Thursday, April 23, 2009
April 23
Sorry it has been a few days, I know I said that I would post a few days ago but the hostel I am staying in had an issue with the internet and all the computers were down for a few days. I have alot to share so I will be brief so that I can try and cover everything. As you all know I am now in Colombia in a small fishing town called Taganga on the Carribean coast just a few hours from Cartagena, but before I tell you about my time here I have a few things to cover from Brazil and the first leg of my journey in Colombia.
So my second to last day in Brazil Ben, Nigel (our budddy from DC who we stayed with) and I all decided to go hangliding. We had a great time and as we glided back down to land we had some views of the beach and city that were unreal. The sensation of catching the air currents while effortlessly flying and feeling completely free better than anything that I expected. The ride lasted about 10-12 minutes and it was something that I would absolutely try again if I had the chance.
When Ben and I arrived in Bogota two days later we were met by Antonio (Adelas sisters son) at the airport. Antonio and his family basically acted as tour guides for four days and really helped us to get a feel for and understand the city. We had a good time exploring a bunch of different museums and and endless number of churches all throughout Bogota. We actually walked around for most of the day on Easter which was really interesting and stopped in to hear bits and pieces of different services in some amazing churches. The Museo de Oro (museum of gold) was by far the highlight of sight seeing. The museum was just renovated a few years ago and it looks spectacular. In addition, all of the exhibits are in English, as well and in Spanish, which really madea big difference and allowed me to gain a much better understanding of what it was that I was looking at. The collection of gold pieces was far beyond what I expected to see and eventhough Ben and I spent just over two hours there the time just flew by.
A few friends from home actually flew into Bogota while we were there and we all traveled togther to Cartagena where we spent a day checking out the city and walking all around the old city. We decided that we should check out Tayrona (which was suggested to us by a number of other travelers) so we hopped a bus the next day and headed to the jungle/beach for a few days to see more of the coast and just enjoy nature. We found a great little "hostel" right on the beach that consited of no more than a few hammocks and a kitchen area with some tables. It was really laid back and it everyone had a great time just relaxing, swimming, walking, and enjoying the natrual surroundings. It was really great to see some friends from home, but unfortunately they had to head back to the states for work and other responsibilities that the rest of us are avoiding for as long as possible.
After Tayrona we headed to Taganga and decided that we whould give scuba diving a shot. So, for the past four days my friend Jill (who we met up with in Bogota and who will be traveling with Ben and I to Peru) and I have been learning all the neccessary skills and doing a couple dives each day, while Ben has been trying to get his advanced scuba certification through the same company. Jill and I actually took our written test last night and now we are officially licensed scuba divers. Although Tayrona is a pretty small fishing town we have been having a great time and I think we have truly enjoyed all of the different people and experiences that we have had here. We are probably going to stay for a few more days, then head to a different beach before we fly off the Medellin. I hope everyone is doing well and I am going to try and post a few pics as soon as this blog goes up.
harrison
So my second to last day in Brazil Ben, Nigel (our budddy from DC who we stayed with) and I all decided to go hangliding. We had a great time and as we glided back down to land we had some views of the beach and city that were unreal. The sensation of catching the air currents while effortlessly flying and feeling completely free better than anything that I expected. The ride lasted about 10-12 minutes and it was something that I would absolutely try again if I had the chance.
When Ben and I arrived in Bogota two days later we were met by Antonio (Adelas sisters son) at the airport. Antonio and his family basically acted as tour guides for four days and really helped us to get a feel for and understand the city. We had a good time exploring a bunch of different museums and and endless number of churches all throughout Bogota. We actually walked around for most of the day on Easter which was really interesting and stopped in to hear bits and pieces of different services in some amazing churches. The Museo de Oro (museum of gold) was by far the highlight of sight seeing. The museum was just renovated a few years ago and it looks spectacular. In addition, all of the exhibits are in English, as well and in Spanish, which really madea big difference and allowed me to gain a much better understanding of what it was that I was looking at. The collection of gold pieces was far beyond what I expected to see and eventhough Ben and I spent just over two hours there the time just flew by.
