Land of Drugs, Guns and Lost Cities

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Hi all, hope this finds you all well. As you have probably guessed we have made it to south america. Sounds easy dosent it? Well i wasn´t! We decided to take the road less traveled and make our way to Columbia by flying to a remote Panamaian boarder town on the Carribean coast and catch a series of small boats to the first major Columbian city. I sounded easy enough until we arrived at the boarder town (viallage) but without my pack. Usually not a big issue but there were only 3 flights a week and its not accessable by road so we were suck! We werent the only ones. A Chezc who didn´t seem to like wearing his pants all that much was in the same provebial boat. 3 other traveles also got delaýed for a night with us because of the unexplained absense of the Panamaian immigration offical who was the only one who could issue an exit stamp. We later found out he was a bit of a "ladies man" who often had better things to do than be in his office, much to our anoyance! The 3 who joined us for a night in our $1.50 haqmocks were a fiesty Honduran woman, an older Canadian guy who was planning on cycling around South america and a young French guy who though the others were a bit weird. They left the following day and we soon found that our stay was no going o be all that enjoyable. The place was surrounder by great beaches but you had o get pemission fom the army to go there (the miliary probably made up half the population in the vullage). The couple of stores only sold stale bread and food in cans (mosty tuna and saussages) and the one resturant was owned by the sister of the imagration officer and she didn´t like us because we didn´t stay in her hotel so service was wanting at best.
None the less, my bag arrived a couple of days later. On reaching Columbia, we were greeted by the friendliest immagration official we have meet so far who stamped us in and told us that his was our first Columbian friend, and this has set the tone fo the rest of our time here.

Since then we have spent time wandeing the streets of Bogota (of jewel of the nile fame), hiking to a lost city in the mountains and scuba diving.

The lost city hike was great. We were in a group with 2 brits and a Califorian along with 2 local brothers who acted as our guide and cook. It took us 5 days with mad heat, torrenial rain, mud to our knees and more steps than we could count but it was all worth it. The City was really cool, the miliary who poped up every now and then were friendly. the views were tops and the food was good (until i brought up some of it on he last morning anyway). We even got to visit a guy who makes cocane andd see how its done. The most ineresting part was listening to his views on the poliics of it all. He was against the drug himself but the people living in rural areas can´t make enough money growing food crops to support their families so most people are involved in the poduction pocess in some way. He said the government has promissed o help but hasn´t so the poduction cycle continues.

Following that we decided to have a go at getting certified as open water divers. I took us 4 days, 2 confined water dives, 4 open water dives and a few tests but we made it. It was great fun and we had an instructor to ourselves which made it relaxing but we were both exaused by the end.

So thats us up until now. Heading south now and a few long bus trips in the near future. Next blog pobably from south of the equator.

Note. having trouble wih pics so hopfully they will come later,

Take care
Josh and Carissa

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Comments

[rod]

so so jealous!
hey guys! sounds like you're having the trip of a lifetime, a great mixture of the highs and the lows. keep up the amazing adventures, and keep the stories coming back to us guys stuck here wishing we were there with you! peace out! rod.

[Olga4073]

Hi Josh and Carissa
I was I bit worried when I saw your tittle but then I was really pleased when reading your entry. I just think it's great they way you travel, I must admit I couldn't do it. But thanks so much for the nice comments about Colombia. I am Colombian and will be going back to stay there for a while after more than 12 years leaving in the UK. My husband will come with me he is English so it's great to read this type of comments as it will make him feel more at easy. Many people have advice him not to go, but they are not just people worried, they are very close minded and have never done anything exciting in their lives. I am glad there are people like you. It's great to read your entries. Best wishes Olga