A Wild Ride

Taganga, Colombia is this cute, little beach town just six kilometers from the city of Santa Marta, on the Caribbean coast. There is one main road and a tiny beach surrounded by scuba schools, hotels and restaurants. It's the kind of town where you don't need to make a plan to meet someone later, you'll see them before it's time to meet. Just hang out in front of the local liquor store on the main corner and you'll see the entire population pass by in a matter of fifteen minutes. If I could choose a place to live in this world right now, Taganga would be my new home. Just give me a little hut up in the hillsides and I think I could be happy forever.

I arrived last Thursday after skipping my flight for the second time and immediately fell into the groove of things again. I was on the bus with an American guy, so he and I set out to find a hostel together. The place we found wasn't the best I've ever seen, but the price was right (prices have doubled since the last time I was there due to high season) and we had the room to ourselves for the majority of our stay. In this town, you really don't need to worry about the atmosphere of the hostel, you're never there anyway.

I spent the entire first day on the beach relaxing...and I got my first real sunburn in South America, which went away after a day. I've been being good and wearing sunblock for the most part, but I think my skin is just immune now. Months and months of constantly being outside have given me some sort of power against sunburn, which I'm not complaining about at all. Anyway, in between swimming and sunbathing, I checked out a couple of the local dive schools to see what this scuba business was all about. The price was right everywhere, but I was hanging with a Dutch girl all day that had just finished her course and she talked me into Poseidon Dive School....the only one in Taganga with a pool for practice. I walked over to it that afternoon and was in the pool within an hour.

Scuba is something I NEVER thought I would do. As a matter of fact, when Anne went diving the last time I was in Taganga, I basically laughed at her and told her I'd be on the beach, above the surface. The nice thing about the schools is that they allow you to take a mini course, just two dives to 12 meters, with the option of continuing to get your certificate. My first day of diving, I went out with my instructor, Girt, and absolutely loved it. I signed up for the full thing immediately after returning to land.

Most of the diving is done in and around Parque Tayrona, which is just around the corner from Taganga. The water was fairly clear, but visibilty got a little worse each day that I dived. There are coral reefs everywhere in the area with the most beautiful colors and incredible wildlife, without sharks, my biggest fear while out in the depths. I saw eels and rays, huge, colorful fish, some dangerous rockfish, lobsters, and on my last day I got to see a seahorse. Because my course was kind of backwards, I had three different instructors, but all were cool and on the boat each day. I passed all of the underwater safety tests and the sometimes difficult equipment manuvers. I was amazed at how relaxed I was under the water. As long as I was near the bottom, I felt safe and calm. It's like going to the moon, but better. It's a completely different world and I'm so happy I took the plunge and got to see it. After five dives ranging from 12 to 18 meters, I took the final exam and am a certified open water diver. It's a pretty good feeling...do I get to add this to my resume?

I just finished the course yesterday, so it took up the majority of my time in Taganga. I couldn't go out at night, at least not for long, because hungover and/or tired is not conducive to breathing through a regulator deep under the sea. I met plenty of people during the afternoons though and kind of felt like I owned the town. Pretty much everywhere I went, I ran into someone I knew from somewhere. Yesterday evening while having dinner on the strip, I got the best surprise of all when the crew from Medellin strolled past me down the street. They'd just gotten up to the area and were staying at one of my favorite hostels, La Brisa Loca, over in Santa Marta. Running into them on my very last day in Colombia made the ending perfect.

Last night I went out with a bang. I went over to Santa Marta to hang with the guys. We drank some Ron (rum...there's just no other option when you're in Colombia) and chatted about what had been happening in the past couple of weeks. We reminisced about our days in Medellin and just generally had a good time. I was able to get a couple of them to go out with me in Taganga afterwards. We went to the only club in town and of course ran into more people from earlier. We salsa danced the night away and took a necessary late night swim. Exhausted, I saw the sun come up on my last morning in Colombia and then hit the bus to the airport.

Tonight I'm finding myself in familiar territory in Panama City, but it's not the same. Just one night in a place is only a bed, so in my opinion, this wild ride in South America has pretty much ended. Like Europe, I am so sad for it to be done, but a new chapter will begin shortly. If I could go back and start the last two months over again, I wouldn't change a single thing. It has been a learning experience that has changed me forever. The person I was when I got off that plane in Lima doesn't seem to exist anymore, there's a better version now. It's a great feeling and I have South America to thank for it.

Since I'll be seeing everyone soon, I'm not going to blog until I get to New Zealand in a couple of weeks. If you don't already know, here is my crazy holiday travel schedule....

December 24-28 Houston, Texas
December 28- January 3 Somewhere in Michigan
January 4 Houston, Texas
January 4-7 San Francisco

Then it's time for a new adventure to begin!

Happy holidays everyone! I hope to see you very, very soon!!!

Goodbyes

I'm going to be honest, I began this country wanting more of a cultural experience than anything. Anne and I were reflecting the other day on the last three plus weeks here and have decided that it has definitely been more of a natural one, which in my book, is fine. I will be coming back to Colombia to get more of the cultural aspect that I was looking for.

Don't get me wrong, I've been speaking with Colombians and learning as much as I can, but the gloriousness of the landscapes has won me over on this trip. The beaches and mountains, volcanos and farmlands, have captivated me and my camera. This country is a little piece of every kind of heaven. I seem to have been traveling with a group of fifty or so people, experiencing it in different ways in each area. The people I have met from all over the planet and the memories that I have made will be with me for the rest of my life.

My week stuck in Colombia waiting for my yellow fever vaccination to set in has been a fantastic one. Before our thirteen hour bus ride down to Medellin, Anne and I went to El Totumo, a mud volcano about 70 kilometers outside of Cartagena. This volcano stands only 15 meters tall and contains the strangest consistancy of mud I have ever encountered. We arrived by bus and were quickly told to strip down to our bikinis. We climbed the steps and glanced into this pit of grayish gook with about twenty people already inside. It's best not to think of what you are stepping into as they lead you down the ladder to join the others. We got into the bottomless hole and were promptly massaged by the three men working inside. After our therapy, we were slid to the side with the rest of the folks where we floated around for 20 minutes or so before being helped out. I would say the experience brought us tourists to a new level of closeness, one I wasn't expecting, but it was all in good fun. After a few too many pictures, we were helped up the ladder and down the street into a swamp, where some women awaited to wash away this sticky substance. Sitting there in the light of day having a woman wipe me down in some mucky water as 20 people stood by will not be forgotten anytime soon. In my travels, I have learned that modesty just isn't possible.

After our mud bath and wash, we went to the beach for a fresh fish lunch and our last dip in the Carribean for a while. It was no Tayrona or Playa Blanca, but it did the trip on a hot Colombian afternoon. We made our way back to Cartagena where I was finally able to repack my incredibly full bag (what exactly I've bought to fill it so much is beyond me) before heading to the bus station for another night bus through the countryside. The ride down was great...cold, but great. Somehow I've always been able to get a decent night's sleep on these things. I woke up as we soared into Medellin and was ready to go when we got to the hostel. We arrived to find a lot of the same people we've beening seeing throughout Colombia and immediately felt at home.

As for the stay in Medellin, I can't report too much. Basically, the hostal we were in was a compound complete with pool, computers, kitchen, bar, basketball courts, hammocks and a tv room with couches you just melt into. We were there four nights, and other than hitting up the discotecas and going out for meals, we really didn't do anything. There was really no touring to be done, and if there was, we couldn't be bothered with it. We just hung out with a great group of people for a few days and relaxed.

Laziness had really started to set in, so Anne and I made the plan to go down to Manizales, about 4 hours south in the heart of the coffee zone. The views from the bus winding up and down green, tropical mountains would make Bob Ross roll over in his grave. Words cannot describe how beautiful this was! Coffee plantations and green, lush valleys full of palm trees were spotted with these houses that just have so much character! They're so colorful with their clay tiled roofs and perfectly landscaped yards...and the Christmas lights...so many of them, and all the blinky kind. It's getting very, very festive in Colombia.

We arrived in Manizales to find a pretty big university city with hills that put San Francisco to shame. There is a gorgeous cathedral on mountainside surrounded by rows and rows of houses that basically look like the sunset district of SF. It was pretty interesting, I felt really comfortable there.

Our first day in the area was spent at Hacienda Guayabal, a coffee plantation about an hour away. We took a two hour tour and learned the coffee making process from start to finish. Is anyone out there aware that the cup of coffee you drink every morning took more than five years to get there? And that coffee beans, before they're peeled, taste like grapes? I was a bit amazed to learn this myself. Being a coffee drinker, it absolutely made me think a bit more about what I'm sipping on each morning. At the end of our tour we were able to sample some of the finished product while sitting in a garden in the middle of the farm....breathtaking!

There was plenty more that could have been done in and around Manizales, but my travels with Anne were coming to a close. She has to be in the north of Peru by next week, and my flight to Panama was scheduled to take off today. So our last day together, we did what we do best...went to the local park and laid by the pool. We walked around the city a little first of course, but it was hot and being near water sounded nice. We relaxed most of the afternoon and reminsced about the past three weeks, got some last minute photos and then headed for a substitute of our favorite restaurant, Crepes and Waffles.

Our last night was bittersweet. We went out with a group from the hostal and had drinks. We praised ourselves for traveling so well together and had a great time, but each time we thought about the fact that it was almost over, we just got sad. I keep saying that meeting these people really make my adventures, but these goodbyes are just so hard and I don't think they'll ever get easier. The next morning, we made our way to the bus station where she went south and I headed north. It was a shock to my system to be alone again, and it felt like the end of an era.

