San Miguel de Allende: Time for an update. Well, on the road again, after being in Guadalajara for a month. It was a great time! But let me start with today and work my way backwards.
Arrived in San Miguel de Allende, a very beautiful colonial town near Guanajuato. It is the second most gringo populated city in Mexico, behind Lake Chapala. Lots of expats come here to retire. A nice town, very colonial, but the gringo presence is very, very evident. No offense, but glad I only stayed one night.
Before this we were in Guanajuato, my second visit on this trip. Very beautiful town, maybe my favorite in all of Mexico. Not counting Isla Mujeres, of course. We were there two nights, and just walked the streets, spent time at the park reading, and just enjoying the ambience of one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
And before that we were in Zacatecas, another colonial town full of spanish architecture and churches. There was a culture festival at the time we were there, so we were able to check out some concerts. Great place to visit!
When I say we, i`m referring to Vincent, my friend from spanish school who is from Montreal. And Jen, who I met in Nicaragua, and traveled with for a bit, until she headed to India. Now she is back and will travel Mexico with me until about the middle of the month. She`s one of the best travel partners. Always good times with her.
The month in Guadalajara was great. Met lots of great friends, visited many near by towns and pueblos, and spent the entire month with a wonderful host family. There are a few pics on Facebook.
My first day, walked into the school, and asked where I should register. They asked me if I was there for beginner lessons. No! I said emphatically, I was an advanced student! Here only to improve my skills. They looked at me suspect, and asked again. Then referred me to someone else, who asked me again. I was insistent that I would only take advanced courses, since I was paying for them. Then they asked for my name again, and said they couldn`t find my info on the computer. Great! I thought, they lost my registration info. Then one of them asked, wait, are you here for english or spanish lessons?
LOL, the whole time they thought I was there to learn english, and at a beginners level. I knew then that I must really, really look Mexican. But eventually I was squared away and began my course. Scored a 66% on my first exam (a ¨D¨), horrible! Then a 88% on the next. I guess I was a bit rusty with the whole exam thing. But I got into the swing of things, and I do feel that my grammar is much improved.
My brother comes tomorrow, so i`m excited about that. One week in Mexico City! Also get to see my tio`s and primos from there; I wonder what they`ll say about my spanish. Improved? And the fact that i`ve lost over 20 pounds, and grew some hair! lol.
I`m leaving in about an hour, should take about 4 hours to get there. I can`t wait!
Love you all,
Love you mom, see you in about two weeks!
Michael
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico: Again, its been so long that I don´t know where to begin. I think I left off somewhere in Merida (about four hours from Cancun). I was in Merida for a day or two, then headed to Campeche. Like Merida, they were in the midst of Carnaval, but it was raining, so most things were cancelled. As it turns out the only other person in my dorm was from Merida, and was in Campeche to work during Carnaval. He was the MC for one of the concert stages at carnaval. But since it was cancelled, we hung out, and he showed me around a little bit.
Campeche was nice. Reminded me a lot of Cartagena, Colombia. A fort city, with fort walls still visible. Near the water, and a place where pirates would frequent. It was not as romantic as Cartagena. It´s hard to explain, but some cities have a romantic feel, Cartagena was one of them, Campeche was not. But I still enjoyed it. But left after a day.
Headed to San Cristobal de las Casas, en Chiapas, Mexico. Chiapas is one of the most indeginous states in Mexico. They have preserved their culture more than most states. The Spanish had some, but very little influence on them. As a result, its a great place to see indigenous culture and life. I enjoyed my time there, took a few tours, but then had to head back to Cancun!
Why? Well, because turns out Tess was coming back from Cuba and wanted to see me. She said she was willing to come meet me wherever I was, but that would mean an overnight but to Chiapas. I didn´t think that would be a good idea, and her mom was with her, so I took an overnight bus to Cancun. We spent another four days together. Back to Isla de Mujeres, then to Tulum, Coba, and Merida. It was great, always a great time with her. She had a flight to LA that Saturday, and Ruben, my brother, was nice enough to show her and her mom around. We had a talk before she left, and keep in contact via email, but too early to tell what will come of all this. But at the very least, some great memories.
My plan was to visit Oaxaca, but I decided to do that later. Seeing Tess was more important to me. And I had to be in Iguala, where my dad is from, so I took a plance from Merida to Mexico City. My dad met me at the airport, and looked right at me, but did not notice me. It was funny. I had to approach him, I think I scared him...lol. I guess if you haven´t kept up with my photos on Facebook, you probably wouldn´t notice me either.
We took a bus from Mexico City to his hometown, and I spent a few days there. It was quite exciting seeing where my dad was from. Very different than LA, obviously, but even different that most of Mexico. My grandmother would always tell me that dad "era del rancho." Now I know what she meant. She was right. But I liked it. People traveling on horses, rodeos, cowboy hats. It was fun. Pics will be up soon on FB.
One of his friends even held a rodeo, in my honor (supposedly). The whole town came out, and some of the local guys rode bulls. It´s a very different lifestyle. But I guess, somehow, I have roots there. I couldn´t imagine living there today, and i´m sure even if I was born there, I would end up moving away, but it was a nice time, and i´m glad I was able to visit.
Now i´m in Guadalajara! I´ll be here for a month, working on my spanish. Classes started yesterday, and so far so good. The city is great, and the classes are helpful. I´m staying with a really nice host family. They´re an older couple, very sweet. They have a daughter who lives with them. She´s a kindergarden teacher.
I have my own floor, more like an addition to the house. Its the top floor, with private bathroom. I´m scheduled to stay two weeks out of the four i´ll be in town, but I may just opt to stay all four weeks.
Everything is great out here. I can´t believe how great the trip is going. At this point, I have less than two months left. This next month should really improve my spansish language skills. I´m glad to be staying put after so much traveling.
Hope everything back home is good!
Love you mom,
Love you all,
Michael
Campeche was nice. Reminded me a lot of Cartagena, Colombia. A fort city, with fort walls still visible. Near the water, and a place where pirates would frequent. It was not as romantic as Cartagena. It´s hard to explain, but some cities have a romantic feel, Cartagena was one of them, Campeche was not. But I still enjoyed it. But left after a day.
Headed to San Cristobal de las Casas, en Chiapas, Mexico. Chiapas is one of the most indeginous states in Mexico. They have preserved their culture more than most states. The Spanish had some, but very little influence on them. As a result, its a great place to see indigenous culture and life. I enjoyed my time there, took a few tours, but then had to head back to Cancun!
Why? Well, because turns out Tess was coming back from Cuba and wanted to see me. She said she was willing to come meet me wherever I was, but that would mean an overnight but to Chiapas. I didn´t think that would be a good idea, and her mom was with her, so I took an overnight bus to Cancun. We spent another four days together. Back to Isla de Mujeres, then to Tulum, Coba, and Merida. It was great, always a great time with her. She had a flight to LA that Saturday, and Ruben, my brother, was nice enough to show her and her mom around. We had a talk before she left, and keep in contact via email, but too early to tell what will come of all this. But at the very least, some great memories.
My plan was to visit Oaxaca, but I decided to do that later. Seeing Tess was more important to me. And I had to be in Iguala, where my dad is from, so I took a plance from Merida to Mexico City. My dad met me at the airport, and looked right at me, but did not notice me. It was funny. I had to approach him, I think I scared him...lol. I guess if you haven´t kept up with my photos on Facebook, you probably wouldn´t notice me either.
We took a bus from Mexico City to his hometown, and I spent a few days there. It was quite exciting seeing where my dad was from. Very different than LA, obviously, but even different that most of Mexico. My grandmother would always tell me that dad "era del rancho." Now I know what she meant. She was right. But I liked it. People traveling on horses, rodeos, cowboy hats. It was fun. Pics will be up soon on FB.
One of his friends even held a rodeo, in my honor (supposedly). The whole town came out, and some of the local guys rode bulls. It´s a very different lifestyle. But I guess, somehow, I have roots there. I couldn´t imagine living there today, and i´m sure even if I was born there, I would end up moving away, but it was a nice time, and i´m glad I was able to visit.
Now i´m in Guadalajara! I´ll be here for a month, working on my spanish. Classes started yesterday, and so far so good. The city is great, and the classes are helpful. I´m staying with a really nice host family. They´re an older couple, very sweet. They have a daughter who lives with them. She´s a kindergarden teacher.
I have my own floor, more like an addition to the house. Its the top floor, with private bathroom. I´m scheduled to stay two weeks out of the four i´ll be in town, but I may just opt to stay all four weeks.
Everything is great out here. I can´t believe how great the trip is going. At this point, I have less than two months left. This next month should really improve my spansish language skills. I´m glad to be staying put after so much traveling.
Hope everything back home is good!
Love you mom,
Love you all,
Michael
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Merida, Yucatan, Mexico: Last 12 days were the best 12 days of the trip...easily! I`ll try not to get ahead of myself and start from the beginning.
Left El Salvador and planned to skip Belize, but once I got to Flores, Guatemala, I was told that there were no directs to Mexico. My best bet was to go to Belize City, then to Chetumal. So that was the plan. Then I thought, if i`m in Belize I may as well head over to one of their cool islands, so I headed to Caye Caulker. And there I was to begin my 12 days of solitude; praying, meditating, thinking, re-evaluating, setting goals, all kinds of stuff.
But what I realized is that being a recluse is trickier than I expected. First thing off the boat to the island of Caye Caulker I spot two girls and get caught looking. Turns out they were staying at my hostel. As things turned out we ended up running into each other enough times that I had to say hi or I would seem really rude. So I did, and we ended up hanging out and making plans to see each other the next day. First day: failed. Couldnt stay alone. But the next day I got up early and slipped a note under their door letting them know that I had to head to Mexico. I had to keep moving on, and I did.
So as part of the 12 days i`m reading a book with 12 chapters in it recommended by my friend John. The book conveniently had 12 chapters, so I made it a point to read a chapter a day, along with my Bible. The book was amazing. I highly recommend it. Especially the part about walking with God every day, and the chapter about staying focused. It was good. Just like Jesus is the name of the book.
But it was read throughout the trip, chapter one in Belize, and chapter two in Tulum, where I made my first stop in Mexico. Tulum was also one of my favorite ruins in Mexico. Not quite as expansive as Palenque, but right on the water. It is beautiful. Check out the pics on FB. I spent the day in semi solitude and had lots of time to reflect and get done what I set out to do. It was a wonderful time just speaking and listening to God, or what we commonly call prayer. I think its the greatest thing in the world, to really take the time and make it a priority.
From Tulum I headed to Cozumel, a small island near Playa del Carmen. Very touristy, and all the Western conviences, but still nice. Although did not feel like you were in Mexico, except for the huge flag near the pier. Nice, but I preferred Tulum.
From Cozumel I headed to Playa del Carmen. Again, beautiful. Spent the day alone, very successful day.
From Playa went to Isla Mujeres. Probably the most beautiful place i`ve ever been. And the greatest time i`ve had in a long long time. Now keep in mind i`ve been having the time of my life on this trip, and things got a lot better when I arrived in Isla Mujeres.
Started off like the other stops. Except the hostel in Isla Mujeres was bigger and nicer than the others. I kept to myself, not looking to socialize too much. Needed, wanted to be alone. Then I saw her! Didn`t think much about it, except thought, wow! But again, i was not there to socialize. Plus every single guy at the hostel saw her as well.
But i did decide to go to salsa lessons, since they were at the hostel, and they were free. What the heck, they started at 7pm and would be over by 8, i could be in bed easily by 10pm. So i went, and lo and behold, there she was again. The Argentinian instructor clearly fancied her, evident by the way he favored her over the other girls for his volunteer partner. This guy probably was used to having most girls at the hostel, the accent, the dance moves, the Latin heartthrob thing. I wasn`t hating, i didnt really care.
So the lessons were over, and we had a little bit of free dance time. I noticed her, but didnt want to make it too obvious, so I opted to dance with another girl. Of course the instructor swooped her right up and began to dance with her. Whatever, I thought. Free dance was over and we all went our seperate ways.
I went to my dorm room to read, ended up falling asleep, but woke up around 11pm. Took a walk around the hostel and found her and her friend Caroline. Caroline grabs me and says they`re kidnapping me. I`m in boardshorts, and a t shirt, but they drag me to go salsa dancing. I go, but think to myself, im leaving in an hour, max!
Im at the dance joint, but just laying back talking to some guys from the hostel. Jeffrey, a nurse from St. Louis yells at me and asks me what im doing, he says Tess is waiting to dance with me. Who me? I didnt know if he was just yapping, but I said, what the heck, I need the practice, and I enjoy it! So I went.
You can guess the rest of the story. But there is something else about this girl that makes it very different. Inevitably, traveling for 9 months, you are going to meet lots of people, and lots of girls. And believe it or not, i`ve met some. Great girls, spent some fun times, but as they say, nothing to write home about. Except for the friends ive met from California, or near CA, ive never intended to keep in touch with any of them. I just thought, hey, it was nice to meet them. But this one was different. Now she is very easy on the eyes, but it was so much more than that with her.
This is the kind of stuff I write home about, tell my boys, my brother, my cousins. And since only my close friends and family read this, I guess i'll just lay it out here.
I totally fell for this girl! I mean hard! I`m talking in love. Almost comical. I was told often, mostly in jest, that I would fall in love on this trip, and me being the rational, unemotional guy that I am thought, only a lame dude would think he was in love after meeting someone for a few days. That kind of nonsense is only in movies. I`ve been told by more than one girl that I am a bit emotionally retarded. Too logical for crazy love. And I actually think that`s a good thing.
Then this happened. I can`t even believe it. Butterflys, big grin on my face that I couldnt hide. It was wild. A one day trip to Isla Mujeres turned into 5 days. We were inseperable, spent every moment together. Only split ways because her mom came to visit from Australia. (she`s from Melbourne, Australia). She was even late picking up her mom. It was a very emotional goodbye, I hated it! It was crazy, not like me at all. But this girl was something else. Everything about her, her accent, her laugh, her smile, and above everything else how incredibly sweet she was.
Everything in life is timing, and circumstances, so as it turns out the timing is wrong and the circumstances are not right either. But usually you know if you meet someone travelling, in a matter of days you`ll split ways and that will be that. I`m used to it, and am quite good at walking away. I think I have the gift of goodbye. I always have, maybe because im so guarded (except for my first girlfriend). `But this time it was tough, very tough. And I cant speak for her, but she did tell me how she felt, and I`m pretty sure its not a one sided deal.
But still very unlikely that we see each other again. But as I told her, a boy can dream. Seriously, if know me you`re probably laughing, this is nothing like me, and it is quite funny, but very true. I totally fell hard. There are three girls in my life who i`ve ever been crazy about. One I dated for five years, the other rejected me, and the other is somewhere in Playa del Carmen with her mom, headed to Cuba.
Like I said, chances are it was a nice 5 days and that will be that. And like ive also said, it happens quite often, and the next day i`ve already forgotten. But this one really got me. I spent the bus trip to Merida listening to Sade and George Michaels...lol.
She emailed me and I her wrote her back. We`ll see what happens, a boy can dream, lol. Crazy. Like I said, circumstances are not ideal, for a variety of reasons.
So there it was, the best 12 days of the trip! Fell in love twice. Once with my time with God every morning, and again with some girl who lives half way around the world. At least one is beyond time and circumstances!
Got a chance to write down some goals for the next few months, and years. I`m really excited about getting home and getting to work. And I dont just mean career. Lots of plans and goals!
