Spent yesterday just walking around the north town which isn´t very exciting as its just full of airline offices and expensive hotels. I did negotiate the tram though which is actually quite a feet. My experience, contrary to many stories Ive heard, is that Colombians are NOT helpful.
Today treated myself to a massage. The masseuse wore surgical gloves the whole time. Weird! and she wondered why I couldn´t relax. Went shopping..again. Im a brat. And then went to the cinema. Don´t bother seeing Paranoia. Its rubbish. It didn´t help either that I was surrounded by young couples with nowhere else to go. Felt guilty about not doing anything cultural so went to the Gold Museum and then to an artisans market. After 5 months here, all the markets are the same , selling the same hippy shit, which I have no interest in. I must be the only backpacker travlling that has resisted the urge to adorn my arms with rubbishy friendship braclets you used to give your freinds when you were 12.
Tuesday 25 September 2007
Monday 24 September 2007
Bogota
Im in Bogota at the mo. The bus journey was quite hard. Its really expensive to go direct so I choose to get a bus to the Ecuadorian border, taxi across to the Colombian border and then a bus to Bogota. It took about 26 hours in total. Id done similar bus journeys in Argentina but its been months since Ive had to do one that long so it has taken its toll. Im absolutely knackered today. Quiet one tonight I think. I was finally (after 3 weeks of calling Iberia every day), able to book my flight home today. I´ll be home Oct 15th for those that want to meet up and get all the stories I couldn´t write on the blog........
Saturday 22 September 2007
More Quito
Ive been having a great laugh the last few days. I met up with the gang Ive been traveling with for ages after a short break apart. They have headed off to Colombia but I should meet up with them again along the way. Quito has loads of backpackers which makes a nice change from a lot of the places Ive been in Ecuador. Im spending most of my time with a funny Ozzie bloke that I met originally in Banos. I feel like Ive known him for years so we are having great craic together.
Ive been to loads of museums and churches, the best was an art museum showing an Andy Worhol exhibition which was really interesting. Also climbed the church tower which gives a great view of the old city.
We went to the Equator which was really underwhelming. Basically just a line and a monument. Definitely missable. And then we went to the real equator which was just down the road. Apparantly they didn´t have GPS when they drew the first line. So we paid again into the real line which was quite funny as you can balance an egg on a nail head and you can watch the water fall straight through a plug hole without it swirling.
Went to a Turkish baths today which wasn´t great cause the sauna and the steam rooms weren´t very hot which kind of defeats the purpose.
The best thing Ive done since I got here was go to visit the womens prison. We went to visit an Irish girl but it turns out she had already been released so we just chatted to the other foreigners who were all in for drug trafficking. It was very surreal but an incredible experience. We got to mingle with all the prisoners in the yard and their common room and we even got a tour of their bedrooms. The conditions were awful. The prison is doubly oversubscribed and overrun with children who are allowed live with their criminal mothers. Can you imagine growing up in a prison? The food looked terrible and the place was awash with inmates wandering around like zombies on drugs. Most of the foreigners are in there for 8 years minimum. They were all in fairly good spirits as we brought a load of chocolate, cigarettes, fresh veg etc and we all gave them money as well.
Apart from that Ive just been going out. The bars and clubs are amazing here. So are the shops. Ive bought a load of clothes which Ive no space for in my bag but Im just so sick of all the stuff Ive been wearing non-stop for the last 5 is it? months.
Im prob going to head to Colombia myself tomorrow if I can get my act together.
Ive been to loads of museums and churches, the best was an art museum showing an Andy Worhol exhibition which was really interesting. Also climbed the church tower which gives a great view of the old city.
We went to the Equator which was really underwhelming. Basically just a line and a monument. Definitely missable. And then we went to the real equator which was just down the road. Apparantly they didn´t have GPS when they drew the first line. So we paid again into the real line which was quite funny as you can balance an egg on a nail head and you can watch the water fall straight through a plug hole without it swirling.
Went to a Turkish baths today which wasn´t great cause the sauna and the steam rooms weren´t very hot which kind of defeats the purpose.