After that goodbye, I had to face the possibility of saying adios to this country that I've fallen in love with as well. I took the bus back to Medellin and then caught a flight up to Cartagena where I would have one night and then head off to Panama. I met some people when I arrived at the hostal last night and did my last night up right by learning to salsa. I'm not very good, but who knew it could be so much fun?! I ended up staying out pretty late trying to work on my moves and when I woke up this morning, a flight to Panama just didn't feel right. So my first action this morning was calling the airline...I'm staying in Colombia for just a few days more.

I had big dreams of seeing more of Panama on this trip and I've slowly crushed them all...and I'm fine with that. I've already got the idea of a Central American adventure in my head, I'll be back and I'll see it then. Five days in Panama was just not enough time to do some of the things I wanted...and I wanted beach....good beach. So after changing my flight and packing my bags again, I hopped on another bus and have come back to one of my favorite places in Colombia, Taganga. I got here this evening and the place is packed with people, but I think I can manage. It's hard to be back without Anne as I know it just won't be the same. But seeing as I have until next Tuesday, I'm considering getting my scuba certificate while I'm here. I've always been scared of that sort of thing, but everyone just keeps telling me to give it a go. It does sound pretty amazing, and I'd hate for my fear to stop me from doing things, so we'll see. I'm going to get up early tomorrow and check that out. Even if I don't do that, there are numerous beaches I can kayak to from here and there is plenty of sun to soak up. I'm ending my South American adventure exactly where I want to be.

Change of Plans

Anyone who has been reading this has learned that crossing borders is not my forte. After my rendezvous at the Bolivian border, I should have known to research more thoroughly before trying to go anywhere new. While relaxing on a pristine beach a couple of nights ago, I was told of the problems I was going to have going into Panama this week sans my yellow fever certification. Much to my dismay, I got to Cartagena today to find that these rumors are true. You need a certificate dated more than 10 days ago to cross from South America to Central America. So a change of plans is now in order...looks like I'm staying in Colombia a little bit longer.

First things first, I have had an absolute blast with Anne for the past week and a half. She is from Dublin and our paths met my first day in San Gil. Somehow we have always seemed to be heading the same way so we've paved a path through Colombia together...sometimes leaving a bit of a wake behind. We've been through numerous beaches, jungle treks, hammocks, tents, cities and fiestas together. I was going to be very sad to say goodbye when I left for Panama on Wednesday. So the new alternative of staying really isn't bothering me too much at this point in time. I think there will actually be a bit of a celebration in it's honor this evening.

We spent two nights in on the beach in Taganga and worked on our ever-darkening tans. It was this great little beach town with one ATM (that didn't work the whole time I was there), about ten hostels and restaurants and bars galore. There were loads of hippies who came and decided never to leave, making their living by selling jewelry on the street. The beaches were crowded but not to the point of annoying. And the water was the perfect temperature for relief from the mid-afternoon sun. We met up with some people from earlier in our trip and stuck it out there, just relaxing and eating ceviche, before having to come over to Cartagena.

We basically lived out of day-packs the whole time we were in the Santa Marta area, so upon leaving Taganga we had to go grab all of our poorly packed belongings at a hostel in the city before quickly boarding a bus for Cartagena. Luckily we'd packed some warmer clothes on top and were able to grab them before boarding the frigid bus. This was the coldest one yet, and the 5.5 hours were almost unbearable. Even in the extreme heat and humidity, it was ridiculously cold. I just don't get it.

We got to Cartagena late Friday night and checked into a hostel that had been referred to us, although I'm not sure why. The price was right, and the air conditioning cranked way up, but the cockroaches and space cadet staff was a good reason to check out promptly the next morning. We had our hearts set on Playa Blanca, a beach just a 45 minute boat ride away.

We definitely went off the gringo trail on getting there. Following our Lonely Planet bible, we went to this shady little market early in the morning and jumped on a speed boat full of locals hoping that it would get us there in one piece. Our haggling skills are getting good, so we got them down to a decent price, and our feet touched the white, sandy beach an hour or so later.

Playa Blanca is a tourist beach, but a Colombian tourist beach, so we felt pretty off the beaten path while we were there. It is full of campsites for tents and hammocks. There are little restaurants serving up fresh fish, and just green Caribbean water as far as the eye can see. We ended up meeting an American who was working with a family there, and he promptly lured us into their campsite. We'd heard rumor that the bugs were worse there than in Tayrona, so opted for the tents instead of braving the nights in hammocks this time around. Although I brought my hammock and net, and it would've been cheaper, a couple nights of comfort was more on my mind at that point. Honestly, they were still pretty bad, even in the tents. My feet are scarred for life.

Either way, we indulged in our two nights on the beach. We got massages and drank piña coladas. We swam all day and ate the fantastic food the owner prepared for us. Nothing could really break our moods, until Anne thought she lost her camera (which was quickly found upon returning to Cartagena) and I got the shock that I needed a vaccine to go to Central America. It cut our two nights there a bit short, but we enjoyed it anyway realizing there was nothing we could do about it until today. So this morning we saw the sunrise over the water while taking the 6am motor taxi back into the city. It was a good ending to (possibly) the last time either of us will see the Caribbean in a while.

Upon arriving in Cartagena, I was on a mission to bribe a doctor to put a different date on my yellow fever certification, giving me the required ten days. The first thing was finding a doctor. I was in luck as the Centro Medico was just a few block from where we'd left our bags. I got there and failed miserably on the bribe (didn't even attempt it) but took the shot like a champ and officially have my certification (I'm pretty proud of the fact that this thing I must carry for life is Colombian, and completely in Spanish). Can I just comment on Colombian medicine for a second? I walked in, told them what I needed, took a number and was on the chopping block within 15 minutes. They were so nice, even letting Anne take pictures as I got stuck in the arm, and very official about all of it. When I asked where to pay, they just looked at me like I was crazy and told me it was free and that I was all set. Free?! Medicine?! For foreigners?! I was in shock. I know this wasn't a trip to the hospital, but really, there were probably ten families with kids in there all waiting for various vaccinations that are needed for daily life here and all came in and out easily and efficiently. No complaining, nothing. It was really incredible. People would have to wait hours to get something like that done in the states and then pay an arm and a leg to boot. I think there's a lesson to be learned here.

Anyway, rather than hopping a flight to Panama, with a yellow fever certification just two days old and completely covered in mosquito bites, I've changed my flight to December 17th. I don't have the two weeks I had hoped for in Panama, but I'll have five days to go somewhere and see something new anyway. Luckily, Copa Airlines is incredible and changed my flight in about two minutes flat, free of charge. Now I've got time to go down to Medillon with Anne tomorrow night after soaking in a mud volcano in the morning. Another ten days in Colombia? Not such a bad thing after all.

Fill in the Blanks

I know I just posted, but I felt rushed the last time. This morning I'm just chilling out, waiting for my travel buddy to get back from scuba diving, so I feel like I have time to fill in the blanks on some of the things I think about this crazy country that I am in.

Colombia has officially surpassed Turkey as the favorite of all of the places I have been. The gorgeous, green mountains and jungle landscapes are captivating. The water is clear and blue and the people are brilliant. It is exactly what I have wanted in the last three months of travel all rolled up into a nice Colombian ball. I can see where people were coming from when they said that I would want to stay longer than my alloted time. I feel like I could spend months here and still only see a fraction of what it has to offer.

It's not just the landscapes for me either, although that's usually the part that I enjoy the most. The energy of the people here is contagious! Seriously, walking down the street, you are accosted by the huge variety of sounds, sights and smells. There is music everywhere and people always seem to be dancing. There never a dull moment, as there are numerous fiestas to attend daily(these people love to party!). Something is always cooking on a grill nearby and there are freshly squeezed juices on every street corner for about 25 cents. (The juices here are incredible!!!) The people are lively and seem genuinely interested in where you're from and what you're doing and how you feel about Colombia. This country is nothing like the reputation it has been given in the United States. It is the most welcoming place I have ever been.

So there you have it, I love everything about Colombia except for one thing...the insects! I came to Taganga, a little beach town just a few minutes from Santa Marta, last night. I am in the best hostel I've ever stayed, with a beautiful courtyard full of hammocks and lots of tables and social areas. The dorm rooms are cozy and have their own bathrooms. But I noticed the mosquito nets hanging above the beds as soon as I got here...and I had every right to be worried. These bugs are relentless! My American blood apparently tastes really good. I was up for hours last night trying to fix the net above my head, but they found a way in anyway. The repellant here does not work at all, and my fantastic REI brand with 40% deet is officially gone. I have never dealt with anything even remotely like this...and I'll probably have the scars to prove it for the rest of my life.

This morning I have been relaxing in hammocks while trying not to scratch. I think this is going to be my last full day in this area, so we're heading to some beautiful beach that's supposed to be about 20 minutes from here. I'll soak in some more sun and hope for some cool breezes before heading to Cartagena tomorrow. I hear the heat and humidity is even more intense over there.

I finally booked my ticket to Panama. My dreams of sailing there are over. It sounded like an amazing opportunity, but very expensive and time consuming. I've already seen the San Blas islands, so the only new thing for me would've been two days of open water. And with the rough December seas, I think I can deal without. If I want to go back to San Blas, I'll make time for it on my way back through Panama. I've booked two weeks there to try to see some of the things that I missed last year. After my trip there, I kept saying I would go back, though I don't know if I believed myself. I guess if you tell yourself something over and over, eventually it will happen. That seems to be the way life has worked for me lately.

Hammock Camping at La Playa

I've just put a pretty adventurous week behind me, and have loved it all. I swam under waterfalls, soared high above the coffee plantations in Colombia, hiked miles through the jungle and had my first experience with hammock camping. Most importantly, I've made it to the Caribbean and swam in it's gorgeous blue waters.

I had my first jungle trek on my first full day in San Gil. Some new friends and I took a crazy bus ride about 30 minutes out of town and hiked through the forest to find our swimming hole under a 240 meter waterfall. I'm a sucker for waterfalls, and I've seen some great ones, but this was spectacular. After scurrying over rocks and climbing ropes and ladders, we had only made it halfway up the falls, but found a deep pool that we were all eager to jump in. The water was freezing, but when else were we going to have the opportunity to swim under some Colombian falls? So we all jumped in, had a great lunch and en joyed the perfect rainbow that soared over our heads on the walk out. It was a day made of perfection.