Now i`m in Merida. They`re in the middle of Carnaval, so there are concerts all over the city. I`ve been to about 8 today. Everything from Salsa, to Merengue, to Cumbia, regaeton, and Banda (my favorite). I have to learn to dance Banda before I leave Mexico! I think its my favorite type of dance.
Hope all is well at home. And hope everyone has a nice Valentines day, though I think it is one of the most ridiculous set ups of all time. Show love and appreciate every day. But luckily I think we all know it, just need to practice it a bit more.
Love you all!
Happy Valentines day, mom! I love you!
Smitten from Mexico,
Michael
Left El Salvador and planned to skip Belize, but once I got to Flores, Guatemala, I was told that there were no directs to Mexico. My best bet was to go to Belize City, then to Chetumal. So that was the plan. Then I thought, if i`m in Belize I may as well head over to one of their cool islands, so I headed to Caye Caulker. And there I was to begin my 12 days of solitude; praying, meditating, thinking, re-evaluating, setting goals, all kinds of stuff.
But what I realized is that being a recluse is trickier than I expected. First thing off the boat to the island of Caye Caulker I spot two girls and get caught looking. Turns out they were staying at my hostel. As things turned out we ended up running into each other enough times that I had to say hi or I would seem really rude. So I did, and we ended up hanging out and making plans to see each other the next day. First day: failed. Couldnt stay alone. But the next day I got up early and slipped a note under their door letting them know that I had to head to Mexico. I had to keep moving on, and I did.
So as part of the 12 days i`m reading a book with 12 chapters in it recommended by my friend John. The book conveniently had 12 chapters, so I made it a point to read a chapter a day, along with my Bible. The book was amazing. I highly recommend it. Especially the part about walking with God every day, and the chapter about staying focused. It was good. Just like Jesus is the name of the book.
But it was read throughout the trip, chapter one in Belize, and chapter two in Tulum, where I made my first stop in Mexico. Tulum was also one of my favorite ruins in Mexico. Not quite as expansive as Palenque, but right on the water. It is beautiful. Check out the pics on FB. I spent the day in semi solitude and had lots of time to reflect and get done what I set out to do. It was a wonderful time just speaking and listening to God, or what we commonly call prayer. I think its the greatest thing in the world, to really take the time and make it a priority.
From Tulum I headed to Cozumel, a small island near Playa del Carmen. Very touristy, and all the Western conviences, but still nice. Although did not feel like you were in Mexico, except for the huge flag near the pier. Nice, but I preferred Tulum.
From Cozumel I headed to Playa del Carmen. Again, beautiful. Spent the day alone, very successful day.
From Playa went to Isla Mujeres. Probably the most beautiful place i`ve ever been. And the greatest time i`ve had in a long long time. Now keep in mind i`ve been having the time of my life on this trip, and things got a lot better when I arrived in Isla Mujeres.
Started off like the other stops. Except the hostel in Isla Mujeres was bigger and nicer than the others. I kept to myself, not looking to socialize too much. Needed, wanted to be alone. Then I saw her! Didn`t think much about it, except thought, wow! But again, i was not there to socialize. Plus every single guy at the hostel saw her as well.
But i did decide to go to salsa lessons, since they were at the hostel, and they were free. What the heck, they started at 7pm and would be over by 8, i could be in bed easily by 10pm. So i went, and lo and behold, there she was again. The Argentinian instructor clearly fancied her, evident by the way he favored her over the other girls for his volunteer partner. This guy probably was used to having most girls at the hostel, the accent, the dance moves, the Latin heartthrob thing. I wasn`t hating, i didnt really care.
So the lessons were over, and we had a little bit of free dance time. I noticed her, but didnt want to make it too obvious, so I opted to dance with another girl. Of course the instructor swooped her right up and began to dance with her. Whatever, I thought. Free dance was over and we all went our seperate ways.
I went to my dorm room to read, ended up falling asleep, but woke up around 11pm. Took a walk around the hostel and found her and her friend Caroline. Caroline grabs me and says they`re kidnapping me. I`m in boardshorts, and a t shirt, but they drag me to go salsa dancing. I go, but think to myself, im leaving in an hour, max!
Im at the dance joint, but just laying back talking to some guys from the hostel. Jeffrey, a nurse from St. Louis yells at me and asks me what im doing, he says Tess is waiting to dance with me. Who me? I didnt know if he was just yapping, but I said, what the heck, I need the practice, and I enjoy it! So I went.
You can guess the rest of the story. But there is something else about this girl that makes it very different. Inevitably, traveling for 9 months, you are going to meet lots of people, and lots of girls. And believe it or not, i`ve met some. Great girls, spent some fun times, but as they say, nothing to write home about. Except for the friends ive met from California, or near CA, ive never intended to keep in touch with any of them. I just thought, hey, it was nice to meet them. But this one was different. Now she is very easy on the eyes, but it was so much more than that with her.
This is the kind of stuff I write home about, tell my boys, my brother, my cousins. And since only my close friends and family read this, I guess i'll just lay it out here.
I totally fell for this girl! I mean hard! I`m talking in love. Almost comical. I was told often, mostly in jest, that I would fall in love on this trip, and me being the rational, unemotional guy that I am thought, only a lame dude would think he was in love after meeting someone for a few days. That kind of nonsense is only in movies. I`ve been told by more than one girl that I am a bit emotionally retarded. Too logical for crazy love. And I actually think that`s a good thing.
Then this happened. I can`t even believe it. Butterflys, big grin on my face that I couldnt hide. It was wild. A one day trip to Isla Mujeres turned into 5 days. We were inseperable, spent every moment together. Only split ways because her mom came to visit from Australia. (she`s from Melbourne, Australia). She was even late picking up her mom. It was a very emotional goodbye, I hated it! It was crazy, not like me at all. But this girl was something else. Everything about her, her accent, her laugh, her smile, and above everything else how incredibly sweet she was.
Everything in life is timing, and circumstances, so as it turns out the timing is wrong and the circumstances are not right either. But usually you know if you meet someone travelling, in a matter of days you`ll split ways and that will be that. I`m used to it, and am quite good at walking away. I think I have the gift of goodbye. I always have, maybe because im so guarded (except for my first girlfriend). `But this time it was tough, very tough. And I cant speak for her, but she did tell me how she felt, and I`m pretty sure its not a one sided deal.
But still very unlikely that we see each other again. But as I told her, a boy can dream. Seriously, if know me you`re probably laughing, this is nothing like me, and it is quite funny, but very true. I totally fell hard. There are three girls in my life who i`ve ever been crazy about. One I dated for five years, the other rejected me, and the other is somewhere in Playa del Carmen with her mom, headed to Cuba.
Like I said, chances are it was a nice 5 days and that will be that. And like ive also said, it happens quite often, and the next day i`ve already forgotten. But this one really got me. I spent the bus trip to Merida listening to Sade and George Michaels...lol.
She emailed me and I her wrote her back. We`ll see what happens, a boy can dream, lol. Crazy. Like I said, circumstances are not ideal, for a variety of reasons.
So there it was, the best 12 days of the trip! Fell in love twice. Once with my time with God every morning, and again with some girl who lives half way around the world. At least one is beyond time and circumstances!
Got a chance to write down some goals for the next few months, and years. I`m really excited about getting home and getting to work. And I dont just mean career. Lots of plans and goals!
Now i`m in Merida. They`re in the middle of Carnaval, so there are concerts all over the city. I`ve been to about 8 today. Everything from Salsa, to Merengue, to Cumbia, regaeton, and Banda (my favorite). I have to learn to dance Banda before I leave Mexico! I think its my favorite type of dance.
Hope all is well at home. And hope everyone has a nice Valentines day, though I think it is one of the most ridiculous set ups of all time. Show love and appreciate every day. But luckily I think we all know it, just need to practice it a bit more.
Love you all!
Happy Valentines day, mom! I love you!
Smitten from Mexico,
Michael
Sunday, January 31, 2010
San Salvador: One day turned into a week. But that's not a complete surprise. I really like it here in El Salvador. I've met some great friends here, and feel quite at home. But because I was here a week, i'm going to skip Belize. Truth is I had no desire to go to Belize. I don't know why, but I was almost dreading the thought. So no Belize. Instead im heading straight to Mexico, which I am really excited about!
Tomorrow i'll take a bus from El Salvador to Guatemala City, then to Flores, Guatemala, where i'll spend the night, and finally head to Chetumal, Mexico on Tuesday. I'll spend about two weeks on the coast of Yucatan (Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, Cancun, and Chichen Itza). From there i'll head to Merida, Campeche, San Cristobal, then to Oaxaca. From Oaxaca I hope to visit Iguala, where my dad is from, but I need to make sure I have some connections there. It otherwise is a town that most people would not visit.
Then 6 weeks in Guadalajara, with easter week in Mexico City.. After that i'll have about two weeks to see as much of the north of Mexico as possible. I think it'll be a quick three months. I wish I had about 6 months, Mexico is a huge country.
I'm also planning on taking the next 12 days in semi solitude. It's difficult when traveling, but i'll at least stay away from the computer, and any other communication home. So fyi to the family, you shouldn't be hearing from me in the next 12 days.
The trip is rolling along. I wish I could stay in El Salvador another few days, but alas, I must move on. The friends i've met here are great! So now the end of my Central American travels is here. On to North America.
PS, anyone catch the Lakers game today? It was on, live, in El Salvador, and I got to see Kobe do it again! That guy is incredible. But don't forget that the Lakers wouldnt be in that position unless Artest creates the offensive foul on Pierce. What a great game!
Love you mom,
love you fam, love you friends!
Michael
Tomorrow i'll take a bus from El Salvador to Guatemala City, then to Flores, Guatemala, where i'll spend the night, and finally head to Chetumal, Mexico on Tuesday. I'll spend about two weeks on the coast of Yucatan (Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, Cancun, and Chichen Itza). From there i'll head to Merida, Campeche, San Cristobal, then to Oaxaca. From Oaxaca I hope to visit Iguala, where my dad is from, but I need to make sure I have some connections there. It otherwise is a town that most people would not visit.
Then 6 weeks in Guadalajara, with easter week in Mexico City.. After that i'll have about two weeks to see as much of the north of Mexico as possible. I think it'll be a quick three months. I wish I had about 6 months, Mexico is a huge country.
I'm also planning on taking the next 12 days in semi solitude. It's difficult when traveling, but i'll at least stay away from the computer, and any other communication home. So fyi to the family, you shouldn't be hearing from me in the next 12 days.
The trip is rolling along. I wish I could stay in El Salvador another few days, but alas, I must move on. The friends i've met here are great! So now the end of my Central American travels is here. On to North America.
PS, anyone catch the Lakers game today? It was on, live, in El Salvador, and I got to see Kobe do it again! That guy is incredible. But don't forget that the Lakers wouldnt be in that position unless Artest creates the offensive foul on Pierce. What a great game!
Love you mom,
love you fam, love you friends!
Michael
Sunday, January 24, 2010
January 24, 2010: Last full day in South America. My plane leaves in the morning, at 6:55am. I was going to stay at the airport overnight, because my buddy left tonight, but I got tired and checked into the airport hotel. A bit expensive, but I couldnt take it anymore, plus I was able to negotiate free internet access. Otherwise its .60 reais per minute. About a quarter a minute, but it can add up.
So this is it! I´m on my way home! It´ll take me three months, but i´ll get there. My plane leaves for Peru, then a connecting flight to El Salvador. From there Belize, then Mexico, then home.
Brasil was great! Spent the last ten days with one of my best friends from back home. We were in Rio for three days (the weekend), then headed to Manuas, which is near the Amazon, then back to Rio for another three days (again the weekend).
Rio was incredible. I´ll post pics soon. We were at a hostel the first night, but it was very crowded, three level bunks, and too many people per room, so we decided to go to a hotel. We ended up at a really nice hotel in Ipanema. Promenade Visconti (something like that). It was nice. A big change from the hostel life. People bringing up your bags, tv in the room, 24 hour concierge service. We really spared no expense. We even had our own driver. Well, he was the hotel driver, but no one else used him except us. We were chaffuered (sp?) everywhere! Although we were a block from the beach, and close to plenty of restaurants, so we also walked often.
We also had great weather!
The amazon was amazing! Fishing for pirainas, swimming in the river, alligator hunting, hikes, camping, all sorts of stuff. It was great. Pics will be up soon.
The trip has been amazing, but as I expected, i got a bit homesick today. Maybe because I want to be home to watch the NFL playoffs? jk. But I knew it would happen. Same thing happened when my brother came out to visit me. After he left I got really homesick. I knew it would be the same when my buddy left. And a travel partner from back also went home recently. We didnt travel together the whole time, but we were never more than a bus ride away from each other. Now she´s home, my friend flew home today, and I feel like, maybe I should just get back myself. But I was prepared to feel this way, and I know by tomorrow I will be fine. Plus i am really, really looking forward to going to Mexico. Especially Guadalajara!
But the trip now is a journey home. . It started in Mexico, and moved south through Central America, into South America. Now im headed to El Salvador, and will travel north, all the way home. Being alone is also something Ive been wanting to do. I want to take at least 10 days in complete solitude. Well as much solitude as possible, anyways. You always have to talk to folks. But its not very hard to meet people on the road, in fact, its hard not to. But at some point in the next month I want to spend 10 days just alone, thinking, meditating, praying, all that good stuff that gets difficult to do back home. Not that I havent been doing that all along, I just want to make it more focused, more intentional.
My buddy also brought me some books to read, so I have a lot of reading to do. He brought six books, on a variety of topics, from finance to fiction. Thanks for that Dave, and Eoin! I´ll list the books later, i cant remember all of them right now. Some of the books were recommended by a really good friend and mentor, so i´m lookinh forward to getting started with those.
So the next part of the trip begins tomorrow. There are multiple ways to split up the trip. By city, by country, by continent. But I break it up in visits. First it was Mexico, and Cindy came (one part), then my brother came to Peru (second part) then Clarrissa came to Uruguay (third), then Dave to Brazil (fourth). And now the last part, alone. But looking forward to it.
I love you mom, miss you a lot! Been thinking a lot about you lately. Thank you for being such a great mom!
Love you all,
Michael
So this is it! I´m on my way home! It´ll take me three months, but i´ll get there. My plane leaves for Peru, then a connecting flight to El Salvador. From there Belize, then Mexico, then home.
Brasil was great! Spent the last ten days with one of my best friends from back home. We were in Rio for three days (the weekend), then headed to Manuas, which is near the Amazon, then back to Rio for another three days (again the weekend).
Rio was incredible. I´ll post pics soon. We were at a hostel the first night, but it was very crowded, three level bunks, and too many people per room, so we decided to go to a hotel. We ended up at a really nice hotel in Ipanema. Promenade Visconti (something like that). It was nice. A big change from the hostel life. People bringing up your bags, tv in the room, 24 hour concierge service. We really spared no expense. We even had our own driver. Well, he was the hotel driver, but no one else used him except us. We were chaffuered (sp?) everywhere! Although we were a block from the beach, and close to plenty of restaurants, so we also walked often.
We also had great weather!
The amazon was amazing! Fishing for pirainas, swimming in the river, alligator hunting, hikes, camping, all sorts of stuff. It was great. Pics will be up soon.
