Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Welcome to the Jungle
After completing scuba diving certification, I left for Tayrona National Park on Thursday. I almost didn’t make it there due to my lack of knowledge regarding transportation in Colombia. I took a public bus from Taganga to the Santa Marta Bus Terminal. There I proceeded to multiple ticket counters asking for a bus to Parque Tayrona. Everyone kept telling me no buses leave for Tayrona and something else I couldn’t understand. After visiting about five ticket counters, I finally made out that they were telling me the big bus lines don’t have service to Tayrona and I needed to catch a bus outside. So I go outside and see an area for the buses to pull into. I waited there and watched several buses go by, but none were going to Tayrona. I finally asked an employee who was outside where I can catch the bus to Tayrona. He tells me that I just have to stand on the side of the road and I’ll find a bus there Now, this wasn’t just a normal road. It was more like a state highway and there wasn’t a proper bus stop anywhere. So I’m just standing on the side of this highway looking like a hitchhiker. Fortunately, I blend in well and don’t look like a gringo until I start speaking. Otherwise, I would have been a sitting duck for FARC. Anyhow, I get tired of waiting and walk down to another spot on the road where I see two guys on motorcycles. I ask them where the bus is and they proceed to tell me how far the park is from here. I’m like, I know it’s far…that’s why I’m trying to figure out where to catch the bus. It turns out they didn’t know, but while I was speaking with them this big bus rolls by and one of the conductors yells something. One of the guys on the motorcycles yells something back. He then looks at me and says that’s the bus…Hurry! Not knowing the words that were just exchanged, I run and get onto the bus. In the back of my mind, I’m like….OK, where exactly am I going and what’s my plan if this bus takes me some place other than the park. As I’m formulating my plan, I doze off. Shortly after I awake, one of the bus conductors yells “Tayrona”. I breathed a sigh of relief as I realized I actually made it!
Once at the park, there’s a hike to get to the campsites and beaches. There’s a guy in a jeep offering a ride to get closer to the campsites. I read online that the hike to the first beach is about an hour. I was in the mood for some exercise, so I skipped the jeep ride and begin to walk…alone…in the jungle. This city boy whose never been camping decides to hike…alone…in the jungle. What was I thinking? The closest I’ve been to being a boy scout is when I buy girl scout cookies! Oh well, I start the journey…alone…and in the jungle! I’m on a paved road so I’m thinking it isn’t that bad. I walk for about 15 minutes and then I start hearing the sounds of nature, and they don’t sound friendly! I begin to wonder if the sounds are code for attack the girl scout cookie buyer. I then start seeing these huge spiders and ants. The ants were like the huge red ants from the new Indiana Jones movie, except they were smaller in the movie! There must have been millions of them at various parts of the trail. Now Da Kid is getting nervous and is thinking every overhanging branch is a snake in disguise. “Where the hell is that Jeep now!?”
Fortunately, a motorbike rolls by and asks if I need a lift. “Hell yeah!” So now I’m on the back of the motorbike and am thinking this is the way to travel…forget that hiking stuff! But as you already know, it’s never that easy for Da Kid. We ride for about two minutes and reach a stopping point where the paved roads end. The driver stops and points to the REAL jungle and says I need to go that way for about 45 minutes. Holy Snap! I thought I was home free! I couldn’t even manage to hike on the paved road and now I have to hike on just a dirt trail…alone…and in the jungle! I suck it up and start to walk. After 400 yards I’m deep in the jungle. All I needed was a machine gun and I would have been Rambo #5: Rambo in Nikes! Now thinking logically (not thinking scared), it’ not safe for me to walk alone just in case I get a cramp or fall and sprain an ankle. Logic (not fear) tells me that I should go back to the drop-off point and wait for more hikers…for safety reasons, of course. So being the logical (not frightful) person that I am, I go back and wait. ☺ A couple of minutes later, Sophie from the UK and Jamie from Australia pull up in the Jeep, and together we make the 45-minute trek through the jungle.
So after 45-minutes, I’m drenched in sweat. We reach Arricefes, the first campsite/beach. Jamie and Sophie decide to camp there for the night and I continue on my track. I walk along the beach and it’s truly a site to see. The waves are way too strong, so swimming is not permitted here. I walk to the end of the beach and come upon another trail. Now it’s getting close to sunset and logically, it makes sense to just stay in Arrecifes for the night instead of starting another hike…alone…and in the jungle. But I press on. I hike for about 15 more minutes and come to another beach known as La Piscina. This is a small beach that is sheltered from the strong waves, so swimming is actually permitted. I understand, it’s great for snorkeling as well. There aren’t any accommodations at La Piscina, so I reach the end of the beach and start a new hike…alone…in the jungle. Now it’s really getting close to sunset and the jungle is a little denser here, so it’s starting to get dark as the trees hide the sunlight. I put a little pep in my step. I have a flashlight, but Da Kid would not make it through the night in the jungle! In another 15 minutes I reach El Cabo - Another beach with a campsite. There I rent a hammock for 12 mil pesos ($7). This place is packed with backpackers and I didn’t expect this size crowd in the park. There are about 50 hammocks set up around a small restaurant. There’s a larger area for tents. In all, there were probably about 200 people just at El Cabo. I knew I would be staying in a hammock, but I didn’t know about the crowd. There’s actually a less populated cabana with about 15 hammocks that sits atop a hill in between the two beaches. I checked it out and would have preferred to stay there. It was a lot quieter and there were some nice views from up there. However, they did say it got a little cold at night and you needed a proper blanket and all I had were T-shirts. So I stayed packed like a sardine in the hammock area on the ground. The hammock was actually quite comfortable. I just had to spray myself with several coats of bug spray and I had a pretty comfortable night. I woke up the next morning and took a “shower”. The showers were community showers that were open. There were about 4 spouts and you just got wet with your bathing suit on. Knowing, I would be here for only a day or two, I just packed the bare essentials. I had no soap…only a toothbrush and toothpaste. So, I should say I woke up and sprayed myself with water instead of I took a shower. Afterwards, I did a little more hiking. There was a 10-minute hike to another beach…The Nudist beach. I don’t think it was a “nude” beach, just called the Nudist beach. Although, there were so few people on the beach, that going nude would not have been a problem. I spent the rest of the morning swimming and laying on the beach at El Cabo. The park was really nice and the concept of hiking through the jungle and sleeping in a hammock was cool. The beaches were really nice, but I have to say that I've seen others that were better. I think the real beauty comes from the fact that the beaches seem untouched. Outside of the campsite beaches and depending how far you wanted to hike, you could have been by yourself. There weren't any beach chairs, vendors, jet skis, boats, etc, so you could really feel isolated in your own little paradise. That was the part I really enjoyed.
