Plaza de Armas at night.
...and during the day.
Jules and I in the gardens at Qoricancha which
is the ancient Inka Temple of the Sun.
I'm pretty much a model.
View of Cusco.
Local women weaving.
Viva El Peru!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Killing Time in Cusco
Jules and I arrived in Cusco on the 27th of March and had three days to get acclimated to the altitude before our Inka trail trek. Our days were basically spent shopping, eating, sightseeing and one night of regretted drinking. Our first night we decided to drink some wine which was a very bad idea. We each had about 4 glasses of wine and because of the altitude were paying for it the next day. Honestly, I haven't felt that bad since my first night in South America. So we pretty much wasted one day sleeping and dragging ourselves out of bed for some pizza. The next couple days we spent exploring the city which is really beautiful minus all the children begging and people trying to sell you things.
Plaza de Armas at night.
...and during the day.
Jules and I in the gardens at Qoricancha which
is the ancient Inka Temple of the Sun.
I'm pretty much a model.
View of Cusco.
Local women weaving.
Viva El Peru!
Plaza de Armas at night.
...and during the day.
Jules and I in the gardens at Qoricancha which
is the ancient Inka Temple of the Sun.
I'm pretty much a model.
View of Cusco.
Local women weaving.
Viva El Peru!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Birthday in Bogota
Our friend David, who we met in Buenos Aires lived in Bogota, so we ended our Colombian tour with a stop there to celebrate his 25th birthday. It was nice to get an insiders view of the city and we met a lot of his friends who showed us a great time!
Us with David and his friends Rodrigo & Marta.
The club we went to for David's birthday was
an old theatre. Here is a nice one of Jules
vamping it up!
The birthday boy & I.
The club had lots of performers such as these.
Marta, Jules & I at VIACURE nightclub in Bogota.
The next day we all went out with David's friends and family to a great Colombian restaurant called Menta & Yerbabuena which was this cute family style restaurant outside of the city. We tried lots of Colombian specialties such as ternera, a special cut of beef, patacon con hogao which is fried plantains with a tomato topping and queso fresco, delicious! I also tried ajiaco which is a potato based soup with chicken that is served with rice, avocado & corn. We also drank refajo which is a mixture of beer and a Colombian soda (which is pink and kind of tastes like bubble gum). All in all, it was a great day and nice to spend the day with David and his family & friends. We all felt lucky to be included.
.JPG)
All of us at David's birthday lunch.
Happy Birthday David!
Our friend Rodrigo was very anti-bus so we
forced him to ride one with us. As you can see
he was thrilled to be on one!
On our last day we went to a museum and walked around the city. We were lucky to have such nice and handsome :) tour guides to show us the city!
The ladies with our Argentinian & Colombian
tour guides in front of Plaza Bolivar. Thanks
David for showing us such a great time in your
city!
Us with David and his friends Rodrigo & Marta.
The club we went to for David's birthday was
an old theatre. Here is a nice one of Jules
vamping it up!
The birthday boy & I.
The club had lots of performers such as these.
Marta, Jules & I at VIACURE nightclub in Bogota.
The next day we all went out with David's friends and family to a great Colombian restaurant called Menta & Yerbabuena which was this cute family style restaurant outside of the city. We tried lots of Colombian specialties such as ternera, a special cut of beef, patacon con hogao which is fried plantains with a tomato topping and queso fresco, delicious! I also tried ajiaco which is a potato based soup with chicken that is served with rice, avocado & corn. We also drank refajo which is a mixture of beer and a Colombian soda (which is pink and kind of tastes like bubble gum). All in all, it was a great day and nice to spend the day with David and his family & friends. We all felt lucky to be included.
.JPG)
All of us at David's birthday lunch.
Happy Birthday David!
Our friend Rodrigo was very anti-bus so we
forced him to ride one with us. As you can see
he was thrilled to be on one!
On our last day we went to a museum and walked around the city. We were lucky to have such nice and handsome :) tour guides to show us the city!
The ladies with our Argentinian & Colombian
tour guides in front of Plaza Bolivar. Thanks
David for showing us such a great time in your
city!
Monday, March 10, 2008
Gliding High
From Parque Tayrona we took a very bumpy bus to the town of Bucaramanga. This was only to divide up our bus ride as we were advised not to take overnight buses as a precaution. We got into town late at night and took a taxi to a budget hotel recommended by Lonely Planet - the ABC Hotel. Sounds about as bad as it looked! Sidenote: I think the Colombia section of the Lonely Planet needs much revision and I think I am the girl for the job! :) Needless to say, we were not in the best part of town and decided on a slightly less budget option. That was about all we wanted to see of Bucaramanga although I'm sure there are nicer parts than where we were. We headed to the small town of San Gil which is supposedly the extreme sports capital of Colombia. Upon arrival we asked the lady at the bus stop how far our hostel was from the station, "Not far, you can walk" was her reply. Turns out....that it was about a 40 min walk with lots of steep hills. I almost died. My pack weighed about 44 lbs and was a bit out of control. We arrived at our hostel which was run by a really cool dreadlocked Aussie and collapsed into the hammocks in the courtyard and got some dinner in town.
The street we had to walk up to
get to our hostel. Notice Jesus at
the top. Can't seem to escape him
down in South America...
Chilling in the hammock enjoying a granadilla
which is a popular fruit in Colombia. It is
similar to a passionfruit with a gooey center
and many seeds. Delicious!
Inside of the fruit. Looks kinda gross but it is
yummy.
Hey, it's my name!
