Roadtrip

It's incredible how time flies when you're having fun! I'm amazed that the last week has gone by so quickly and I've hit so many spots in such a short span of time. This week was roadtrip week for me as I was able to stick with my English friend through the whole northern tip of the country. I stayed next to the coast and enjoyed the warm water, had my first free camp on the beach and slept amongst the giant kauri trees that dot the landscape on the west side of New Zealand. It's been a memorable week having a ride and making new friends while learning how to really travel across these tiny islands.

I got to do my deep dive while we were still in Pahia. On a cold, gray day, we set out on the water in my first open dive boat, meaning we rolled into the water rather than the usual giant leap off the back (way better this way!). The black-looking water and the lack of sun only added to my usual apprehension of jumping in, but we had a break in the clouds as soon as we were under that turned the water green and made the colors at the bottom brilliant. The shipwreck was small, but riddled with marine life. Thousands of big-eyed fish peeked out at us from the hole in the hull. Little blue fish danced with our fingers and then tried to attack us when we got too close to their young. Swimming under the bow of the boat and looking up at the light coming down just made me think of Titanic. It was truly magical being down there and I'm looking forward to taking the wreck diving section of my advanced very soon.



After my dives, Billy was waiting for me so that we could continue further north. We stopped at a holiday park the first night and caught an amazing sunset along 90 Mile Beach. Yes, there is a beach that long at the tip of the country...and you can drive on it! We did a couple of circles around the area, but never did any serious driving. From what I've heard, there is a car graveyard out there from people not paying attention to the tides. If you're going to drive it, you need to be able to locate the hidden exits and if they're missed and the tide comes in, it's adios to your vehicle. Being the smart people that we are, we decided not to take the risk.



The next day brought us to Cape Reinga and to the warmth of the subtropical sun. It was gorgeous outside and the waters were blue. We walked out to the lighthouse at the tip of the country and could actually see the waves Pacific and the Tasman crashing into each other from opposite directions. The waves do a little dance and swirl about and the two different colors of the water blend together before colliding with the rocks of the penninsula. We were able to find camp not far from there that night and we laid on the beach and played in the surf most of the afternoon.





We went back to the Cape for the sunset that evening and met an Argentinian couple that has been traveling for nine years...and had four kids during their travels!! They are driving around in this weird old car that goes no faster than 55kph, but uses the engine to heat up hot dogs as they drive. Their kids were adorable and spoke both English and Spanish. I got along pretty well with the youngest, Wallaby (born in Australia, of course), who wasn't yet walking. Their story is pretty fantastic and they've written a book, Spark Your Dream, which they tried to have me pay $35 for (this was the second $35 book that I was offered in the exact spot, the first was earlier in the day and the author was an ex-con who used to be the leader of the Mongrols, a gang here in New Zealand...yikes!). They've made it through the Americas and Canada, Australia, now New Zealand and next is Asia. How they've not killed each other or one of their bouncing kids is beyond me!



We met an English girl as we were leaving the campsite the next morning and formed our little Toyota van caravan back down to a surfing beach, Ahipara. We picked up a young American guy, Ben, along the way. Since our 100 kilometer ride with Ben, we've seen him twice and have heard from three others where he is and what he's doing. Apparently everyone in New Zealand knows Ben. It's random.

Ahipara was a beach day. Alexa and Billy surfed and I laid around enjoying the scenery. It was a small town with no accommodation and only one general store, so we stocked up on a few things and then parked the cars by the beach until the next morning. We met another American girl parked next to us who has been living out of her van for a year and heading back to the states soon. I almost bought her van...I need one of these things! That's how people do it out here and I just wish I would've as soon as I arrived. Now I'm down to five weeks left and the time lost on trying to sell it in the end would just be too much. I guess I know for next time.



I got my first little paddle with a surfboard just before leaving the beach the next morning. Billy let me borrow his and I played around in the very small waves for a while. It's a lot harder than it looks! Just balancing on those things is difficult. I didn't attempt getting up, or really even catching a wave. There was nothing to catch on that very calm morning. It was a good lesson in core strength though. I'll be glad I had that when I actually go out and attempt it one of these days.