I had allowed myself just one paid adventure activity in San Gil, and for some crazy reason, I decided that paragliding was my thing. Anyone out there knows how afraid of flying I am, so what I was thinking jumping off a cliff is beyond me! It was, by far, the most terrifying experience I have ever had....and I will never do it again...but I'm glad I can say I did it just once. Me and two other guys from the hostel all took a van out to the top of a mountain (a small one, but bigger than a hill) out in the middle of farmland. The view was stunning from where we stood, so the parachute wasn't really necessary, but I volunteered to go first anyway.

This kid (he couldn't have been more than 21) took me up in the air and whipped me around for about thirty minutes! The view was awesome, but the fact that I thought I was going to die at any second overshadowed a lot of it. I was shaking the entire time but managed to get some decent photos. The winds were really rough that day, so we had to make three attempts at landing, and when we got to solid ground I silently told myself that I would stay where humans belong for good. It was not all bad though...there were a couple of moments that I did relax and enjoyed flying high above Colombia. It is a view that most people will never have, so I am thankful that I was able to do it (and yes, this was on Thanksgiving as well).

So after my final flight without an airplane, I ended up going to dinner with a bunch of people that I had met earlier. It turns out that a bunch of them were taking the overnight bus to Santa Marta the next day. I had planned on staying in San Gil longer, but one thing I've learned is that when you meet cool people traveling, and you're all heading the same way, it's best to just be flexible and follow along. Thirteen hour bus rides are always better with company. So I booked my bus to the Caribbean the next day.

The bus ride was FREEZING! I had heard rumor of refrigerated buses in Colombia, but didn't believe it until I stepped on the bus to Santa Marta. Seriously, people were wearing hats and gloves! It's is crazy hot here, but there is no need for air conditioning that strong. Thank goodness I'd 'come prepared...and they allowed us to get off and thaw out around 2:30 in the morning. Other than that, the ride was smooth and I was able to sleep...when I wasn't shivering.

We arrived in Santa Marta and I learned the true definition of humidity. I have always loved hot, sticky weather, but this is intense. There was a nice sea breeze coming into the hostel (only four blocks from the beach) but I still ended up splurging on a room with A/C...which for me is off the hook, but I'm glad I did it.

The plan from Santa Marta was the Parque Nacional Tayrona to use my beloved travel hammock. I joined in on a fiesta in the hostel the first night and woke my crew early the next day to take off for the park. After much difficulty, we were able to find the bus that got us to the park entrance in about an hour. I had spoken to people about this earlier and was prepared for the 10km hike through the jungle to get to the campsite, but I wasn't quite ready for the water that the forest can hold. Within ten minutes, we were drenched. The hike wasn't hard, the first 4km was on paved road, and not that hot either, just really, really humid...I guess that's the jungle. It was gorgeously green though, and I got to see monkeys! I've been dying to see some since I turned around at the Bolivian border and within the first hour at Tayrona they were playing above my head! So cute and so agile, I wanted to take one home with me.

We hiked into the beach at Cabo and found our home for the next four days and three nights. I got to break out not only my travel hammock, but also my mosquito net that hasn't been opened since I purchased it for Panama last year. (And might I add, it was well needed...the bugs out there were crazy and immune to repellant!) We had a great group of us camping out there. The people always really make trips like these, and although it's not the same as my friends from home, I felt like I'd known them for ages. There were about six of us, sometimes more, that played cards and swam; we took a hike yesterday out to some ruins in the forest and explored the areas around the campsite. (I saw a snake and didn't freak out! So proud of myself for that one.) The weather held out for us and the sea was the perfect relief from the heat. Four of us ended up hiking out together this morning and all came back to the hostel in Santa Marta together.

Two girls I met in Peru have actually ended up at my hostel this evening, so life just through me another loop of fun. They are heading to Panama by boat next week, so I have some decisions to make very soon as to how I'm going to head north. One of the girls I've been with since San Gil is still here and I think we have the same travel plans for the next week, so it seems I won't be traveling alone again anytime soon.

We just got back from the grocery store, which proved to be the most stressful thing I've done in the past few weeks. Seriously, just people everywhere and impossible to find anything....I've stocked up now and am glad that I won't be doing that again anytime soon. I've got some research to do this evening as I think I'm going to leave Santa Marta tomorrow. I need to know where to go and how to get there, but the options just seem endless. The South America portion of my trip is more than halfway over. It's time to fit everything in before braving the USA for the holidays.

Getting Closer to the Coast

Colombia is insanely beautiful!!! After weeks and weeks in the desert, I am finally seeing green! I took my first Colombian bus ride yesterday and am amazed with the difference between the dusty plains of Peru, to the rich farmlands of Colombia. I really felt like I was in Europe...maybe a tropical Europe. The rolling green hills are patchworked with farms and little villas. The landscape is dotted with palm trees and sugarcane fields. The road was cut right through the dense forests and steep cliffs. There were waterfalls cascading down the hills as our bus sped by. I am in awe of my surroundings!

After a long day in Lima, my friend and I hopped on a plane in the middle of the night destined for Bogota. We arrived at 4am and took the first taxi possible to a pretty dismal hostel somewhere in the middle of...I don't know where...somewhere in the city not next to anything. Of course, the guy didn't have our reservation right and we thought we were going to be forced to sleep on the sofas until he showed us to a private room and offered us a discounted price. We took it, but only because we were extremely tired and Bogota is not a city to be strolling around in the dark looking for somewhere new to stay. We quickly woke up and darted out of there as soon as possible in the morning.

As for Bogota, it is a HUGE city. It's incredibly green, full of parks and surrounded by mountains. The problem is, and I knew this before getting there, is that it's extremely dangerous. You're not likely to be physically harmed, but theft is a big problem. It is not safe to walk alone at night. You have to beware of shady cab drivers. You should never visit an ATM in the dark. Pretty much everyone I talked to had been robbed at some point or another. It's great to hear all of these warnings and be aware of what you should and should not do, but it definitely doesn't make you feel welcome in a new city, or a new country for that matter. Don't worry all, I made it out of Bogota safe and with all of my possessions.

It's kind of sad that it has this bad reputation, because besides that, it is an extremely livable city. The architecture is beautiful and the people seem friendly. I found a hostel in the old city, in Candelaria and stayed there. Luckily, the girl I traveled up here with has lived here before and new plenty of people around. Pretty much everyone in my hostel was living there as far as I could tell. They just come to Bogota and decide not to leave. Although I'm not really sure what they do every day, other than hit up the many fiestas that happen every night of the week.

I was in luck on Saturday night, as this big party that occurs the last Sunday of every month was going on. It just a club with a huge backyard and hundreds of people hanging out and dancing. My stomach was upset (travelers tummy was back again but thankfully gone at this point) so it was hard to get into it, but I did eventually and had a crazy night out for my first night in Colombia. I met loads of people and attempted bad spanish. I came home in the wee hours of the morning and wasted the entire next day relaxing after a long night.

I'm not really a big city person, at least not in South America, so I only stuck it out in Bogota for three days. I did a bit of touring to the main plaza and then to this church up on top of a mountain not far from my hostel. I had dinner with my friend and just generally hung out on my last day. I was pretty ready to leave by the time I woke up yesterday morning.

My goal at this point is to get to the beach asap. I haven't seen beach since Turkey, or not any that I've wanted to swim in, so I'm ready. So I took my first Colombian bus ride yesterday to San Gil, six hours north of Bogota. I had no idea what I was doing when I got to the bus station, but again my luck worked out. I chose a bus company (there are hundreds, all screaming at you trying to get your business) that had comfty seats that recline almost all the way and plenty of room for you to stretch out. As for getting the ticket, Colombia is crazy with prices. Basically, you go up to the attendant and ask for a ticket. You have to be sure to ask for the discount, or else you're charged sometimes close to double the price. I asked for the discount, although I'm not sure why I, or anyone for that matter, got it. Really, it's just one of these crazy South American deals...if you're too stupid to say something about it, they charge you more. I don't get it...but oh well...my ticket was way cheaper than the price I'd seen quoted online the day before.

The bus ride up here was so beautiful! None of the shantytowns of Peru. Some of the places I saw were villas straight out of Italy. We drove through green mountains and gorgeous canyons. The roads were smooth as we passed farms and small towns. There were a lot of police checkpoints and it was kind of random to see a lone officer with a large gun every 10 miles or so, but I guess that makes me feel a little safer. I met an older Colombian guy on the bus and we had a nice conversation using my horrible spanish. These people love their country and after this bus ride, I can see why.

I arrived in San Gil a little after five yesterday and am already planning on staying longer than I thought. It's a small town with hills steeper than San Francisco's. It's the adventure sport capital of this region. I checked into possible the smallest dorm room I've ever seen (literally, I think it's 8X8, with two sets of bunk beds) and met my three new roommates...the first time I've been with all guys (smelly! Thank god there's a window). Immediately they gave me the run-down of everything I can do here...rappelling down waterfalls, swimming under them, paragliding, white water rafting, etc. It's pretty awesome. All I need to do is walk across the street to a different hostel and put my name on the board under the activity I want for the next day. I had initially signed up to rappell down this waterfall, but then realized I can swim under it for free, so cancelled that reservation and will take a relaxing dip in the water instead today. All of these activities, although cheap, can add up moneywise, so I'm going to let myself do one thing...paragliding or rafting. I'll make the decision later, I've got nothing but time.