The trip has been amazing, but as I expected, i got a bit homesick today. Maybe because I want to be home to watch the NFL playoffs? jk. But I knew it would happen. Same thing happened when my brother came out to visit me. After he left I got really homesick. I knew it would be the same when my buddy left. And a travel partner from back also went home recently. We didnt travel together the whole time, but we were never more than a bus ride away from each other. Now she´s home, my friend flew home today, and I feel like, maybe I should just get back myself. But I was prepared to feel this way, and I know by tomorrow I will be fine. Plus i am really, really looking forward to going to Mexico. Especially Guadalajara!
But the trip now is a journey home. . It started in Mexico, and moved south through Central America, into South America. Now im headed to El Salvador, and will travel north, all the way home. Being alone is also something Ive been wanting to do. I want to take at least 10 days in complete solitude. Well as much solitude as possible, anyways. You always have to talk to folks. But its not very hard to meet people on the road, in fact, its hard not to. But at some point in the next month I want to spend 10 days just alone, thinking, meditating, praying, all that good stuff that gets difficult to do back home. Not that I havent been doing that all along, I just want to make it more focused, more intentional.
My buddy also brought me some books to read, so I have a lot of reading to do. He brought six books, on a variety of topics, from finance to fiction. Thanks for that Dave, and Eoin! I´ll list the books later, i cant remember all of them right now. Some of the books were recommended by a really good friend and mentor, so i´m lookinh forward to getting started with those.
So the next part of the trip begins tomorrow. There are multiple ways to split up the trip. By city, by country, by continent. But I break it up in visits. First it was Mexico, and Cindy came (one part), then my brother came to Peru (second part) then Clarrissa came to Uruguay (third), then Dave to Brazil (fourth). And now the last part, alone. But looking forward to it.
I love you mom, miss you a lot! Been thinking a lot about you lately. Thank you for being such a great mom!
Love you all,
Michael
Friday, January 15, 2010
January 15, 2010: In Rio de Janeiro! Known as the Cidade Maravilhosa...the marvelous city! And with good reason. Have only been here one fully day, but already can sense the vibe out here. Post 9 in Ipanema is where we hung out yesterday. Every post seems to have a distinct group. Not all, but I think most. Post 9 is a more young crowd, whereas other posts have a family crowd. The beach itself is just ok, but its the people that make it what it is. And the surrounding landscape. Imagine laying on the beach with the Sugar Loaf in the distance. I havent taken many pictures, but I will soon.
I have a buddy flying in today, so I dont want to see too much of the city until he gets here. Soon enough, though.
Before Rio I was at the most beautiful island in Brasil. Well, that according to most, and I would have to agree. Ilha Grande is about 150 Km from Rio, South of Rio. They work in Km here, so not sure how many miles. But the island was amazing. I could say it about almost every place ive visited, but it was true again, just didnt have enough time there. I wish I could have stayed another week. We went on a great hike one of the days through the island and to 4 beaches, finally ending at Lopes Mendes beach, which was the most popular, but not nearly the nicest. There were some secluded beaches that were absolutely amazing.
Before Ilha Grande I was in Paraty. Another beautiful coastal town. Its tough to always remember to appreciate what your doing out here. Travelling from beautiful beach to beautiful beach in Brazil. But Paraty was really nice. I have pics up on Facebook. We took a boat ride to various islands one day, and walked around the Centro another day. The town is great.
And before that I was in Florionopolis. I think its an island, but not sure. There is a Lagun in the middle, but im pretty sure its surrounded by water. I have to go back and check. But, again, it was beautiful. The last four hostels ive stayed in have all been ocean front. Really nice as well.
I think before that I was in Iguazu Falls, which ive written about.
So this is it. Nearing the end of my South American tour! I cant talk about favorites, because everywhere I went I enjoyed for one reason or another. But because im in Brazil, I can say, this was a great place to end.
I fly to El Salvador on the 25th of this month, and hope to visit the orphanage, before I head to Belize. It sounds horrible, but im not really that excited about Belize. Its almost like im forcing myself to go, and convincing myself that its on the way to Mexico, so it wont be that bad. I have to again remind myself to appreciate every part of this great tour.
But after Belize I head to Mexico for three months, which im really looking forward to! I plan to see most of the major cities, lots of beaches, and then stay in Guadalajara for 6 weeks and take an intensive advanced spanish course. College level. We'll see how I do. My blogs those weeks will be in spanish. I cant wait to get to Mexico. I actually had a dream about it the other night.
But, since we must live in the moment, ill enjoy Rio today. (shouldnt be hard to do). My buddy gets here in about three hours, and im pretty excited about it. Its like when my brother came. Always good to get a visit from a good friend. We will be in Rio for a few days, then fly to the Amazon for five days, return to Rio for the weekend, and he will head home, and ill head to El Salvador, which is the beginning of my journey home.
So there it is. About 8 months into the trip! Wow, what an advernture. Hope everyone is well back home. Haiti is in my prayers. Just read a little about it the other day. It sounds bad.
On a lighter note, also read that Carroll left USC for the pros, and Kiffin is taking over. I laughed when I read that. I used to think Garrett was a good Athletic Director, now I know he has no clue what hes doing and just got lucky with Carroll. The basketball program is in shables, and now this. Tough times for USC fans...haahaaaa. Go Bruins! (had to get that in).
Love you all
Love you mom,
Michael
I have a buddy flying in today, so I dont want to see too much of the city until he gets here. Soon enough, though.
Before Rio I was at the most beautiful island in Brasil. Well, that according to most, and I would have to agree. Ilha Grande is about 150 Km from Rio, South of Rio. They work in Km here, so not sure how many miles. But the island was amazing. I could say it about almost every place ive visited, but it was true again, just didnt have enough time there. I wish I could have stayed another week. We went on a great hike one of the days through the island and to 4 beaches, finally ending at Lopes Mendes beach, which was the most popular, but not nearly the nicest. There were some secluded beaches that were absolutely amazing.
Before Ilha Grande I was in Paraty. Another beautiful coastal town. Its tough to always remember to appreciate what your doing out here. Travelling from beautiful beach to beautiful beach in Brazil. But Paraty was really nice. I have pics up on Facebook. We took a boat ride to various islands one day, and walked around the Centro another day. The town is great.
And before that I was in Florionopolis. I think its an island, but not sure. There is a Lagun in the middle, but im pretty sure its surrounded by water. I have to go back and check. But, again, it was beautiful. The last four hostels ive stayed in have all been ocean front. Really nice as well.
I think before that I was in Iguazu Falls, which ive written about.
So this is it. Nearing the end of my South American tour! I cant talk about favorites, because everywhere I went I enjoyed for one reason or another. But because im in Brazil, I can say, this was a great place to end.
I fly to El Salvador on the 25th of this month, and hope to visit the orphanage, before I head to Belize. It sounds horrible, but im not really that excited about Belize. Its almost like im forcing myself to go, and convincing myself that its on the way to Mexico, so it wont be that bad. I have to again remind myself to appreciate every part of this great tour.
But after Belize I head to Mexico for three months, which im really looking forward to! I plan to see most of the major cities, lots of beaches, and then stay in Guadalajara for 6 weeks and take an intensive advanced spanish course. College level. We'll see how I do. My blogs those weeks will be in spanish. I cant wait to get to Mexico. I actually had a dream about it the other night.
But, since we must live in the moment, ill enjoy Rio today. (shouldnt be hard to do). My buddy gets here in about three hours, and im pretty excited about it. Its like when my brother came. Always good to get a visit from a good friend. We will be in Rio for a few days, then fly to the Amazon for five days, return to Rio for the weekend, and he will head home, and ill head to El Salvador, which is the beginning of my journey home.
So there it is. About 8 months into the trip! Wow, what an advernture. Hope everyone is well back home. Haiti is in my prayers. Just read a little about it the other day. It sounds bad.
On a lighter note, also read that Carroll left USC for the pros, and Kiffin is taking over. I laughed when I read that. I used to think Garrett was a good Athletic Director, now I know he has no clue what hes doing and just got lucky with Carroll. The basketball program is in shables, and now this. Tough times for USC fans...haahaaaa. Go Bruins! (had to get that in).
Love you all
Love you mom,
Michael
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Somewhere near the Brazilian, Argentina border, Brazil: On the road again....
That song popped into my head as I headed to Iguazu Falls in Argentina. 18 hour bus ride from Buenos Aires, but worth it. What an amazing sight. Please look up pics on google, but realize that the pics will never do the place justice. (ill try to post mine on FB soon). Its the most incredible thing ive seen in nature. Ill be in the Amazon in about two weeks, so dont count it against me if I say the same thing then. But the falls were absolutely incredible. I just saw them today, then got on a bus to Brazil, and now im headed to a beautiful beach town called Florionopolis, in about an hour.
Let me recap, moving backwards.
Im here at the bus station after crossing the border from Argentina to Brazil. Border crossings always excite me. You never know what to expect, and you hear all these horror stories about customs being difficult, and thieves prowling. But I made it over with no trouble at all. There is a long visa process to enter Brazil with a US passport, but that was all taken care of weeks ago. I was still a bit nervous, because I told them I was flying in, but instead took a bus. It didnt matter, im in. But the whole border crossing was fun.
Before the crossing I was at Iguazu falls. An absolutely incredible park full of waterfalls, but not just any waterfalls. Probably the most amazing in the world. We got up early today and were one of the first into the park, and saw the whole thing before 1pm. The town itself reminded me of Central America. Sub tropical climate, lush green scenery, and dirt roads. I became quite nostalgic hanging out there. I think I miss Central America!
I have a bus to catch tonight, so I wanted to give myself enough time to cross the border and get to the international bus station (where i am now). So I left Iguazu for the Brazilian border.
While at the falls I stayed in one of the coolest hostels ive ever been to, and at this point, thats been quite a few. It was an old casino, and has been renovated for hostel use. It has a huge pool, and there was a bbq last night, and tango show. I was quite impressed.
Before that I was in Buenos Aires, again. I had to travel from Uruguay back to Buenos Aires, and then to Iguazu. Apparently there were no direct buses from Montevideo.
I was in Montevideo the day after New Years, but only for a day. Its the capital of Uruguay, a nice town, but nothing special.
Before Montevideo I was in Punta del Este, perhaps the coolest place ive been to on my trip. Of course, it could have to do with the fact that I was there during New Years week. It was a really good time.
As I mentioned in my last blog, I hung out with some Brazilians, one of which had connections to every happening event on the peninsula. We got into one of the most exclusive parties in Punta, held at one of the most exclusive hotels in Uruguay, overlooking the ocean. It was nice. The cover charge to get in was 350 US dollars! Way too much money, so most of the guys had given up on the idea of getting in. I on the other hand, always love a challenge, and promised the guys that we would get in and would not pay close to the asking price. The cover charge is a ploy to keep out rift raft, or guys who show up and just cause trouble. Really I knew that Felip, one of the guys, had a connection. He wasnt even sure if he could pull it off, but I assured him he could. I gave him a little pep talk and he came out with 10 wrist bands, enough to get us all in. More than half the guys were still at the hostel, not thinking they had a chance, but me a Felipe went in, and Rubens, went to go get the rest of the guys, and Clarrissa. We made about a quarter of the asking price. Most of the guests inside wore loafers worth more than my whole luggage bag, but we fit in just fine.
The rest of the trip was just as exciting. Laying at the beach all day, driving around town in the back of the pick-up.
Brazilians are very passionate about soccer, and every soccer team has its own little song that the fans sing. We were in the back of the truck one day, and the guys were singing at the top of their lungs. One guy asked me what they sing at Redders games.
Redders games? What? What are Redders games?
¨Yeah, Redders, your team, he said.
Oh, Raiders! Well we dont sing songs at footbal games, sorry.
Then one of the guys mocked, yeah, you chant D-FENSE, and all the boys laughed. But, yeah, theyre right. Its football, not star search.
But I did learn a soccer song from my time in Mexico City. My cousins were huge Puma fans, of the Mexican soccer league, and they won the championships while I was there. I learned the song they sang, and taught it to the boys. It became our theme song for the week. Girls loved it when we sang it them. Check it out on Youtube, it may make more sense. Type in something like: Puma como no te voy a querer.
And thats the song: ¨Como no te voy a querer, como no te voy a querer...¨ and we just kept chanting that from the back of the truck. They loved it. Clearly one of those things where you had to be there.
Im at the bus terminal, so I have to go, ill post more later.
The trip seems to be getting more and more exciting. Brazil is a very cool place. Hope all is well back home.
Love you mom, family, and friends!
That song popped into my head as I headed to Iguazu Falls in Argentina. 18 hour bus ride from Buenos Aires, but worth it. What an amazing sight. Please look up pics on google, but realize that the pics will never do the place justice. (ill try to post mine on FB soon). Its the most incredible thing ive seen in nature. Ill be in the Amazon in about two weeks, so dont count it against me if I say the same thing then. But the falls were absolutely incredible. I just saw them today, then got on a bus to Brazil, and now im headed to a beautiful beach town called Florionopolis, in about an hour.
Let me recap, moving backwards.
Im here at the bus station after crossing the border from Argentina to Brazil. Border crossings always excite me. You never know what to expect, and you hear all these horror stories about customs being difficult, and thieves prowling. But I made it over with no trouble at all. There is a long visa process to enter Brazil with a US passport, but that was all taken care of weeks ago. I was still a bit nervous, because I told them I was flying in, but instead took a bus. It didnt matter, im in. But the whole border crossing was fun.
Before the crossing I was at Iguazu falls. An absolutely incredible park full of waterfalls, but not just any waterfalls. Probably the most amazing in the world. We got up early today and were one of the first into the park, and saw the whole thing before 1pm. The town itself reminded me of Central America. Sub tropical climate, lush green scenery, and dirt roads. I became quite nostalgic hanging out there. I think I miss Central America!
I have a bus to catch tonight, so I wanted to give myself enough time to cross the border and get to the international bus station (where i am now). So I left Iguazu for the Brazilian border.
While at the falls I stayed in one of the coolest hostels ive ever been to, and at this point, thats been quite a few. It was an old casino, and has been renovated for hostel use. It has a huge pool, and there was a bbq last night, and tango show. I was quite impressed.
Before that I was in Buenos Aires, again. I had to travel from Uruguay back to Buenos Aires, and then to Iguazu. Apparently there were no direct buses from Montevideo.
I was in Montevideo the day after New Years, but only for a day. Its the capital of Uruguay, a nice town, but nothing special.
Before Montevideo I was in Punta del Este, perhaps the coolest place ive been to on my trip. Of course, it could have to do with the fact that I was there during New Years week. It was a really good time.
As I mentioned in my last blog, I hung out with some Brazilians, one of which had connections to every happening event on the peninsula. We got into one of the most exclusive parties in Punta, held at one of the most exclusive hotels in Uruguay, overlooking the ocean. It was nice. The cover charge to get in was 350 US dollars! Way too much money, so most of the guys had given up on the idea of getting in. I on the other hand, always love a challenge, and promised the guys that we would get in and would not pay close to the asking price. The cover charge is a ploy to keep out rift raft, or guys who show up and just cause trouble. Really I knew that Felip, one of the guys, had a connection. He wasnt even sure if he could pull it off, but I assured him he could. I gave him a little pep talk and he came out with 10 wrist bands, enough to get us all in. More than half the guys were still at the hostel, not thinking they had a chance, but me a Felipe went in, and Rubens, went to go get the rest of the guys, and Clarrissa. We made about a quarter of the asking price. Most of the guests inside wore loafers worth more than my whole luggage bag, but we fit in just fine.