From the coast, we broke up from the rest of the group and headed down through the giant Kauri forest for a night. It was beautiful, but just a small stopping point on our journey south of Auckland. Yesterday we arrived in Mt. Manganui and this town is awesome. Just a small beach town with lots of things to do and see. We camped last night and this morning Billy and his van left me at a hostel. I've been laying on the beach all day and applying loads of sunblock. The water was warm and I was able to make it out there before all of the kids arrived. Tonight will be chill for me as I am an independent traveler again. Tomorrow I'm pointing my compass south. It's time to leave my beloved beaches and check out some mountain trekking. I'm hoping to stay in one spot for a while down there as I make some decisions on the rest of my New Zealand adventure.

Diving Deeper

Diving and kayaking and hiking, oh my!!! I am out on my own again and quickly discovering the plethora of outdoor adventures that New Zealand has in store for me. I made my way to Auckland earlier this week and have travelled much further north than I expected to be at this point. It's a small couple of islands that I'm on. The distance between stopping points and the abundance of activities is only making my addiction to change that much worse. I came north with the idea of settling somewhere for a while. After five days and three different towns, I'm thinking that might be impossible.

I flew to Auckland on Tuesday evening and had yet another kind offer to stay at my friend Kitty's house on my first night. It was really really great to see her again, and so funny at the same time considering our friendship is only a few months old but has grown over three continents. She picked me up from the airport and on Wednesday, showed me around her town. Auckland is a big one, by New Zealand standards anyway. It's a sprawling city that houses one third of the people in this country. It's nestled close to the waters of Freemans Bay and contains fantastic view of the surrounding islands. It's a little more hectic than what I'm looking for at this time, so I made my visit brief with promises to return on my way back south.



On Thursday morning, I hopped on a northbound bus and officially became a backpacker again. After three hours of gorgeous countryside scenery, I got off the bus in the town of Whangarei. Whangarei is a well known area for the Poor Knights Islands that reside just off the coast. Jacques Cousteau named the waters around these protruding rocks one of the top ten best dive sites in the world. With my spanking new open water certification, you all know I was on the phone with dive companies the second I got into town. Before having my gear unpacked at the camp, I was booked on the boat leaving for the islands early the next morning.



Now, I talked to a lot of people as I was getting my certification in Colombia and told them my intention of diving in New Zealand. Most just gave me this look; this cold water, scary marine life look...and then wished me a sarcastic good luck. Everyone knows what I'm scared of in the water, and I won't mention them in the blog as I think it's bad luck. But yes, there are a lot of them in the cold waters off the coast down here. Of course, I won't let that fear stop me from taking the plunge. I'll just cross my fingers, hold onto my mask and hope for the best. The only way to conquer a fear is to take it head on. I'm so glad I did, as yesterday I had a Discovery Channel experience underwater that I will not soon forget.

No, i did not run into any large objects in the ocean, if that's what you're wondering. We went to a dive site called Blue Maomao, which took us around a huge rock, through an underwater hole and then spit us out into a sea of thousands of fish gleaming in the sunlight that was penetrating the water. The visibility was 18 meters in this sea of deep blue. The sun came through and played tricks with us on the rock cliffs as kelp floated up at us from the bottom. We saw thousands of curious fish, one very large stingray and an array of rocky, underwater landscapes that blew what I saw in Colombia away. Our second dive took us into the depths of a crack in the rock and down a cliff with only the open water of the Pacific on our other side. This dive was not as memorable, but was beautiful just the same. The water was quite a bit colder than the Caribbean, but an extra thick wetsuit and a whole lot of adrenaline kept me nice and warm.



Back at the campsite, before my underwater adventures, I had met a nice Englishman that was heading in the same direction. We made plans for him to wait for my dives to end and we'd both go north together in his van, sharing the expense of petrol. It's tough to get around New Zealand purely by bus, and I knew that hitching a ride was somewhere in my future, I was just lucky to have all of that taken care of so early in the game. Billy and I took off yesterday afternoon for Pahia, a small town full of hotels and summer homes sitting on Kororareka Bay. We found a hostel quickly and decided to settle here for a couple of nights before starting the journey up to the very north of the island, Cape Reinga.

Last night we dug a bucket of clams out of the sea and made a nice pasta dish in the hostel kitchen. I'm pretty impressed with the amount of cooking I've been doing here as there's a kitchen in every hostel or campground that I stay in. I will admit that I'm already getting sick of pasta and canned tuna though, so the next trip to the grocery store is going to get a little more creative I think. This morning was spent sea kayaking (free kayaks at the hostel, what?!) in the turquoise waters of the bay and it's been a lazy afternoon watching the Australian Open.