During lunch, I contemplated staying an additional night, but decided I wanted to get a jump on the next day and decided to leave. I was really looking forward to getting back to Cartagena for my final weekend. I heard about a boat that leaves the park and will get you back to Taganga. So instead of going through the ordeal I had getting to the park, I went with the boat option. I just didn’t know it was a little one-engine vessel that seemed more life a lifeboat. The ride was a bit unpleasant at times. Let me just say that it is not for those who suffer from any type of motion sickness. I felt ready to lean over the edge and we hadn’t even gotten out of the bay yet! Once we actually got out to the open sea, it just got rougher and rougher. It was more like a roller coaster ride than a boat ride. There were several times I got airborne. And being the inexperienced boater I am, it took me a little time to realize I was sitting improperly on the beams. I straddled the beams, so every time I went airborne, I was coming back down on my “Legacy”, much to the amusement of the other passengers. After an hour-and-a-half of that, we made it to the beach in Taganga. I retrieved my things from the diving school (they were nice enough to offer to allow me to store my things with them while I traveled elsewhere. I highly recommend Aquantis diving school), checked back into the Bayview Hostel and got a good night’s rest before my trip to Cartagena the next morning. At this point, it really started to hit home that I only have two more days in Colombia. I fought hard to keep the tears away! ☹
Once at the park, there’s a hike to get to the campsites and beaches. There’s a guy in a jeep offering a ride to get closer to the campsites. I read online that the hike to the first beach is about an hour. I was in the mood for some exercise, so I skipped the jeep ride and begin to walk…alone…in the jungle. This city boy whose never been camping decides to hike…alone…in the jungle. What was I thinking? The closest I’ve been to being a boy scout is when I buy girl scout cookies! Oh well, I start the journey…alone…and in the jungle! I’m on a paved road so I’m thinking it isn’t that bad. I walk for about 15 minutes and then I start hearing the sounds of nature, and they don’t sound friendly! I begin to wonder if the sounds are code for attack the girl scout cookie buyer. I then start seeing these huge spiders and ants. The ants were like the huge red ants from the new Indiana Jones movie, except they were smaller in the movie! There must have been millions of them at various parts of the trail. Now Da Kid is getting nervous and is thinking every overhanging branch is a snake in disguise. “Where the hell is that Jeep now!?”
Fortunately, a motorbike rolls by and asks if I need a lift. “Hell yeah!” So now I’m on the back of the motorbike and am thinking this is the way to travel…forget that hiking stuff! But as you already know, it’s never that easy for Da Kid. We ride for about two minutes and reach a stopping point where the paved roads end. The driver stops and points to the REAL jungle and says I need to go that way for about 45 minutes. Holy Snap! I thought I was home free! I couldn’t even manage to hike on the paved road and now I have to hike on just a dirt trail…alone…and in the jungle! I suck it up and start to walk. After 400 yards I’m deep in the jungle. All I needed was a machine gun and I would have been Rambo #5: Rambo in Nikes! Now thinking logically (not thinking scared), it’ not safe for me to walk alone just in case I get a cramp or fall and sprain an ankle. Logic (not fear) tells me that I should go back to the drop-off point and wait for more hikers…for safety reasons, of course. So being the logical (not frightful) person that I am, I go back and wait. ☺ A couple of minutes later, Sophie from the UK and Jamie from Australia pull up in the Jeep, and together we make the 45-minute trek through the jungle.
So after 45-minutes, I’m drenched in sweat. We reach Arricefes, the first campsite/beach. Jamie and Sophie decide to camp there for the night and I continue on my track. I walk along the beach and it’s truly a site to see. The waves are way too strong, so swimming is not permitted here. I walk to the end of the beach and come upon another trail. Now it’s getting close to sunset and logically, it makes sense to just stay in Arrecifes for the night instead of starting another hike…alone…and in the jungle. But I press on. I hike for about 15 more minutes and come to another beach known as La Piscina. This is a small beach that is sheltered from the strong waves, so swimming is actually permitted. I understand, it’s great for snorkeling as well. There aren’t any accommodations at La Piscina, so I reach the end of the beach and start a new hike…alone…in the jungle. Now it’s really getting close to sunset and the jungle is a little denser here, so it’s starting to get dark as the trees hide the sunlight. I put a little pep in my step. I have a flashlight, but Da Kid would not make it through the night in the jungle! In another 15 minutes I reach El Cabo - Another beach with a campsite. There I rent a hammock for 12 mil pesos ($7). This place is packed with backpackers and I didn’t expect this size crowd in the park. There are about 50 hammocks set up around a small restaurant. There’s a larger area for tents. In all, there were probably about 200 people just at El Cabo. I knew I would be staying in a hammock, but I didn’t know about the crowd. There’s actually a less populated cabana with about 15 hammocks that sits atop a hill in between the two beaches. I checked it out and would have preferred to stay there. It was a lot quieter and there were some nice views from up there. However, they did say it got a little cold at night and you needed a proper blanket and all I had were T-shirts. So I stayed packed like a sardine in the hammock area on the ground. The hammock was actually quite comfortable. I just had to spray myself with several coats of bug spray and I had a pretty comfortable night. I woke up the next morning and took a “shower”. The showers were community showers that were open. There were about 4 spouts and you just got wet with your bathing suit on. Knowing, I would be here for only a day or two, I just packed the bare essentials. I had no soap…only a toothbrush and toothpaste. So, I should say I woke up and sprayed myself with water instead of I took a shower. Afterwards, I did a little more hiking. There was a 10-minute hike to another beach…The Nudist beach. I don’t think it was a “nude” beach, just called the Nudist beach. Although, there were so few people on the beach, that going nude would not have been a problem. I spent the rest of the morning swimming and laying on the beach at El Cabo. The park was really nice and the concept of hiking through the jungle and sleeping in a hammock was cool. The beaches were really nice, but I have to say that I've seen others that were better. I think the real beauty comes from the fact that the beaches seem untouched. Outside of the campsite beaches and depending how far you wanted to hike, you could have been by yourself. There weren't any beach chairs, vendors, jet skis, boats, etc, so you could really feel isolated in your own little paradise. That was the part I really enjoyed.
