Colombia March 2013

     I can pole dance after all. I am sure somewhere there are photos of my expertise on Facebook.  I am not and will not be a Facebook person.  It was in Cali, on the Chiva bus 'city tour' by night.  What that means is that it is a bus/truck with a dance floor, two poles, seats around the perimeter, very loud music, alcohol available, driving around the city.  Hot and heavy.  Good fun, for a while.  Not the city tour I thought, however, it was a laugh, we waved to many people and got lots of smiles.
     The Pan Am highway is getting some parts upgraded.  Thank the highway gods.  We drove to Lake Quilotoa from the village of Chugchilan to see the emerald crater lake.  The attraction of this is the hike down to the hostel where we started.  Not big enough of an attraction to get me to do it.  At 12,841' in altitude it was all I could do to walk to the toilet.  The lake was spectacular and not quite bubbling from deep in the earth,  but active. It was very cold, I slept with my sleeping bag and the heavy blankets.
      Some observations:  Trucks have lights on the wipers.
People on motorcycles put plastic bags on their feet or high plastic booties that come to the knees. 
Gas is about $.50.
This is the dental capital for braces, the percentage of people wearing them is very high.
My dental week:   $1.00 = 1,800 COP
  Panoramic Xray   20,000
  Root Canal Dr. started but tooth was cracked so charged me only for consultation   60,000
  Surgeon to remove tooth  150,000  He looked and sounded like Anthony Robbins
  Surgeon to open implant for crown  100,000
  Medications   50,000
  Dentist that co-ordinated it and did implant finishing that I started last Fall in Nicaragua.  950,000
  Loosely the total came to $738.00
Yea for medical tourism.
   Guatepe  has a very big rock called El Penon de Guatepe.  The locals have made a staircase going up and behind that, one coming down in bricks for a totel of 644 steps up and 644 down.  I stayed at the bottom and had  lovely coffee. Escobar the drug lord, had a lake side home here.  We took a boat to see it, it is now a modern ruin.   From there we went to Medellin, the home base of Escobar and the artist Botero.  A museum for just his work and many statues in the plaza outside of the museum of large pieces he donated,  he loved his city. I can see why.  After Escobar was killed, this city took it back.  My hat is off the the city leaders.  They made a cable car that goes to the favela so people there can come to work in the city,  Three big black square buildings up on the favela hill, full of libraries and places to study.  The ticket is included in the metro ticket price. Also libraries in metro stations!
    Parks like I have never seen before, one called the Barefoot Park.  Places to soak your feet, another with jets, a sheet of water falling from 30 degree angled support that you can walk under or stand in front of.  This city is now a jewel.
     Cartegena is supposed to be the jewel of So. America, and it is well preserved.  The old city is inside the wall and the old part outside of the wall is preserved as well.  The modern part, and it is big like Panama City, is on another island removed from the old part.  Standing on the wall for sunset, you can experience the different parts and see how well it is separated.
   Oh, and it is stinking hot. 
  Our hotel staff took time from their day to show us how to cook a Paisa meal, from Paisano, friend.
Beans, meat, coca rice, potatoes, fried banana, smashed plantain, salad.  Yumm, especially the coconut rice.
    
  