I've lined up another dive trip for tomorrow and I've had to study the PADI book yet again. There is a shipwreck dive not far from here that requires my deep diver certificate to get to. The Greenpeace boat, the Rainbow Warrior, went down in 1985 and has become a spectacle for divers in the past few years and I intend to see it. The problem I realized while booking is that the hull sits at 27 meters, whereas my certification only allows me to 18. So tomorrow is a day of tests and dives and it should be incredible. The positive side to all of this is that these dives will count towards my advanced certification, if that is something I choose to do (in a less expensive place, like Thailand). What possessed me to choose such an expensive hobby at a time when I am without a job is beyond me! So tomorrow brings another day on the water and some more excitement! After my dives, we will set our course for further north, hopefully seeing the Tasman Sea and the Pacific collide off the Cape within the next few days.

It's a small world after all...

I don't even know where to begin with what the past week has brought me. Each new area of the world I have been to has taken a bit of an adjustment phase to figure out where I am and what I'm doing. New Zealand hasn't been that way at all. I jumped over to these little islands just a week ago and I immediately felt comfortable. Maybe a little too comfortable at times. It feels like home, and writing a blog at home has never been my strong suit, hence, I haven't posted in a while.

Last Monday, Amanda and I set out on a road trip to the north of the south island. Our destination: Abel Tasman National Park. I've come to this island packed to the brim with my camping gear and was determined to use it as soon as possible. We set our sites on a little town called Nelson on the first day, the gateway to the park. We drove (on the wrong side of the road) through the plains of Canterbury into the rolling hills that make up the tail end of the Southern Alps. Everything is impeccably green and neat. The farmlands are patchworked through the hills and the sheep...oh yes, there are quite a lot of sheep here. It is true what they all say.



I got my first shot at driving while heading up north. Amanda's car is a manual, and although I'm used to that, driving on the right side of the car and shifting with my left hand proved to be a little hard to get used to. No worries, I got loads of practice and didn't hurt her baby. My first lefthand turn was a little on the sketchy side, as I zoomed the car into the wrong lane afterwards. But luckily I was in a little town, and going very slow. No one was injured, except for some of the million sandflies that buzz around your head everywhere....which I was happy to take out anyway.



We got to Nelson on Monday night and ended up having to go to quite a few hostels before finding one. We had our hearts set on camping, but with the ever present downpour, it just didn't sound like fun. So we holed ourselves up in a hostel near the beach for the night and made our way up the penninsula the next day. We arrived in Marahau on the beautiful, sunny day that Tuesday was and set up camp in a holiday park just a block from the beach. Being the first time I'd seen sun since I got here, I was all about a beach day, which is exactly what it turned out to be.



First off, let me say that the sun here is intense! You cannot, I repeat, CANNOT go outside without a good sunblock on. I noticed it the first day I was here when my chest got red in ten minutes while standing in the backyard. We're slowly destroying our world at this point and the ozone does not exist down here. I was talking to a guy who said he got such a bad sunburn on his nose that it bled. This does not sound very attractive. Therefore, I was a little wary of laying on the beach all day, but I did anyway...consistantly applying SPF 30 to every exposed part of my body.

The water here is the most incredible, tropical looking blue. And laying on the beach with the sun beaming down on you just makes you want to scramble in every five minutes. The problem here, is that the water is like ice. I'm pretty sure that big ice cube of Antarctica just south of here has something to do with it. I can't say that I'll be doing as much swimming on the south island as I would've liked. Not without a wetsuit anyway.



Back to camping... Amanda and I stayed in the Abel Tasman area for two nights. We had our beach time, took a hike in the park, dug up clams for dinner each night and just generally had a great time. On our first night in the campground, I had the most incredible run in of my travels so far. All of you know, that I met my friend, Kitty, while on a train in Italy. We had an apartment there for a couple of days and learned that we would both be in Peru at the same time. We traveled for a week together in Peru and made plans for me to visit at her home in Auckland at some point on my trip to New Zealand. Of all of the crazy things that can happen in this world, I was standing near the bathroom at this campground in the tiny town of Marahau, and who came walking out, but Kitty! I think we were both in shock. I had just emailed her before we left to tell her I was heading to Auckland. She hadn't gotten that email yet, nor did she know where I'd be camping and there she was standing in front of me on the south island of New Zealand. She was catching a bus quickly, but we had a chance to catch up for a minute. It was a most excellent surprise! It really is such a small world.