The best thing Ive done since I got here was go to visit the womens prison. We went to visit an Irish girl but it turns out she had already been released so we just chatted to the other foreigners who were all in for drug trafficking. It was very surreal but an incredible experience. We got to mingle with all the prisoners in the yard and their common room and we even got a tour of their bedrooms. The conditions were awful. The prison is doubly oversubscribed and overrun with children who are allowed live with their criminal mothers. Can you imagine growing up in a prison? The food looked terrible and the place was awash with inmates wandering around like zombies on drugs. Most of the foreigners are in there for 8 years minimum. They were all in fairly good spirits as we brought a load of chocolate, cigarettes, fresh veg etc and we all gave them money as well.
Apart from that Ive just been going out. The bars and clubs are amazing here. So are the shops. Ive bought a load of clothes which Ive no space for in my bag but Im just so sick of all the stuff Ive been wearing non-stop for the last 5 is it? months.
Im prob going to head to Colombia myself tomorrow if I can get my act together.
Monday 17 September 2007
Quito
Arrived in Quito last night and I love love love it already. Reminds me a bit of Cusco where I spent a month. Ill have to be careful. The hostel I choose was full which was a bit annoying but at least I know I choose a good one and Im goingt o move in there today. The day I left Peru I met an Irish guy on the bus. We got to chatting and it turned out his bank card wasn´t working or something. Feeling sorry for him, I lent him 20 dollars so that he could at least get something to eat before he reached his destinationand sorted it out. Turned out that 20dollars saved his life. His bags were put on the wrong bus and he had to get another bus somewhere to pick them up which he wouldn´t have been able to do without my money. Well, I met up with him last night for a few drinks and we had great craic. He brought me to a fancy bar/restaurant and had the best garlic prawns Ive ever eaten. Im so sick of the food in Ecuador. Its all chicken, rice and potatoes. Even if you want to go to nice places, there haven´t really been any....until now. The food in Quito is amazing.
Tena
Met up with Becky and the 3 of us spent the night in Banos then headed off by bus to the jungle town of Tena the next day. The bus journey was a nightmare. The good road didn´t last long and after that we were on a very bumpy dirt track. We were sat at the back (cause we are cool) and were being thrown violently around the place for about 3 hours. We made a short 10 min stop. The usual locals got on trying to sell us drinks, ice pops, fruit etc and then something Id never seen before- a portion of deep fried chicken and chips, hot, for 1 dollar. Sold!
Tena had a really nice feel to it. The buildings were all brightly coloured like the Carribean but kind of ramshakle. It was really humid and it rained most of the time but it was a warm rain. After two cocktails I was wrecked so went home early and let the youngsters party it out. I got up early the next morning and headed to the zoological gardens while they slept in the hammocks. Im not really into animals but it was something to do while the others slept and in the end I really enjoyed it. I saw all the animlas I should have seen in the jungle and loads more- monkeys, caymens, pumas, jaguars, turtles, and the rat-pig thing Id seen in Bolivia, that my zoooligist sister Sheena informs me is actually called "a capybara, largest rodent in the world and very cute". Hmm- you can tell who the animal lover is!
Becky has decided to stay in Tena to do a 3 day rafting trip and some ecological work in the jungle so yesterday I loved her and left her and headed to Quito with my highly intellegent Romanian who speaks much better English than I do and kept me entertained on the 5 hour bus journey cause it was too bumby to read.
Tena had a really nice feel to it. The buildings were all brightly coloured like the Carribean but kind of ramshakle. It was really humid and it rained most of the time but it was a warm rain. After two cocktails I was wrecked so went home early and let the youngsters party it out. I got up early the next morning and headed to the zoological gardens while they slept in the hammocks. Im not really into animals but it was something to do while the others slept and in the end I really enjoyed it. I saw all the animlas I should have seen in the jungle and loads more- monkeys, caymens, pumas, jaguars, turtles, and the rat-pig thing Id seen in Bolivia, that my zoooligist sister Sheena informs me is actually called "a capybara, largest rodent in the world and very cute". Hmm- you can tell who the animal lover is!
Becky has decided to stay in Tena to do a 3 day rafting trip and some ecological work in the jungle so yesterday I loved her and left her and headed to Quito with my highly intellegent Romanian who speaks much better English than I do and kept me entertained on the 5 hour bus journey cause it was too bumby to read.