The next day we decided to go paragliding. I had been hang gliding in Rio but this was really different. You don't really run off a platform, but are kind of lifted up by the wind and whisked into the air. The guy I was with did lots of spirals and turns and it offered spectacular views of the sun drenched valleys. Best of all it was way cheaper than in Rio - only $30.
Colombian countryside.
Some workers taking a lunch break.
Basically the whole hostel decided to go.
Which was about 14 people.
14 people meant lots of watching and waiting.
Suited up!
Feet are off the ground!
See ya!!!
That's me waaaaay up there!
Such a beautiful day.
By the end of the day, the setting
sun gave everything a golden glow.
The next day we took a day trip to the small town of Barichara which is a quaint little town about an hour outside of San Gil. It is said to be the most beautiful city in Colombia and while I can't make that call with the limited area of Colombia I saw, it is lovely. It almost feels like a Tuscan Italian village. The day we were there they were shooting some Colombian soap opera so there were lots of camera guys and beautiful women around the city.
Someone has bit the dust in
Colombian soap opera land.
Jules chillin.
Beautiful Barichara.
Streets of Barichara.
The gals.
Some local men chatting in the park.
After leaving San Gil, we headed to Bogota meet up with our friend David and help him ring in his 25th birthday!
The street we had to walk up to
get to our hostel. Notice Jesus at
the top. Can't seem to escape him
down in South America...
Chilling in the hammock enjoying a granadilla
which is a popular fruit in Colombia. It is
similar to a passionfruit with a gooey center
and many seeds. Delicious!
Inside of the fruit. Looks kinda gross but it is
yummy.
Hey, it's my name!
The next day we decided to go paragliding. I had been hang gliding in Rio but this was really different. You don't really run off a platform, but are kind of lifted up by the wind and whisked into the air. The guy I was with did lots of spirals and turns and it offered spectacular views of the sun drenched valleys. Best of all it was way cheaper than in Rio - only $30.
Colombian countryside.
Some workers taking a lunch break.
Basically the whole hostel decided to go.
Which was about 14 people.
14 people meant lots of watching and waiting.
Suited up!
Feet are off the ground!
See ya!!!
That's me waaaaay up there!
Such a beautiful day.
By the end of the day, the setting
sun gave everything a golden glow.
The next day we took a day trip to the small town of Barichara which is a quaint little town about an hour outside of San Gil. It is said to be the most beautiful city in Colombia and while I can't make that call with the limited area of Colombia I saw, it is lovely. It almost feels like a Tuscan Italian village. The day we were there they were shooting some Colombian soap opera so there were lots of camera guys and beautiful women around the city.
Someone has bit the dust in
Colombian soap opera land.
Jules chillin.
Beautiful Barichara.
Streets of Barichara.
The gals.
Some local men chatting in the park.
After leaving San Gil, we headed to Bogota meet up with our friend David and help him ring in his 25th birthday!
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Beach Life
From Cartagena we made our way east on the Caribbean coast to the small village of Taganga. The town is a major scuba dive spot but after my last stint at scuba diving I opted for the beach. It was super chilled out and we had a great group of friends there.
Bay of Taganga.
More smoothies!
Headed down to the beach.
Massage attack by the locals. I'm really
fighting it aren't I?
Jules was also a target!
Paradise.
Sandra, the baguette lady and her lovely
daughter.
A local guy selling bracelets. Sophy
and I were easy customers.
Sophy and I on our last day in Taganga. She
was headed back to Cartagena to sail up to
Panama. I would have loved to have gone
with her!
A night out in Taganga. Hiro is the man!
After Taganga we headed to Parque Tayrona which is a National Park that has some of the most beautiful beaches in Colombia. There are only campsites in the park so you can either hire a tent or a hammock. We opted for hammocks as we were getting pretty used to sleeping in them. Unfortunately, the mosquitoes were vicious and it wasn't the most comfortable night's sleep. (As romantic as it may sound!)
The hike starts in the jungle and ends along
the many remote beaches.
We camped at this beach.
I've been told I have a "strut"....
Parque Tayrona photo shoot.
On the way out of the park you can usually hitch a ride on a scooter or in someone's car to the entrance of the park for a small sum. We didn't see anyone so we decided to walk it. As we neared the end of the road some friendly Colombian police men gave us a ride. Machine guns and all!
I think we caused quite a scene!
Massage attack by the locals. I'm really
fighting it aren't I?
Jules was also a target!
Valentines day was celebrated with some
homeade pizzas and vino tinto.
homeade pizzas and vino tinto.
Sandra, the baguette lady and her lovely
daughter.
A local guy selling bracelets. Sophy
and I were easy customers.
Sophy and I on our last day in Taganga. She
was headed back to Cartagena to sail up to
Panama. I would have loved to have gone
with her!
A night out in Taganga. Hiro is the man!
After Taganga we headed to Parque Tayrona which is a National Park that has some of the most beautiful beaches in Colombia. There are only campsites in the park so you can either hire a tent or a hammock. We opted for hammocks as we were getting pretty used to sleeping in them. Unfortunately, the mosquitoes were vicious and it wasn't the most comfortable night's sleep. (As romantic as it may sound!)
The hike starts in the jungle and ends along
the many remote beaches.
I've been told I have a "strut"....
Parque Tayrona photo shoot.
On the way out of the park you can usually hitch a ride on a scooter or in someone's car to the entrance of the park for a small sum. We didn't see anyone so we decided to walk it. As we neared the end of the road some friendly Colombian police men gave us a ride. Machine guns and all!
I think we caused quite a scene!
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