A few friends from home actually flew into Bogota while we were there and we all traveled togther to Cartagena where we spent a day checking out the city and walking all around the old city. We decided that we should check out Tayrona (which was suggested to us by a number of other travelers) so we hopped a bus the next day and headed to the jungle/beach for a few days to see more of the coast and just enjoy nature. We found a great little "hostel" right on the beach that consited of no more than a few hammocks and a kitchen area with some tables. It was really laid back and it everyone had a great time just relaxing, swimming, walking, and enjoying the natrual surroundings. It was really great to see some friends from home, but unfortunately they had to head back to the states for work and other responsibilities that the rest of us are avoiding for as long as possible.
After Tayrona we headed to Taganga and decided that we whould give scuba diving a shot. So, for the past four days my friend Jill (who we met up with in Bogota and who will be traveling with Ben and I to Peru) and I have been learning all the neccessary skills and doing a couple dives each day, while Ben has been trying to get his advanced scuba certification through the same company. Jill and I actually took our written test last night and now we are officially licensed scuba divers. Although Tayrona is a pretty small fishing town we have been having a great time and I think we have truly enjoyed all of the different people and experiences that we have had here. We are probably going to stay for a few more days, then head to a different beach before we fly off the Medellin. I hope everyone is doing well and I am going to try and post a few pics as soon as this blog goes up.
harrison
Saturday, April 18, 2009
April 18
Sorry that it has been such a long time since my last post but I have not been able to get acces to the internet for quite some time. I just want to check in really quickly right now and fill you all in with more details tomorrow. We left Brazil on the 11th, spent four days in Bogota, flew to Cartagena for a day and a half, and then drove to Tayrona for two days. I am currently still on the Colombian coast about an hour from Tayrona in a great hostel where we are probably going to hang out for a few days. I have tons to share and I am sure you guys will enjoy reading about the many adventures that we have expriecned over the past week and a half. I have to go shower and get ready for dinner but expect a much longer and more detailed post very soon.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
April 8
The past couple days in Rio have been great. Ben and I are staying with a friend from D.C. who has an apartment in Copacabana, so it has been a nice break from the hostel scene. We have explored Ipanema and Copacabana quite a bit just walking around and checking out the beaches and a few restaurants. The weather has been pretty incredible, with the exception of a few showers here and there, but we I can't really complain. Yesterday we went to see the Corcovado (the giant statue of Christ that looks over the city) with our friend Adam and his girlfriend. The drive up to the statue was gorgeous and we stopped at one lookout point to check out a spectacular view of all of Rio. There were very few tourists and the weather was great so we were actually really lucky. Unfortunately, our luck seemed to change when we arrived at the actual statue. As we drove up the hill that it sits on top of, we started to encouter fog that seemed to get thicker and thicker as we ascended. By the time we made it to the actual base of the statue we could barely see anything. The 125 foot Corcovado was barely visible from more than 50 feet away. Things cleared for a few seconds and we did get to see it for a few brief moments, but our expereince was less than ideal. We will be in Rio for a few more days, then on Saturday we are heading to Colombia. Hopefully I'll check back in before the next leg of our trip.
Friday, April 3, 2009
April 3
I just got into Rio last night after spending two days in Porto Alegre. The soccer game was a blast and it was great to see such an amazing team and some of the most devoted fans in the world. There was not much to do in Porto but it was worth it to see the match. We spent the entire day yesterday making our way to Rio, which was actually quite a hassle. We bought some really cheap plane tickets at the last minute and things did not work out exactly how we wanted them to. We got off our plane when we were not supposed in some random city (we somehow realized our mistake and got back on before it took off), we had a pretty long layover in Sao Paulo, and I accidentally left my leatherman with a huge knife on it in m backpack which I attempted to send through security. It was all a bit of an adventure but we made it to our destination eventually.
I am really excited to start checking out the city and see what Rio has to offer. A friend of mine from D.C. is actuall living here right now and teaching English so I think it will help a great deal to have someone who knows the city. Check back in the next few days for more updates.
Harry
I am really excited to start checking out the city and see what Rio has to offer. A friend of mine from D.C. is actuall living here right now and teaching English so I think it will help a great deal to have someone who knows the city. Check back in the next few days for more updates.
Harry
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