The rest of the trip was just as exciting. Laying at the beach all day, driving around town in the back of the pick-up.
Brazilians are very passionate about soccer, and every soccer team has its own little song that the fans sing. We were in the back of the truck one day, and the guys were singing at the top of their lungs. One guy asked me what they sing at Redders games.
Redders games? What? What are Redders games?
¨Yeah, Redders, your team, he said.
Oh, Raiders! Well we dont sing songs at footbal games, sorry.
Then one of the guys mocked, yeah, you chant D-FENSE, and all the boys laughed. But, yeah, theyre right. Its football, not star search.
But I did learn a soccer song from my time in Mexico City. My cousins were huge Puma fans, of the Mexican soccer league, and they won the championships while I was there. I learned the song they sang, and taught it to the boys. It became our theme song for the week. Girls loved it when we sang it them. Check it out on Youtube, it may make more sense. Type in something like: Puma como no te voy a querer.
And thats the song: ¨Como no te voy a querer, como no te voy a querer...¨ and we just kept chanting that from the back of the truck. They loved it. Clearly one of those things where you had to be there.
Im at the bus terminal, so I have to go, ill post more later.
The trip seems to be getting more and more exciting. Brazil is a very cool place. Hope all is well back home.
Love you mom, family, and friends!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Punta del Este, Uruguay: I love this place! If I had to describe it, I would say, crowds like Pacific Beach on the fourth of July, vibe like Miami´s South Beach, and lots of Brazilians! If I didnt know any better, I would think I was in Brazil. I was fortunate enough to room with four Brazilians, so I was in the loop. In total they were a group of 8.
We were at a concert the other night and the singer was yelling out countries. Well, really just three. You know, the whole, ¨is Argentina in the house?¨ And parts of the crowd erupts, and is Uruguay in the house (and we´re in Uruguay), and another small part of the crowd erupts, then she gets to Brazil, and what seemed like over 70 percent of the crowd starts cheering. Its like that in the hostel as well.
The guys I am rooming with also have a car, or a mini pick up truck, so they allow me and my friend to go with them everywhere. And a car is essential out here, because there seem to be no taxi´s. The beaches are amazing, the whole atmosphere is fun, you can definitely tell New Years is approaching.
A little catch up on my whereabouts. I arrived in Uruguay on the 26th of December, a day after Christmas. I spent Christmas in Buenos Aires. Its like the 4th of July out there. At midnight, fireworks go off for about an hour. Its fun. Its a huge city and lots of people got to BA for Christmas, so there was plenty open on Christmas day, and plenty to do.
I took a boat from Buenos Aires to Montevideo, Uruguay. It was nice. Like the Love Boat on TV. I guess like a mini cruise ship, but i´ve never been on a cruise, so I can´t say for sure. From Montevideo, we headed straight for Punta del Este. And here we are. This place is great, definitely a great place to end the year. Very ritzy, with yachts, and expensive cars crusing the beaches, but still affordable for folks like me if you stay at a hostel. Although I am paying 50 bucks a night for the 30th and 31st. Thats more than double my daily budget for countries like Bolivia, and Nicaragua. A lot more expensive here, but its to be expected.
The Brazilian guys I met sometimes cook, and always invite me to join them, so I save some money there. I´m actually pretty lucky to have met them; sometimes we go to beaches that are about half an hour away from our hostel, and there is no way my friend and I could have gotten there without a ride.
I feel like the backpacking portion of my trip is over. From here it is all much more expensive. Iguazu falls, and Brazil after the New Years, then my South American part of the trip is over. The trip has been fantastic. I guess at the end of the year its time to reflect, and when I stop to think about how great this year has been, I wish it wouldnt end. But I guess ill just carry it over to next year.
Its also the end of a decade. And a great decade for me. Graduated college, law school, passed the bar, started work. All sorts of great things. Of course, not without adversity, but with Gods help always overcame it. I´m really looking forward to this next year, and the next ten years! Life is good. Really good. God is good. And I am so grateful for all I have. I think in the next blog i´ll reflect on the last ten years. The thing about traveling, it allows you the time to do that sort of the thing. lol.
Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, and hope everyone has a Happy New Year. Out here there is a tradition where people throw trash out their window, well really white paper, so the streets are littered with white. Its supposed to represent getting rid of the old, and in with the new. So I hope if anyone had a crummy year, you let it all go and start fresh. You got to love new beginings. And if things are going well, let´s continue to build on them. I have a few prayers and goals for the next year, maybe ill share in the next blog. I think its always good to set goals.
Hope all is well at home. Love you mom, love you family and friends.
Michael
We were at a concert the other night and the singer was yelling out countries. Well, really just three. You know, the whole, ¨is Argentina in the house?¨ And parts of the crowd erupts, and is Uruguay in the house (and we´re in Uruguay), and another small part of the crowd erupts, then she gets to Brazil, and what seemed like over 70 percent of the crowd starts cheering. Its like that in the hostel as well.
The guys I am rooming with also have a car, or a mini pick up truck, so they allow me and my friend to go with them everywhere. And a car is essential out here, because there seem to be no taxi´s. The beaches are amazing, the whole atmosphere is fun, you can definitely tell New Years is approaching.
A little catch up on my whereabouts. I arrived in Uruguay on the 26th of December, a day after Christmas. I spent Christmas in Buenos Aires. Its like the 4th of July out there. At midnight, fireworks go off for about an hour. Its fun. Its a huge city and lots of people got to BA for Christmas, so there was plenty open on Christmas day, and plenty to do.
I took a boat from Buenos Aires to Montevideo, Uruguay. It was nice. Like the Love Boat on TV. I guess like a mini cruise ship, but i´ve never been on a cruise, so I can´t say for sure. From Montevideo, we headed straight for Punta del Este. And here we are. This place is great, definitely a great place to end the year. Very ritzy, with yachts, and expensive cars crusing the beaches, but still affordable for folks like me if you stay at a hostel. Although I am paying 50 bucks a night for the 30th and 31st. Thats more than double my daily budget for countries like Bolivia, and Nicaragua. A lot more expensive here, but its to be expected.
The Brazilian guys I met sometimes cook, and always invite me to join them, so I save some money there. I´m actually pretty lucky to have met them; sometimes we go to beaches that are about half an hour away from our hostel, and there is no way my friend and I could have gotten there without a ride.
I feel like the backpacking portion of my trip is over. From here it is all much more expensive. Iguazu falls, and Brazil after the New Years, then my South American part of the trip is over. The trip has been fantastic. I guess at the end of the year its time to reflect, and when I stop to think about how great this year has been, I wish it wouldnt end. But I guess ill just carry it over to next year.
Its also the end of a decade. And a great decade for me. Graduated college, law school, passed the bar, started work. All sorts of great things. Of course, not without adversity, but with Gods help always overcame it. I´m really looking forward to this next year, and the next ten years! Life is good. Really good. God is good. And I am so grateful for all I have. I think in the next blog i´ll reflect on the last ten years. The thing about traveling, it allows you the time to do that sort of the thing. lol.
Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, and hope everyone has a Happy New Year. Out here there is a tradition where people throw trash out their window, well really white paper, so the streets are littered with white. Its supposed to represent getting rid of the old, and in with the new. So I hope if anyone had a crummy year, you let it all go and start fresh. You got to love new beginings. And if things are going well, let´s continue to build on them. I have a few prayers and goals for the next year, maybe ill share in the next blog. I think its always good to set goals.
Hope all is well at home. Love you mom, love you family and friends.
Michael
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Buenos Aires, Argentina: Wow! I guess I have to start there. I don´t know if it has to do with the time of year, but the people here are incredibly nice. Very hospitable, going out of their way to make sure you have a good time here. People who minutes before were complete strangers, invite me to Christmas dinner. This has happened multiple times. I haven´t spent a dime on accomodations for the last four nights. They insist I stay with them. So i must say, the people in Buenos Aires have been the kindest of all the people i´ve met. Not sure if its was just luck running into the right people, or everyone being in the Christmas spirit, but its going to be tough to leave this place.
Although i did manage to escape once for three days and head to Mar del Plata. Its their coastal getaway town. Very nice beaches, reminded me of Miami. As I always say, check out the pics. Except you may have to wait, because although this is one of the coolest cities i´ve been to, the internet service is horrible! At least thats been my experience. Well, at least uploading photos is difficult.
I think its three days until Christmas, but it really does not feel like it. I can´t say i´m looking forward to some time off, because ive been off for about 6 months! And i cant say im looking forward to being with the family, because I wont be with the family. But there is a sense of Christmas out here, at least in the commercial sense. Lots of folks out and about doing what i think we do best: shop. Lots of Christmas shopping going on. And being the scrooge that I am, ive never been fond of that part of Christmas. But i´ll find something productive to do on that day.
Can´t say enough about this city, but wait on the photos to see what its like. Ive not blogged in so long that i dont know where to begin.
Arrived in Buenos Aires right after Roasario, which I believe was the 10th or 11th? Not sure anymore. I took an overnight bus and found some girls I had met in Santiago, Chile at the bus terminal and they asked if I wanted to share a cab with them to Milhouse hostel. I said sure, and so I was on my way to Milhouse, intending to stay only three nights because I wanted to head to Mar del Plata. Three days turned in to seven, and that´s just how it is out here. There is always an invitation somewhere. The food is amazing, great steaks at great prices. Just last night I was invited to an asada, it was on someones rooftop, of their apartment building. Great views, reminded me of New York. The steak was incredible, probably the best ive ever tasted in my life!
The city never sleeps. One of my first nights here i was invited to a concert that did not end until 3am, followed by a dj playing until who knows when. I thought we were waiting for another band to come on, but at 5, I told my friends i was going to bed. I walked back and the sun came up by the time my head hit my pillow. Its like that most nights. And dinner doesn´t usually start until 11am, ending at about 1am. If you show up to a restaurant at about 9pm, youll be alone.
Which also means breakfast consists of only toast and juice or coffee. Your so full from last nights dinner, that you´re not hungry for breakfast. And its not just the youth that carry this schedule, youll see grandmas and grandpas out at all hours of the night. Walking the streets, having a coffee, or whatever else.
Ill post pics as soon as possible. Ill be here for Christmas, but then am heading to Punta del Este, Uruguay. Its said to be the St. Tropez of the south. Something like Miami, but even more exotic. The kind of place where the rich and famous go to ring in the New Year. Im not rich, nor famous, but ill be there. Ill take lots of pics.
Merry Christmas, and Happy New!
Love you guys!
Although i did manage to escape once for three days and head to Mar del Plata. Its their coastal getaway town. Very nice beaches, reminded me of Miami. As I always say, check out the pics. Except you may have to wait, because although this is one of the coolest cities i´ve been to, the internet service is horrible! At least thats been my experience. Well, at least uploading photos is difficult.
I think its three days until Christmas, but it really does not feel like it. I can´t say i´m looking forward to some time off, because ive been off for about 6 months! And i cant say im looking forward to being with the family, because I wont be with the family. But there is a sense of Christmas out here, at least in the commercial sense. Lots of folks out and about doing what i think we do best: shop. Lots of Christmas shopping going on. And being the scrooge that I am, ive never been fond of that part of Christmas. But i´ll find something productive to do on that day.
Can´t say enough about this city, but wait on the photos to see what its like. Ive not blogged in so long that i dont know where to begin.
Arrived in Buenos Aires right after Roasario, which I believe was the 10th or 11th? Not sure anymore. I took an overnight bus and found some girls I had met in Santiago, Chile at the bus terminal and they asked if I wanted to share a cab with them to Milhouse hostel. I said sure, and so I was on my way to Milhouse, intending to stay only three nights because I wanted to head to Mar del Plata. Three days turned in to seven, and that´s just how it is out here. There is always an invitation somewhere. The food is amazing, great steaks at great prices. Just last night I was invited to an asada, it was on someones rooftop, of their apartment building. Great views, reminded me of New York. The steak was incredible, probably the best ive ever tasted in my life!
The city never sleeps. One of my first nights here i was invited to a concert that did not end until 3am, followed by a dj playing until who knows when. I thought we were waiting for another band to come on, but at 5, I told my friends i was going to bed. I walked back and the sun came up by the time my head hit my pillow. Its like that most nights. And dinner doesn´t usually start until 11am, ending at about 1am. If you show up to a restaurant at about 9pm, youll be alone.
Which also means breakfast consists of only toast and juice or coffee. Your so full from last nights dinner, that you´re not hungry for breakfast. And its not just the youth that carry this schedule, youll see grandmas and grandpas out at all hours of the night. Walking the streets, having a coffee, or whatever else.
Ill post pics as soon as possible. Ill be here for Christmas, but then am heading to Punta del Este, Uruguay. Its said to be the St. Tropez of the south. Something like Miami, but even more exotic. The kind of place where the rich and famous go to ring in the New Year. Im not rich, nor famous, but ill be there. Ill take lots of pics.
Merry Christmas, and Happy New!
Love you guys!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Rosario, Argentina: Its already December, and as they say, time flies! I can remember getting in the plane with my grandma, to Mexico City, wondering where i´ll be for Christmas. It think its clear now i´ll be in Buenos Aires, Argentina. 15 days til Christmas, if you´re keeping track at home! Still the most wonderful time of the year, in my opinion.
But its a bit different out here. For one, its summer time, and that means heat! Think about how weird it would be if December averaged 90 degrees! We´d freak out! But that´s how it is out here. It´s one of the reasons I had to leave Santiago, Chile a little early.
I left off (the blog, that is) in Viña del Mar, a beautiful coastal town in Chile. From there I headed back to the capital, Santiago, with plans to stay a week. Turns out I lasted two days. The primary reason was the heat. I couldnt take it! About 90 degrees during the day, and the sun does not set until about 9pm. Its hot until about then. Unbearable, at least it was for me. So I took the next bus to Mendoza, Argentina. But, Santiago was nice, very nice. I loved it, and as always, you can see pictures on Facebook. So far, maybe the nicest capital city. A little bit of NYC, a little bit of L.A., and even some SF. Really nice city. And the people, great!
But just couldnt take the heat, so off to Argentina I went.
I spent 5 days in Mendoza, and I loved every minute of it. I was not as excited as some travelers to visit Argentina. I had heard too much hype. A lot like Europe, the Argentinians consider themselves more European than Latin, and on and on. But I found none of it to be true. At least not in Mendoza. Not that there is anything wrong with Europe, but if you´re in Latin America, you should consider yourself Latin American. And they do! And they have great steaks, and great wine, and yes, the women here are absolutely gorgeous. Just had to throw that out there. Of course, they dont compare to California girls, but thats neither here nor there.
My first night in Mendoza I was sick. A horrible sore throat; I sounded like Froggy from the little Rascals. It was a friday night. So I slept all day hoping I would get better. And I did, eventually. Well enough to go rafting, horseback riding, and on a really cool wine tour in the next few days. Not to mention the zoo, which was fascinating and scary at the same time. I swear the animals could have escaped at any time. And im talking about bears, and tigers, and lions. But we were able to get so close, it was cool. And I was well enough to enjoy the food in Mendoza. The meat is amazing. I attended a few BBQ´s or Asada´s. All you can eat; I was in heaven!
The town was great, but I had to move on, so I headed to Rosario. Its a town near the river, and about 4 hours north of Buenos Aires. Also the birthplace of Che, and also home to most of the models in Argentina. At least that´s what some old man in Mendoza told me. But that´s not why im here. At least not the only reason...lol.