During lunch, I contemplated staying an additional night, but decided I wanted to get a jump on the next day and decided to leave. I was really looking forward to getting back to Cartagena for my final weekend. I heard about a boat that leaves the park and will get you back to Taganga. So instead of going through the ordeal I had getting to the park, I went with the boat option. I just didn’t know it was a little one-engine vessel that seemed more life a lifeboat. The ride was a bit unpleasant at times. Let me just say that it is not for those who suffer from any type of motion sickness. I felt ready to lean over the edge and we hadn’t even gotten out of the bay yet! Once we actually got out to the open sea, it just got rougher and rougher. It was more like a roller coaster ride than a boat ride. There were several times I got airborne. And being the inexperienced boater I am, it took me a little time to realize I was sitting improperly on the beams. I straddled the beams, so every time I went airborne, I was coming back down on my “Legacy”, much to the amusement of the other passengers. After an hour-and-a-half of that, we made it to the beach in Taganga. I retrieved my things from the diving school (they were nice enough to offer to allow me to store my things with them while I traveled elsewhere. I highly recommend Aquantis diving school), checked back into the Bayview Hostel and got a good night’s rest before my trip to Cartagena the next morning. At this point, it really started to hit home that I only have two more days in Colombia. I fought hard to keep the tears away! ☹
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Certified
I mentioned that there isn’t much to do in Taganga outside of scuba diving. So, thanks to the urging of Charlotte and Adam, I went ahead and signed up to get my Open Water Scuba Diving Certification. Adam is already a certified diver and Charlotte completed her certification the day I arrived. Their stories peaked my interest and I am glad they made the suggestion! I took the plunge, literally!!
Now, Da Kid is used to being on land, so there are certain activities that put a little bit of fear in me. Yes, I know it’s hard to believe that Da Kid I scarred of anything! Now scared may be the wrong word to use here. I guess I’m just programmed to be a land mammal and when I get high up or in the water, I get a little uneasy. However, I try not to let it get to me. I’ve been bungie jumping, snorkeling, love roller coasters, and now scuba diving. Next on the list is sky-diving…whose with me?
So back to scuba diving…I was so nervous about getting into the water. In speaking with the dive school, we implemented an opt-out clause, so that I could end things if I didn’t like them. Well, it turned out I didn’t need it! I loved it! Granted, it wasn’t an easy road, but after the first 5 minutes, I felt like I had the swing of things. Getting used to breathing underwater isn’t easy! In my first confined water dives, I got to the bottom, only 6 ft and even though I had a breathing apparatus, I felt the need to go to the surface and breathe! After doing that twice, I was able to focus on the task at hand and stay under water! There were about twenty task I had to complete under water – most were for safety reasons. Some were freaky like taking off your mask and continuing to breath and losing and retrieving your breathing apparatus. Others were cool like working on your buoyancy. Just by inhaling an exhaling you can reach a state when you are just hovering over the ocean floor. This was called the Buddha test, where we would sit as if we were meditating and just hover. It was cool to watch, but definitely not the easiest thing to do!
I went from being scared on the first day, to being excited on the second day. I couldn’t wait to get back into the water. On the second day, I completed two 12-meter dives. I had some initial hesitancy once I got in the water, but once I was able to touch the bottom, I was able to relax again. Once we started swimming along the bottom, the dive instructor quickly noticed something on the floor of the sea. He told me to watch as he went down and started to play in the sand on the floor. The next thing I noticed was this stick that seemed to be lodged in the ground started swimming towards me. It was a freaking eel!!! To be exact is was a spotted snake sand eel. Da Kid does not like snakes and an eel is just a snake in the water. As soon as I could make out was coming for me, I was headed for the boat! Luckily, the eel was faster than me, and just swam by me before I could turn and run, but I probably used of half of my oxygen supply with that one moment! With that past me, my heartbeat slowed and my breathing returned to normal, I was able to take in the beauty of the sea. It was awesome! I felt as if a new world was being opened up. I’ve seen diving shows n the Discovery Channel, but being down there in person, was HNL!!! (Hole Nutha Level) However, I continued to think every stick coming out of the ground was a freaking eel!
My last day consisted of two 18-meter dives. It was so calming and relaxing to be under water. I would get upset when my oxygen began to run out and would try to alter my breathing pattern to conserve more air. At the end of the day, I was certified! I just had to go to Santa Marta to take a photo for my id. So now I have my second certification since leaving my job. I’m now a certified Bartender and a Certified Scuba Diver. Maybe I can start an underwater bar with my newly developed skills. Hmmm…fish need to drink too!
I want to take some time to give some free advertising to Aquantis Dive School. Johan Ilsen is the owner/master diver. It’s a smaller outfit, but the attention you receive blows the other outfits out of the water. I spoke to other people taking their course at other schools and heard stories of rude instructors and safety issues. Adam and Charlotte recommended Aquantis to me and I highly recommend them to anyone looking to get certified in Taganga. They are located off the main road where the other dive shops are located. You can find them on the road to the beach on the right hand side. If you are looking for a place to stay, they also have accommodations – only for divers – that can be included in dive packages.
Aquantis
www.aquantisdivecenter.com
hostalaquantis@hotmail.com
Taganga
I started my vacation this week with a flight to Santa Marta, in the northwest portion of Colombia. I was undecided about whether to stay in Santa Marta or Taganga, a small fishing village not too far from Santa Marta. I actually decided once I got in a cab at the airport to Taganga I went. The choice turned out to be an excellent decision. My buddies Adam and Charlotte had come a week earlier and we were able to meet up Sunday night before they went to Tayrona National Park. They were able to give me the lay of the land, which didn’t take to long. Taganga is a small fishing village of about 6,000 people, but it actually feels like a town of only 1,000. It’s so small that there isn’t even an ATM/bank n the city. There’s a small beach where many fishing boats are docked and all of the commerce is centered on or around the beach on a block that’s about 200 yards long. Most of the commerce consists of restaurants and scuba diving shops. Taganga is know for its accessibility to great coral reefs.
If you make it to this part of the country I would recommend paying the extra cab fare to get to Taganga. The laid back nature of the place gives you a feeling of being productive even though you haven’t done anything. There aren’t many proper hotels. Most of the places are hostels and low cost hotels. I stayed at Bayview Hostel (www.bayviewhostel.com) in a single room with a private bath for 28 mil pesos (about $17)! That included breakfast. The place was great. They had wi-fi and a supply of beer for only 1.5 mil pesos ($.90). And the lady of the house was freaking amazing, not that I was paying any attention or anything.
Taganga is a great place to just relax. It’s not for everyone though. Tourism isn’t huge – most of the tourists settle for Santa Marta, the larger city with more restaurants, clubs, etc. There’s no shopping here either. You have to go to Santa Marta for that as well. Also, outside of the main road, there's only 2 other paved roads. There really is nothing to do in Taganga outside of taking scuba lessons and visiting Tayrona National Park. If you are looking for action and things to see, you might not even want to visit this part of the country. But if you really want nothing to do, then Taganga is a great place to do just that!