The other great thing about this town is Andre, the spanish teacher across the road from my hostel. I was introduced to him within 15 minutes of being here and immediately signed up for a lesson. I just got done with a two hour private class on the past tense in spanish and it was pretty good. I've been looking for a good teacher with a flexible schedule. You basically just walk in, tell him what and when you want to learn, and there you go. For $7/hour, I'm in. I think I'll take another session tomorrow.

So I'm getting closer to the coast, but think I'm going to stay here for a few days more. The original plan was to take off tomorrow and get to Santa Marta on Friday, but I'm thinking that the 13 hour bus ride can wait for now. There's plenty to do and see in San Gil. It's safe for me to walk around alone and go out to dinner at night. It's also hot all day and all night here, just like I like it. I'll eventually make it to the beach, but for now, I'm happy where I'm at.

Adios Peru!!!

Colombia, here I come! Tonight I am leaving this country that I have learned to love over the last month. I have completed the Gringo Trail of southern Peru. I've made some great friends, eaten way too much good food (whoever said being vegetarian in South America would be hard is crazy), drank some local wines and Pisco and just generally lived it up in the last four weeks. My feet are now clean of sand and grit (for the first time in what feels like ages), my laundry is at the cleaners and I have slept in my last Peruvian hostel. What a good run it has been.

I got to Lima last night, after three days of hard labor while volunteering in Pisco. Just after writing my last blog, I made the smart decision to look up Pisco Sin Fronteras on the internet...why I didn't do that before I got to Pisco is beyond me...and figured out what exactly needed to be done to find all of the volunteers. It was quite easy actually. I got up early the next morning, hopped in a tuk tuk (it's an experience to be had on the bumpy streets of Peru) and made it to the house just before their morning breakfast meeting.

The organization is fabulous, and what they do for the community means so much to its people. It was founded two years ago by Burners Without Borders, a non-profit run by all of those Burning Man followers out in California. Burners worked on it for twelve months and then handed over the reigns to form Pisco Sin Fronteras, which has now been up and running for almost a year now. They work in Pisco and the surrounding villages to improve the living conditions of their inhabitants. They have close ties with businesses and politicians in the community that allows them to take on projects as they are needed. It is mostly building houses and laying cement, while doing some fundraising and building the infrastructure to use energy more efficiently. In the three days I was there people were being dispatched daily to about nine different projects.

The first thing I noticed as I arrived for breakfast is that they have developed a family in these two houses that they live in on the outskirts of Pisco. They have beds for the workers and provide breakfast and dinner everyday. They arrange futbol games and barbeques and other team building activities that keep people together as they do hard, and sometimes frustrating, work everyday. Some people had been there for months, and others for just days. It didn't matter, as long as you were there to help.

They had bed space for me, so on the first morning, I volunteered for my project and then ran to my hostel to pack my belongings. My first project was a Miracle Project, a two room bamboo house being built for a family with six children (five of which will be sharing one of the rooms, the sixth will be living elsewhere). These homes are incredible. As far as I can tell, they don't buy property, just find a space amoung the shantytowns that are all over the area and build on it. Most structures are built with the local palm reeds and plastic, and as they save what little money the have, they improve on it. This particular family had nothing, hence it is the Miracle Project. It was paid for by the fundraising of PSF and the house was designed by volunteer architects that happened to be working there at the time. The house was almost complete by the time I got there. I helped with the finishing touches by filling the gaps in the bamboo with a glue and sawdust mixture. It was the first day of hard work I've done in a long time, and it was incredibly satisfying!

My second and third days with the company were spent working in a village just across the Panamericana helping a family that needed us to pour cement floors so that their kids weren't running around in the dirt any longer. We started each morning by loading up Juan's truck with wheel barrels and other gear...and then ourselves, yes we rode 30 minutes in the back of this work truck like a load of livestock. Gringos in a truck! It was like a parade with all of the looks we got. I have lots of pictures...it was quite hilarious! In the time I had, we got two of the rooms done and part of the backyard. It was long days of mixing cement by hand (the mixer died the first day) and moving sand holes from the backyard to the front yard. Babysitting was another job as the two cutest little kids, Omar and Melody, kept running across the wet cement causing us to have to fix their footprints. It was difficult, but everyone seemed happy with the job we were doing and the days went by very fast.

I had to leave the project all too quickly. I could've stayed for months and would like to find somewhere else in the world that I could do this with. I met some amazing people and had such a great time bonding with them. My last night there, I was lucky enough to see their Wednesday night BBQ and sing-a-long. It was a great way to spend my last evening with these phenominal people.

So yesterday, I helped with the morning dishes and chopped some vegetables for dinner before hopping on a bus to Lima. Two of the girls were heading up here as well, so we all checked into the same hostel and went out to a nice dinner in Miraflores last night. The girl I met in Puno has just arrived and I'll be going to Bogota with her this evening. And to top it all off, someone I met in Arequipa will be getting to Lima in a few hours and I need to have drinks with him before I take off. Peru has been fantastic for meeting people. Everywhere I go I run into people that I've seen somewhere else in the country. In South America, travelers seem to buddy up a bit more than they did in Europe. It's a wonderful circle of friends that you get to enjoy as you travel around and see more of the sites. I have no doubt that I will find the same happiness in Colombia.

Wild Wild West

I woke up this morning in an Oasis in the desert and now I have found myself in a city in shambles. The last few days have shown me the crazy contrast of life in South America. To go from Arequipa, a beautiful little city with landscaped plazas and gorgeous vistas, to the Oasis at Huacachina, my idea of the South American Sahara, to Pisco, a town destroyed by an earthquake two years ago and trying to rebuild what it once was.

My last few hours in Arequipa were spectacular. I met up again with my canyon guide and he took me to a district just outside of the city called Sacacha. It was a quaint little neighborhood with a huge tower that overlooks the city and the mountains that surround it. We got there just at sunset to see El Misti at it's best. The sunsets in South America are a pretty incredible second best for me, the first being in Turkey. It was the perfect goodbye to a city that I loved exploring.

The overnight bus to Ica was phenominal. Better than any bus ride I've taken, as I was able to sleep the entire way. I got a semi-cama seat on the top floor meaning my seatback laid almost all the way down and there was plenty of leg room to stretch out. I must have been asleep within ten minutes of boarding and didn't wake up until we arrived at our destination the following morning. The perfect way to travel.

I arrived in Ica and caught a $1 cab to the oasis at Huacachina and saw the enormous mountains of sand that were once deep under the ocean. Huacachina was meant to be a resort for Peru's elite, but somehow became a weekend getaway for Peruvians and a necessary stopover for international backpackers looking for dune buggy adventures. The town, if you can call it that, is just a lagoon surrounded by huge palm trees and hotels and hostels galore. There is really nothing else there, except for the sand, of course.

I checked in to the Casa del Arena (house of sand) hostel and was immediately pleased to see a nice, clean pool for me to relax next to. In the midday heat, I took a dip while I waited for the desert floor to cool down a bit in the afternoon. I hiked for a half hour up one of the mountains and saw the surrounding citys from the top...and then had my first, and only, attempt at sandboarding back down. It's a lot like snowboarding, but impossible to carve, so you just end up flying straight down the mountain hoping to stay upright. I have to admit, I wasn't that bad. I only ended up going down once, as the sun was setting and I forgot my headlamp, but I made it down with only falling once into the soft sand. Makes me think that I might want to try snowboarding when I actually get to see winter a year or so from now.

I've said over and over that one of the best things about travel is the people that you meet and the things that you learn from them. After leaving Arequipa, I got thrown into the mix and now realize that not all people speak english. In fact, I really haven't encountered anyone that speaks english in the last four days. I had this happen when I lived in Spain years ago, and I was so happy to have it again...meeting someone that doesn't speak your language, and you don't speak theirs, and neither of you speak spanish very well, so you're forced to form a bond based on mediocre language skills and charades. That's basically what I did during my entire stay at the oasis, and it was an incredible learning experience. The practice has definitely come in handy now that I have moved on to a new location.

So in my three days in Huacachina, I had a lot of sun, pool, sand and wineries. Yes, there are wineries in the desert. One of the french guys and I took a wine tour my second day there and enjoyed the vinos and piscos. Pisco is like a grape brandy that is only made in this region of Peru. Very strong, and very high alcohol content. It pretty much tastes like tequila...and burns just as bad going down. Needless to say, after three bodegas, I was ready to be done. I opted for the wineries rather than dune buggies, and although it wasn't much compared to my favorite Californian wines, I'm glad I had the chance to test them out.

I was supposed to leave the oasis yesterday afternoon, I had my bags packed and everything, but somehow moving just didn't seem like the best option, so I stuck it out there one more night. This morning I awoke bright and early, had some breakfast and said some goodbyes, and then hopped on the bus to Pisco, just an hour and a half north of Ica. I arrived before noon to find what's left of this town after the earthquake in 2007. The only thing I could think of in my cab ride from the bus station is that I have somehow arrived in the Wild West. Most of the roads are dirt and there is a dust cloud everywhere you look. A lot of the buildings are half destroyed and there is debris everywhere. I can hear chickens clucking as I type this and there are ferral dogs in the streets. I really can't believe the contrast with the last few places I have been.

It's not all bad though. My hostel is nice and the people seem incredibly friendly. I took a walk over to the Plaza del Armas and you can see the progess they have made at trying to rebuild their city. There are a couple of streets where the brick has been re-laid and there is a nice little market with loads of Sunday strollers just enjoying the nice day with their ice creams. It's just a town that got hit really hard, and there are people that refuse to give up on it.

I've been hearing throughout my trip here that there is a company called Pisco Sin Fronteras that allows people to volunteer here on all sorts of projects. I haven't looked too hard for it at this point since it is Sunday and I know they are closed. Apparently tomorrow morning I can get up early and take a cab over and help out if I please. I've heard stories of people coming here and volunteering for months because they loved it so much. I hope that I can find that same passion for it and make the best of my last few days in Peru.

