Jungle warriors Jungle warriors hey? It all looks quite familiar for some reason. (www.dontstayin.com/uk/london/a-secret-location/2005/may/14/photo-387521)
As always your writing never fails to entertain and educate - keep up the good work, and good luck my little fillet mignon.
copper top Being more than a bit ginger might have something to do with your sun tolerance Dogstar ;-)
Really enjoying this mate. See they put you in the girls' abseil team!!
Keep up the good work and have lots of fun little fella.
Dogstar
Reply to "What?" Hi Frank.
Thanks for your comments. I hope I didn´t make Colombia sound worse than it actually is. What I was trying to say in the blog was that despite Colombia having a bad reputation, it is a safe country if you take due care and precautions. It doesn´t deserve it´s reputation as a "no go zone" for travellers. And my comments on dangerous areas was based on:
1. UK foreign office travel advice
2. United States government travel advice
3. A Colombian company called Colombia-57, who specialise in travel advice for Colombia
Since you have been to most areas personally, maybe their advice is overstated and exaggerated.
As for the statistic of 40% of the country being under rebel control, this was correct as far as 2004/2005. A few reference articles are listed below. I cannot find any current stats for 2007, but it is likely that this percentage is much lower now, due to the American investment in Plan Colombia. I will update my blog to state this, and if you can find some firm stats for 2007, please let me know and I will include them
http://davisiaj.com/content/view/387/86/
http://www.ciponline.org/colombia/infocombat.htm
Cheers,
Pete Ellison
(Lobster Cheeks)
What? I've been to Colombia 6 times over the past 5 years, and i've travel all over the country, I mean ALL OVER, yes there are some areas that should be approached with caution, but overall I love the country and it feels pretty safe to me. Also you might want to check your sources there is no way that the Guerrillas control 40 % of the nation.
Alaso you might want to know that all rebel groups are, marxist comunists.
check this list of foreigners who like me fell in love with Colombia too:
http://sestafford.nomadlife.org/default.aspx
http://www.casakiwi.net/
http://www.blacksheepmedellin.com/
http://www.deunacolombia.com/index.html
Please get your facts right and happy travels.
I love that country,
Thanks About to travel to Quito and appreciate your writings. Any problems with food re Montezuma type revenge? (Yea, he was further North) Have a great experience!
uh oh Oh pete, poor you...the highs and lows of travelling eh?!?! I hope it was worth in the end. I remember doing a bus journey to Tena too, and it was pissing it down with rain, and the biggest mutha f*ck thunderstorms I've ever seen. We were right down the front of a bus that kept breaking down, and swerving all over the place on that road...I actually feared for me life on that journey..and yes it was cramped!! have fun hon
Gosh.
I think you had great courage to go and see this...This the men that we should make fight and bet on them...Like the Gladiators.would be more funny.....
I am like you,i am against this kind of this...but after all .....
Take care.
Oh Dear! Hey Pete
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
What a nightmare you are having! Remember it can only get better. I must say though it is very entertaining and something you will look back on and laugh at in your retirement days.
Good luck for your travels this week.
Hey. Nice to have news and nice to read you seem to have such a fantastic time.
Thank for the beautifull photos and the tips about the locals,very interesting.
Take care.
the Dodgy Brothers Hilton?! Ohhhhhhh Pete! Talk about a run of bad luck!!! Couldn't believe it when you lost your wallet to boot!!! Thank christ almighty you managed to find a place, even if it was dodgy central. And I thought my work trip to Sydney last year was bad when the travel agent stuck me in a seriously run down gay-friendly hotel (not that there's anything wrong with that; Seinfeld style) but it was smack bang in the middle of busy busy oxford street and I awoke for the umpteenth time at 4am to unbelievably loud (bad) house music coming from the massive gang bang in the room next to mine!!!! Don't go there girlfriend. Yours is much much worse! It can only get better from here sunshine ;o) Ah the joys of travelling!! M.x
:-) Dogstar, this is brilliant! Sounds like you're having a ball out there.
I'll probably forget to log on sunday so I'll wish you a happy birthday now. Hope you get smashed on local brew and have a ball.
Laters,
Dogstar
Raw Fish with lemon..... ...is lovely mate !! (as long as the fish is fresh !!). If you hav'nt already, give it a try (but no responsability if you get food poisoning accepted !!)
First time I've ever read a blog mate, it's brillant !! You're a natural !!
Foodies United Hey, eating could be viewed as far more than a mere hobby, if taken seriously mate. If you're food snob (which I recall you confessing you are once, when refering to the fact that you would only deign to eat in pub chains where all dishes come out of the freezer or worse in a moment of TOTAL desperation) - then I'd say travelling halfway across the world to widen your palate has to be seen as far more than a hobby! It's a mission!! Can't say I'm sorry to hear you didn't like the gp tho - but the incredible corntastic experience seems to have no bounds... Take care sweetie xx
Chronicles of the English Curry Fanatic Love it Pete, most entertaining. Totally bizarro re popadums, samosas and chicken bread - and the bitter sounds revolting. Did you drink both pints?? Eeeww... xx
DISGUSTING! Well Pete I agree you have to try everything once but that Guinea Pig looks Awful, they could have dressed it up a bit!!
Curry and shit beer in one night? Well at least you tried it.
Have fun
Stew
x
Fair Play Indeed Fair play indeed to Elisa - the steaks in Argentina are indeed good enough to turn a veggie!
Btw, another speciality to look out for is lamb with spiders. It's actually meant to be lamb with orange, but my Spanish pronunciation was that bad...
Muy chistoso Hola Pete
bueno oír que usted tiene todavía su apetito! Es advertido que ellos comen el conejillo de indias en Perú también.. Los amigos míos vuelan fuera allí este el sábado para viajar arduamente al Machu picchu . Esto me recuerda de los cuentos Poderosos de Limón. tome el cuidado y Feliz viajar.
The Guinea Affair Peter Ellison I'm incomprehensively grossed out!! Wolf Creek gave me 2 weeks of sleepless nightmares and now I'll be imagining a crispy skinned yellow guinea pig ready to pounce with a vengence in the shady dark corners of the loo in the middle of the night! Thank god I'd already eaten tonight. And it was vegetarian. Keep up the chronicles and a massively 'uge mega cheers to you for my parcel - you really are a true champion (thanks too Justine!) and I was absolutely stoked a.k.a. stoked-newington-on-stoke-under-tyne-over-lyme-with-ma-tribe (english style). So much appreciated. Bon Appetite wee wee mr Guinea Pork crackling! MonzaChops xXx
not quite spanish hey pete! loving your blog, as a new zealander i could tell you exactly how the sheep got on the bus ..... but that would be giving away national secrets. let's just say it's not as innocent as it looks. as for the spanish, i could quote a few words at you in italian, but it's not quite the same thing ..... have fun and don't go eating too many guinea pigs, they have friends everywhere. x abby
Gareth
non-member comment
Bitter
you certainly looked bitter......... couldnt have been to bad, if you drunk them! how could you order 2 each by mistake?