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
Bogota - The Big City
So, I left Bogota on Sunday. I didn’t really get a good feel for the city as I was there for only a week and spent a lot of time traveling to and from Spanish classes. To me, Bogota is just a really big city – about 10 million inhabitants. It was very different from Cartagena and I am glad that I decided to go to get a different perspective on Colombian culture. I guess it’s like a foreigner coming to Atlanta and thinking the rest of the county is like that. If I would have left Colombia only visiting Cartagena, I would have thought the rest of Colombia was similar. However, Bogota is totally, totally different. The weather for one! Colombia is in the mountains, so it’s cold! It has the same weather all year round where it can be warm in the morning and very cool to cold at night. I arrived without a jacket and had to purchase one upon arriving. Although it’s in the mountains (2640 meters or 8661 feet) it doesn’t snow. Winter is marked by rainy season, but the temperatures still remain the same all year round.
Another reason, I didn’t get a good feel for the city is I just stayed in the rich neighborhood. I’ve been really lucky and have been getting some great home locations. Because of the size of Bogota, I pretty much spent my time between Park 3 (2 blocks from me) and Zona Rosa (10 blocks from me). These two areas were pretty cool with tons of park space, recreation areas, restaurants, high end shops, and bars.
Saturday was really my only day to see the city. So after waking up, I decided to go on a walkabout and proceeded to walk…and walk…and walk. I lived on Carrera (Ave) 11 and Calle (St.) 95. When I finished walking I was at Carrera 3 and Calle 14…a total of 81 blocks, but is was probably more like 100 blocks with all the twists and turns I made trying to see everything. Without a map in hand, I was able to find all the major landmarks like the Bullfighting arena, the National Museum, Planetarium, several parks, La Candelaria, El Centro (Downtown), and ended at Monserrate.
Monserrate is a church that sits atop the mountians that create Bogota’s eastern border. You can reacheh the church via cable cars, a funicular (small train), or a 1.5 – 2 hour hike. I chose the cable car option since I just finished walking for two hours. However, with my fear of heights, it wasn’t the greatest ride! Monteserrate is 3200 meters above sea level. When I got to the top, I was pretty much in the clouds. I have pictures where the cable lines just disappear into the clouds. But when you get above the clouds and see the sun shine on Monserrate and it’s surrounding gardens, it’s definitely worth the trip!
I still think that Bogota has more for me to see, so I will be making another trip in the near future. I really liked the area that I stayed in and once again, I never felt threatened at all, even when I was out by myself late at night or walking around during the day with no idea of where I was going. I wish American media would do a better job of shaping people’s opinion of foreign countries. I know most people have probably been reading about the hostage rescue in Colombia and think that I run the risk of being kidnapped down here. That is a possibility. But I run the same risk of getting shot or killed in the US. I also think that no matter how bad the people are made out to be, they always turn out to be friendlier than like people in the US. I just think of all the instances where I was in a foreign land and couldn’t speak the local language, but people would go out of their way to help me out. I see people in the US who can’t speak English and they are looked down upon when all they are doing is trying to get around like me.
Another reason, I didn’t get a good feel for the city is I just stayed in the rich neighborhood. I’ve been really lucky and have been getting some great home locations. Because of the size of Bogota, I pretty much spent my time between Park 3 (2 blocks from me) and Zona Rosa (10 blocks from me). These two areas were pretty cool with tons of park space, recreation areas, restaurants, high end shops, and bars.
Saturday was really my only day to see the city. So after waking up, I decided to go on a walkabout and proceeded to walk…and walk…and walk. I lived on Carrera (Ave) 11 and Calle (St.) 95. When I finished walking I was at Carrera 3 and Calle 14…a total of 81 blocks, but is was probably more like 100 blocks with all the twists and turns I made trying to see everything. Without a map in hand, I was able to find all the major landmarks like the Bullfighting arena, the National Museum, Planetarium, several parks, La Candelaria, El Centro (Downtown), and ended at Monserrate.
Monserrate is a church that sits atop the mountians that create Bogota’s eastern border. You can reacheh the church via cable cars, a funicular (small train), or a 1.5 – 2 hour hike. I chose the cable car option since I just finished walking for two hours. However, with my fear of heights, it wasn’t the greatest ride! Monteserrate is 3200 meters above sea level. When I got to the top, I was pretty much in the clouds. I have pictures where the cable lines just disappear into the clouds. But when you get above the clouds and see the sun shine on Monserrate and it’s surrounding gardens, it’s definitely worth the trip!
I still think that Bogota has more for me to see, so I will be making another trip in the near future. I really liked the area that I stayed in and once again, I never felt threatened at all, even when I was out by myself late at night or walking around during the day with no idea of where I was going. I wish American media would do a better job of shaping people’s opinion of foreign countries. I know most people have probably been reading about the hostage rescue in Colombia and think that I run the risk of being kidnapped down here. That is a possibility. But I run the same risk of getting shot or killed in the US. I also think that no matter how bad the people are made out to be, they always turn out to be friendlier than like people in the US. I just think of all the instances where I was in a foreign land and couldn’t speak the local language, but people would go out of their way to help me out. I see people in the US who can’t speak English and they are looked down upon when all they are doing is trying to get around like me.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Heading to Bogota
So, Saturday night was my last night in Cartagena. I am now in Bogota. After speaking with other students and hearing their itineraries, I decided to change mine. The school I’m enrolled with has three schools in Colombia - Cartagena, Medellin, and Bogota. I strategically chose Cartagena since it’s a coastal city on the Caribbean Sea. Other students did a better job of planning and utilized the different schools as an opportunity to see more of the country. There are two teachers from Atlanta, Billie and Janice that did one week in Cartagena and one in Bogota. Leigh did 2 weeks in Cartagena and one in Bogota, while Felix is going all out and doing one month in Cartagena, one in Medellin, and one in Cartagena. My original plan was to take 4 weeks of classes in Cartagena and then have 10 days to visit another nearby country. Well, that has all changed now. Colombia has a lot to offer, so I’m going to stay in the country. Although, it would be great for me to add to my countries visited list, I’m only going to get a chance to see one country on this trip. I’ve spent 3 weeks in Cartagena. Will spend one week in Bogota taking more classes and then will travel to Santa Marta for a week. The last week will be my vacation! :-) Every person that I’ve run into traveling through Colombia stated that Santa Marta was the highlight of their trip. It’s actually the first city founded by the Spaniards in Colombia. Today it is a small town of about 300,000 that is a 3 hour bus ride from Cartagena. It’s big draw is Tayrona National Park, a mix of jungle and beach that has been described by one friend as the closest thing to paradise there is! I will spend my last weekend back in Cartagena before returning to the states on the 14th of July. That will be a very sad day for Da Kid!
