From the US State Department web site travel warning on Colombia (Feb 2008) "U.S. government officials and their families in Colombia are permitted to travel to major cities in the country, but normally only by air. They cannot use inter- or intra-city bus transportation, or travel by road outside of urban areas at night. All Americans in Colombia are urged to follow these precautions." So, of course, I had to do part of my trip by road. Tony and I hired this great taxi driver named George to take us from Cali to Popayan, a little colonial town about two hours or so from Cali. Turns out, Colombia seems to have its major highways under control. Every 20 miles or so, we passed random highway patrol pullovers. George informed us this was to check papers, licenses, ... read more

For the many friends worried about us being kidnapped, don´t worry! We are not being held hostage! We landed Friday morning in Cartagena as planned, checked into our hotel in Bocagrande and got some breakfast. I had forgotten about all the different kinds of exotic juices they have in central and south america and Colombia is no different. My new favorite is mora (blackberry). That morning, I had mora con leche, kind of like a blackberry milkshake. There is also mora ice cream and juice. Yummy! Next, we hit the beach. Bocagrande is like a third world Miami Beach. Take the highrise hotels and condos and mix in local beach vendors selling everything from jewelry, paintings, drinks, chairs you can rent and they´ll ´protect´your stuff while you swim ... We were immediately accosted by a man ... read more

I have been back now for several weeks. I spent my first visiting my sister in Miami, and in Orlando to see my mom and attend the wedding of my niece. My sister made me a fruit and cheese plate and a glass of wine the night I returned and I marveled at the variety of cheese selection - triple cream brie and manchego! No queso fresco, which I like, but gets boring when that is all there is! I also relished the fine glass of chardonnay. From a bottle even! One of the first things I did the next day was go to the nearest Cold Stone and get chocolate ice cream! Made with real cream! Fabulous! It was great to see my family and there was a bonus shuttle launch which we viewed ... read more

I just can´t believe my luck. My journey just keeps getting better and better. I mean, how can you top my Galapagos adventure? I left you in Guayaquil, right? In order to search for Horse Heaven. Well, I found it in Vilcabamba! A friend looked up a description of Vilcabamba and sent it to me. I can´t describe it any better. It is described as a small corner of paradise, where the mountains hold a magical mystical quality with their arid ridges and lush ravines, dramatic skies and rich colours and the only sounds are those of nature. It is also called the Valley of Longevity. I should tell you that the 'sounds of nature´ include roosters that begin crowing at 4am in the morning! But, it is true. This is one of the most ... read more

There I was, in a foreign country, it’s very late at night, sitting in an artist’s studio being sketched by a Columbian artist and chatting in a language I barely know with him and his friend visiting from Medellin, drinking hot tea, listening to a country band from Austin, Texas. Certainly the most surreal experience I’ve had yet! How did I end up in this situation? Well, Cuenca is the cultural center of Ecuador. Artists are everywhere! One night I was taking a stroll down by the river, my favorite part of town, and in my usual friendly way was nodding ´hi´ to people as I passed looking for someone to practice my bad Spanish on. One of them stopped me, grabbed my hand, and introduced himself in Spanish. 'Hi, I’m Lucas, from Medellin'. How ... read more