So far the town is ok. You need to take a bus from the city center to get to the river, which they call a beach. And, yes, it appears that most of the models in Argentina are from here.
Im currently at a hostel, and though ive mentioned that i dont prefer hostels, I think its hostels from here on out. In other countries I had the choice to get my own room at a hotel. In Chile and Argentina, prices wont allow me to do so. But so far ive enyoyed the experience. Yes, there are lots of foreigners, but you also meet lots of locals, because Chileans, and Argentineans travel more often, then say Peruvians, or Bolivians. So, for instance, there were lots of Chilean girls at my hostel in Mendoza because they had a four day weekend. So, even though I was at a hostel, I was able to hang out with ¨locals¨. Though I also met other folk who i really enjoyed spending time with.
But one Chilean girl made it clear that I had a long way to go with my spanish. She kept making fun of my pronunciation, and I kept reminding her that even if I was fluent in spanish I wouldnt speak like her because im not Chilean or Argentinean. In L.A. we speak Mexican spanish! She still continued to mock me! But i´m working on my spanish, and I think its getting pretty good. I´ll let you be the judge when I get back.
Times are good. Im deep into a book about Sudan. What is the What? is the name of it. By Dave Eggers. I recommend it to anyone interested in a good historical autobiography. The situation in Sudan is still on going, by the way. Also currently getting through Corinthians. Just finished the first part, will start the second after I log off.
I hope everyone is having a great December. If you have not yet gone out and bought a tree, do so! The longer you have it up, the better!
Love you mom, great chatting with you today!
Love you family,
Love you friends.
Michael.
But its a bit different out here. For one, its summer time, and that means heat! Think about how weird it would be if December averaged 90 degrees! We´d freak out! But that´s how it is out here. It´s one of the reasons I had to leave Santiago, Chile a little early.
I left off (the blog, that is) in Viña del Mar, a beautiful coastal town in Chile. From there I headed back to the capital, Santiago, with plans to stay a week. Turns out I lasted two days. The primary reason was the heat. I couldnt take it! About 90 degrees during the day, and the sun does not set until about 9pm. Its hot until about then. Unbearable, at least it was for me. So I took the next bus to Mendoza, Argentina. But, Santiago was nice, very nice. I loved it, and as always, you can see pictures on Facebook. So far, maybe the nicest capital city. A little bit of NYC, a little bit of L.A., and even some SF. Really nice city. And the people, great!
But just couldnt take the heat, so off to Argentina I went.
I spent 5 days in Mendoza, and I loved every minute of it. I was not as excited as some travelers to visit Argentina. I had heard too much hype. A lot like Europe, the Argentinians consider themselves more European than Latin, and on and on. But I found none of it to be true. At least not in Mendoza. Not that there is anything wrong with Europe, but if you´re in Latin America, you should consider yourself Latin American. And they do! And they have great steaks, and great wine, and yes, the women here are absolutely gorgeous. Just had to throw that out there. Of course, they dont compare to California girls, but thats neither here nor there.
My first night in Mendoza I was sick. A horrible sore throat; I sounded like Froggy from the little Rascals. It was a friday night. So I slept all day hoping I would get better. And I did, eventually. Well enough to go rafting, horseback riding, and on a really cool wine tour in the next few days. Not to mention the zoo, which was fascinating and scary at the same time. I swear the animals could have escaped at any time. And im talking about bears, and tigers, and lions. But we were able to get so close, it was cool. And I was well enough to enjoy the food in Mendoza. The meat is amazing. I attended a few BBQ´s or Asada´s. All you can eat; I was in heaven!
The town was great, but I had to move on, so I headed to Rosario. Its a town near the river, and about 4 hours north of Buenos Aires. Also the birthplace of Che, and also home to most of the models in Argentina. At least that´s what some old man in Mendoza told me. But that´s not why im here. At least not the only reason...lol.
So far the town is ok. You need to take a bus from the city center to get to the river, which they call a beach. And, yes, it appears that most of the models in Argentina are from here.
Im currently at a hostel, and though ive mentioned that i dont prefer hostels, I think its hostels from here on out. In other countries I had the choice to get my own room at a hotel. In Chile and Argentina, prices wont allow me to do so. But so far ive enyoyed the experience. Yes, there are lots of foreigners, but you also meet lots of locals, because Chileans, and Argentineans travel more often, then say Peruvians, or Bolivians. So, for instance, there were lots of Chilean girls at my hostel in Mendoza because they had a four day weekend. So, even though I was at a hostel, I was able to hang out with ¨locals¨. Though I also met other folk who i really enjoyed spending time with.
But one Chilean girl made it clear that I had a long way to go with my spanish. She kept making fun of my pronunciation, and I kept reminding her that even if I was fluent in spanish I wouldnt speak like her because im not Chilean or Argentinean. In L.A. we speak Mexican spanish! She still continued to mock me! But i´m working on my spanish, and I think its getting pretty good. I´ll let you be the judge when I get back.
Times are good. Im deep into a book about Sudan. What is the What? is the name of it. By Dave Eggers. I recommend it to anyone interested in a good historical autobiography. The situation in Sudan is still on going, by the way. Also currently getting through Corinthians. Just finished the first part, will start the second after I log off.
I hope everyone is having a great December. If you have not yet gone out and bought a tree, do so! The longer you have it up, the better!
Love you mom, great chatting with you today!
Love you family,
Love you friends.
Michael.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Viña del Mar, Chile: In Chile! Love it here! Really nice. But significantly more expensive than the last two countries.
A bit of catching up first. I left Cochabamba and got to Uyuni via train. Great train ride, 8 hours. Was in town for a day and found a tour of the Salt Flats, 3 days. I was grouped with 3 Bolivians, and they made it a great trip. They were older guys, friends since childhood, and vacationing together. They were hilarious. And the Salt Flat tour was incredible. Check out the pics, I would do it no justice trying to describe it.
From there I arrived in Chile. Because I thought I was in a huge hurry I jumped on a bus straight to the capital, Santiago. Turns out I have a lot more time than I thought. But I met up with a friend in Santiago, and we headed to Valparaiso. Valparaiso is a coastal town near Santiago. It has lots of character. Again, check out the pics. We spent Thanksgiving in Valparaiso. It was a nice dinner at a fancy restaurant. Of course the place was dead because no one out here knows or cares that it was Thanksgiving. I looked everywhere for Turkey, but they just don´t serve it out here. But we did find a delicious chicken, and we had mashed potatoes to have some semblance of Thanksgiving dinner. I enjoyed it.
From there we moved to Viña del Mar, which is like a mix of Pacific Beach and Laguna Beach. Its obvious that there are lots of rich folks here. Not a single backpacker anywhere. I suppose its too expensive. But we found a great deal on a room across the street from the beach. We haven´t done much exploring yet, but today we´ll probably walk around and see what´s going on out here.
I plan on returning to Santiago tomorrow or the next day. Chile is definitely a beautiful country. Very modern, almost like a different world compared to Bolivia. It is quite puzzling how one country can be so behind in terms of infrastructure and technology, and all that sort of stuff when they are neighbors. I understand it has to do with financing and lifestyle choices, but it still boggles my mind a bit. Not to say I think any less of the people in Bolivia, I think they´re world class people, and the country is as beautiful as any i´ve seen. But, fix your streets! Modernize your plumping! Things like that.
I´m at the beach right now, but the weather is a bit cold, and windy. I hope it warms up soon.
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! It´s incredible to see how much we have to be thankful for, year after year. And after nearly six months of traveling, I think I have a greater appreciation and am more grateful for the opportunity to live where I live. Again, not to take anything away from all the beautiful countries I have visited, but I do believe I live in the greatest country in the world! And I am talking in terms of opportunity, and resources available to people to allow them to progress. Of course we can get better, but we´re doing pretty good. Just ask the dozens of people who remind me from time to time how much they would love to live in the states. Or at least work in the states. It is something to be thankful for.
Love you all,
Love you mom,
Michael
A bit of catching up first. I left Cochabamba and got to Uyuni via train. Great train ride, 8 hours. Was in town for a day and found a tour of the Salt Flats, 3 days. I was grouped with 3 Bolivians, and they made it a great trip. They were older guys, friends since childhood, and vacationing together. They were hilarious. And the Salt Flat tour was incredible. Check out the pics, I would do it no justice trying to describe it.
From there I arrived in Chile. Because I thought I was in a huge hurry I jumped on a bus straight to the capital, Santiago. Turns out I have a lot more time than I thought. But I met up with a friend in Santiago, and we headed to Valparaiso. Valparaiso is a coastal town near Santiago. It has lots of character. Again, check out the pics. We spent Thanksgiving in Valparaiso. It was a nice dinner at a fancy restaurant. Of course the place was dead because no one out here knows or cares that it was Thanksgiving. I looked everywhere for Turkey, but they just don´t serve it out here. But we did find a delicious chicken, and we had mashed potatoes to have some semblance of Thanksgiving dinner. I enjoyed it.
From there we moved to Viña del Mar, which is like a mix of Pacific Beach and Laguna Beach. Its obvious that there are lots of rich folks here. Not a single backpacker anywhere. I suppose its too expensive. But we found a great deal on a room across the street from the beach. We haven´t done much exploring yet, but today we´ll probably walk around and see what´s going on out here.
I plan on returning to Santiago tomorrow or the next day. Chile is definitely a beautiful country. Very modern, almost like a different world compared to Bolivia. It is quite puzzling how one country can be so behind in terms of infrastructure and technology, and all that sort of stuff when they are neighbors. I understand it has to do with financing and lifestyle choices, but it still boggles my mind a bit. Not to say I think any less of the people in Bolivia, I think they´re world class people, and the country is as beautiful as any i´ve seen. But, fix your streets! Modernize your plumping! Things like that.
I´m at the beach right now, but the weather is a bit cold, and windy. I hope it warms up soon.
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! It´s incredible to see how much we have to be thankful for, year after year. And after nearly six months of traveling, I think I have a greater appreciation and am more grateful for the opportunity to live where I live. Again, not to take anything away from all the beautiful countries I have visited, but I do believe I live in the greatest country in the world! And I am talking in terms of opportunity, and resources available to people to allow them to progress. Of course we can get better, but we´re doing pretty good. Just ask the dozens of people who remind me from time to time how much they would love to live in the states. Or at least work in the states. It is something to be thankful for.
Love you all,
Love you mom,
Michael
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Cochabamba, Bolivia: Relief! That´s what I felt when I finally finished painting. Who would of thought painting a room and a staircase would be so difficult! I was not so much happy, as relieved when the job was finally completed. It must of took three to four coats to get that done. Let´s just say it wasn´t Sherwin Williams paint. But it got done! And the tile work got done, and I took care of the roof problem, I think. I did my best, and they asked when I was coming back to visit, so I must have done ok.
All in all, it was a great experience, and i´m going to miss Cochabamba when I leave tomorrow morning. One of the days I had to just stop working, because the kids just wouldn´t let me work, but it was much more fun playing with them. They wanted to be on the swing most of the time, which made it easy. Just a push. And the kids are pretty brave; they kept saying, ¨mas fete, tio¨. ¨Mas fuerte, tio¨. They wanted me to puch them faster. They were great. Funny, as most kids are. It´s a great organization, check them out on the web. Casa de Amor, Cochabamba, Bolivia. Just Google it. You´ll find a great story about Jennifer, who started the orphanage in her early 20´s. The whole staff is terrific, modern day Mother Theresa´s is the way I see them.
I also got a nice tour of the city from a local. Great town, bigger than I thought. Look for pictures on Facebook in about a week. I won´t have good enough internet service to upload until then.
Every town has its little sayings, or manner of speaking. Cochabamba is no exception. After every sentence, it seems, they say, ¨no ve.¨ It´s almost comical. Talking about almost anything, they end with, no ve. So, they´ll say, the place you want to get to is over there, no ve. Or, I´ve lived here for 20 years, no ve. And every time someone would say it, I had to crack a smile, so they were probably thinking, what´s so funny? But it was hilarious to me. I even had to ask someone why they said it so much, but I guess when your so accostumed to it, you don´t notice.
I´m off to Oruro tomorrow, but just for about an hour, then i´m taking a train to Uyuni (in Bolvia), where I plan to take a tour of the Salt Flats. I´m hoping I can do a 2 or 3 day tour. They´re usually 4 days. It turns out i´m in a bit of a rush again. Not yet confirmed, but I may need to be in Brazil by December 17th. That means I have less than a month to finish Bolivia, then visit Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay. Should be a fun next couple of weeks.
I´m also thinking I may be in Central America for New Years. Was going to be in Brazil, but since I will be there so early, I could just leave a little earlier. Depends on plane ticked prices.
Great news from back home, my uncle and aunt just had twins! I hope they post pictures so I can see my new cousins (hint, hint)! Congratulations Uncle D and Aunt Yvonne!
No place like home for the holidays, but i´ll make the best of the next few months. I think i´ll be in such a rush I won´t even realize I missed Thanksgiving, or Christmas. When is Thanksgiving, anyways? They don´t celebrate it out here, so I may not know that I missed it. Christmas is obviously international, so I may notice that it´s Christmas time. I´ll probably be in Brazil.
Hope all is well at home!
Love you mom,
Love you family, (and its getting bigger!)
Love you friends,
Michael
All in all, it was a great experience, and i´m going to miss Cochabamba when I leave tomorrow morning. One of the days I had to just stop working, because the kids just wouldn´t let me work, but it was much more fun playing with them. They wanted to be on the swing most of the time, which made it easy. Just a push. And the kids are pretty brave; they kept saying, ¨mas fete, tio¨. ¨Mas fuerte, tio¨. They wanted me to puch them faster. They were great. Funny, as most kids are. It´s a great organization, check them out on the web. Casa de Amor, Cochabamba, Bolivia. Just Google it. You´ll find a great story about Jennifer, who started the orphanage in her early 20´s. The whole staff is terrific, modern day Mother Theresa´s is the way I see them.
I also got a nice tour of the city from a local. Great town, bigger than I thought. Look for pictures on Facebook in about a week. I won´t have good enough internet service to upload until then.
Every town has its little sayings, or manner of speaking. Cochabamba is no exception. After every sentence, it seems, they say, ¨no ve.¨ It´s almost comical. Talking about almost anything, they end with, no ve. So, they´ll say, the place you want to get to is over there, no ve. Or, I´ve lived here for 20 years, no ve. And every time someone would say it, I had to crack a smile, so they were probably thinking, what´s so funny? But it was hilarious to me. I even had to ask someone why they said it so much, but I guess when your so accostumed to it, you don´t notice.
I´m off to Oruro tomorrow, but just for about an hour, then i´m taking a train to Uyuni (in Bolvia), where I plan to take a tour of the Salt Flats. I´m hoping I can do a 2 or 3 day tour. They´re usually 4 days. It turns out i´m in a bit of a rush again. Not yet confirmed, but I may need to be in Brazil by December 17th. That means I have less than a month to finish Bolivia, then visit Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay. Should be a fun next couple of weeks.
I´m also thinking I may be in Central America for New Years. Was going to be in Brazil, but since I will be there so early, I could just leave a little earlier. Depends on plane ticked prices.
Great news from back home, my uncle and aunt just had twins! I hope they post pictures so I can see my new cousins (hint, hint)! Congratulations Uncle D and Aunt Yvonne!