Flight of the Condors

When I was in Arizona last spring, I was pretty bummed that I didn't get to see the Grand Canyon. The past few days in the Cañon del Colca northeast of Arequipa has finally satisfied my needs. At 3191 meters deep, Colca is one of the world's deepest canyons. With majestic condors flying above and the fast flowing river below, the 22km trek in, out and around was breathtaking.

The trip set off to a rocky start. As with everyone heading into the canyon, the guides are supposed to come to the hostels and pick you up around 2:30am so you can be at the Cruz del Condor to catch glimpses of the condors flying in the morning. Just as I laid my head down at 10pm for a few hours of sleep, my guide came to the door to inform me that he would be back in two hours to pick me up for the 1am bus instead. This was frustrating to say the least. So at 12:30, I woke up and got my ride to the bus station, not to take the nice tourist bus, but the local collectivo over the insanely bumpy roads into the canyon. The condition of the roads, as well as the bus, prohibited me from further sleep during the four hour ride, not exactly ideal when you know you've got a five hour hike to your next bed.

We were the first to arrive at the Cruz del Condor at 5am and the sunrise over the canyon was glorious, it made the agony of no sleep somewhat bearable. Cruz del Condor (cross of the condor) is the viewpoint for all of us tourists see these incredible birds as they hunt for their morning meals. We were there for about four hours and watched as the tourist buses dropped off hundreds of people from all over the globe. I think we saw about five birds while sitting there with our tea, but all from a distance. It was nothing compared to what we would see over the coming days on our hike through the canyon.

My group was made up of me, three Australians, a girl from Switzerland and our guide, Juan Carlos. The Aussies, as always, were fantastic and made the hike for me. You're always worried when going on these tours exactly who will make up your group and if you will get along with them...it's kind of important when you have to spend days on end in the middle of nowhere with someone. The experience just isn't the same when you're stuck with people you don't like (i.e. crotchety old women on the boat in Turkey). I lucked out yet again, and came out of this trip with three new friends to visit on my world tour.

After the Cruz del Condor, we took another terrifying bus ride (I officially think Peruvian buses have topped planes in my book of scariest things ever) to Cabanaconde to begin our hike to our first destination inside the canyon. The hike lasted five hours, across the cliffs, and down the steep hills to the Rio Majes (river). Like I said, I never made it to the Grand Canyon, but if it's anything like the towering peaks and vast plains that make up Colca, I need to keep it on my list. We arrived at our first hostel in the late afternoon sun and found a rustic compound made up of bamboo bungalows and sprawling gardens overlooking the river. Our feet were sore from the long decent and we were fithly from the dust kicked up in our path, so we jumped into the seemlingly subzero river to numb our aches and clean up a bit. We had lunch at 5pm, followed by a nap and then dinner with a starlight soak in the hot springs for dessert. After no sleep and a long day, we called it a night by 9pm.

The next day began our uphill practice as we walked to the garden oasis deep in the canyon. We walked up a mountain to take in the most beautiful views of rocky landscapes around us. The hike took us across a plain where two condors decided to grace us with their presence. These birds start low and use the hot air from the bottom of the canyon to lift themselves up into the sky. We caught them as they were below us and watched as they glided peacefully across the land and to their homes in the caves above. It was spectacular! Without the throngs of people making noise and snapping pictures, we were really able to appreciate how incredible the condors really are.

We arrived at the Oasis before noon on the second day and couldn't have been happier to jump in the chilly pool within minutes. The Oasis is another compound full of greenery that offsets the dusty landscape surrounding it. Walking past the waterfall at the entrance and seeing the lush bushes and huge palm trees on the lawns, I felt like I was stepping into a five star resort. More bamboo huts and and dirt floors stopped my dreaming quickly, but was fine with me...when there is a pool, I could really care less where I have to sleep. We spent the afternoon reading and napping and took it upon ourselves to polish off a bottle of rum before hitting the hay early in the evening.

As we were hiking on the second day, our guide pointed out our path up the hillside for the third day. We all saw it, and knew what we were in for, so we beat the sun up on our last day to make the final push of 1.4 vertical kilometers (I think it's more like 5km with all of the switchbacks) back into Cabanaconde. It took me 2.5 hours to reach the top with an incredible sense of accomplishment. The hike up really wasn't all that bad...I think my muscles are back. I've learned the secret to hiking uphill...slow and steady. It's not a race and I don't know why I didn't get it before, but Peruvian hiking has ingrained that slow and steady rhythm into my head.

We arrived in Cabanaconde, had breakfast at a cool little reggae bar and then got on the actual tourist bus to take us home. We stopped at another hot spring to soak our sore legs and filled our stomachs with an amazing buffet before heading back to Arequipa in the evening. The bus ride was still bumpy, even in a good bus, but we were all more than happy to be chilling out for a few hours on the trip.

So I got back two nights ago and have hung out with the Australians numerous times before they took their bus to Bolivia last night. We went out on the town with our guide on Monday night. We ate pizza, watched Peruvian karaoke and danced the night away at one of the tourist bars. Even with our aching muscles, we all had a blast. Yesterday afternoon, we met up and cruised the local market before having dinner overlooking the plaza in the evening. I was sad to see them go, as always, but know I will see them again when I make it to their side of the world next year.

As for today, I am checking out of the hostel that I have considered my home for over a week. I need recollect my belongings that have exploded all over a corner of my room and get on the overnight bus up to Ica. I think the ride is about 12 hours. Something I'm not really looking forward to, but it's time to move on. I've decided to skip Nazca altogether. No one has given me any good feedback on it anyway. Ica is supposedly an oasis in the middle of sandunes, and it sounds like it's worth a try for a couple of days. I'll get some sandboarding in and lay by the pool as I make my way closer to Lima for my flight to Colombia next week.

Pleasantly Bored

I finally feel like I am on vacation. It only took two months to adjust. Europe was crazy, like running around in circles trying to see as much as possible in the six weeks I had. Now, I have stepped back and have slowed to the South American way of travel. The last few days have been spent resting in hammocks and strolling through plazas, drinking cervezas and doing pretty much whatever I feel like at any particular moment.

Puno was tough for me. I felt like I was getting beaten down with each new step I tried to make. I hit those phases a couple of times in Europe as well, where you just don't feel like things are going your way. You don't meet people like you want to, you don't necesarily feel social, you're just generally uncomfortable in the place where you are...and that was Lake Titicaca for me.

After my soiree at the Bolivian border, I went back to the lake to see what I could do next. I ended up getting a bed at the hostel after a late night cancellation, so that was good at least. I booked the tour of the floating reed islands for the next day. For anyone reading this that ever wants to go, I say skip it...unless it's a stopover to avoid a long bus ride to La Paz. The lake is incredibly polluted and the smell is not so nice. I took a half hour boat ride to the reed islands to see some of the locals and it felt like I was in a zoo. They showed us how the islands are made, which is actually kind of cool. They're just islands made of reeds. As the ones on the bottom deteriorate, they place new ones on top. These islands are actually floating, as they have to anchor them down to keep from sailing off to Bolivia. The people on them sleep in reed huts and basically live off of the tourists that visit. They tried to dress us in their traditional garb (I politely refused), sell us things and then sang us Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in the language of each person on the tour. I know that they would not survive without the money they receive from tourists, but it was just really uncomfortable and made me feel kind of bad. I was pretty happy when we were back on the boat to the mainland.

After the tour, I quickly went to the bus station to see when the next bus to Arequipa was. I was in luck, as there was one leaving in a couple of hours. I made haste back to the hostel, packed my bags, and said goodbye to Puno....but not before buying the one of those alpaca ponchos I've been eyeing. I have no idea when I'll wear it...but it's soft and blue...and was all of $10, so what the hell, I'm glad I have it.

I had my first experience with Cruz del Sur, the fancy bus company that runs through Peru. It was more expensive, but to get movies and food....I'll take it! The seats lay almost flat and are soft and spacious. To top it all off, my bus was close to empty, so I got to spread out and sleep for a while on the six hour trek to canyon country.

I got to Arequipa and have checked into my third Point Hostel. There are a bunch of chain hostels in South America, the Point being one of them. You get these wristbands that just scream 'gringa' as you walk the streets, but they get you a free drink at the next hostel you stay in...bonus! The hostel is great, comfortable beds, clean, hot showers, a decent kitchen and hammocks in the backyard...luxurious by backpacking standards. I've been very cozy here all week.

This town I'm in is awesome! I do not feel like I'm in South America at all. More like Arizona. There is a beautiful, landscaped plaza, stucco houses, actual stop lights and street crossings and fantastic restaurants and bars everywhere. My first day, I met a couple of girls with similar travel plans (I think they're on the flight just before me to Colombia...and also taking a boat to Central America...their research has been incredibly helpful) and we walked around and checked everything out. I went to this 500 year old covent that was just opened to the public in the 60's. I was fantastic; a city within a city. Once the nuns joined the convent, they were never allowed to leave, so they built this complex over three acres full of rooms and kitchens and gardens and chapels. It was all gorgeously decorated in this deep red and bright blue and built out of rock from the snow capped volcano that towers over the city, El Misti. We spent a couple of hours in there wandering the streets and getting lost in the houses. Apparently there are still nuns that live there...but of course, they're hidden away from the tourists...bummer!

Other than that, I can't say I've done much here. I have been pleasantly bored for the last three days. Each day I get up, drink my tea (yes, I am a tea drinker now...who knew it could be so good!) go out for a few hours, and then come back to relax and read a book. Yesterday I put an end to that as I booked a three day hike through Colca Canyon about three hours from here. My haggling skills are getting good and my Spanish even better as I got the guy down to less than $65 (all inclusive for three days) and let him explain the trek to me without using English. I leave at 3am tomorrow morning and can expect about four hours of hiking each day, glimpses of condors flying above, and hot springs to soak in at the end of it all. The biggest challenge is going to be getting three days worth of supplies into the tiny day pack that I bought in Cusco. That is my mission for today.

