Week 19, Columbia
10/10 (reminds me of Ken)
Woke up late, hung over. Own debt, fat hump (that's a dutchism, (and so is the word "dutchism" i guess)).
Had a coffee at the hostel, published week 18, shave, going to town (Santa Marita) now for some desayuno. Laterz...
Spend another early afternoon at the beach, at Gordo's little bar .... look how tiny it is....
At 3.00 i went back to the hostel and spend time at the pool here.
Nice tan huh?
Now at a groupmeeting, waiting for a BBQ.
Tomorrow we take the nightbus to Medellin. Truck has still not arrived. Hopefully on the 14th.
The BBQ was very nice and tasteful... Not that much though..
After dinner we went to the little bar again, where we met the saxophone player yesterday. This time we also brought a guitar and Kerry, so.... making music it was. Next to the sax player a reggae playing singer was there too and another guitar player showed up later. He was really good. Would have loved to jam with him with 2 guitars. Here's some pics. Its good to see Kerry having so much fun!
Went back at 12, with a grin on my face. Slept good.
11/10
Rose at 8.00, did the media, coffee, update blog. Going to pack, pay my bill and into town for breakfast. Laterz ...
Spend the day saying goodbyes to my just made friends, wifi-ing, eating a very nice fishsoup at the small beach restaurants ...
At 4 we all took cabs to the central bus station and from there the nightbus to Medellin. A few stop overs...
12/10
At noon, we arrived at our hostel. Nice place again. Unpacked, showered and about to explore this big city with Dario (who lived here) and Bijan. Laterz...
The exploration took long. First the metro to the cable metro, from there up hill to the favela's.
Not comparable with the brazilian favela's, because they turned the place into a very safe and nice environment after all the Escobar, drug related issues had been solved. Here's some pictures ...
After that we visited "down town". A very lively, colorful, place with great historic buildings, markets, shops and restaurants...
Sipped two beers there (nice ambers, locally brewed), took the bus the the zona rosa (no, not such a zona, but just a very lively neighborhood), ate a lot for little, then walked back to the hostel. Updating blog there now. Im tired, but still tempted to go out for a last one... oh, let's be clever and call it a night. Laterz...
Oh yeah, we're at 1500 m altitude, which brings the temperatures down to a very comfortable 18 degrees at night. Lovely!
13/10
Slept in until 8.30. Oh yeah. The rest did the Pablo Escobar tour, i decided to explore the town on my own, combined with a lot of shopping...., so....
Coffee, ATM, breakfast, new shaving gear, long walk down town, got lost, ending up in the red light district (man, was i popular all of a sudden), sipped a beer and then the long way back. All alone, beautiful day.
Back at the hostel i napped for 30 mins, then ate a burger. Back at 9.30. Showered, washed my 4 shirts, 2 shorts and underpants (it's all i have, since the truck is still not available, although it seems to be on South American soil). Updating my blog now on the dorms balcony. Feeling tired, but good. 3 episodes of fringe to go (then Humans, season 1). Another me-day tomorow. Yee!
14/10
Woke up at 8.00, but rose at 9.00. Spend the me-day as relaxed as possible. Nice breakfast, doing the news, dried my laundry, took the metro to down town (2 x that walk is really too much on flipflops), strolled, chatted, drank a coke, to go short: relaxing me-time, since the others had gone to a (apparently very nice) other town.
At 17.00 back to the hostel, where I'm updating my blog on the balcony. Laterz...
Went for KFC as dinner. Beer on the terrace of a local pub afterwards, with a very nice video chat with Mariya.
Miss her terribly. She moves to another house today. Should be there to help, but hey...
Back at the hostel now. Will sleep early, since we we leave tomorow at 7. Laterz...
Chatted with the dorm mates, watched the one but final episode of fringe and called it a day...
15/10
Rose at 6.00, showered, packed and hopped on the organized bus (truck is still not available, but catching up on us).
A 6 hour drive the beautifull little village of Salento.
Arrived at 13.00 or so, checked in, unpacked, and ecplored the town with Bijan, Dario and Norm. Beautiful, colorful place again... look...