No place like home for the holidays, but i´ll make the best of the next few months. I think i´ll be in such a rush I won´t even realize I missed Thanksgiving, or Christmas. When is Thanksgiving, anyways? They don´t celebrate it out here, so I may not know that I missed it. Christmas is obviously international, so I may notice that it´s Christmas time. I´ll probably be in Brazil.
Hope all is well at home!
Love you mom,
Love you family, (and its getting bigger!)
Love you friends,
Michael
Friday, November 13, 2009
Cochabamba, Bolivia: Going to go out on a limb here, and proclaim Cochambamba my favorite city thus far. I reserve the right to amend this later, but I have to say, I have not been this satisfied with a city in a long time.
Now, there is nothing special about this city, and as I have said before, not many tourist, but that may be precisely why I enjoy it so much. For one, I can´t speak english here. No one in this city speaks more than four words of english! (Of course, that´s probably not true, but its nothing like other cities i´ve visited). Which is a good thing. I have really been able to practice my spanish here.
Two, I love what i´m doing at the orphanage. I started painting today, after a long morning trying to buy paint. Finding the orphanage was an ordeal in itself. I called for directions, and really could not get them. The phone was full of static, and there really wasn´t a proper address for the place. The best info I received was: next to Imba Pollo. And that proved to be the best way to get there. Tell the taxi to take me to Imba Pollo. From there I walked around until I found it.
The next day, which was today, I got up early to buy paint. Almost three hours later I had my paint, and off to the orphanage I went. Turns out i´m not a great painter, but I get by. It took me the whole day to paint a room. I have a bit more to do tomorrow. The kids are all under 5, and can´t help me, in fact they hinder more than anything. But, I love it! They call me tio, which is funny to me, but they always ask what i´m doing. Pintando, I keep telling them over and over. But again they ask, que haces tio? Its funny, but great to have them around. Once in a while they´ll get in trouble for being in the way, but not by me.
I left the place with wet paint on the walls, I hope its still on when I get back.
I´m also splurging again, and staying in a pretty nice hotel. Hot water, cable tv, clean bed, nice view...all luxuries when ¨backpacking.¨ There´s also a gym near by, and cost only a dollar for a day pass. I had to go, since its been months since i´ve done anything that remotely resembles working out. Of course I over did it, and will pay the price tomorrow. I even did squats! (That was dumb). I probably won´t be able to walk without pain in the morning, but it was good to get some kind of workout.
And, as an added bonus, and to my surprise, there are lots of really good looking girls in Cochabamba. Everyone talks about Costa Rica, Colombia, Argentina, and yeah, i´m sure the girls are good looking there, but who would of thought Cochabamba. And i´m talking lots of good looking girls. Not that its important, but there was enough to notice. And, yeah, it makes my stay here a little nicer!
If I can find the Pac-Cotto fight tomorrow night, i´ll be even happier. I´m thinking it will be the best fight in a long, long time. I think Pacquiao will win. Though Cotto is also a great fighter. Just think in a fight like this, you also have to have a great corner. I don´t think Cotto did himself a favor by hiring a friend.
So all is well. May stay here a bit longer than expected. At least until next Tuesday.
Love you all,
Michael
Now, there is nothing special about this city, and as I have said before, not many tourist, but that may be precisely why I enjoy it so much. For one, I can´t speak english here. No one in this city speaks more than four words of english! (Of course, that´s probably not true, but its nothing like other cities i´ve visited). Which is a good thing. I have really been able to practice my spanish here.
Two, I love what i´m doing at the orphanage. I started painting today, after a long morning trying to buy paint. Finding the orphanage was an ordeal in itself. I called for directions, and really could not get them. The phone was full of static, and there really wasn´t a proper address for the place. The best info I received was: next to Imba Pollo. And that proved to be the best way to get there. Tell the taxi to take me to Imba Pollo. From there I walked around until I found it.
The next day, which was today, I got up early to buy paint. Almost three hours later I had my paint, and off to the orphanage I went. Turns out i´m not a great painter, but I get by. It took me the whole day to paint a room. I have a bit more to do tomorrow. The kids are all under 5, and can´t help me, in fact they hinder more than anything. But, I love it! They call me tio, which is funny to me, but they always ask what i´m doing. Pintando, I keep telling them over and over. But again they ask, que haces tio? Its funny, but great to have them around. Once in a while they´ll get in trouble for being in the way, but not by me.
I left the place with wet paint on the walls, I hope its still on when I get back.
I´m also splurging again, and staying in a pretty nice hotel. Hot water, cable tv, clean bed, nice view...all luxuries when ¨backpacking.¨ There´s also a gym near by, and cost only a dollar for a day pass. I had to go, since its been months since i´ve done anything that remotely resembles working out. Of course I over did it, and will pay the price tomorrow. I even did squats! (That was dumb). I probably won´t be able to walk without pain in the morning, but it was good to get some kind of workout.
And, as an added bonus, and to my surprise, there are lots of really good looking girls in Cochabamba. Everyone talks about Costa Rica, Colombia, Argentina, and yeah, i´m sure the girls are good looking there, but who would of thought Cochabamba. And i´m talking lots of good looking girls. Not that its important, but there was enough to notice. And, yeah, it makes my stay here a little nicer!
If I can find the Pac-Cotto fight tomorrow night, i´ll be even happier. I´m thinking it will be the best fight in a long, long time. I think Pacquiao will win. Though Cotto is also a great fighter. Just think in a fight like this, you also have to have a great corner. I don´t think Cotto did himself a favor by hiring a friend.
So all is well. May stay here a bit longer than expected. At least until next Tuesday.
Love you all,
Michael
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Cochabamba, Bolivia: Finally remembered my password! It´s been a month since i´ve entered anything, so this may be a long blog....or really short.
I think last time I wrote, I was headed to Machu Picchu! Hopefully you´ve seen the pictures on Facebook. It was all its cracked up to be. Certainly was not disappointed. And my brother went with me, so it was that much better. If you have not seen the pictures, do so. If you don´t have Facebook, sign up, its free.
Shortly after Machu Picchu, Ruben left, but I was stuck in Cusco, Peru because another friend was coming to visit. I was certainly glad she came, but if I could have chosen any other city, I would have. I was in Cusco for about 3 and a half weeks. About three weeks too long. I did not enjoy my time there.
The city is much too touristy, and really nothing too exciting to do there. Its more of a launching point to Machu Picchu. Three days is about as much time as anyone needs there.
I was able to volunteer for a week. So that made it a little better. I volunteered with Bruce Peru, an organization that helps educate poor children in Cusco.
But even with that experience, I was happy to leave Cusco, first chance I got. Which was the day after Clarrissa left. From Cusco I headed to Puno with Maddie and Nicole, two other volunteers from Bruce Peru. One thing is certain, you´ll always meet great people volunteering.
Puno was great! We spent about three days there, and visited some islands on Lake Titicaca. We even stayed with a local family one night, that was fun. We also splurged when we stayed in Puno and stayed at a really nice hotel! Probably on par with the Marriott back home.
From Puno, Peru, I crossed the border into Bolivia. I had to pay a Visa fee for the first time. 135 dollars! Quite expensive, but Bolivia is so cheap, it all works out in the end. My first stop in Bolivia was Copacabana. Its another small town on the shore of Lake Titicaca. I also visited some islands, but only for a day. And while in Copacabana, I ran into a friend who I met in Ecuador, and traveled with him to La Paz. Also went with two American girls, one of which found out a few days ago she passed the NY Bar! She was pretty excited about that, as was I.
I was in La Paz, the defacto capital of Bolivia, for a few days. Great city, I enjoyed it. Each capital city has its own character, yet all are very similar. I think I liked La Paz more than Bogota, but not quite as much as Quito. I don´t think I really saw the real Lima, but that was probably the nicest capital city thus far.
I´ll post La Paz pictures soon.
And now i´m in Cochabamba, and very happy about it! There is not a single backpacker in this city. Atleast I have not seen any. Its not really a popular stop for backpackers, nor is it on the so called ¨Gringo Trail¨, which is the trail most backpackers follow. Most popular cities in South America are part of the Gringo Trail, and really you could come to South America, and never really experience the culture or even have to speak spanish if you follow this trail. You stay at hostels full of foreign travelers who all speak english, and visit the same tourist attractions, and eat at the same foreign owned restaurants, and hang out at the same bars, and never really have an authentic experience.
But if you come to Cochabamba, you won´t find that. But i´m not here to meet other backpackers. I came to do some work for Casa de Amor, an orphanage here in Cochabamba. I wrote them a few weeks ago and asked if there was any maintenance work, or cleaning I could do for them. I have been in contact with enough orphanages to know that I can best serve by doing things that most people do not like to do. I love playing with kids as much as the next person, but most orphanages need monetary help, or help with the upkeep of their facilities.
So they wrote back and said, yes! They need someone to paint, lay tile, and fix a Bolivian style roof. Not to mention massive yard work. And of course I said, yeah, I can do that. But now I find myself a bit nervous, remembering that i´m in Bolivia, not California, and i have no idea if there is a Home Depot near by. And i´ve seen people lay tile millions of times, it seems easy enough, but is it? And Bolivian style roof? What´s that? So i´m not sure exactly what i´m in for, but I´ll stay until all the work is done. There is no doubt about that.
So i´m nervous, but happy. This is really what I came out here for. To be of service. I love traveling, and visiting new cities, but truth is, i´m kind of over it. Meeting new folks from Australia or Britain is not what I came to do. Though i´ve met some wonderful people. The whole backpacking circuit has lost its novelty. I don´t really enjoy hostels or meeting new folks from other countries, unless their from the particular country i´m visiting, but this I do enjoy. Taking on a new challenge, and helping in any way I can.
Tomorrow morning i´ll take a look at what I need to do, find a store to buy the materials (which I assume may be the toughest part), then i´ll get to work!
I´ll try to keep up with the blog. I know i´ll regret if I don´t.
Hope all is well back home. This last month has been the toughest. Traveling at 28 is a lot different than traveling in your early twenties. Lots of young folks out here love it and wish they never had to go back. But admittingly, they say they don´t have much to go back to. I feel like I have everything to go back to. Besides all my family and friends, I´ve finished school and all that good stuff. So I can´t wait to go home! But I also realize how fortunate I am to be able to do this, and I thank God every day for the opportunity. I know when I get home you´ll be able to tell the difference in me. Its hard to see it in yourself sometimes.
You´ll also notice how much weight i´ve lost! I´ve confirmed the other day that i´ve lost close to 25 pounds! The food in South America is ok, but nothing like home, and there is no good Mexican food! Good food is expensive, and not easy to find.
Love you mom,
love you family,
and love you friends!
Michael
I think last time I wrote, I was headed to Machu Picchu! Hopefully you´ve seen the pictures on Facebook. It was all its cracked up to be. Certainly was not disappointed. And my brother went with me, so it was that much better. If you have not seen the pictures, do so. If you don´t have Facebook, sign up, its free.
Shortly after Machu Picchu, Ruben left, but I was stuck in Cusco, Peru because another friend was coming to visit. I was certainly glad she came, but if I could have chosen any other city, I would have. I was in Cusco for about 3 and a half weeks. About three weeks too long. I did not enjoy my time there.
The city is much too touristy, and really nothing too exciting to do there. Its more of a launching point to Machu Picchu. Three days is about as much time as anyone needs there.
I was able to volunteer for a week. So that made it a little better. I volunteered with Bruce Peru, an organization that helps educate poor children in Cusco.
But even with that experience, I was happy to leave Cusco, first chance I got. Which was the day after Clarrissa left. From Cusco I headed to Puno with Maddie and Nicole, two other volunteers from Bruce Peru. One thing is certain, you´ll always meet great people volunteering.
Puno was great! We spent about three days there, and visited some islands on Lake Titicaca. We even stayed with a local family one night, that was fun. We also splurged when we stayed in Puno and stayed at a really nice hotel! Probably on par with the Marriott back home.
From Puno, Peru, I crossed the border into Bolivia. I had to pay a Visa fee for the first time. 135 dollars! Quite expensive, but Bolivia is so cheap, it all works out in the end. My first stop in Bolivia was Copacabana. Its another small town on the shore of Lake Titicaca. I also visited some islands, but only for a day. And while in Copacabana, I ran into a friend who I met in Ecuador, and traveled with him to La Paz. Also went with two American girls, one of which found out a few days ago she passed the NY Bar! She was pretty excited about that, as was I.
I was in La Paz, the defacto capital of Bolivia, for a few days. Great city, I enjoyed it. Each capital city has its own character, yet all are very similar. I think I liked La Paz more than Bogota, but not quite as much as Quito. I don´t think I really saw the real Lima, but that was probably the nicest capital city thus far.
I´ll post La Paz pictures soon.
And now i´m in Cochabamba, and very happy about it! There is not a single backpacker in this city. Atleast I have not seen any. Its not really a popular stop for backpackers, nor is it on the so called ¨Gringo Trail¨, which is the trail most backpackers follow. Most popular cities in South America are part of the Gringo Trail, and really you could come to South America, and never really experience the culture or even have to speak spanish if you follow this trail. You stay at hostels full of foreign travelers who all speak english, and visit the same tourist attractions, and eat at the same foreign owned restaurants, and hang out at the same bars, and never really have an authentic experience.
But if you come to Cochabamba, you won´t find that. But i´m not here to meet other backpackers. I came to do some work for Casa de Amor, an orphanage here in Cochabamba. I wrote them a few weeks ago and asked if there was any maintenance work, or cleaning I could do for them. I have been in contact with enough orphanages to know that I can best serve by doing things that most people do not like to do. I love playing with kids as much as the next person, but most orphanages need monetary help, or help with the upkeep of their facilities.
So they wrote back and said, yes! They need someone to paint, lay tile, and fix a Bolivian style roof. Not to mention massive yard work. And of course I said, yeah, I can do that. But now I find myself a bit nervous, remembering that i´m in Bolivia, not California, and i have no idea if there is a Home Depot near by. And i´ve seen people lay tile millions of times, it seems easy enough, but is it? And Bolivian style roof? What´s that? So i´m not sure exactly what i´m in for, but I´ll stay until all the work is done. There is no doubt about that.
So i´m nervous, but happy. This is really what I came out here for. To be of service. I love traveling, and visiting new cities, but truth is, i´m kind of over it. Meeting new folks from Australia or Britain is not what I came to do. Though i´ve met some wonderful people. The whole backpacking circuit has lost its novelty. I don´t really enjoy hostels or meeting new folks from other countries, unless their from the particular country i´m visiting, but this I do enjoy. Taking on a new challenge, and helping in any way I can.
Tomorrow morning i´ll take a look at what I need to do, find a store to buy the materials (which I assume may be the toughest part), then i´ll get to work!
I´ll try to keep up with the blog. I know i´ll regret if I don´t.
Hope all is well back home. This last month has been the toughest. Traveling at 28 is a lot different than traveling in your early twenties. Lots of young folks out here love it and wish they never had to go back. But admittingly, they say they don´t have much to go back to. I feel like I have everything to go back to. Besides all my family and friends, I´ve finished school and all that good stuff. So I can´t wait to go home! But I also realize how fortunate I am to be able to do this, and I thank God every day for the opportunity. I know when I get home you´ll be able to tell the difference in me. Its hard to see it in yourself sometimes.