Saturday, June 28, 2008
The Haircut
It goes with out saying that you proceed at your own risk whenever you get a haircut from someone who doesn’t speak the same language as you. It’s been 3 weeks since I got my haircut and I was beginning to embark on a mini afro. So, I took the plunge and went to a local salon. I felt safer going to a salon than a barbershop here. Every time I passed a local barbershop all the barbers and the patrons were older gentleman and I didn’t want an old man cut! I noticed a salon near the internet café I frequent and stepped inside. This salon does manicures and pedicures and there was one lady getting a manicure when I walked in. The hair stylist got her chair ready for me and as she began to prep me for a cut, I started to get a real uneasy feeling. She reached for some clippers and we proceeded to play a game of charades as I tried to tell her how I wanted my hair cut. She did a motion that I misunderstood as shaving it all off. I’m like “No, No”. She was actually asking if I wanted my hair the same length all over. My Spanish has improved a little, so I was able to tell her short on the sides and about half off the top. After more charades and a lookup in my Spanish/English dictionary, we agreed that she would use a 2 Guard for the sides and a 3 Guard for the top. This 5-minute exchange did not make my uneasy feeling go away. It actually had an opposite effect. But I’m in the chair and in the end, it is just hair. It will grow back.
So she proceeds to chop away. She has me facing the mirror and to avoid worrying even more, I just close my eyes so I can’t see what’s happening. However, I did sneak a peak every now and then. After cutting my hair, she proceeds to pull out a razor. I’ve never had a women pull a razor on me, but I must admit, it was sort of a turn-on! She proceeded to line me up with the razor and after she was done…she motioned me over to another lady. I’m thinking everything is done, but they had a surprise in store for me. The other lady motioned me over to a sink to wash my hair. It’s been a long time since I’ve had someone wash my hair and now I’m getting even more turned on! It felt really good. So good, that I am now adding to my list of attributes for a girlfriend. Now I have two...She must be breathing and willing to wash my hair! I’m not that demanding…am I? :-)
After the lady is finished washing my hair, she sends me back to the barber's chair where she adds some finishing touches. I was cool with the results. I ask how much and to my surprise a haircut and wash was only 10,000 pesos. That's about $6 and some change. I think I will be going back, but next time, I'm going to skip the cut and go straight to the sink for a wash!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Saturday, June 21, 2008
The Man, The Myth, The Legend...LA VACA!
I went back to Club Havana last night and guess who was there? It was the Dancing Machine I mentioned in my previous post! From here on out, he will just be known as "La Vaca"! This time around I had to get him on video. For those who couldn't imagine someone having the skill I described, see for yourself. I must first warn you though. Do not look directly into the eyes of La Vaca. I cannot be held responsible for what happens after eye contact is made!
Monday, June 16, 2008
My First Weekend In Cartagena
The first weekend was a good weekend. I went out for the first time Thursday night. I met some of the other students at a place called Club Havana. They had a live salsa band that night and we drank and danced and had an overall good time. By the way, the program consists of optional Salsa/Meringue lessons during the afternoon. I’ve been taking classes and it has been a blast even though at most times, I dance as if I have two left feet. In due time, I’ll be spinning and salsa-ing with no problemo! Anyway, back to the weekend. There was this older gentleman in his fifties at the Club and he had no problem grabbing any lady and showing her his moves. He would walk around dancing by himself and then he would spot his victim. He proceeded to give her that look - the one that say’s “I know you want me!” I knew the look because I’ve used it myself on several occasions and was amazed at his mastery of the technique! Once the victim gave him the desired eye contact, it was over. He proceeded to begin a highly sophisticated mating ritual. He would gyrate his hips moving closer and closer to the victim. Once he got within 3 feet, he would begin to move back towards the dance floor. The victim, in a trance, would leave her seat and routinely begin to dance with the gentlemen. He would dance with them for a while and as he sensed her satisfaction in his dancing ability, he would break into this higher, more advanced form of dance where he would gyrate his entire body at the same time he moved across the dance floor. It was as if he was a gliding jackhammer! He did this several times during the night. I tried to follow his lead, but his technique was too advanced for my virgin eyes. I was regulated to sitting back and enjoying the show. He definitely provided a good laugh!
When we left Club Havana, I stay in a different section of the city than the rest of the students. So to ease logistics, I decided to walk home, while everyone else jumped in a cab. It’s only a 20 minute walk and so what if it’s 1:30 in the morning and I’m in a country known for smuggling drugs and kidnapping tourists. I’m interested in seeing how dangerous Colombia really is and I figure, who would really want to mess with Da Kid? I know if I saw myself walking down the street, I would turn tail and put my Nike’s to work in the other direction! Anyhow, I was disappointed as during my 20 minute walk the most trouble I had was a little barking dog. Peoples, please do not let everything you hear deter you from traveling to foreign countries. There are these things called media and propaganda and they both have an uncanny ability to distort reality. Before I took the walk, I was sure I would be safe. Everywhere you go, there will be good and bad places. Most of the danger from the drug trade in Colombia occurs in rural areas at the borders of the country, but that doesn’t mean that all of Colombia is not safe. Granted I won’t be walking around rural areas at the border during the middle of the night, but at the same time, there are places in Atlanta that I would not take a five-minute walk in and that’s during the daytime!
Saturday I embarked on a day excursion to the Rosario Islands along with two other students, Leigh and Felix. Leigh is from Canada. She’s been married for a couple of years and is now living with her husband, also a Canadian, in Peru. She will be taking off this week to go the Colombian national park, which is described as a beautiful mix of beach and jungle. No need for a hostel or hotel there…just find yourself a nice hammock and spend the night 100m from the beach! After this week, she will resume classes in Bogota before returning to Peru. Felix is from Kenya. He moved to the states to attend college and just completed his undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering at New Jersey Institute of Technology. He will be spending three months here in Colombia before he starts a PhD program in Chemical Engineering at Stanford. We also ran into another student, James, on the boat. James is from Bristol, UK. He is in the last two weeks of his three-month trek around South America. He started in Argentina, moved up through Chile, Peru, and Bolivia, before settling in Colombia. He planned to stay on the island for three days before making his way to the National Park, where he planned to see the beach and jungle, including a four day hike to The Lost City, ruins of an ancient city that were just discovered in 1976.
