Cartagena

Posted on November 26th, 2007 in Travel by Sinead

So we arrived in Cartagena on holloween night so all the kids were dressed up to the nines going around trick or treating (i think its more popular here than in the US they go all out). We wanted to stay around Cartagena for a festival that was coming up the following weed (stayed almost two weeks here in Cartagent), so to bide a little time we visited the mud volcano - this is were you get into a liquid mud pool kinda thing which is feels really weird cause you can´t sink and if you loose your balance your feet come flying up so that your lying on your back. It was good fun though got a massage and then ran down to a lagoon to wash off. We also walked around the old town in Cartagena which had loads of narrow streets with old colonial buildings on either side with balconies full of flowers.

The weekend before the Carnival there were some festivities one of which was formula colombian which we went to. It started off with kids in go-karts going crazy speeds round the circuit, next it was 125cc go-karts with 12/13 year olds driving again crazy speeds (and the noise was getting louder and louder), finally there was the main event formula colombia cars (a smaller version of formula 1 cars) with 18year olds driving. There was a cicane (made up of car tyres) in the circuit to make it more difficult but they never increased the size of it as the cars got bigger so that in the last race with the large cars it was impossible to get round the corners without taking out some of the tyres so that after 10minutes the cars were no longer trying to take the tight corner but instead just driving straight through the tyres - the guys whose job it was to maintian the cicanes just gave up even trying to fix it very funny at the time.

As we´d already been in Cartagena five days at this stage we decided to go to Playa Blanca (an island 40min boat ride away). It was a nice beach and it was nice being able to jump into the water (you couldn´t really do that in Cartagena as the water wasn´t very clean) and we also slept in hammocks which was a nice change. So all in all we just relaxed for two days reading a book going for walks and eating fish.

Then it was back to Cartagena for some craziness.

The evening we returned was the opening of the carnival and a big stage had been put up in front of the old town. The carnival is based around a beauty pagent but also celebrates the anniversary of the cities independance so there was a dancing performance - with some really cool acrobatics and the costumes were amazing, followed by the beauty pagent contestants being introduced. The following day was a small parade (again the contestants were present) but for a couple of hours leading up to the pagent people gathered along the route and threw water and flour at people. There was also a paste which you rubbed on your hands and added some water - you then smeared a passing victim in paint. After being attacked once or twice we decided to arm ourselves (there was myself and Garrett, Robert an englishman, Jamie scottish and Darragh from Dublin versus a couple hundred locals).

Needless to say once it was obvious we were up for some fun we ended up getting destroyed - mostly in blue that day. Great fun though and we made some friends we´d meet over the next few days including a colombian selling water who would leave his gear with us to mind, while he salsa´d. We finished off that night with a couple of bottles of rum back at the hostel.

The one drawback to the whole thing was the pickpockets - luckily nothing serious was taken only a few dollars but as myself and Garrett had stumbled upon the parade we had our credit card with us and during a bit of a crowd push someone took it out of Garretts pocket. We went to cancel it straight away only to find it lying on the ground a few feet away - very lucky but it seems they only wanted money. Some colombian women saw us checking our pockets and told the boys to give me their money so i could put it in my bra which was their safe hiding place.

The next day there was an outdoor concert but the weather wasn´t great and the music was mostly regaton - a weird mix between carribean rap and rave music? So we went to the little bar on the corner up from the hostel and had a few mohitos (havana club rum with mint leaves and

lemon) instead. The following day was the bikini part of the contest which the guys of course had to go see. So we headed off to the harbour where we lined up to watch the boats with the contestants on board row by. A lot quieter in comparison to the day before although there was a guy pretending to streak wearing a dildo running around!!!

It was again back to Club Havana but was a slightly quieter night.

To end the carnival there was a masive parade (it lasted 3hours) lots of costumes (really colorful) with detailed makeup and dancers, people on stilts and others doing acrobatics, bands and old style costumes it just went on and on… but at the end a lot of the parade carried on throughout the town and ended up at the square just down from the hostel so we went down to take a look. Got totally destroyed in red paste - i was still washing it out of my hair 3days later, but so it didn´t dry too much on me someone kindly threw a bucket of water over me - i was that bad i had colombians stop and ask it they could take a picture of me. Rum was being handed around and the beer men were doing great business - it was a great night (you really need to see the pics to understand how red i was) and a perfect way to end our time in Cartagena.

The next day we got up early and took a bus up the coast to Santa Marta - in hind sight probably should´ve waited a couple of hours as we were fairly hungover and it was one of the windiest roads we´ve been on in a while.. needless to say we were glad to get to santa marta so we could pan out on a bed for a few hours.