You´ll also notice how much weight i´ve lost! I´ve confirmed the other day that i´ve lost close to 25 pounds! The food in South America is ok, but nothing like home, and there is no good Mexican food! Good food is expensive, and not easy to find.
Love you mom,
love you family,
and love you friends!
Michael
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Cusco, Peru: Arrived in Cusco today at 7am! Our plane left from Lima at 6am, which meant we had to be at the airport at 4...which meant I had to wake up at 3:15am. I´m tired! But glad to be in Cusco, because tomorrow we go to Machu Picchu!
Last time I left the blog I had arrived in Quito. Absolutely loved it there! I stayed at the Secret Garden hostel. Great hostel, I highly recommend it if your staying in Quito. Great view from the terrace. Also lots of great people there.
Met lots of locals in Quito, and they were extremely nice. Also met up with Uncle D´s and Aunt Yvonne family, who took us to church and showed us around town. Ricky and Gaby were great!
The city itself is beautiful. Went to Mitad del Mundo, which is allegedly the middle of the earth. It´s said that the equator is not actually on the spot that the museum indicates, but that the real line is a few yards away. I visited both spots. It was cool.
Also went to Otavalo, which is supposed to be the biggest market in Ecuador, maybe even South America. It was nice, and actually did some shopping there.
I was pressed for time in Ecuador because my brother was coming to Lima on October 8th. So we left Quito prematurely, and headed to Banos. Banos was beautiful, we took a 3 hour tour of the waterfalls, which was nice. We left Quito in the morning, and arrived in Banos at 10am...15 minutes later we boarded a tour bus to see the waterfalls. We were in Banos less than 24 hours.
From Banos, we headed to Guayaquill, a port town in Ecuador. We were told to see Las Penas, and the Malecon, which we did. Again, we were pressed for time, so we did everything in a rush. Though we did have time to go to the mall and catch a movie while we were there. We watched ¨Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.¨ Don´t judge me! lol.
From Guayaquill we took a 24 hour bus to Lima. Its amazing to me how I manage to get around. Hours before I had no idea how I would get to Lima, but somehow when faced with necessity, you figure it out. I also got help from a random stranger who decided to walk me two and a half blocks to the bus station to buy my tickets. He just offered, and asked nothing in return. This was crucial because the main bus terminal had no direct buses to Lima, and I needed to be there the next day. And the Ecuador and Peru border is supposed to be one of the worst, as far as people trying to rip you off. We had no problems at the border crossing, and made to Lima on time.
From the bus station in Lima, we headed straight to the airport to find my brother. There he was, with Sean Lambert, waiting for us. It was great to see both of them. What a break. For the first time in months I could relax! And Seans place was amazing! Beach front high rise condo! The place looked like Santa Monica. I´ll post pictures soon.
Lima was nothing like I imagined, but maybe we saw a different part. We stayed in Miraflores, where all the rich folk live. Though we did venture one day to the center of Lima, which of course was a bit more dodgey.
But Lima was great. I felt like I was on vacation!
From Lima we flew to Cusco. I had no intentions of taking a flight during my time in South America, except from Brasil, but because of time constraints we flew to Cusco. A 45 minute flight.
We arrived today, and are getting acclimated to the elevation. Tomorrow we got to Machu Picchu. Looking forward to it!
Look for pictures soon!
I love you mom,
I love you family and friends,
Michael
Last time I left the blog I had arrived in Quito. Absolutely loved it there! I stayed at the Secret Garden hostel. Great hostel, I highly recommend it if your staying in Quito. Great view from the terrace. Also lots of great people there.
Met lots of locals in Quito, and they were extremely nice. Also met up with Uncle D´s and Aunt Yvonne family, who took us to church and showed us around town. Ricky and Gaby were great!
The city itself is beautiful. Went to Mitad del Mundo, which is allegedly the middle of the earth. It´s said that the equator is not actually on the spot that the museum indicates, but that the real line is a few yards away. I visited both spots. It was cool.
Also went to Otavalo, which is supposed to be the biggest market in Ecuador, maybe even South America. It was nice, and actually did some shopping there.
I was pressed for time in Ecuador because my brother was coming to Lima on October 8th. So we left Quito prematurely, and headed to Banos. Banos was beautiful, we took a 3 hour tour of the waterfalls, which was nice. We left Quito in the morning, and arrived in Banos at 10am...15 minutes later we boarded a tour bus to see the waterfalls. We were in Banos less than 24 hours.
From Banos, we headed to Guayaquill, a port town in Ecuador. We were told to see Las Penas, and the Malecon, which we did. Again, we were pressed for time, so we did everything in a rush. Though we did have time to go to the mall and catch a movie while we were there. We watched ¨Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.¨ Don´t judge me! lol.
From Guayaquill we took a 24 hour bus to Lima. Its amazing to me how I manage to get around. Hours before I had no idea how I would get to Lima, but somehow when faced with necessity, you figure it out. I also got help from a random stranger who decided to walk me two and a half blocks to the bus station to buy my tickets. He just offered, and asked nothing in return. This was crucial because the main bus terminal had no direct buses to Lima, and I needed to be there the next day. And the Ecuador and Peru border is supposed to be one of the worst, as far as people trying to rip you off. We had no problems at the border crossing, and made to Lima on time.
From the bus station in Lima, we headed straight to the airport to find my brother. There he was, with Sean Lambert, waiting for us. It was great to see both of them. What a break. For the first time in months I could relax! And Seans place was amazing! Beach front high rise condo! The place looked like Santa Monica. I´ll post pictures soon.
Lima was nothing like I imagined, but maybe we saw a different part. We stayed in Miraflores, where all the rich folk live. Though we did venture one day to the center of Lima, which of course was a bit more dodgey.
But Lima was great. I felt like I was on vacation!
From Lima we flew to Cusco. I had no intentions of taking a flight during my time in South America, except from Brasil, but because of time constraints we flew to Cusco. A 45 minute flight.
We arrived today, and are getting acclimated to the elevation. Tomorrow we got to Machu Picchu. Looking forward to it!
Look for pictures soon!
I love you mom,
I love you family and friends,
Michael
Monday, September 28, 2009
Quito, Ecuador: Just got to Quito, and must say it feels good. I don´t know why, but I feel like i´m safe here. Not that I plan to put my guard down, or that it is actually safer here than in Colombia, but feel like I can breathe a bit easier. Maybe it has to do with the fact that my uncle was here a few months ago. I feel like he scoped out the place for me! lol.
I also have some contacts here that I hope to connect with. It always make the trip easier. Thanks, aunt Yvonne!
But Colombia was great! After the whole incident, things calmed down. Enjoyed Bogota, and had a good time in Cali. Of course, all too short. I needed a few more days in each city, but i´m in a bit of a time crunch.
Stayed an extra day in Bogota, at the recommendation of a few friends. By the way, thanks for all the insight, Andrea and Jason!
Visited Zona Rosa, or Zona T, which was cool. Parque 93, and Alex Campos Church. He wasnt there. Bogota also had great museums, and a great cultural vibe. Saw someone getting beat with a stick just outside the hostel on the next to the last day, but turned out he was a thief. Crazy town, but just like any other capital city. It has it all.
While in Cali, we met up with a friend we met while in Pamama City. Joe let us stay at his place for a few nights! He´s from England, but teaches english in Cali. Thanks, Joe and Karla!
Its always great to be with someone who lives in town.
Cali is hot, so one day we went to a public pool. We stayed in the water for a grand total of 10 minutes, but it was worth the trip. Also visited a mall called Chipechape. Known as Sillicon Valley, because of all the plastic surgery the ladies who visit the mall get. It is pretty obvious.
Cali is known for Salsa, but I have a feeling we did not see the best of Cali, as far as Salsa goes. I only went out one night, so im sure the place I went to was not a good representation of Cali Salsa. But one girl did tell me I was a pretty good dancer. I´ll put that on my resume, girl from Cali said I was a good dancer! lol.
Took a night bus to Ecuador. 11 hours to the border, which was an experience. All border crossings are fun. Got to be on your toes the entire time. Everyones out to get a buck. I remember Panama crossing from Costa Rica. If youre not careful, you can really be taken to the cleaners.
Same at the Colombia-Ecuador border. Money changers everywhere! And others letting you know they can do the immigration procedure for you. What they really want is your passport so they can charge you to get it back. Yes, some people are dumb enough to give it to them. But, common sense tells you who and who not to trust. Just annoying that you have to be looking out for yourself so much.
But then there are the good folks who make the crossing pleasant. They´ll help you with directions, or suggest a cheaper form of transportion. The crossing was hectic, but fine.
From the border, there is another bus to Quito, 5 hours. Except ours took a little longer because some folks tried to block the roads. I´ve heard about this happening in Peru, but never here, but I guess its common in all of South America. Just folks trying to have their voices heard, so they create road blocks to stop traffic to draw attention to their cause. Usually has to do with elements of fairnes and justice. Didn´t get the whole story, but had something to do with access to water. Fortunately, or unfortunately, they were unsuccessful. They delayed our trip, but did not manage to block the road. I hope if its justice they seek, it´s justice they get. It was obviously a poorer area of the country we were driving by.
Arrived in Quito about 5pm, headed to a hostel, but not sure I will stay there long. Probably off to another tomorrow. Also plan to check out Middle of the World tomorrow.
Hope all is well at home.
Love you all!
Michael
I also have some contacts here that I hope to connect with. It always make the trip easier. Thanks, aunt Yvonne!
But Colombia was great! After the whole incident, things calmed down. Enjoyed Bogota, and had a good time in Cali. Of course, all too short. I needed a few more days in each city, but i´m in a bit of a time crunch.
Stayed an extra day in Bogota, at the recommendation of a few friends. By the way, thanks for all the insight, Andrea and Jason!
Visited Zona Rosa, or Zona T, which was cool. Parque 93, and Alex Campos Church. He wasnt there. Bogota also had great museums, and a great cultural vibe. Saw someone getting beat with a stick just outside the hostel on the next to the last day, but turned out he was a thief. Crazy town, but just like any other capital city. It has it all.
While in Cali, we met up with a friend we met while in Pamama City. Joe let us stay at his place for a few nights! He´s from England, but teaches english in Cali. Thanks, Joe and Karla!
Its always great to be with someone who lives in town.
Cali is hot, so one day we went to a public pool. We stayed in the water for a grand total of 10 minutes, but it was worth the trip. Also visited a mall called Chipechape. Known as Sillicon Valley, because of all the plastic surgery the ladies who visit the mall get. It is pretty obvious.
Cali is known for Salsa, but I have a feeling we did not see the best of Cali, as far as Salsa goes. I only went out one night, so im sure the place I went to was not a good representation of Cali Salsa. But one girl did tell me I was a pretty good dancer. I´ll put that on my resume, girl from Cali said I was a good dancer! lol.
Took a night bus to Ecuador. 11 hours to the border, which was an experience. All border crossings are fun. Got to be on your toes the entire time. Everyones out to get a buck. I remember Panama crossing from Costa Rica. If youre not careful, you can really be taken to the cleaners.
Same at the Colombia-Ecuador border. Money changers everywhere! And others letting you know they can do the immigration procedure for you. What they really want is your passport so they can charge you to get it back. Yes, some people are dumb enough to give it to them. But, common sense tells you who and who not to trust. Just annoying that you have to be looking out for yourself so much.
But then there are the good folks who make the crossing pleasant. They´ll help you with directions, or suggest a cheaper form of transportion. The crossing was hectic, but fine.
From the border, there is another bus to Quito, 5 hours. Except ours took a little longer because some folks tried to block the roads. I´ve heard about this happening in Peru, but never here, but I guess its common in all of South America. Just folks trying to have their voices heard, so they create road blocks to stop traffic to draw attention to their cause. Usually has to do with elements of fairnes and justice. Didn´t get the whole story, but had something to do with access to water. Fortunately, or unfortunately, they were unsuccessful. They delayed our trip, but did not manage to block the road. I hope if its justice they seek, it´s justice they get. It was obviously a poorer area of the country we were driving by.
Arrived in Quito about 5pm, headed to a hostel, but not sure I will stay there long. Probably off to another tomorrow. Also plan to check out Middle of the World tomorrow.
Hope all is well at home.
Love you all!
Michael
Monday, September 21, 2009
Bogota, Colombia: Felt I should update this sooner rather than later, since last blog was a bit much. It was as crazy as I thought, and now the details are bit clearer.
Turns out there were 7-8 guys who jumped and robbed the guys I was with. One guy was stabbed repeatedly in the arm and robbed. He got stitches in his arm, and was lucky they didnt get a major vein on his wrist. He´s left town. Another robbed and beat up. He's out of here as well. Another got away after getting passed two guys. Two of the guys were over 6´2", the other just a bit bigger than me.
And still, incredibly, I was not touched. Tried to reason that maybe I looked Mexican, or at least Latino, so they decided to not bother me. But found out later that a cute little Colombia girl was stabbed and robbed just a few hours later. Obviously these thugs care not where your from. I would also like to think they took one good look at me and thought, ¨better not mess with this guy, it would a huge mistake!" lol.
Its becoming absolutely clear that God was protecting me. I didnt have to even fight these guys. They completely ignored me. Didn't lay a hand on me, and whisked right by. Nothing short of a miracle. I thank God for that.
And definitely have given Bogota another shot. Turns out its pretty cool here. Still have not gone out at night, but really have no desire to. The day brings plenty to do. Spent the day at two amazing museums today. One was the Botero Musuem, which is full of Fernando Botero art. Check out Facebook for photos. He exxagerates all his paintings. Very popular Colombian artist.
Also turns out that today was the last day of the Andy Warhol exhibit. It was amazing! Couple more museums tomorrow, then off to Cali, Colombia.
Definitely felt better about walking the streets today. The other night was humbling, and made me realize that you can't get too comfortable out here. I became accostumed to putting my wallet in my front pocket, instead of hiding it in my sock, like I did in Mexico City. Today it was shoved in my sock! But still walked around not fearful. As my brother reminded me, I have not been given a spirit of fear. Just need to be cautious. I will be.
The city has a great vibe. Definitely unsafe at night in parts of town, but overall a great place. Thanks for all the comforting comments that were left on here and Facebook. It was an unsettling experience when you're on your own, but good to know my family and friends are still with me.
And, Harvey and Uncle D, you're right, I was born in Inglewood, so I should be used to this stuff. This place is Disneyland compared to some spots in LA. I'll stay tough.
Miss you all, but loving every minute of this trip!
Love,
Michael
(Biggum Raider-SUN) That one's for Harvey...lol.
Turns out there were 7-8 guys who jumped and robbed the guys I was with. One guy was stabbed repeatedly in the arm and robbed. He got stitches in his arm, and was lucky they didnt get a major vein on his wrist. He´s left town. Another robbed and beat up. He's out of here as well. Another got away after getting passed two guys. Two of the guys were over 6´2", the other just a bit bigger than me.
And still, incredibly, I was not touched. Tried to reason that maybe I looked Mexican, or at least Latino, so they decided to not bother me. But found out later that a cute little Colombia girl was stabbed and robbed just a few hours later. Obviously these thugs care not where your from. I would also like to think they took one good look at me and thought, ¨better not mess with this guy, it would a huge mistake!" lol.
Its becoming absolutely clear that God was protecting me. I didnt have to even fight these guys. They completely ignored me. Didn't lay a hand on me, and whisked right by. Nothing short of a miracle. I thank God for that.