The Rosario Islands are a collection of islands, some only big enough for a single house off the coast of Cartagena. It took about 2.5 hours to reach our destination, but that time could have been cut in half using a smaller, quicker boat. We first arrived at one of the islands that contained an aquarium. I kid you not when I say it took less than five minutes to walk around the entire island. As an annual pass holder to the Georgia Aquarium, I passed on the entrance fee for the aquarium. The Georgia Aquarium is probably five times bigger than the entire island, so I couldn’t see the value in going inside. Anyhow, we proceeded to get back on the boat and in another hour we were at Playa Blanca. Playa Blanca is on Isle Baru and is a long stretch of white sands. It is known for its clear blue waters and coral for snorkeling. The beach is truly beautiful and one of the best that I’ve been to. Unfortunately, it’s loaded with “Hawkers” – local vendors trying to pawn off their goods. There’s no dock for the boat on the island, so we all boarded a smaller vessel to carry us to the island. As we descended on the beach the Hawkers instantaneously surrounded us. They offered these little oyster-like shells, saying “Free” and “Souvenir”. So you would eat one. These shells have multiple sides and there are several oyster-like things on a single shell. After you eat the first one, they turn over the shell to unveil the other edible pieces. Since it was free and a souvenir, you would indulge yourself. But as you walk away, they would expect payment, as only the first little oyster was free! What a con! I avoided the scheme with my usual “No Gracias”; however, James wasn’t so lucky. He had about five of the little oysters. When they asked for payment, he became so irate. Me and the other students were already eating our lunch when he arrived telling us his tale. I mentioned he had planned to stay for three days. Well, he was on the boat with us back to Cartagena when we left that day. It was really bad. I mean every time you looked up, somebody was asking you something. Before you could finish telling one vendor, “No”, another had already started to pawn his goods. You want necklace? You want coconut? You want soda? You want cerveza? What ever happened to setting up a booth and letting people decide if they want to come to you? I’m sure this less evasive way of selling goods would incline people to feel safer and possibly buy more. The whole thing really took away from the beauty of the beach.
Anyway, we made it back to Cartagena, where we got showered and changed and headed to a birthday dinner for another one of the students, Chloe. Chloe just turned twenty-one. She lives in San Francisco, where she attends San Francisco State University. She is currently on her summer break. At the ripe old age of 21, Chloe has already visited five continents! My goal is to visit all seven and 12 years her senior, I am still two continents behind her! Anyhow, she picked a great location for dinner. It was at the rooftop of the Santa Teresa hotel, a luxury hotel in the Old Town, the original Spanish establishment founded in the 1500’s. We had a great view of all the famous monuments of the city and it was really a romantic setting in case anyone is inclined to take their significant other to Cartagena.
After dinner, the group boarded a Chiva bus. This is a party bus that contains a band and provides unlimited amounts of rum and coke, while taking you on a festive tour of the city at night. Right after dinner, I got a headache that would not go away, no matter how much Rum I drank, so, unfortunately, I wasn’t my normal RockStar self, but it was still a good time. The bus tour ends in the Old Town, where we are dropped off at a discothèque to dance the night away. I tried to hang as long as I could, but the headache was getting the best of Da Kid and I finally retreated home after dozing off in Da Club. During the bus ride, at one of the tour stops, Chloe got a really bad pain in her side. The pain seemed to be unbearable as she was sobbing and moaning in agony. We rushed her into a taxi, where Felix and Leigh accompanied her to her home or to the hospital. I am still not sure at this point, as we all don’t have cellular phones here. Felix is staying with a friend of my House Mom, so I had her call their house today. She informed us that everything is OK now. I still don’t know what happened, but am glad that Chloe is ok. I’ll find out what actually happened at the school tomorrow.
So that was my first weekend. More adventures to come…
When we left Club Havana, I stay in a different section of the city than the rest of the students. So to ease logistics, I decided to walk home, while everyone else jumped in a cab. It’s only a 20 minute walk and so what if it’s 1:30 in the morning and I’m in a country known for smuggling drugs and kidnapping tourists. I’m interested in seeing how dangerous Colombia really is and I figure, who would really want to mess with Da Kid? I know if I saw myself walking down the street, I would turn tail and put my Nike’s to work in the other direction! Anyhow, I was disappointed as during my 20 minute walk the most trouble I had was a little barking dog. Peoples, please do not let everything you hear deter you from traveling to foreign countries. There are these things called media and propaganda and they both have an uncanny ability to distort reality. Before I took the walk, I was sure I would be safe. Everywhere you go, there will be good and bad places. Most of the danger from the drug trade in Colombia occurs in rural areas at the borders of the country, but that doesn’t mean that all of Colombia is not safe. Granted I won’t be walking around rural areas at the border during the middle of the night, but at the same time, there are places in Atlanta that I would not take a five-minute walk in and that’s during the daytime!
Saturday I embarked on a day excursion to the Rosario Islands along with two other students, Leigh and Felix. Leigh is from Canada. She’s been married for a couple of years and is now living with her husband, also a Canadian, in Peru. She will be taking off this week to go the Colombian national park, which is described as a beautiful mix of beach and jungle. No need for a hostel or hotel there…just find yourself a nice hammock and spend the night 100m from the beach! After this week, she will resume classes in Bogota before returning to Peru. Felix is from Kenya. He moved to the states to attend college and just completed his undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering at New Jersey Institute of Technology. He will be spending three months here in Colombia before he starts a PhD program in Chemical Engineering at Stanford. We also ran into another student, James, on the boat. James is from Bristol, UK. He is in the last two weeks of his three-month trek around South America. He started in Argentina, moved up through Chile, Peru, and Bolivia, before settling in Colombia. He planned to stay on the island for three days before making his way to the National Park, where he planned to see the beach and jungle, including a four day hike to The Lost City, ruins of an ancient city that were just discovered in 1976.