S&G

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Journey to Cartagena

Posted on November 15th, 2007 in Travel by Sinead

Our first destination from Bogota was a small town called Villa De Leyva, it can be quiet busy as it is a big weekend destination for the people of Bogota. We were lucky as it was quiet while we were there so we could wander the cobbled streets only bumping into locals. Its a preserved colonial town so the houses all have balconies and indoors theres a courtyard (usually without any sort of ceiling) with all the rooms of the house surrounding it. We went for a bike trip around the surrounding area visiting a local archaeological site (which the guide book compared to stonehenge - yea right) which was a little disappointing but the scenery was fantastic green hills with white houses every now and then with their brown/orange roof tiles.

After a very stressful bike trip (hit a few hills on the return

journey) we decided to go for an ice-cream. Of course we picked the worst possible time -siesta so everyone was asleep!! We found a really nice home that had been renovated - complete with a grassy courtyard and was now been used as a restaurant. As we were drinking our juices (no ice-cream!!) in the open area what buzzed by but a humming bird (really wanted to see one of these so was delighted when we found one without even looking) they´re unbelievably fast birds they never stop zooming from one place to the other a greeny blue colour. This of course made my day and i was happy enough to move on to our next destination the following day.

Another bus trip later we arrived in San Gil again very popular tourist spot lots of adventure sports etc. We arrived on the friday leading up to local elections and as its not advised to travel during that period we decided to stay put in San Gil. There were only a few of us there but that in itself was nice as we had the hammocks all to ourselves and as there were no bars open (they ban alcohol over the voting weekend) we played boardgames most nights (drinking game jenga is really good fun!!!). San Gil itself is a lovely little place with a shady plaza (well you need shade here as its warm - yes were back in the sun). I really enjoyed the fact we found the local markets were you could get fresh fruit juices in the morning.

In San Gil itself theres a lovely botanic gardens definately worth a trip. Theres a pool which is fed by the local river and there are lots of walkways and benches to sit and read a book at - i especially liked the trees which looked like they were from a fantasy novel like never ending story or Harry Potter. We went to go paragliding on the sunday

- voting day but the weather wasn´t the best so it was canceled. On Monday (which was another bank holiday they love their hols here) we went to a small town we´d been told was really nice, called Barrichara, (of course everything was shut as it was a bank holiday) it was a lovely little place sent with forest encircling it. All the buildings were colonial style there were at least three churches. From here we headed on a tourist walk we´d been told about to the next little town, Guane. It took us three hours but the scenery was lovely and we were walking around 3o´clock so the weather wasn´t as hot and there was a nice breeze.

When we arrived at Guane an even smaller little town - people were just hanging out in the square catching up on the local gossip which was really cool to see. Just a sleeply little village that was mainly supported by farming you just knew everyone knew everyone. The kids were running around the square safe and sound we had a paper airplane throwing contest with one little guy before Garrett got dragged away to play football. I think the only thing with a motorised engine we saw while there was our bus - which arrived 2hours late which in turn meant we missed our connecting bus from Barrichara to San Gil.

Again our spanish was excellent as we tried to organise a taxi (no other buses that day) back to San Gil (would´ve stayed in the town except we hadn´t checked out of the hostel in San Gil. We were directed to a call centre at the top of the town and i have to say what happened next is one of the reasons i really like Colombia. The guy in the call centre contacted the local taxi service for us when we explained what we were looking for unfortunately the guy was sick which meant we had to get a taxi from San Gil to come out and get us.

Again the owner of the call centre rang for us with a massive discussion taking place while he was on the phone with the two other people in the shop a really friendly woman and an old man. We were later to discover that the taxi tried to charge extra for the trip when he found out we were foreigners so the kind people of Barrichara canceled the taxi and then rang up again pretending the woman needed the taxi herself - let me tell the taxi man was not happy when he arrived and we hopped into the car.

After a pretty relaxed trip in San Gil we decided to head on to Cartagena for holloween so it was back on another bus (again 20hrs). I will recommend the hostel we stayed in Maconda which was run by an aussie called Sean who was really helpful.

