi drivers, who, get this, are not allowed to idle in taxi stands. They stand in their car with the engine off, and literally push their car up when they move towards the front of the line. Amazing.

This morning, we had the gut busting local dish known as bandeja paisa. Dish might not be the best way to describe it. It varies a little from place to place, but the meal starts out with some fried and grilled breads with an avocado like dip, then you get a small cup of bean and potato ¨country¨ soup. From there come the main part, in our case ground beef, chorizo, a fried egg, half an avocado, a bowl of beans, a fried plantain, a fried pork crackling, and a twice fried banana. Something like this -



I want the Weight Watchers people to tell me how many points that was. Wow. Tasty though*.

Off to the Caribbean colonial jem (via aeroplane) of Cartagena tomorrrow.

Hasta mañana!

*Anthony Bourdain´s `No Reservations´ recently featured this dish on a trip to Medellin. Check it out if you can.

Busy Fellas

After a 6 hour, bone-jarring ride on a mostly washed out road, we arrived in San Agustin, hostel hunted for a spell then settled into the central, but slightly dingy Jardin hotel. We made it out into town for dinner and a few beers, and were up early to see the mysterious ruins of San Agustin. (Pictured below). We hired a guide with acceptable English, enjoyed a walk through the ruins, and in three hours we were back in town, then in the back of a pickup truck en route to Tierredentro. We made it to Pitalito, but with no bus for 2 hours to La Plata, we grabbed a shared taxi to Garzon, then on to La Plata. Unfortunately, we arrived rather late in La Plata, where we spent the night, dut to a 90 minute wait to cross a bridge - some sort of army blockade, I don´t know. La Plata, a small, city with a charming 100 plus year old ceiba in its main plaza., hosted us in a nice, modern hotel, with no hot water (brrrr!). From there we were on to Tierredentro. The bus there was no trouble - more of Colombia´s lovely mountains, valleys and rivers, if a tad bumpy. We saw the caves, hiked around, and were set to return to Popayan (where we had left much of our gear and a few loads of laundry), when we were informed that the road was washed out. So, an overnight in the small, tourist hotbed near the museum (the museum and park had 10 visitors in the last 7 days according to the log book), where we found a Canadian and English woman to rock the town, enjoying something called Vino de Coca and a local beverage called Chicha.

The next morning, we boarded a jeep (with packages on top and people hanging off the back) to the sight of the landslide, crossed on foot, and boarded another jeep to Inza, where we boarded a bus for the very, very bumpy ride back to Popayan. We grabbed our gear, got a bus to Cali, then changed to get to the grim, industrial town of Armenia - almost totally destroyed in a violent series of earthquakes in 1999. We stayed at a nicer hotel, but in the heart of the prostitute alley of Armenia. We ordered from grilled meats from a street vendor, and the helpful hotel manager got us a couple of beers, and we ate on the curb, dodging the working girls strolling by.

From there, we were on to the Zona Cafetera, and a lovely hacienda set amid coffee bushes and plantain trees, 30 kilometers from Pereira. A lovely pool, great food, charming hosts, and an afternoon to just do nothing. This morning we had a short hike on the farm, and now we are off to see the formely infamous, Medellin.

We are on the way to an overnight at a coffee farm. Trip is great!

San Agustin

Tomorrow, I'm going here.



Not sure where after that, but hopefully here.



Tomorrow is a 5 to 7 hour bus ride to get to San Agustin, and Tierredenntro is another 5 from there, if you are lucky (2 changes on the side of the road on local buses). So it's all a little up in the air right now, but that's part of the adventure.

Popayan Hostel!

This place that I'm staying in is great. So, if any traveler stumbles across this blog, (1) Come to Colombia, (2) Stay here. The place and people are really great.

End of Prologue, Begin Chapter One

Rose from bed at the ripe hour of 5 ayem Sunday morning, and left the hotel in Ibarra to catch a taxi to the Terminal Terrestre and an early morning bus ride to Tulcan, close to the Colombian border. A three hour bus ride, high in the stark, high Andes, left us in a rainy Tulcan, where a mad taxi driver raced across wet, windy mountain roads to take us to the Ecuadorian immigration facility. A short wait (and a lot of confusion), and we had our exit stamps in our passports, and walked about 150 meters across the border to Colombia. Got another stamp (sort of lame, the "stamps" in both countries are dot matrix printouts), changed some money*, and grabbed another taxi to the bus station in Ipiales, Colombia. On a 10:30 bus to Popayan, which switchbacked down through lush valleys of green and terraced hills, mountains wih clouds draped over them like blankets.

High in the mountains, a few hours into the trip from Ipiales, our bus was stopped - a collection of Colombians, marching, protesting, armed police everywhere - protesting for peace in their long-troubled nation.