The Rosario Islands are a collection of islands, some only big enough for a single house off the coast of Cartagena. It took about 2.5 hours to reach our destination, but that time could have been cut in half using a smaller, quicker boat. We first arrived at one of the islands that contained an aquarium. I kid you not when I say it took less than five minutes to walk around the entire island. As an annual pass holder to the Georgia Aquarium, I passed on the entrance fee for the aquarium. The Georgia Aquarium is probably five times bigger than the entire island, so I couldn’t see the value in going inside. Anyhow, we proceeded to get back on the boat and in another hour we were at Playa Blanca. Playa Blanca is on Isle Baru and is a long stretch of white sands. It is known for its clear blue waters and coral for snorkeling. The beach is truly beautiful and one of the best that I’ve been to. Unfortunately, it’s loaded with “Hawkers” – local vendors trying to pawn off their goods. There’s no dock for the boat on the island, so we all boarded a smaller vessel to carry us to the island. As we descended on the beach the Hawkers instantaneously surrounded us. They offered these little oyster-like shells, saying “Free” and “Souvenir”. So you would eat one. These shells have multiple sides and there are several oyster-like things on a single shell. After you eat the first one, they turn over the shell to unveil the other edible pieces. Since it was free and a souvenir, you would indulge yourself. But as you walk away, they would expect payment, as only the first little oyster was free! What a con! I avoided the scheme with my usual “No Gracias”; however, James wasn’t so lucky. He had about five of the little oysters. When they asked for payment, he became so irate. Me and the other students were already eating our lunch when he arrived telling us his tale. I mentioned he had planned to stay for three days. Well, he was on the boat with us back to Cartagena when we left that day. It was really bad. I mean every time you looked up, somebody was asking you something. Before you could finish telling one vendor, “No”, another had already started to pawn his goods. You want necklace? You want coconut? You want soda? You want cerveza? What ever happened to setting up a booth and letting people decide if they want to come to you? I’m sure this less evasive way of selling goods would incline people to feel safer and possibly buy more. The whole thing really took away from the beauty of the beach.
Anyway, we made it back to Cartagena, where we got showered and changed and headed to a birthday dinner for another one of the students, Chloe. Chloe just turned twenty-one. She lives in San Francisco, where she attends San Francisco State University. She is currently on her summer break. At the ripe old age of 21, Chloe has already visited five continents! My goal is to visit all seven and 12 years her senior, I am still two continents behind her! Anyhow, she picked a great location for dinner. It was at the rooftop of the Santa Teresa hotel, a luxury hotel in the Old Town, the original Spanish establishment founded in the 1500’s. We had a great view of all the famous monuments of the city and it was really a romantic setting in case anyone is inclined to take their significant other to Cartagena.
After dinner, the group boarded a Chiva bus. This is a party bus that contains a band and provides unlimited amounts of rum and coke, while taking you on a festive tour of the city at night. Right after dinner, I got a headache that would not go away, no matter how much Rum I drank, so, unfortunately, I wasn’t my normal RockStar self, but it was still a good time. The bus tour ends in the Old Town, where we are dropped off at a discothèque to dance the night away. I tried to hang as long as I could, but the headache was getting the best of Da Kid and I finally retreated home after dozing off in Da Club. During the bus ride, at one of the tour stops, Chloe got a really bad pain in her side. The pain seemed to be unbearable as she was sobbing and moaning in agony. We rushed her into a taxi, where Felix and Leigh accompanied her to her home or to the hospital. I am still not sure at this point, as we all don’t have cellular phones here. Felix is staying with a friend of my House Mom, so I had her call their house today. She informed us that everything is OK now. I still don’t know what happened, but am glad that Chloe is ok. I’ll find out what actually happened at the school tomorrow.
So that was my first weekend. More adventures to come…
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Show Me the Money!
I thought today would be a good day. I was finally going to get some pesos! I haven’t been able to exchange any cash since I arrived, which pretty much means I haven’t had any money since I arrived. So, to exchange my money, I go to the most obvious and safest place…the bank! Well, if you are in Colombia and want to exchange money, please do not go to the bank! I went to the first bank, Daviviendo, which was located near where I’m staying. I waited in line for about 10 minutes to be informed that I must go to Banco Popular in the town center. So I trek into the city and pass by another bank, BBV. It was so crowded that I didn’t even bother waiting in line. I don’t know what’s up with banks in Colombia but they are always crowded. There are crowds of people waiting outside the bank before it opens at 8:00 AM. I’m not sure why. My teacher said that it is usually the case on the 1st and 17th of the month as those are paydays in Cartagena. Anyhow, I pass by another bank that wasn’t so crowded. I can’t remember the name right now. I wait for about 15 minutes to be informed that I need to go to Banco Columbia in the town center. Hmmm…One bank tells me to go to Banco Popular and another says got to Banco Colombia?? I’m already getting a weird feeling about this! The town center is only a short walk away and I discover that Banco Popular and Banco Colombia are right next to each other. I try Banco Popular first. There is a greeting table where I’m told I must go to the second floor in order to exchange dollars. I go to the second floor and wait 15 more minutes to be told that I must go to the money exchange across the street. So I was told to come to Banco Popular…I get there and was told to go to the second floor…I get to the second floor and now I’m being told to go to a friggin money exchange. “It’s right across the street…you can’t miss it” Well, I did not find the money exchange because as soon as I got out of the bank I got hounded by people wanting to exchange pesos for dollars. Now, I read about these guys on the net and was advised not to partake in any offers. The first guy offered 2000 pesos for every 1 dollar. I knew this was above the going rate, but I still said no. But they are persistent. The guy motions over another guy that speaks English. He proceeds to offer 2100 pesos for every dollar. I finally get rid of them and decide to go to Banco Colombia. On the way, another guy comes out offering 2000 pesos. Noticing my disinterest, he offers 2100 and then 2200 pesos. I still refuse and go to Banco Columbia. I wait another 15 minutes only to be told I need to go to another Banco Colombia behind this one. I leave, and, of course, I did not find any Banco Colombia behind this one. I did find a Citibank though. Inside Citibank, I spoke to a greeter who said I must go to Western Union to change money. She stated banks do not change money. Boy, I really wish I would have went to Citibank first!
Western Union is right next door so it’s no issue. I get inside and wait for my turn. Western Union is offering 1550 pesos for every one dollar. That’s a far cry from the 2200 I was offered on the street, but I stick to my guns. I wait for about 15 minutes. A lady who was two places in front of me realized I needed to exchange money, as did everyone else in the place since the armed guardsmen kept asking me all these questions that I didn’t understand and needed other people in line to translate for me. I should have just walked in and shouted, “Hola everyone, I am stupid American that speaks no Spanish and have mucho dollars!” Anyhow, after the lady finishes her turn, she comes to me and says she will offer me 1600 pesos for every dollar. I’m thinking, I’m two places away, I’m in the WU and not on the street, I’ll get 50 more pesos per dollar, and I just saw this lady get money from Western Union. So, I put on my Nike’s and just do it!