Puyo
When I was booking my tour I was told there were 2 Ozzies doing it with me. I asked what age and they said, just a bit older than you, so Im thinking 30ish! They were about 50-60. Damm it, I thought but actually we had a a really nice day. They were really cool and I have mucho respect for them travelling around South America at their age. I hope Im as active.
We went to an indigineous village in the morning. I wasn´t totally convinvced. Im sure I saw a flicker of a tv and there were football boots lying around. Its not that I dont expect them to advance, I just got the distinct impression, a lot of what we were shown was for show. I was offered a tribal henna from a woman. With images of the fabolous Indian wedding henna in mind, I agreed, only to be horrified when it was done. The woman drew a pathetic looking butterfly on my arm, and then wanted to get paid. Despite scrubbing it off (out of view) Im told itll still last 2 weeks as it dyes the skin immediately.
Afterwards we walked through the jungle and learnt about the healing properties of the plants. The photo is of me snorting some plant that helps sinus problems. It was like shoving a chilli pepper up there. As you can see from the look on my face, Im not used to snorting things up my nose! There was a distinst lack of animals but we were only in the secondary part of the Amazon and you need to go further east into the thick of it to see any. Then took a dugout canoe down one of the rivers. Overall it was a good day, I was just expecting a lot more. The way Ms Brennan in 2nd year geography made it sound was much more interesting. I got a lift back to Banos that night as I didn´t really like Puyo and my mate Becky had just arrived there. I dragged along an 18year old Romanian boy that I met who was by himself.
We went to an indigineous village in the morning. I wasn´t totally convinvced. Im sure I saw a flicker of a tv and there were football boots lying around. Its not that I dont expect them to advance, I just got the distinct impression, a lot of what we were shown was for show. I was offered a tribal henna from a woman. With images of the fabolous Indian wedding henna in mind, I agreed, only to be horrified when it was done. The woman drew a pathetic looking butterfly on my arm, and then wanted to get paid. Despite scrubbing it off (out of view) Im told itll still last 2 weeks as it dyes the skin immediately.
Afterwards we walked through the jungle and learnt about the healing properties of the plants. The photo is of me snorting some plant that helps sinus problems. It was like shoving a chilli pepper up there. As you can see from the look on my face, Im not used to snorting things up my nose! There was a distinst lack of animals but we were only in the secondary part of the Amazon and you need to go further east into the thick of it to see any. Then took a dugout canoe down one of the rivers. Overall it was a good day, I was just expecting a lot more. The way Ms Brennan in 2nd year geography made it sound was much more interesting. I got a lift back to Banos that night as I didn´t really like Puyo and my mate Becky had just arrived there. I dragged along an 18year old Romanian boy that I met who was by himself.
Thursday 13 September 2007
Banos rocks
Its been a laugh a minute the last few days. My friend Laura from Ireland arrived and needless to say weve been on the piss the last few nights. We met a great group of Ozzy & Irish lads so you can imagine the drinking and the messing that went on. One of the guy´s Mum is a gymnastics teacher, so we had a bit of a gymnastics off. Its been a while since Ive done the crab and I need to work on holding that handstand longer. During the day Ive been a busy bee as well. I went cannoying which is about the only adventure sport I haven´t done yet in South America. Its sort of a mix of absailing down waterfalls and gorge walking. I also booked a private rock climbing and bouldering lesson, followed by rappelling. It was so enoyable but Im aching badly today all over. Even laughing hurts my ribs. I got my hair chopped. The split ends were a disgrace. And I had a facial so feel great. Went to the local hot springs last night. Roasting hot water comes direct from the nearby volcano for the baths. Incredible.
The lads were going a different way from me so Ive split with them and am back on my own in a town called Puyo. Banos was by the far the nicest place Ive been in Ecuador so Im sad to leave but I must press on. I checked three hostels here in Puyo but there are no gringos staying in any of them so I really am on my own again. Ah well. Ive got a tv in the room and Ive booked an Amazon jungle tour for tomorrow.
The lads were going a different way from me so Ive split with them and am back on my own in a town called Puyo. Banos was by the far the nicest place Ive been in Ecuador so Im sad to leave but I must press on. I checked three hostels here in Puyo but there are no gringos staying in any of them so I really am on my own again. Ah well. Ive got a tv in the room and Ive booked an Amazon jungle tour for tomorrow.
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