I seriously begin to think that Columbia is my favorite country of the trip so far. And again... what did i know about this country? Drugs, crime, danger, don't go out alone.... again: bull shit!!! Met the most wonderful people up here. Felt safe, just left my stuff at the bar of Gordo when i went for a swim in the sea... when they hadn't enough money to change a 50.000 pesos bill, i could just come back and pay the next day.... why are all these false prejudices in my head? Media with short sighted news i guess. .. can't think of another explanation. Anyway, in the litle bar of the hostel now, updating my blog. Last episode of Fringe is waiting for me... will sleep well i guess.
Then .... Richard came back! That calls for a beer! Laterz...
Updated Richard over a beer and called it a day.
16/10
Last episode of Fringe was a bit of a let down. Couldn't catch the sleep. High bunker bed ... bit scarey. Oh well, i survived.
Woke up at 6.15, because the early risers started to have all kind of loud conversations. Do that outside guys! I don't wake you up when i go to bed. That would be anti social! Well, the same principle applies early in the morning. Let everybody else sleep if you're up early! Be social!
Anyway, breakfast was included and its good! At 9 we left for a long hike through the jungle(ish) environment of the valley of Cocora. Steep and heavy hike . And i only had my flip flops. Managed to do the (guess) 16 K's though. Environment was great, look....
Back in the willy (that's how the locals call the little jeeps, they use for transport up here), and had a lovely supa de pollo at the market square. After that Richard, Luts and I tried a local brew. Not bad, not bad at all.
Now back at the hostel, updating my blog. Laterz...
Napped for half an hour, went back to the market square for a bite. Met Russ and another amercan guy up there (funy bloke; freelance fotographer/video editor). We sipped a beer at a bar, went back to the hostel.
Last beer there in the hostels bar. Some group members were there too. In a pretty drunk state... let's not mention names, but irritating they were... Left the scene after 10 minutes, feeling uncomfortable there.
Slept bad again!
Till next week...
Woke up late, hung over. Own debt, fat hump (that's a dutchism, (and so is the word "dutchism" i guess)).
Had a coffee at the hostel, published week 18, shave, going to town (Santa Marita) now for some desayuno. Laterz...
Spend another early afternoon at the beach, at Gordo's little bar .... look how tiny it is....
At 3.00 i went back to the hostel and spend time at the pool here.
Nice tan huh?
Now at a groupmeeting, waiting for a BBQ.
Tomorrow we take the nightbus to Medellin. Truck has still not arrived. Hopefully on the 14th.
The BBQ was very nice and tasteful... Not that much though..
After dinner we went to the little bar again, where we met the saxophone player yesterday. This time we also brought a guitar and Kerry, so.... making music it was. Next to the sax player a reggae playing singer was there too and another guitar player showed up later. He was really good. Would have loved to jam with him with 2 guitars. Here's some pics. Its good to see Kerry having so much fun!
Went back at 12, with a grin on my face. Slept good.
11/10
Rose at 8.00, did the media, coffee, update blog. Going to pack, pay my bill and into town for breakfast. Laterz ...
Spend the day saying goodbyes to my just made friends, wifi-ing, eating a very nice fishsoup at the small beach restaurants ...
At 4 we all took cabs to the central bus station and from there the nightbus to Medellin. A few stop overs...
12/10
At noon, we arrived at our hostel. Nice place again. Unpacked, showered and about to explore this big city with Dario (who lived here) and Bijan. Laterz...
The exploration took long. First the metro to the cable metro, from there up hill to the favela's.
Not comparable with the brazilian favela's, because they turned the place into a very safe and nice environment after all the Escobar, drug related issues had been solved. Here's some pictures ...
After that we visited "down town". A very lively, colorful, place with great historic buildings, markets, shops and restaurants...
Sipped two beers there (nice ambers, locally brewed), took the bus the the zona rosa (no, not such a zona, but just a very lively neighborhood), ate a lot for little, then walked back to the hostel. Updating blog there now. Im tired, but still tempted to go out for a last one... oh, let's be clever and call it a night. Laterz...