Crossing Borders...or not

Having an American passport is not necessarily the best thing sometimes. As our government puts more and more restrictions on travelers from other countries, we get the same in return. As I've traveled through Europe and now South America, I've met people from everywhere and joined them on their different trips. I've come to meet people and not think about where they're from and whether or not they can cross borders with different regulations than me. I just assume I'm the same...and on this particular day, I assumed wrong.

I had heard from some Americans in Cusco that I would need to buy a Bolivian VISA if I planned on crossing the border. With this in mind, I still headed for Puno, on Lake Titicaca, with my heart set on the Bolivian jungle at Rurrenabaque. I traveled down to Puno on Saturday with my friend, Kitty. The bus ride wasn't half as bad as people had described, but I will admit that each time it stopped, I had this crazy anxiety thinking we were getting highjacked. Luckily we did not. Don't worry family and friends, it's not as bad as it sounds. There are certain bus companies you take, and certain ones that you don't. I am paying extra for secure buses down here. These are just horror stories that I've heard. I am fine and will continue to be...I promise.

The landscape on our way down was so dramatic! Just high altitude plains and tiny villages built with mud huts. It's incredible to think of the way I grew up and the way people live here. So different, yet the people here all seem quite content with the things that they have. All of the farms are planted by hand, there is no machinery to be seen. Most, if not all of the bricks were laid by the owners of each house. They live a life that has been built on their own. It's spectacular. And when I think about it, even their mud huts are more than I have at this point in my life...however, this was my choice.

Puno is a port town on the shores of Lake Titicaca. This lake sits above 3500 meters, one of the highest in the world. Kitty was only here for one night before leaving, so I met another girl in the hostel and wandered the streets with her yesterday. The town is apparently still growing brick by brick as people build new houses, but is still much bigger than I expected it to be. There is a huge contrast between each block. You'll walk past houses with dried mud fencing and debris filling the streets and the next minute you'll see a new, modern buildings that just seem out of place. The markets are bustling and the shopping is fabulous. I want to buy everything here. I've got my South American pajama/all day pants and tomorrow I'll be out for the perfect alpaca sweater. It's hard to resist in South America. Everything just looks so comfortable!

So yesterday, I was stressed with what to do next and how I was going to get there. I pondered my plans all day as I was nervous about crossing the border alone. Last night in the hostel, I met an awesome English couple that were heading my way. The girl had actually just bought a ticket to Colombia for November 21st, which was exactly the time that I wanted to go, so an hour after we met I booked a seat on her flight to Bogota. I am so excited!!! Her and I will meet in Lima before the flight and go up there together. She has been and knows what's up there, so I've got a really cool person to hang with for a few days while I figure out my Colombian plan. Everyone has said such great things about this country, I just have to go.

They were also heading to La Paz, Bolivia this morning, so I quickly booked a seat on that as well...without doing much research on US passports and what I would have to pay to get in. I just figured it would work itself out...and it didn't, of course.

I arrived at the border after two hours on the bus. I checked myself out of Peru and walked up the hill to the Bolivian border. I walked in and they quoted me the insane price of $135 USD just to get back on my bus. Now, I would've had this money on me, had the cab driver not picked us up from the hostel 10 minutes before the bus was to leave. There was an ATM in the bus station, and I planned on going, but since we were rushed, I didn't have time. I expected a price of $50 USD, and I had more than that and my new friends had a little they were willing to spot me if I needed it....but even combined, we didn't have that much.

I have to say, there were a bunch of people I had met previously on the bus and they were all so great. I probably could've made it in had I taken the money people offered me, but it was just too complex. Things that are supposed to happen just aren't that hard. I'm kind of glad I didn't have the money, as I don't need to be spending that much just to go into a country for one week. There was a moment when I almost had tears, but I quickly picked myself up and realized it was just another bump in the road. Luckily the bus driver told me I could take that same bus back to Puno at no cost...the only hiccup was that the bus wasn't until 1pm...at that point it was 10:30.

Another lesson in patience had me waiting for a few hours and it was actually quite good. I made friends with the shop owners and the policemen and got to practice my Spanish and learn about their lives. It was quite awesome. The time flew by as I read my book and spoke with the locals and soon enough it was 1pm and the bus was there. Another two hours later, I was back in Puno. Of course, with today's luck, the hostel is booked up tonight, but they say I can have a bed. I think I'm taking one of the worker's beds tonight, or I'm sleeping on a sofa. Either way, I have all of my things and I am with friends here. Positive attitude has kicked into gear.

So now I have a week more in Peru than I expected and have to figure out what to do with it. I'm going to need to do a tour of the lake, which I'll take care of tomorrow. Then I think I'll head up to Arequipa to see the Cañon de Colca, which supposedly rivals the Grand Canyon. I've heard of some volunteer opportunities closer to Lima and I'm still contemplating the Peruvian rainforest, but it's kind of far. Tomorrow is a new day and Peru is a huge country. I can live without Bolivia for now, I'll just have to save it for the next trip.

Machu Picchu

Yesterday I was able to catch the sunrise over the Andes at Machu Picchu and it actually brought tears to my eyes. ¨Tears of awesomeness¨as Shauna called them. In the last two months, I have proclaimed to see the ¨most amazing thing ever¨ more times than I can count, but I think my experience at Machu Picchu takes first prize. What a beautiful journey the last couple of days have been.

We lefty Cusco early Wednesday morning and took the three hour train ride over to KM 106 to meet our guide. Let me tell you about trains in Peru...it's not Europe. Peru Rail runs a very lucrative business here getting hundreds of tourists daily between Cusco and Aguascalientes to take in the beauty of Machu Picchu. Do they spend it on new tracks or high speed trains? No. As we eased past the farmlands in tiny Peruvian villages and made our way through canyons into the Andes, the train jumped and swayed and at one point got on the wrong track, so we had to back up and try again. I'm not complaining as it was incredibly beautiful; I guess the comparison between Europe and South America should just never be made.

We hopped off the train somewhere along this river with the gorgeous green mountains towering above us and met our guide, Jorge. After being attacked by bugs in the first five minutes (I think I understand how bed bugs must feel...I am covered with bites and they itch!...sexy, I know) Jorge led us across a bridge and onto the Inca trail. He warned us that the hike would be tough before lunch, but a mile of jagged steps straight up was not what we envisioned....however, that's exactly what it was. As Shauna and I struggled up the steps in the jungle heat and humidity, Jorge told us about the Incas and why and how they built their cities. He gave us the low down on the people in the area and what the Inca trail was used for. It was great to have our own private tour guide to ask questions to and to get the inside track on everything that we were seeing.

We stopped for lunch a couple hours later and saw some ruins at the top of that particular mountain. We then hiked the next six kilometers and walked through the Sun Gate to see the gloriousness of Machu Picchu below us. Looking at this from above, you have to wonder how and why 400 people decided to make their home on the top of this mountain. Machu Picchu is just one ruin surrounded by these Andian peaks that soar high into the clouds. Apparently they wanted to be closer to the gods, but at what cost? The hardships of living on cliffs and farming terraces that step all the way down these mountains must have been incredible. The Inca civilization amazes me.

We wandered around and took hundreds of pictures. I truly believe we had one of the most beautiful days ever to walk through the Sun Gate. The sky was blue and the clouds surrounding the mountains almost made it look fake...nothing can be that perfect. To top it all off, just as we were about to head down to catch the bus to town, two rainbows came out on either side of the sky. I couldn't have asked for more.

Our tour company hooked us up with a ritzy hostal (everything in Machu Picchu is a hostal, but this was definitely more of a hotel) and we had an excellent dinner with Jorge in Aguascalientes. The avocados here are amazing!!! Both Shauna and I were so tired after a full day of hiking that we passed out early. Probably best, as we had to get up at 4:15 the next morning to get in line for the buses up to Machu Picchu.

All of the walking and waking up early was so worth it when we got into the ruins yesterday morning. We kind of missed the exact sunrise, but what we saw was good enough. Jorge took us on a tour of the ruins and we had some time to ourselves to explore. There is another mountain, higher than the ruins at Machu Picchu that has the remains of four Inca houses on it that was used for communication between other villages (think Lord of the Rings, fire on the mountain style), Waynapicchu. From what it sounds like, they only give out 400 passes each day to go up this particular trail, and being up so early, I got one and decided to make the trek. The trail is not what could be described as safe as it is an hour straight up a mountain with steep steps and sheer cliffs and no railing to stop your fall, but I did it. I got up to the top and sat on the rocks high above Machu Picchu and took it all in as butterflies buzzed around me. It was an adventure that I'm so glad I took advantage of.

After our wanderings in the ruins were done, Shauna and I made our way back into town, had some lunch and then got on the train to come back to Cusco. It was a long ride, and I felt the exact moment that the elevation was a little too much for me. Going from the lower altitude at Machu Picchu to the high, dry air of Cusco made it hard to sleep last night. That and the malaria medication I'm taking giving me crazy vivid dreams. Shauna ended up getting a place down the street last night and she should now be at the airport heading back to Lima for a couple of days. My ticket has been cancelled at this point. My friend, Kitty, should be getting back this evening and then her and I are heading down to Puno, on Lake Titicaca tomorrow. This will be my first experience with the Peruvian bus system. I've heard the stories from other travelers...this should be interesting.

Happy at 11,000 feet

I have powered through the jet lag, almost rid myself of a terrible head cold and am now sitting at 11,000 feet apparently immune to the dreaded altitude sickness. Life is getting better with each passing moment.

I arrived in Lima late on Saturday night after a short, but much needed visit with my dad in Texas. It seemed that everyone in the hostel was waiting on me as Shauna had a crew ready to take me out on the town. No matter how tired I felt, I just couldn´t let these good people down and went out in the Barranca neighborhood in Lima for the night. I can´t say it was much different than a typical American or European club other than the fact that I paid less than $10 and for all you can drink beers until 2am. Pretty good steal for a Saturday night I would say. I didn´t go too crazy as I was completely exhausted from two days of travel, but all in all, had a pretty fantastic time.