Then six hours into the last bus jounrey of the day, we were again stopped, pulled to the side of the road by armed men. They reviewed the bus drivers papers, quizzed him on the trip, and boarded the bus! The Colombian plice officer, M-16 in his hands, said something to Chase and I in Spanish. I did not understand. "¿Que?" was all I could think to say. "Buenes tardes," (Good Afternoon), he replied. The police inspected the bus, and 15 minutes after we were stopped us, we were on our way.

Arriving 8 hours after boarding the bus in Ipiales (and 13 since we left Ibarra), we alighted in Popayan, the well preserved colonial "White City" of Southern Colombia. It was a long day of traveling, but worth it for this lovely, if extremely quiet, capital of the deparmentivo.



We had a nice meal last night, and met a Scottish fellow who has been the caretaker of a hostel in town for a few months, with some really helpful information on the town and surrounding area. For those readers worried for our safety (in other words, for my mom and people who know Chase), the Scotsman said in the four months that he has been here, he has heard zero horror stories about the surrounding area. He and his Australian dining companion maintained that because Colombia has so few tourists, it does not attract theifs because they can not survive on the meager earning from robbing so few travelers.

In any event, I will try to post back before we leave for the countryside, I think we will be without internet access for a day or two.

And the coffee is really, really good here.

Tomorrow, Colombia

Spent a nice evening at the Rincon de Trabajare in Otavalo, enjoying the terrace with Chase, some Pilsener and anisado, and got up early enough to see the Otavalo Saturday market. Shirts, chickens, produce, scarves, winter hats, handicrafts, soap, goats, summer hats, guineau pigs, blankets and puppies were all available. We then rabbed a bus to Ibarra, just a 45 minute trip up the panamericana. A pleasant town, high in the mountains, with big skies and lovely plazas.

While enjoying some papas fritadas and cervezas at an outdoor cafe, we saw a parade procession honoring Divino Niño, with loudspeakers on trucks, dancers, and floats all honoring the day. A nice spectacle, indeed.

Tomorrow we press on - quite early - for Colombia. This is the diciest part of the journey, but we are well informed and plan to travel solely by daylight. I´ll check in when I´m finally in Colombia.

On to Otavalo

And people think that Colombia is the dangerous place.

Yesterday night, Chase and I were looking for a restaurant that was slightly "off map." I didn't mind hunting for a few blocks looking for the place, but it was after dark so we turned around after a few blocks. So we are back on one of the main drags of New Quito - maybe 4 blocks from our hotel, close to other people, cafes, etc., when some guy walks behing Chase and sticks his hand in his front pocket! Chase valiantly grabbed the guy by the wrist before he got far into it, and he quickly scampered off when he was caught. Thankfully, several people asked him if he was ok, but a crazy moment nonetheless.

We have decided to travel to Colombia overland, rather than fly. We are in a smaller town north of Quito, Otavalo, which is well known for its Saturday market. We will stay here overnight, and maybe head tomorrow to Ibarra, 30 minutes from the border, or just stay anther night here. Haven't seen much yet, so check back later for details on Otavalo.

Details to follow on...

Estamos Aqui

The best thing about this blog posting is that at no time will I mention mint tea.

The flight into Quito was uneventful, as was the ride into the hotel. We are staying in New Quito, a hip area chock full of cafes, bars, restaurants and hotels. The weather is chilly at night (low 50s?), and we sat at an outdoor cafe soaking up Quito while simultaneously soaking up Long Island Iced Teas. The local beer is just called ¨Pilsener,¨ a drinkable and simple well, pilsner.



Today we made it into Old Quito, under picture perfect blue skies and temperatures around 70. Churches, cathedrals, basillicas, cafes, and a very nice set lunch filled up our day. (I really like that they don´t oversalt soup here). Tonight we plan to splurge on a nice meal, and figure out the next step. Until later.

Itinerary for Today

(Pre-flight beer with Chase at DCA)

American Airlines 308 WASHINGTON REAGAN WED 16JUL
12:55 PM MIAMI INTERNTNL 3:25 PM Q
Jason Economy Seat 26A Food (and Cocktails) For Purchase
Chase Economy Seat 26B Food (and Cocktails) For Purchase

(Flight break beer with Chase at Miami)

American Airlines 967 MIAMI INTERNTNL WED 16JUL
5:45 PM QUITO 8:45 PM Q
Jason Economy Seat 33A Dinner
Charles Economy Seat 33B Dinner

(Post flight drinks with Chase in Quito)

What's Up

I'm off on Wednesday for three weeks in Ecuador and Colombia. I'm traveling with my friend and co-worker, Chase.