After our days of beach and sand in Abel Tasman, Amanda and I headed back down State Highway One towards the coast. California, I love you, but really, you've got nothing on this. We were driving through the vineyards in Marlborough, comparing the yellow rolling hills to that of the states, when all of the sudden we came over a hill and saw the most gorgeous blue water imaginable. I had to stop the car. It took my breath away. Continuing further along, it turned into green, lush cliffs spilling into a turquiose ocean with fur seals frolicking on rocks. It was a truly magical drive.



On our last road trip night, we stayed in the coastal town of Kaikoura. A very cute town, and definitely a place I will consider going back to. We ate crayfish as big as lobsters and met people in the hostel. I need these hostel moments every now and again to talk to people about where to go and what to do. In the morning, before we left for Christchurch we took a hike along the water and got up close and personal with the local wildife. There was this seal just sitting there posing for us tourists. We were able to get about two meters from him before I got scared when I saw some teeth. We walked a little further along to a seagull colony, and quickly got run out of that area by some birds defending their young. Literally, this thing came at us just screeching! It was not pleasant. Thinking of The Birds, I put my sunglasses on and ran! Being attacked by seagulls was not something I wanted to blog about. :)

We came back into Christchurch on Friday night and had a lazy night in with Flight of the Concords. I have become obsessed with the hilarity of this show since I got here. It is awesome! Something about two Kiwis in New York City just makes me laugh. If you haven't seen it, you should definitely be checking it out. Saturday was my first bout with the water here in New Zealand as we decided to do some body boarding on a beach nearby. One of my main goals here is to try out surfing, and that was the originaly plan for the day, but with swells over five feet, I just didn't feel ready for it.

On the way to the beach I was bundled in a couple of shirts, warm fuzzy pants, and some woolen socks. It was in no way warm that day. I think I saw something like 12 degrees celcius. Not my idea of a beach day. I was sure I was going to chicken out by the time we got there but I surprised myself once again when I put on Amanda's wetsuit, grabbed the body board and went running into the frigid water with Neil and one of his friends. The current was so strong and there were little jellyfish all through the water (apparently not the stinging kind) but I managed to play around like a kid for over an hour while the rain drizzled down from the sky. I had so much fun and caught a few really good waves. There are some pictures of my smiling face somewhere out there, I'll need to get them and post sometime very soon. It was a great day.



The rest of the weekend was just that, the weekend. We had people to Amanda's on Saturday night and things got a little crazy. Sunday was spent wandering through the gardens and eating Thai food in town. Christchurch is known as the Garden City, and it is well deserved. There are parks everywhere and beautiful botanical gardens with the Avon river flowing through it all. It's very picturesque, and would be even better if the sun would come out at some point while I'm here.

Yesterday I took a bus down the Banks Penninsula to go swimming with some Hector dolphins. They are the world's smallest dolphin and on the endangered species list. There are currently only about 7000 of them now and the majority of them live in the waters in the bays near Akaroa. I was hoping to get in the water with these cute little creatures and it would cure some of my phobias about swimming with large objects. Unfortunately, we saw lots of dolphins, but none felt like playing with us, so swimming did not occur. It was still a great day though, and I got some good photos of them. Akaroa is a perfect little beach town near here...yet another place I'd like to see again when I return to the south island.



As for today, I have a ticket up to Auckland tonight. Again, I have a ride from the airport and a place to stay, so I'm not on my own quite yet, but will be in a couple of days when I start heading north to the Bay of Islands. I have also changed my travel plans out of New Zealand at this point as well. I had my heart set on going back to South America, but it's just going to have to wait. I cannot be on this side of the world and skip Asia. So I'll fly home from New Zealand in late April, but not before spending seven weeks in SE Asia. It's the trip I had originally planned, and I'm sticking to it. We'll see what the next four months will bring me.

Home Base

I have flown halfway across the world and now find myself in Christchurch, New Zealand. The past couple of weeks have been fantastic. It was wonderful seeing my friends and family throughout the holiday season and I'll admit that it felt pretty good to be back in the states again. There were lots of fun nights out, numerous relaxing days on the couch, far too much food and a little too much bundling to go outside in the deep freeze of winter. Thank you everyone for a great welcome home, I'll see you when it gets warmer over there again. I have made it to my new home base in New Zealand and I'll stick it out here for the summer.

