Ciu-DAD Perdida Trek

Rundown: Headed again into the Sierra Nevada jungles, but this time brought some reinforcements: Papa Gorkiewicz!

Location: Jungles of the Sierra Nevada... Ciudad Perdida

Headed out from humid Cartagena up to Santa Marta with my dad at the end of the school year before flying back to the US. Took off from Santa Marta the following day in a gregariously colored 4x4 chiva which drove us 3 hours into the jungle before dropping us off at the last little village on the jungle road called Mamey.

Hiked for 3 days into the jungle. Local kids played in the rivers... just like the kid in the Jungle Book. What a cool place to grow up in!

We crossed and swam many a rivers ourselves. As we got higher into the Sierra Nevadas the temperature cooled, the rivers became brighter and crystal clear.

The jungle is home to many critters. Our most exotic on the trip was this good looking Toucan, who raised quite a racket with his mate as we were hiking.

The trek is amazing! The terrain changes between dense jungle, savannah, and rocky riverbed. If you like hiking, the hike is superb!

Other local fauna included the Kogi indigenous, whose villages we had the privilege to see from a distance on an occasion. They have such simple lives, and such complex social interaction, it's amazing to think of the similarities and differences of the cultures...

Other local flora and fauna...

Stayed in rustic encampments along the way with interesting trekkers from all parts of the world.

On our last day we did the big push up the long, winding stone staircase built into the mountainside and emerged sweating and breathless at the lost city, Ciudad Perdida.

Safety? Sure! The site is loaded with a platoon of soldiers stationed there to keep the peace in and the FARC out. Amazing to see them after seeing no one on the trail for three days.

For more pictures check out my dad's blog about the trip!

http://bobanddianesadventures.blogspot.com/

Livin' the Costeño Life...

Settling into the Costeño lifestyle has been interesting. People are pretty friendly and relaxed, which is great, but not much gets done. If someone is supposed to come Tuesday at 3:00 to fix something, they might be here at 5:00 on Thursday...maybe... Regardless, the coast has been a treat to explore.







Location: Manzanillo, Colombia



Saturday I jumped a bus to a beach north of Cartagena called La Boquilla. It’s a long stretch of gray-sand beach lined with thatched-roof places where you can get fish and rice, something cold to drink, and a hammock in the shade. Austin and I were out there the previous weekend. There is a point farther still, but it looked long and possibly sketchy to walk there along the beach, so I went on a recon excursion to see how to get out there. After talking to people for a while I found out you can get there by boat, or by motorcycle taxi. The latter being the most inexpensive.



Here's a little video of the mototaxi. It's mostly a great shot of my knee...

I found myself a mototaxi and we bombed down the beach. At the end of the walkable beach we turned towards the interior, a mangrove swamp where there are tin-roofed shanties where fishermen live. The roads are packed dirt, mud, and goodness knows what else. About a kilometer in a river empties the mangrove swamp into the ocean. The rickety bridge that spanned the 50 meters of thigh-deep water was made of stakes pounded into the river bottom decked with anything somewhat flat and wooden. I got off, paid the bridge man, and the three of us pushed the motorcycle across the shaky bridge.





We drove up into the hills on the other side on a washed out two track that spit us out on a beach called Mangita.





A crescent beach was sandwiched between two sandstone cliffs. Reminded me of hidden beach in Marquette, but a little bigger.




Aguila, the local brew, fried fish, patacones (fried plantains), and coconut rice on the beach. Goodness knows no bounds... They bring you the 'menu natural', which are about 6 fresh fish on a big plate. You pick out one that looks good, arrange a price (haggling always included...) and then twenty minutes later he shows up on a plate with other goodness!







When it rains here, it pours. The streets fill with water, and taxis, busses and motos plow through it like snow in da U.P.

Colombia: The Adventure Begins...

Location: Cartagena, Colombia

Well, I made it to Colombia! I'm teaching 7th and 8th grade math at the Colegio Jorge Washington in BocaGrande, Cartagena. I'll be updating this blog as often as possible! Let the fun begin!




The view from my room out the back of the apartment. We're on the 9th floor, with great breezes! La Popa is a monastary on top of the hill in the picture. The green area is a Colombian Navy base, so we get the Colombian national anthem at 8:00 every day, provided that we're home! You can see the submarines from here!

A quick VIDEO of my place!




Los Quatros Amigos: Nick, Pete, Austin, and William



The old colonial city, El Centro, lit up at night. Cobble stones, horses and carts, etc... An awesome place to meander through the narrow old streets.

Our Colombian friend William, helping Austin and I make some killer dinner. The sunsets out our front window are always spectacular! Great colors! We're often in the water at that time though. The sun sets around 6:30, which throws me off!



Out our front window as well. Fireworks over the Caribbean are hard to beat.



Austin and Willam having a little lunch at a restaurant near El Parque Botanical, a park out of town. The busses to get there we an adventure in themselves!


An old church buried in the foliage of El Parque Botanical de Cartagena.


Awesome plants, birds, and even a couple monkeys (not shown in picture...)


La Popa, a monastary on the hilltop in Cartagena.


Busloads of kids going here and there on school trips! Big fun!


On the boat to Baru, an island off of Cartagena.


Fortresses guard the harbor on the way to Baru.





Las Islas Rosarias




So there you have it. The first installation of the Colombian excursion! More to come later.