I’m back on the street and guess who I run into again. It’s the guy that offered me 2200 pesos for every dollar. He is now desperate and is offering 2500 pesos for every dollar. Checking on www.xe.com, the going rate is 1696 pesos for every dollar. I expected WU to be less than that as they have to keep the lights on somehow. However, I am still baffled how this guy on the street was offering 2500 pesos. WU wasn’t even offering that much for the Euro, which is way more valuable than my dollar. The dollar is so bad, Europeans are starting to use it as toilet paper and Canadians are now crossing the border to go shopping! I digress…but I think that the guys on the street are using counterfeit money or something like that??
Anyhow, I got some money in my pocket and I want to buy something! So, the first thing I go for is Cerveza! It’s been 3 days since I tasted alcohol and I was starting to get the shakes! So I try the local brews, Club Colombia and Aguilla. I’m leaning towards Aguilla, but I’ll be doing a lot more taste testing in the coming days! ☺ I finish my two beers and pull out a fresh 20000 bill to pay, but you already know it’s not going to be that simple for Da Kid! The friggin bar doesn’t have change for my friggin 20000 bill. I have to wait there while the guy goes to try and find change. He’s asking other establishments, cab drivers, and people just walking by. I tell him that I will come back manana at the same time. He’s ok with that, but he wants to keep my 20000 bill (can u tell that I like saying 20000 bill even though its only like $12!) and have me come back for the change. Hmmmm….so he’s back to asking people for change. He finally finds a construction worker that has change and then proceeds to give me change. Can you believe he had the audacity to try and short change Da Kid by 500 pesos! Now in the grand scheme of things, 500 pesos is nothing when you are walking aroung with 20000 bills and got 50 Mil bills in your pocket, but this is all about principle! And I want everyone that's reading this blog to know that Da Kid stood up for something! The bartender tried to say the cervezas were 2500 pesos each. However, before he saw my 20000 bill, he added it up as one beer costing 2500 and the other costing 2000 pesos. Nice try Senor Bartender but as Cuba Gooding would say…Show me the 500 pesos!
Monday, June 9, 2008
First Day of Classes
Ok…the first day of classes did not go so well. I really learned how little I know of the Spanish language. Again, this is going to be a long trip, but I’m determined and a have a really nice teacher. But before I get to classes, let me explain how I got to the school. I mentioned that I didn’t have any luggage. So I wake up and shower and put on the same clothes I had on for at least 17 hours yesterday! Not wanting to wear the same dirty boxers, I hand washed the pair I had. Unfortunately, they didn’t dry before I had to be on my way. I also mentioned there was a language barrier. So trying to get directions to the school was not working out. Maria says I can follow her to catch a bus, but I tell her I will walk. She draws a map and counts off the blocks. The map shows two blocks, then a church. After 5 blocks, a bridge is drawn. I cross the bridge, go two more blocks, make a right, and walk two more blocks. I figured how hard could this be, so I take off with my wet boxers at 7:15. At 9:00, I’m still walking around trying to find this dayum school! Did I mention that it was hot, I had on the same clothes I had on yesterday, I had wet boxers, and a friggin map that had a picture of a church and a bridge!!! It looked like one of those maps from Indian Jones! For 2 hours, I was walking around using two phrases: “Hablas ingles?” and “Donde esta Nueve Lengua?” while showing people my Indiana Jones treasure map! Well, just when I was about to give up and call it a day, I walk down this street that I had already been down twice and lo and behold, the friggin school…WTF!!!
Well, now that I’m in school, the first order of business is to take a test. The test was 5 pages long. I only answered questions on the 1st page and got about a half of those wrong. So, I am placed into the LD Spanish class. My teacher is Leidy, and she is a very nice lady. Through my lessons, I learn that her husband teaches at the school and she has been married for 7 years. She has 2 children, a 6 year old boy and a 2 yr old girl. I also learned that she has been unhappy for 4 years and wants to get a divorce. Don’t even ask how my non-Spanish speaking self got that info! I did learn the word “quedate” which means to stay. As I kept telling her, “No divorce…quedate”
Anyway, she is very nice. When my luggage arrived at the school, she said I will have to take a taxi to my house. I explained that I haven’t been able to exchange any money yet, so she offered to loan me some money since the banks weren’t open at that time. I declined her offer. She seemed a little offended by that, but when it was time to go, she allowed me to share her taxi. She just had the taxi drop me off using my treasure map on her way to her next job. I made it home just in time for lunch. I missed the day’s field trip and salsa classes, but I will be ready manana!
Colombia: The Beginning
Da Kid is finally in Cartagena, Colombia. I haven’t seen much of the city as it was dark when I arrived. It has been an adventure so far. I pretty much realized I was in over my head as I stood in line to check my baggage at the Miami airport. I was the only Gringo in line and, although we were still in the US, the entire airline staff communicated in Spanish first. I knew right then, this was going to be a long trip.
Overall, flying Avianca Airlines, was a pretty good experience. My only issue is I have no luggage. My flight was from Miami to Bogota to Cartagena. I’m assuming my bags made it to Bogota, but not Cartagena. I’m stuck with no toothbrush or toothpaste, no clean boxers, and an outfit that I’ve been wearing since 6:00 AM this morning.
I’ve settled in with my host family. Not many words were exchanged since a language barrier still exists. I can’t wait to start speaking Spanish! I am living in a three-bedroom apartment. Maria and her husband have one room. I have a room to myself, though there are two twin beds here, so I’m not sure if I will be sharing it at some point. Maria’s mother and Maria’s 14-year-old son occupy the third bedroom. I believe the son moved out of my current room.
The family seems to be very religious. Jesus is present throughout the apartment. Just in my room alone, there’s a huge cross with Jesus’s head on it, pictures of Jesus, pieces of paper with Jesus’s name spelled on it, and several figurines of angels and people praying. I might become Catholic through osmosis in this room!
Overall, flying Avianca Airlines, was a pretty good experience. My only issue is I have no luggage. My flight was from Miami to Bogota to Cartagena. I’m assuming my bags made it to Bogota, but not Cartagena. I’m stuck with no toothbrush or toothpaste, no clean boxers, and an outfit that I’ve been wearing since 6:00 AM this morning.
I’ve settled in with my host family. Not many words were exchanged since a language barrier still exists. I can’t wait to start speaking Spanish! I am living in a three-bedroom apartment. Maria and her husband have one room. I have a room to myself, though there are two twin beds here, so I’m not sure if I will be sharing it at some point. Maria’s mother and Maria’s 14-year-old son occupy the third bedroom. I believe the son moved out of my current room.
The family seems to be very religious. Jesus is present throughout the apartment. Just in my room alone, there’s a huge cross with Jesus’s head on it, pictures of Jesus, pieces of paper with Jesus’s name spelled on it, and several figurines of angels and people praying. I might become Catholic through osmosis in this room!
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