I awoke the next morning to the culture shock of South America. There are constant warnings to watch your bags and be careful where you go...which I wish people would just stop with. I am sure it can be dangerous, but no need to frighten us poor travelers out of our minds. It took me a bit to leave the comforts of the hostel, but as I walked out, I found a parade and families and seemingly happy people everywhere, despite the heavy fog that clouded the city on Sunday. It is definitely different, and there is a need to be cautious, but really, South America is just another place on the map with beautiful people and incredible things to see.

Shauna and I only spent one day in Lima, which I was fine with. I´m sick of cities and the hustle and bustle, I like being out in the villages and seeing the outdoors, the main reasons that I am here right now. We took an ass early flight to Cusco (5:40am!!!) and I had somehow managed to fly us business class without knowing. I think this is the first flight I haven´t wanted to get off. With big comfy seats and free breakfast that coach did not get to enjoy, I could get used to that. Shauna and I were like kids at Christmas, taking pictures and stretching out properly...absolutely the newbies in the cabin. An experience I´d like to have again very soon.

We arrived in Cusco yesterday and passed out in our snug bunks until 1pm...hoping that altitude sickness wouldn´t get to us while we slept. Both of us are apparently immune...just the slow threat of a headache that can be treated easily with my hardcore prescription IBprofun. I just constantly feel like I have a bit of a hangover...nothing I can´t handle.

A devastating event occured yesterday that I didn´t realize until the afternoon. My trusty headlamp is gone. I cannot find it anywhere. It must have fallen out of my purse when getting out of the cab in Lima and I almost cried when I found out. Shauna saw my distress and we immediately set out for an outdoor store where I purchased a cheaper model...not as good, and I miss mine incredibly, but it´ll do for now. It´s something that I have used everyday in my travels and I can´t live without it...a new one for Christmas maybe? :)

After wandering around Cusco, we arrived back at the hostel to find the girl I stayed with in Italy had smartly checked into our room. It is so great to see her again and she has the same plan as me to head down to Lake Titicaca from Cusco, so I´ll have a travel buddy for a couple more days at least. Her, Shauna and I did some grocery shopping last night and cooked an amazing risotto. We enjoyed a beer from Cusco and I think I passed out around eight. Hence, I´m up at 7am posting this blog.

So far, I am loving South America. It seems to be geared for more outdoorsy activities which I´m going to completely take advantage of. We´ve had our debriefing for Machu Picchu and we hit the trail tomorrow at 6:30am. It is just Shauna and I on the tour, and we´ve gotten some great tips from people who have done it. I can´t wait to get out there and see what the top of the world really looks like.

The Next Chapter

The flights back to San Francisco were flawless and I used my newly found patience to navigate through the city to get to my friend's house where I have stayed for the last few days. It has been wonderful seeing everyone and being back in my little SF comfort bubble. Although I've only been here for three days, it feels like ages ago that I was in Europe.

I can't say that I've ever really experienced jet lag before, but that can only be the cause of the strange way I still feel today. Apparently I am not immune to the nine hour time change like I thought I would be. Most people say that they sleep for days after a trek like this, but of course, I was the opposite and have barely slept since I've been home. I've been up before five each morning with the wheels in my head turning with all of the things I needed to do. However, being all the Carey I could be, I powered through and did the dinners and drinks like a good girl should. You can sleep when you're dead. I needed to get my fill of San Fran before I leave it for another couple of months.

One of the things I accomplished was buying the South America Lonely Planet guide...just two days before I get to Peru...good job me! I didn't want to plan ahead and I have definitely been successful on that front. I really don't know what I'm going to do after Machu Picchu next week and I'm so excited for that!!! I'm a little nervous, but I was the same when I went to Turkey. I'm sure it will be fine. My friend is already down there and it sounds like Lima is incredible. Life will be good in another 48 hours or so.

I'm off to the airport in a little bit here. Thank you so much to everyone in San Francisco for showing me a good time and letting my bags explode in every corner or your houses! I had so many laughs and so much fun and can't wait to see all of you again soon. As for everyone else, I'm sorry if I neglected to call or talk to you as much as I should have. Being without at cell phone was officially annoying, but kind of freeing at the same time. I have a ten hour layover in Texas and will try to make contact if I have time and don't fall asleep at my dad's house.

As for now, my backpack is lighter; my travel hammock and mosquito net are secure. I'm ready for the next chapter to begin.

And in the end....

The love you take, is equal to the love you make....

I am absolutely in love with Europe and this trip has been more than I could have ever wanted it to be. I feel as though I've lived 100 lifetimes walking its streets and exploring its landscapes. There was the ease of Western Europe, the incredible culture of Turkey and the new beginnings around ever corner in Eastern Europe. When starting to plan this 'round the world trip, I wasn't all that excited for this continent, but it has surprised me with each new destination I've ventured to.

I spent my last full day in Como on the hike of my dreams. I met a girl from Berkeley in the hostel and her and I set off through the mountains on an amazing four hour tour through the countryside. We had lunch beside the most picturesque river, admired a trout farm and the livestock around it; saw ancient villages packed far into the woods and climbed up yet another mountain. I must have taken more than 50 pictures. It was fantastic to be outside and enjoy the greenery around Lake Como.

After the hike we took the ferry over to Bellagio (I'm pretty sure that's where George lives) and had a dinner of fresh lake fish. We ended up missing the last ferry back to our town and had to take one that dropped us about two miles away. We had to walk the winding road around the lake to get back to our hostel with a million stars over our heads. It was brilliant!

I've made my way back to Florence at this point and I love it even more than the first time I was here. It was odd to come to a place where I knew exactly where I was going, but I like the familiarity of it. Last night I met people in the hostel and consumed some Italian wine for my last real night here. We ended up going out in the freezing cold for a little bit and did the town up right. I took the free walking tour of Florence this morning and saw some things I missed last time. My train ticket just got purchased and I need to make my way back to Rome in the next couple of hours. I think I'll end up taking the late train in and head straight for the airport. At 8am tomorrow, I'll be on my way back to the Bay.

Some things I've learned on this part of the trip:

--Patience...after 11 planes (after tomorrow's trek), 10 trains (not including day trips), 5 buses, 1 boat and 1 car road trip, patience is all you have going for you.

--Never underestimate the power of a positive attitude....you are always going to get there, or somewhere. It will always work out the way it's supposed to.

--When you find yourself in a predicament, don't panic. Just sit down, have a beer, and a solution will present itself.

--Always think at least one step ahead, but never more than two unless absolutely necessary...it just creates confusion.

--Tonight is always gonna be a good night....friggin Black Eyed Peas....

--Flip flops and hiking do not belong in the same sentence.

--"Piano" means "floor" in Italian...that arrow pointing up the stairs will not take you to the very first piano ever made.

--Watch your step, hold hand rails and slow down on treacherous terrain. Knees are important when traveling the world.

--If you have an alarm clock, and you need to be somewhere, set it.

--Doesn't matter where you are, there will always be a McDonald's.

The soundtrack for my trip so far has been Iron and Wine, The Shepherd's Dog. I must have listened to it 100 times. Perfect for any kind of travel: trains, planes, buses and cars...it fits any mood. I'll have to redo the 8G playlist when I get home and find something more suiting for South America.

So I'm off to Rome! Just a couple more flights and I can get back to American convenience...for a few days at least. Then the real adventure will begin.

Close your eyes and point...

While in Berlin, I was trying to decide where to go next once I hit Italy, so I literally just closed my eyes and pointed to the map of northern Italy and my finger landed on Menaggio, on Lake Como...and it is exactly the type of place that I had wanted to be. Funny how things sort themselves out that way.

I did it up right on my one day in Berlin. I got a good night's sleep, and woke up to a couple of guys coming into the room at 10am, just getting home from the night out on the town. Apparently they were out with some of the people that run these free walking tours in different cities around Europe and they were supposed to be great. So as those two went to bed, I got up and packed my bag, yet again. I put on every warm article of clothing I had and braved the weather to take this four hour tour.

It was fantastic! We had this girl from North Carolina that has been living in Berlin for the past four years and is completely in love with the city. Berlin is not like Rome or Prague, where the sites are completely obvious and you can look on a map and figure it out on your own. It is a city where 90% of the buildings were devastated by war and torn down, so it's modern architecture doesn't do much from a touring perspective. And of course, the hostel I was saying in gave me the subway map as my point of reference, so I needed guidance on this one.

The tour showed me everything I needed to see. From the Holocaust memorial to the street corner where Hitler's body was burned. I saw the remaining pieces of the Berlin wall and some wicked graffiti to top it all off. All the while we were on this tour, she taught us the history of what happened there and why it turned out the way that it did. For not being much of a history buff, I really enjoyed it. It made me want to stay in Berlin for another day, but unfortunately with my flight to Italy, I couldn't.

After freezing in the 40 degree weather all day, I made my way back to the hostel and hung out for a bit and then headed to the airport. The Berlin airport wasn't too bad for a night's sleep...I think I actually got about four hours. I saw the Alps for a second time on my flight down and then realized that I was kind of heading there. I guess I didn't look at the map well enough, but Lake Como falls directly underneath them.

I took the train to the bus and ended up on the shores of heaven. No wonder George Clooney has a house here! Just this lake surrounded by gigantic mountains with churches and villas galore. I met some people in the hostel last night and went out to dinner and then saw some live jazz. Today I took a hike to the top of the world with yet another person leaving for southeast Asia. We hiked up stairs for about 45 minutes to reach this old church surrounded by cliffs and overlooking the spot where the two legs of Lake Como meet. Gorgeous!!! Today was a big picture day. After the hike, we indulged in a couple beers and some pizza before he set off on his journey to Bangkok.