S&G

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Quito - Bogota Colombia

Posted on November 12th, 2007 in Travel by Sinead

okay so after or trip in the Galapagos we flew back to Quito but didn`t stay there long as we decided we`d go to Colombia. So we booked a bus and after a small delay (of about four hours) we got under way to the border between Colombia and Ecuador. So after a short five hour bus trip we reached the border town of . Four of us hopped in a taxi me, Garrett, an ecuadorian girl and a colombian girl named Ellie (who traveled with us all the way to bogota) which brought us to the border and immigration. After the easiest border crossing of our entire trip - seriously no bag searches noone looking for a payoff we didn´t even have to fill in a form entering colombia (it was great) we got a minibus into the first town in colombia Ipiales.

In Ipiales we had some lunch and decided we`d just head to Bogota (a twenty two hour bus trip!!!). The scenery was amazing on our way up and we sort of regretted not seeing some of the south before heading to Bogota but our decision was made so a day later we arrived in Bogota. Ellie who we`d been chatting with on the bus trip was returning home after 7months travel so her family were there to collect her at the bus station and they very generously gave us a lift to our hostel (our first introduction to colombian hospitality!! unbelievably friendly people). Anyway we were a bit dismayed by the fact there was a massive storm - raining so heavily the roads had become rivers so we were extremely glad of the lift.
Once settled in Bogota we took a walk around the town - plaza boliviar (were i got surrounded by pigeons) and a market or two. We couldn´t get over the halloween decorations everywhere its a big thing in Colombia (not so much in other South american countries). We went on a trip to the police muesum were we got to see Pablo Escobars (he was a big drug lord over here until they killed him that is) motorbike (with gold plated decorations) and his two hand pistols made completely out of silver….. I also took a trip to the docs were i got to try out my fantastic spanish again!!! Don´t worry not to big a deal well nothing an antibiotic won´t fix.

We decided after spending a few days doing nothing but walking around the city we´d go and see the famous salt Cathedral (built in a salt mine) outside the city. So a two hour bus trip later we arrived at a little town Zipaquira not far from Bogota. It was a real nice place there was a market in the centre of town - all types of vegetables and meat. We of course got lost but got to wander around an old plaza and wind our way through some cobbled streets before eventually finding the entrance to the salt cathedral. Its all underground in the tunnel on the way in they´ve got the stations of the cross with little areas to kneel (salt platforms) until you reach the main area which is a massive tunnel which is divided into three sections - birth, life and death. In the first chamber there´s a baptismal fountain and a nativity statue - fantastic detail (made out of sandstone not salt though). The centre chamber has an alter and reportedly the biggest cross in the world as a background (the area is huge you can barely see the ceiling). The last is a simple chamber with rows of seats. There are statues in different areas again all beautifully detailed - it was definately worth the effort.

After a week in Bogota having beers with fellow hosteliers we decided we´d better move on our we wouldn´t have time to see the rest of the country.
S&G

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Galapagos Islands

Posted on November 2nd, 2007 in Travel by Sinead

okay so we headed off on a Monday to the Galapagos (well almost 4hrs later then expected due to plane delay!!) and we got there around midday. we were met off the flight by our guide for the week Cesar who was a 68 year old Ecuadorian who’d moved to the Galapagos islands 30 years previously and had been a guide for most of that time - so we had landed on our feet as he was a fantastic guide with fantastic English (some people aren’t as lucky). So once all the guests were assembled - 7 of us in all ( Ben a kiwi, Dave an Aussie, Pete a Californian, ourselves and a Dutch couple Bas & Maartje) we hoped on a bus which took us 15min down the road to the harbour. Here we were greeted by some lazy seals relaxing on some benches which we had to walk around to get to the ramp where we hopped on a dingy that took us to our boat.

On reaching the harbour we had a good joke amongst the seven of us that the smallest boat in the harbour would be ours a sailing boat which was tiny in comparison to any of the other boats and as it happened yes you’ve guessed it that’s the exact boat that turned out to be ours. Even being a small boat it turned out as good and better than we expected as the crew were fantastic and the food excellent (we heard some boats didn’t provide enough or very nice food but we often couldn’t finish ours we got so much :L) On arriving on the boat we met the final and last passenger Anica a Canadian - another advantage to our small boat only 8 passengers which meant we had no hassle getting on and off the boat.