And definitely have given Bogota another shot. Turns out its pretty cool here. Still have not gone out at night, but really have no desire to. The day brings plenty to do. Spent the day at two amazing museums today. One was the Botero Musuem, which is full of Fernando Botero art. Check out Facebook for photos. He exxagerates all his paintings. Very popular Colombian artist.
Also turns out that today was the last day of the Andy Warhol exhibit. It was amazing! Couple more museums tomorrow, then off to Cali, Colombia.
Definitely felt better about walking the streets today. The other night was humbling, and made me realize that you can't get too comfortable out here. I became accostumed to putting my wallet in my front pocket, instead of hiding it in my sock, like I did in Mexico City. Today it was shoved in my sock! But still walked around not fearful. As my brother reminded me, I have not been given a spirit of fear. Just need to be cautious. I will be.
The city has a great vibe. Definitely unsafe at night in parts of town, but overall a great place. Thanks for all the comforting comments that were left on here and Facebook. It was an unsettling experience when you're on your own, but good to know my family and friends are still with me.
And, Harvey and Uncle D, you're right, I was born in Inglewood, so I should be used to this stuff. This place is Disneyland compared to some spots in LA. I'll stay tough.
Miss you all, but loving every minute of this trip!
Love,
Michael
(Biggum Raider-SUN) That one's for Harvey...lol.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Bogota, Colombia: Arrived in Bogota last night after a 10 hour bus ride. Left Medellin, which I regret greatly at this point. More on that later. But first have to get the frustration off my chest!
Not so much frustration as shocked! We get to the bus terminal at 10pm. Late, but everything had been going so well, that I wasn't too worried. Every capital city can be rough, but after visiting Mexico City, San Salvador, Managua, Guatemala City, I figured this couldn't be too bad. I had no idea where we were going, but after being shut out of two hostels in Medellin, I did not want to risk not finding a place this late at night.
So I tell the taxi guy to take us to Hotel San Sebastian. Its a bit pricey according to the Lonely Planet travel guide, but I figured they would have rooms available. They did. But even more expensive than I expected. I was with Cindy, and we had all our stuff with us, so I knew walking downtown Bogota with all of our stuff was a bad idea. I told her to stay in the hotel lobby, and I would look for a better budget option. Walked about a block and a half and felt uneasy about continuing. Call it a 6th sense, common sense, or the Holy Spirit, but I didnt continue.
But at the same time i'm thinking, there is plenty of people out right now, it cant be so bad. I'm basically walking in circles when I run into three english speaking guys, and think, they must know where a hostel is near by.
I approach them, and ask where they're staying. Turns out their hostel has no beds available, but there is another just down the road. They're headed that way, so I follow. Its about 12:15am at this point.
We walk up a side street, no street lights, when out of nowhere we're ambushed by at least four guys. I'm walking behind the three guys I met, and see one of them getting punched in the head, and another "thug" running up. So i'm bracing myself for someone to attack me. I'm in defense mode waiting for something to happen. I cant tell who's who, I reach to see if my camera is still in my pocket..it is. I feel to check if my wallet is still in pocket; it is. I hear one of the guys yell, "run." I do. I look back to see if anyone is chasing us, but he yells again, keep running! So I do. He's way ahead of me, he has long legs, but im thinking, what about your friends? His friend was the one I saw get punched in the back of the head.
I take off back to the hotel where I left Cindy, huffing and puffing. Cindy freaks out, I forget all my spanish, so I tell Cindy to tell the receptionist to lock the front door. He does. Eventually I go back outside to see if the guys are still out there. Turns out one of the guys was stabbed and bleeding, and the other was just punched a few times.
Oddly enough, they came from behind and completely skipped me. I should have been the first person they attacked, but they didnt even touch me. But it still shook me up. I put the dresser in front of the door before I went to bed. Worst hotel ever, by the way. I finally used my own sheets that I brought in case I found myself in a roach motel. The day finally came when I had to use it.
So fairly or unfairly, I hate Bogota! I want to leave, today! But I know that I should probably calm down first. Maybe just leave this area. Although its supposed to be a touristy area. I guess no where is safe at night. Just feel kind of home sick after that.
Its tough when there is no one to look out for you. When you have to be on your toes 24/7. No breaks. You have to plan everything, and be your own bodyguard. And sometimes look out for others. Its all taking a toll.
Yesterday could have been bad. I had my wallet with my credit cards in them, and my camera. Apparently at least one of them had a knife. But I do know that there are plenty of people praying for me, and I do appreciate that. I can still stay, so far so good. No one has robbed me, yet.
Last night was almost surreal. Seeing three guys get jumped by four guys. No one daring to bother me. Why? I´ll never know. I just thank God nothing happened to me, and hope those guys are ok. But still don't like it here.
Even folks from Medellin and Cartagena say Bogota is not as nice as the rest of Colombia, and neither are the people. I think its unfair to overgeneralize, but so far that has been my experience. But of course were talking about 12 hours in the city.
Medellin on the other hand, was amazing. Downtown, though tough, brought us no problems. People are very friendly. When we finally left downtown for a nicer part of the city, near Parque Lleras, it was even nicer. I regret leaving, but we were scheduled to pick someone up from the airport today. We did.
Still a bit shaken up. But i'll live. Cant wait for my brother to get here, in about three weeks.
Please don't tell my grandma about this, she'll be worried! lol. Really though, don't tell her. And dont worry mom, its not as bad as it seems. Just shook me up, that's all.
Check out the pictures of Medellin on FB, i'll post more soon.
As always, thanks for the prayers.
I miss you all
Love,
Michael
Not so much frustration as shocked! We get to the bus terminal at 10pm. Late, but everything had been going so well, that I wasn't too worried. Every capital city can be rough, but after visiting Mexico City, San Salvador, Managua, Guatemala City, I figured this couldn't be too bad. I had no idea where we were going, but after being shut out of two hostels in Medellin, I did not want to risk not finding a place this late at night.
So I tell the taxi guy to take us to Hotel San Sebastian. Its a bit pricey according to the Lonely Planet travel guide, but I figured they would have rooms available. They did. But even more expensive than I expected. I was with Cindy, and we had all our stuff with us, so I knew walking downtown Bogota with all of our stuff was a bad idea. I told her to stay in the hotel lobby, and I would look for a better budget option. Walked about a block and a half and felt uneasy about continuing. Call it a 6th sense, common sense, or the Holy Spirit, but I didnt continue.
But at the same time i'm thinking, there is plenty of people out right now, it cant be so bad. I'm basically walking in circles when I run into three english speaking guys, and think, they must know where a hostel is near by.
I approach them, and ask where they're staying. Turns out their hostel has no beds available, but there is another just down the road. They're headed that way, so I follow. Its about 12:15am at this point.
We walk up a side street, no street lights, when out of nowhere we're ambushed by at least four guys. I'm walking behind the three guys I met, and see one of them getting punched in the head, and another "thug" running up. So i'm bracing myself for someone to attack me. I'm in defense mode waiting for something to happen. I cant tell who's who, I reach to see if my camera is still in my pocket..it is. I feel to check if my wallet is still in pocket; it is. I hear one of the guys yell, "run." I do. I look back to see if anyone is chasing us, but he yells again, keep running! So I do. He's way ahead of me, he has long legs, but im thinking, what about your friends? His friend was the one I saw get punched in the back of the head.
I take off back to the hotel where I left Cindy, huffing and puffing. Cindy freaks out, I forget all my spanish, so I tell Cindy to tell the receptionist to lock the front door. He does. Eventually I go back outside to see if the guys are still out there. Turns out one of the guys was stabbed and bleeding, and the other was just punched a few times.
Oddly enough, they came from behind and completely skipped me. I should have been the first person they attacked, but they didnt even touch me. But it still shook me up. I put the dresser in front of the door before I went to bed. Worst hotel ever, by the way. I finally used my own sheets that I brought in case I found myself in a roach motel. The day finally came when I had to use it.
So fairly or unfairly, I hate Bogota! I want to leave, today! But I know that I should probably calm down first. Maybe just leave this area. Although its supposed to be a touristy area. I guess no where is safe at night. Just feel kind of home sick after that.
Its tough when there is no one to look out for you. When you have to be on your toes 24/7. No breaks. You have to plan everything, and be your own bodyguard. And sometimes look out for others. Its all taking a toll.
Yesterday could have been bad. I had my wallet with my credit cards in them, and my camera. Apparently at least one of them had a knife. But I do know that there are plenty of people praying for me, and I do appreciate that. I can still stay, so far so good. No one has robbed me, yet.
Last night was almost surreal. Seeing three guys get jumped by four guys. No one daring to bother me. Why? I´ll never know. I just thank God nothing happened to me, and hope those guys are ok. But still don't like it here.
Even folks from Medellin and Cartagena say Bogota is not as nice as the rest of Colombia, and neither are the people. I think its unfair to overgeneralize, but so far that has been my experience. But of course were talking about 12 hours in the city.
Medellin on the other hand, was amazing. Downtown, though tough, brought us no problems. People are very friendly. When we finally left downtown for a nicer part of the city, near Parque Lleras, it was even nicer. I regret leaving, but we were scheduled to pick someone up from the airport today. We did.
Still a bit shaken up. But i'll live. Cant wait for my brother to get here, in about three weeks.
Please don't tell my grandma about this, she'll be worried! lol. Really though, don't tell her. And dont worry mom, its not as bad as it seems. Just shook me up, that's all.
Check out the pictures of Medellin on FB, i'll post more soon.
As always, thanks for the prayers.
I miss you all
Love,
Michael
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Medellin, Colombia: Made it to Medellin after a 13 hour bus ride in an ice box! You'd think i'd learn by now, but got on the bus with shorts and a tank top, flip flops, and no jacket. It was very hot in Cartagena. But the bus must have been 20 degrees! I was freezing the whole way! But it was my fault for not being prepared.
Cartagena was great, though! Very hot, but bearable with light clothing. The cities architecture was amazing, at least in the old town, inside the fort. It was as they say, very romantic. It is a city for couples, but single folks can enjoy it just the same. I did.
The people are incredibly nice, and very helpful. One lady practically walked me to a restaurant when I asked for directions. Its safe, clean, everything you would want from a city. As always, check out pics on Facebook.
The city was a launching pad back to Europe for the old spanish settlers, and it was raided many times, hence the fort built around it. The old colonial buildings are very much kept up, and it makes for an amusement park-like setting. Walking the streets at night makes you feel like your walking down Main Street at Disneyland. Very surreal.
We stayed at a hotel, so did not get much of the backpacker crowd. I enjoyed that part. As I said earlier, I was sick of spending most of my time with Europeans and Israelis, no offense, they're nice enough people, but I wanted to experience Colombia with Colombians!
Same story here in Medellin. I am at a hotel, but may take the recommendation of a friend and try a hostel tomorrow night. Backpackers can be funny in that they come to a city, spend most of their time at the hostel, and leave only in huge groups, and think they actually experienced "traveling." Of course they're not all like that, but too many are. Hotels are cheap enough where I have been able to avoid hostels in South America. We'll see how it goes tomorrow.
I'm loving Colombia, it has been amazing. Of course i've been to only once city, but still incredible. Medellin seems really nice. I hope to visit Pablo Escobar's old home. I saw a documentary, years ago, about Medellin, and the effect the Medellin Cartel had on the city. It was quite violent, but since the death of Pablo Escobar, has calmed down.
A few years ago people would avoid Colombia, sort of the way I am avoiding Venezuela now, but Colombia has really become quite safe for traveling. I'm looking forward to seeing Medellin. Look for pictures soon!
Love you mom,
Love you fam and friends,
Michael
Cartagena was great, though! Very hot, but bearable with light clothing. The cities architecture was amazing, at least in the old town, inside the fort. It was as they say, very romantic. It is a city for couples, but single folks can enjoy it just the same. I did.
The people are incredibly nice, and very helpful. One lady practically walked me to a restaurant when I asked for directions. Its safe, clean, everything you would want from a city. As always, check out pics on Facebook.
The city was a launching pad back to Europe for the old spanish settlers, and it was raided many times, hence the fort built around it. The old colonial buildings are very much kept up, and it makes for an amusement park-like setting. Walking the streets at night makes you feel like your walking down Main Street at Disneyland. Very surreal.
We stayed at a hotel, so did not get much of the backpacker crowd. I enjoyed that part. As I said earlier, I was sick of spending most of my time with Europeans and Israelis, no offense, they're nice enough people, but I wanted to experience Colombia with Colombians!
Same story here in Medellin. I am at a hotel, but may take the recommendation of a friend and try a hostel tomorrow night. Backpackers can be funny in that they come to a city, spend most of their time at the hostel, and leave only in huge groups, and think they actually experienced "traveling." Of course they're not all like that, but too many are. Hotels are cheap enough where I have been able to avoid hostels in South America. We'll see how it goes tomorrow.
I'm loving Colombia, it has been amazing. Of course i've been to only once city, but still incredible. Medellin seems really nice. I hope to visit Pablo Escobar's old home. I saw a documentary, years ago, about Medellin, and the effect the Medellin Cartel had on the city. It was quite violent, but since the death of Pablo Escobar, has calmed down.
A few years ago people would avoid Colombia, sort of the way I am avoiding Venezuela now, but Colombia has really become quite safe for traveling. I'm looking forward to seeing Medellin. Look for pictures soon!
Love you mom,
Love you fam and friends,
Michael
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Cartagena, Colombia: South America! And what a voyage to get here. It was horrible! But an experience I will never forget.
Let me start with Panama City, which is where I left off. The City was great. Stayed at Luna´s Castle and did a bit of touring of the city. There is a great contrast in the city, one part being high rise condos and buildings, very similar to Miami, and the other run down town with much to be desired. I visited both, but was escorted out of Casco Viejo by a lady who said we were about to get robbed. She cautioned that we should not walk around that part of town, so we left. 20 minutes later we were in the nice part of town, worried that we would get escorted out of one of the hotels, this time because we did not look rich enough. We looked like backpackers, which we were.
The Panama Canal was great. Truly amazing human feat. There are some pictures on facebook.
From Panama City I got on a sail boat to the San Blas Islands. The San Blas Islands were amazing. We were on sail from island to island for about 3 days.
The next three days we headed for Cartagena, Colombia. Worst three days of my life. The captain was inexperienced, and I was sea sick the whole time. Threw up six times, and basically wished the whole ordeal would end. It did. And here I am. I´ll post pictures soon.
This keyboard is very sticky, so i´ll write more later.
Let me start with Panama City, which is where I left off. The City was great. Stayed at Luna´s Castle and did a bit of touring of the city. There is a great contrast in the city, one part being high rise condos and buildings, very similar to Miami, and the other run down town with much to be desired. I visited both, but was escorted out of Casco Viejo by a lady who said we were about to get robbed. She cautioned that we should not walk around that part of town, so we left. 20 minutes later we were in the nice part of town, worried that we would get escorted out of one of the hotels, this time because we did not look rich enough. We looked like backpackers, which we were.
The Panama Canal was great. Truly amazing human feat. There are some pictures on facebook.
From Panama City I got on a sail boat to the San Blas Islands. The San Blas Islands were amazing. We were on sail from island to island for about 3 days.
The next three days we headed for Cartagena, Colombia. Worst three days of my life. The captain was inexperienced, and I was sea sick the whole time. Threw up six times, and basically wished the whole ordeal would end. It did. And here I am. I´ll post pictures soon.
This keyboard is very sticky, so i´ll write more later.
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