So the original plan was to stay here for another night, then two nights in Venice before going back...but I'm sad to say that Venice is out (I think, my mind could still change). Hopefully it won't sink before the next time I come back to Europe, but I just don't have it in me to trek all the way over there and then back down to Rome. It's just too much, and there's a hike I'd like to do here tomorrow. So the plan is to go back to Florence for a night and make my way back that way. It's cheaper and sounds more relaxing, which I'm starting to realize San Francisco is not going to be. I woke up at sunrise this morning thinking of all of the things I need to take care of while I'm in the states next week. But I'm not going to think of all of that anymore. I'm going to enjoy my last couple of days in paradise and deal with everything else later.

The Final Push...

A friend of mine posted in his blog that if Halloween was a town, it would be Prague...and I 100% agree. With its ghoulish statues and tall, black towers, its red-roofed houses and cobblestone streets, one wants to carve some pumpkins and pull out the costumes. It was beautiful and different. The vibe there was amazing with its little cafes and great nightlife, I really enjoyed my time in the city.

I spent my first day in Prague by leaving it. I took a train to Kutna Hora to see the Kostnice Bone Church that Ive heard so much about. During the 13th century, this guy sprinkled some soil from Palestine on the ground around the church, and after that, a ton of people decided that they wanted to be buried there. The legend goes that bodies put into the ground in this area will decompose within three days, leaving only the skeletons behind. Because of this, the number of burials outgrew the space available and they began to exhume remains and store them in the back of the church. In the 1800s, a woodcarver decided to make art out of the bones left in the church and now the building is decorated with chandeliers of skulls and pyramids of bones in every corner. Apparentely it houses the remains of 40,000 people...pretty creepy, but Im glad that I made the trip out there.

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon touring the city. I crossed the bridge packed full of tourists over to Prague Castle and the neighborhood on that side. I wandered through the old town square and climbed the clock tower to see the hour turn at 2pm. It was raining on and off all day, s0 I did as much touring as I could, but I just didnt pack the clothes for this wintery weather. So I found myself popping into pubs and cafes throughout the day to warm up again. It was kind of nice to space out for an hour or so with a glass of wine, just people watching in Prague and thinking of the last five weeks and what theyve taught me.

I got some souvenir shopping done and dropped off my laundry for cleaning...never underestimate the power of a clean towel...so fresh and so clean, I feel like a new person! When I got done last night, there were a few people in the hostel going out and I ended up hitting the town for the evening....Prague nightlife is amazing, even on a Monday. I ended up at this underground (literally) club that was something like a mouse maze with different dj rooms ( I felt like I was in Toronto again!!!) and these winding little hallways connecting it all. I danced the night away until 2am and loved every minute!

And that brings me to Berlin. There was a guy in Prague who was heading to Berlin today as well, so he and I rode over here by train this afternoon. What a gorgeous ride!!! I almost got off the train in the country just across the Czech border. The train was winding along this river and it was just so green! These picturesque little towns with the perfect German houses and the rolling hills surrounding just blew my mind. I wanted to sleep, but couldnt keep my eyes closed with all of the scenery around me.

Ive got a flight from Berlin to Milan early Thursday, so Im spending a night here and then planning to sleep in yet another airport tomorrow night. Im getting good at it...and really, its not all that bad when you have these 6am flights. Im hoping that Italy will be a little bit warmer as Ive been freezing my butt off without the proper attire. Ive booked a hostel on Lake Como for a couple of days and then plan on hitting Venice this weekend before doing the final push back to Rome.

Eastern European Detour

I woke up this morning with every intention of heading to Zagreb, Croatia...but with last night's consumption at the Slovak Pub in Bratislava, I just couldn't be bothered with a 9:50am train. So then I thought I'd take the night train out to Krakow to see what Poland is all about...but the hefty fare they quoted me at the train station just didn't seem to fit. I now am residing in Prague instead...only a 4.5 hour journey from Slovakia and a third of the price Poland would have been. Good deal!

The past week has been a little slower on the travel than previously, which is nice. I've enjoyed the pace of finding somewhere and staying for a couple of days. Slovakia was beautiful and I'm glad that I got to hang out there. My friend and I did end up renting a car from the Bratislava airport to do some countryside touring. Oh and this car was a good one. A VW Polo with a doughnut on the front driver's side (this was not noticed until we got gas 200 kilometers in) and windshield wipers that did anything but wipe the windows (which was awesome when it started pouring on the highway back to the airport). Either way, we made the journey safely (somehow).

After about an hour of driving around the city trying to get out (the signs here mean nothing to me) we made it up this little two lane highway through what could easily be described as Michigan. The countryside was quaint and colorful and a few castles were on our route up. We stopped at the first one we saw which also housed a bird "sanctuary," which was the saddest thing I've ever seen. We paid 4 euro each to see these poor birds perched on these stakes with leather straps tied to their legs to keep them from flying away. After seeing one of the hawks with a helmet shading it's eyes, I'd had enough. But the castle was cool. We saw one other castle, but couldn't go in and we ended up driving up a hiking trail (oops) to get to this cave that wasn't open either. The cave area was pretty beautiful though, with the rolling hills and the fall colors, we hiked up to the top and looked out at all of Slovakia in front of us. It was afternoon and the sun was going down and there was nothing but forest as far as we could see. Spectacular!

We ended up in the sleepy town of Piestany for the night, eating pizza and drinking wine. We got a killer deal on a huge apartment for 20 euros each, which was pretty sweet. I could've lived there, had there been more to do in the town. The next day we headed back to Bratislava only to find out that the dog convention there this weekend had filled up all of the hostels and hotels (there were dogs everywhere!!!). We were able to find a place, but it was the most expensive I've seen so far at 28 euro/night, but we needed beds, so we took them.

Oh and then there was the Slovak pub...yes, that's the name. It was rockin'...viking pictures on the wall, old, uneven wood floors and long tables to mingle with the locals. It was discovered during lunch yesterday and it looked like such a fun place to hang out at night, we decided to do dinner and drinks there too (much to the non-English speaking waiter's dismay). They had the best food...lots of cheese and beans and heavy comfort food (Slovakian food is my favorite so far). Also great beers and decent red wine for just 0.50 euro per glass...so of course I helped myself to a few. It was after meeting some locals who bought us some shots of who knows what that the night needed to end. Luckily the hostel was just a block away...I made it home safely and had a great night's sleep.

Which brings me to Prague. I said yet another sad goodbye to my travel companion today and made my way to the train which brought me here. It's dark, cold and rainy at this point, but I'm hoping to wake up tomorrow and take on this city rain or shine. From here, I have no idea where to go or what I want to do...let's just see what happens.

A Diamond in the Rough

I keep writing saying that I'm heading south to make my way back to Rome, and each time I do this, I somehow manage to get a little more off course....

I have enjoyed Budapest for the last few days...with it's tree-lined streets, good shopping and efficient trolley cars, I've felt comfortable and at home. I've taken in the Hungarian cuisine, listened to gypsie music and taken walks along the Danube during my time in the city. I can't say that I'm incredibly impressed, as I'm just not so sure why tourists flock to Budapest each year. It's beautiful, don't get me wrong, but other than the palace, bridges and a few statues here and there...I don't really get it. Even so, I did have fun.

I wandered everywhere throughout Budapest. I saw said palace and got some great pictures. I did a little souvenir shopping. I found the Hungarian Walgreens which made me incredibly happy. And damn...I ate some good food. Falafel, I missed you. I took a bus to the biggest tourist trap I've seen yet, Momento Park. This park now houses all of the statues and plaques that were once all over Budapest representing the communist regime and revolution that occured back in 1956. After a stomach-turning bus ride, I ended up in the middle of nowhere reading a manual as to what each historical relic means....it was interesting at first, but after about five...my friend and I just started taking random photos of us sitting on, imitating and making fun of the poses each of these monuments hold. It's a good group of photos...can't wait to post them up.

Anyway, as you can see, I'm struggling with what to say about Budapest. It was nice, but a little too familiar to call it extraordinary. So as of yesterday, I was trying to figure out where to head next. Croatia and Slovenia are on my list before I head back to Italy, but I was hoping to squeeze in one more location before I head back down. From the movie Euro Trip, Bratislava was taking over my thoughts, thinking it was the last real Eastern European frontier. I pictured Soviet block housing and sketchy areas full of graffiti...as well as only a 3 hour train ride (after 11 hours just a few days ago, the thought of long distances scares me)...and it excited me. I asked a few people in the hostel last night about it and I had three say it was no good...but I now think they are idiots...this place is a diamond in the rough.

I took the train from Budapest to Bratislava today and walked out in complete awe of my surroundings. This town is quite impressive. I was hoping for a little more Eastern Europe vibe, but what I've gotten makes up for this fault. It's a small town, with a castle up on a hill in the distance. I had dinner in old town, which is a bunch of cobblestone streets with pubs and restaurants galore. The city is lit up and people seem to be lively...and it lacks the constant tourist attention that you get everywhere else. I don't see postcard stands every 50 meters, I don't feel as though everyone I encounter will be speaking English. This place is fantastic...definitely one of my favorites so far on this trip.

I just got back from dinner, and stopped for a beer at a local pub on my way back....beer in Slovakia is good as well. As I didn't get in until late today, I'm looking forward to exploring further in the morning. I'm thinking of renting a car at this point, and heading up into the surrounding mountains for tomorrow night. My fellow traveler from Italy is still with me at this point, so as long as the price is right, I'm thinking that will be the way to go. I hear the hiking around here is amazing and I'd like to check it out if possible. It's fall in Eastern Europe and the colors are starting to change. I've pulled out my long sleeved shirt and tomorrow I will need shoes and socks. I've been missing the seasons for so long...I'm glad to finally see them as I travel through Europe.