Before my trip even began, I was awarded a pleasant surprise. I got to the airport in San Francisco dreading my flight to LA and four hour layover at LAX before the thirteen hour flight to Auckland. As I was standing in the check-in line, I got a phone call from the airline with news that my flight from LA to NZ would be delayed, which would cause me to miss my connection in Auckland and push up the number of travel hours I was heading into. I love that the weather in London somehow managed to muck up my travel plans from California to the South Pacific. The world truly is a small place. Air New Zealand, being the incredible company that they are, decided to put me on the next direct flight to Auckland from San Francisco, cutting my travel time by ten or so hours. The only drawback was having to sit in SFO for little extra time, something I was willing to deal with to take this new, abbreviated route.

The flight over was brilliant. Thirteen hours in the air really wasn't as bad as I thought. I'm pretty sure the many twelve plus hour bus rides I've taken in South America was the best prep imaginable. Little TVs behind the seats, good food, fantastic service...and the plane wasn't refrigerated like those silly Colombian buses. It was no time before I arrived in Auckland. I felt bright-eyed and bushy-tailed while watching the gloriousness of New Zealand below me as I flew to the south island. From the plane, I could see the green, rolling hills, the deep blue of the Pacific and the snow capped peaks of the Southern Alps in the distance. Lots of farmland, very few roads, this is what I have to look forward to in the next two months...how exciting!!!



I arrived in Christchurch and cleared customs without a hitch. They had to disinfect my shoes and tent, but I was prepared for it, so it was really no big deal. I stepped out into the waiting area to find a face that I haven't seen in ages welcoming me to her world. Amanda and I were like we never left each other and her boyfriend, Neil, is awesome. It was crazy to have a ride from the airport, especially one that drives on the wrong side of the road. It's a treat to have a home base that feels so comfortable, this trip down here will definitely be different.

Christchurch is a cute little city. Everything is very quaint and feels clean. We are in the plains of Canterbury and just a few minutes drive from the Pacific. Amanda's house is warm and cozy and a short walk from the city center. I have my own room, I'm living the high life now! As we've been out and about, I keep seeing backpackers roaming the street and I have to pinch myself to remember I'm one of them. As a matter of fact, I have to remind myself often that I am in New Zealand. With a place to stay, a car to drive me around and the ease of being able to speak English, I forget that I am on a tiny island in the middle of an ocean. Everything seems very familiar here, I could get used to this.



Amanda and I fell back into the swing of things immediately. We took a walking tour of the city in the morning and were on our game for lunch in a pub at noon. After a few pints, we met up with Neil and decided that shopping was a good idea. I blew my daily budget within the first six hours, but I have a cute new dress to show for it. We went out for their friend's going away party and showed Christchurch what it was in for. The nightlife here is pretty great, but much more expensive then I'm used to...I need to be careful over here!



I've somehow managed to avoid jetlag, so yesterday was spent taking care of business. I've gotten my cell phone set up, bought a ticket to Auckland for next week, and successfully destroyed my room with my ever-exploding backpack. It's light out here until 9pm, so we took a late afternoon drive into the countryside on a cold and rainy day. Yes, it's cold, like jacket and jeans cold, I really can't believe that this is considered summer, but apparently this is the worst it's been in months, go figure. Either way, we drove up to a viewpoint over Christchurch in time to see the most vibrant, full rainbow I've ever seen, making the rain and wind worth it all in the end. We winded down through the hills to Governors Bay and drove along the water to where it reaches the Pacific. The water is this incredible blue color due to glacial deposits, or something of that nature. It's really spectacular and I'm looking forward to seeing it on a bit nicer afternoon. We ate some of New Zealand's best fish and chips for dinner and then came home for movie night. Without the noise and chaos of a hostel, I passed out cold on the couch and got a great night's sleep.



I was up bright and early this morning at 6:30am, so maybe my body is a little off still from my travels. It is Monday after all, where to me it should be Sunday. It's strange seeing the NFL reports on msn.com; that's not a normal beginning-of-the-week occurrence. So I'm having my morning tea and soon I will go upstairs to attempt to pack my bag. Amanda and I are headed out on a New Zealand road trip today! It's only been two days and already I'm getting to use my camping gear. Our destination is Nelson, the northern tip of the south island. Apparently there are beaches there, although unless it warms up, there will be no swimming. Abel Tasman National Park is right next door, so we'll see what we can find. We plan on being gone for the majority of the week if the weather holds up. I'm looking forward to getting reacquainted with my camping buddy and seeing what this remote, little island has to offer.

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.