Ecuador March 2013

    Got me an official Panama hat at the hat factory.  When I was in Panama I was told they really came from Honduras and because it was 'discovered' in Panama, it became known by that name.  Now, I am assured it is really from the county side in Ecuador. Made from a grass that grows by the water.
   Windows in the area of Cuenca are not only tinted a very dark blue or green they are in interesting shapes. Such as deep curve, steps, pointed, corner angle. Far more fun than a straight and clear one.  
  Ecuador is the closest to the sun of the world, the world bulges and the Andes are very high.  Concerning altitude, I seemed to have found the answer for it.  Besides not going there.  I took Gingo Biloba and Vit C twice a day and drank lots of water.  No problem. Much better than the drug I took on the Silk Road.  No side effects. 
   Ecuador has so much, mountains, volcanoes, deep valleys, desert, huge bromiliades and tulip trees.   Roses are a big export, there are valleys full of green houses. 
   Yes, the leaders were not who I was to be with, they were brilliant.  Domingo from Spain and Katie from the UK.  The end story of the wrong trip is that the US local agency booked me on the wrong trip.  Did not want to give me any compensation because, after all, I took the trip.  Well, yes, I was there.  In the end I got about half of the value of it back.  
   We drove one hour to go 10 KM up a very windy, steep and full of road works to get to the volcanic crater lake at 4,000 meters.  There was the lake, emerald green and still emitting gases from the center of the earth. The earth is so black, that is why it is know as the agricultural part of the county.  Where the road is cut thru, the earth undulates in big arcs.  This is high in the Andes, so I could see how violent the area was and is. 
   A funny part of the trip is that if you call the Dragoman truck a bus, you must wear the 'truck pants', which are big panties with a drawing of the truck on the back.  It usually cures the person that made that mistake.  Except for the one that likes the limelight.  Always one.
    On to the Amazon. The boat trip down the Rio Napo took about 7 hours, sitting on a board with a small cushion. But, hey, we are on an adventure.  On the river was this flotsam, it can be seen in many rivers, looks like froth.  It is from protozoa mixing with sub-terranian  gases.  Some were so thick they resembles a cream colored brush. We are on a special boat that is kinder to the erosion that is happening on the river banks due to big motor boats that go fast. Our boat was narrow and shallow. As we go closer to the lodge, we passed our local guide paddling in his dugout canoe.  His name is Junanchito.  He will lead us on the 'walk' in the jungle.  He leads the way cutting thru with his machette.  Where is Indiana Jones or Tarzan? Very exciting for this mature white girl until the rain comes.  I do mean RAIN. So hard it goes up my nose under my hat.  This is a rain forest.  Humm.  He cuts me a walking stick as we are climbing over fallen logs as high as my hip, streams, mud so thick our Wellies get stuck. There was a tree that was about 30' in diameter, it is the place to go when lost or feel in danger from animals as you can shelter in its root system which are like wings and they cannot sneak up on you.  We are shown many plants used for medicine, one was Dragon Blood, put some on a sore tooth area. I am sure it got better.  Was just about to try the Tarzan vine swing when a big black spider fell on the inside of my elbow area and bit me.  I had to swipe it three times for it to let go.  Ouch, it burned for a day and was hot and red for many days,  So, now swing for me that day. One of the young men had gotten a yellow slicker, so when he flew thru the air, it was like Robin-of Batman fame.  We had him do it again, it was so cool. As the walk went on, I did slip down a bank and my legs got so heavy I could hardly lift them.  Katie held my hand and encouraged me until we finally could see the lodge. If I let my mind wander for a second, I tripped, twice. 

Northern Peru March 2013

    There are amazing pre Colombian ruins to see in the North.  Chan Chan at Huanchaco which is close to the sea which was important to the people of that time.  They are adobe cities, and pyramids made so high as to boggle the mind.   Huaca de Sol and Huaca de la Luna, pyramids to the sun and moon.  Layers upon layers of building.  When it was time for a new ruler, another layer was put upon the previous one, painting, carvings and huge plazas.
   Cochineal is a red dye that comes from an insect the lives on the prickly pear cacti.  The Spanish monopolized the dye to create the " Fiery Latin Red" as described by the English.  It was excluded in England.  Too hot.  It was used in the Cardinals cloaks because it is so rich.  It is so vibrant that is is now used in Campari, and lipsticks. 
   Pre-Colombian civilizations are so removed from Western concepts of empires and literacy that they are the nearest we can get to an alien mind set.
   Punta Sal-there  we camped on the beach, I do mean on the sand.  Hot in the tent, should have just slept on the sand with the bugs.
    Mancora is the nearest town and known for the reed fishing boats the locals use today.  Not so prosperous except that is is now a holiday beach place.  The boats are similar to the ones seen on Lake Titikaka. 
  I was so taken with the pyramids, what small humans can do, amazes me constantly.