Oh yeah, we're at 1500 m altitude, which brings the temperatures down to a very comfortable 18 degrees at night. Lovely!
13/10
Slept in until 8.30. Oh yeah. The rest did the Pablo Escobar tour, i decided to explore the town on my own, combined with a lot of shopping...., so....
Coffee, ATM, breakfast, new shaving gear, long walk down town, got lost, ending up in the red light district (man, was i popular all of a sudden), sipped a beer and then the long way back. All alone, beautiful day.
Back at the hostel i napped for 30 mins, then ate a burger. Back at 9.30. Showered, washed my 4 shirts, 2 shorts and underpants (it's all i have, since the truck is still not available, although it seems to be on South American soil). Updating my blog now on the dorms balcony. Feeling tired, but good. 3 episodes of fringe to go (then Humans, season 1). Another me-day tomorow. Yee!
14/10
Woke up at 8.00, but rose at 9.00. Spend the me-day as relaxed as possible. Nice breakfast, doing the news, dried my laundry, took the metro to down town (2 x that walk is really too much on flipflops), strolled, chatted, drank a coke, to go short: relaxing me-time, since the others had gone to a (apparently very nice) other town.
At 17.00 back to the hostel, where I'm updating my blog on the balcony. Laterz...
Went for KFC as dinner. Beer on the terrace of a local pub afterwards, with a very nice video chat with Mariya.
Miss her terribly. She moves to another house today. Should be there to help, but hey...
Back at the hostel now. Will sleep early, since we we leave tomorow at 7. Laterz...
Chatted with the dorm mates, watched the one but final episode of fringe and called it a day...
15/10
Rose at 6.00, showered, packed and hopped on the organized bus (truck is still not available, but catching up on us).
A 6 hour drive the beautifull little village of Salento.
Arrived at 13.00 or so, checked in, unpacked, and ecplored the town with Bijan, Dario and Norm. Beautiful, colorful place again... look...
I seriously begin to think that Columbia is my favorite country of the trip so far. And again... what did i know about this country? Drugs, crime, danger, don't go out alone.... again: bull shit!!! Met the most wonderful people up here. Felt safe, just left my stuff at the bar of Gordo when i went for a swim in the sea... when they hadn't enough money to change a 50.000 pesos bill, i could just come back and pay the next day.... why are all these false prejudices in my head? Media with short sighted news i guess. .. can't think of another explanation. Anyway, in the litle bar of the hostel now, updating my blog. Last episode of Fringe is waiting for me... will sleep well i guess.
Then .... Richard came back! That calls for a beer! Laterz...
Updated Richard over a beer and called it a day.
16/10
Last episode of Fringe was a bit of a let down. Couldn't catch the sleep. High bunker bed ... bit scarey. Oh well, i survived.
Woke up at 6.15, because the early risers started to have all kind of loud conversations. Do that outside guys! I don't wake you up when i go to bed. That would be anti social! Well, the same principle applies early in the morning. Let everybody else sleep if you're up early! Be social!
Anyway, breakfast was included and its good! At 9 we left for a long hike through the jungle(ish) environment of the valley of Cocora. Steep and heavy hike . And i only had my flip flops. Managed to do the (guess) 16 K's though. Environment was great, look....
 |
| These palmtrees grow up to 40 meters! |
 |
| Good friends. Im glad he's back. |
Back in the willy (that's how the locals call the little jeeps, they use for transport up here), and had a lovely supa de pollo at the market square. After that Richard, Luts and I tried a local brew. Not bad, not bad at all.
Now back at the hostel, updating my blog. Laterz...
Napped for half an hour, went back to the market square for a bite. Met Russ and another amercan guy up there (funy bloke; freelance fotographer/video editor). We sipped a beer at a bar, went back to the hostel.
Last beer there in the hostels bar. Some group members were there too. In a pretty drunk state... let's not mention names, but irritating they were... Left the scene after 10 minutes, feeling uncomfortable there.
Slept bad again!
Till next week...
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