Our crew consisted of three people the captain (who we called el capitan cause we could never remember his name - i know we’re geniuses!!!), lenin the sailor dingy driver and Jimmy our cook (who I’ve mentioned was excellent but have to do so again because we’d been eating a lot of chicken and chips so his food was a welcome change). So once introduced and assigned rooms we headed off to our first destination, a slightly rocky trip, to a bay off Santa Cruz island. We hopped in the dingy again to get to land and along the way we spotted our first sea turtles - who were busy getting it on!!! A great start to our trip and a bit of a theme as later in the week we saw two seals busy at it too…

As the Galapagos are so unique your only allowed access to limited areas and only with a qualified guide but even so you get to see loads from really funny blue footed boobies doing their mating dance (Garrett thought they were doing sumo wrestler imitations) and their kamikaze fishing technique, to cuddly baby seals (you get up real close too cause the animals aren´t afraid of people), giant tortoises and baby ones too, to thousands of marine iguanas. There are loads of other birds like the Galapagos mockingbird which drank water from my hand, frigate birds with weird red necks, red footed boobies and mas boobies and large albatrosses (there babies look like huge bundles of candy floss!!).
You see thousands of seals and when you go snorkeling they love nothin better than to swim right up in front of you and blow bubbles in your face kinda scary first time round cause they move so fast underwater but its a great feeling when you realise they´re playing with you. Also got to swim with sea turtles and white tipped reef sharks. We got to see loads of stingrays and all the fish here are bigger (Garrett reckons they were on steroids). Garrett was really lucky and got to swim with a penguin (i´d chickened out as the water was so cold).

For those interested in the itinerary here’s a quick run down: our second day we visited a small island north of Santa Cruz which was covered in sea lions and baby sea lions (some were only a day old - i know really really cute) and then of course there were the bull sea lions which weren´t too bothered with us except when one thought Garrett was chatting up one of its ladies - then it came charging up the beach but they´re quiet slow so had loads of time to move out of its territory. Then it was back on the boat for a four hour trip or so to Santa Fe island were we jumped into the water for the first time it was freezing and i had to do with out a wet suit - cold…. but got to see sea turtles. Then it was onto land were we say a huge land iguana only found on that island. On the way back to the boat we passed over a massive group of white tipped sharks playing with the stingrays and sealions.

Third day we were at Espanola when we woke up (traveled there during the night), were we were tripping over marine iguanas, they were everywhere. Again sea lions (started to become complacent about the fact we could walk right up to them!!!) and red crabs, this is were we got to see the blue boobies mating dance, albatrosses nesting and also were the mocking bird drank water from my hand. Did some more snorkeling (water wasn´t getting any warmer unfortunately) but was great as the sea lions were out with us again playing it was really funny when one woke up the shark sleeping under a rock (it wasn´t interested in playing and was annoyed it was woken up so he swam away!!!).

Fourth day we visited Florena and its unusual post office (were you pick up mail from people in your own country and post it when you get back). We also visited a beach on Santa Maria were young manta rays like to play in the surf so you could see them from shore. Afterwards we sailed back to Santa Cruz and its main town Port Ayora. On the fifth day we went to the Charles Darwin station and checked out their giant land tortoise breeding system (so got to see baby tortoise - unbelievable how much they grow they can live to over a hundred) got to see adults too which were huge. Poor lonesome George was there too - he´s called lonesome George as hes the last of his species, he´s over a hundred so talk about being on the brink of extinction!!!!!!

At this stage it was time to say good bye to all of our group except Pete as they were only there for a five day trip, so while they went to the airport we checked out Port Ayora until the next group arrived - a kiwi couple and two finish girls. So we headed into the highlands of Santa Cruz were we saw the giant tortoises in the wild and got to check out lava tunnels. It was then back to the boat and off to Rabida island were we woke up the next morning. Got to get some really nice snorkeling done as the sun had come out at last givin us great visibility. Then it was off the boat for a walk were we got to see flamingos.

That evening we sailed to Bartolomeu island to see the penguins heading to bed after feeding - they´re really really small and look like ducks when they´re chilling out on the surface of the water. The next morning we walked on a newly formed island next to Bartolomeu so got to walk on cooled lava - nothing grows there except lava cactus, cause it doesn’t contain any minerals or water. Then it was across to bartolomeu were Garrett swam with the penguin, we also climbed the hill there to get an over view of all the islands. Our last night we sailed to the islands to the north of Santa Cruz again so we could set out early that morning but this time went to Seymour north were we got to see the frigate birds with their big red bills and got lucky and also saw a red footed booby (which is only occasionally seen on this island) and another type of land iguana. That was the end of the trip and it was off to the airport for us and hail to almighty Cesar our guide  we got on an early flight which left about twenty minutes after we arrived (instead of us having to hang around the airport for two hours hehehe!)

So that was our trip the weather wasn´t clear skies and sun but it didn´t affect our walks just made snorkeling a bit cold but with so much to see (and as i had also managed to get my hands on a wetsuit) it didn´t stop us much.
S&G

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