South America - Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Columbia, and Uruguay - September 21st 2011 - January 23rd 2012

My intro:

So this is it…4 months and 2 days, 629 litres of beer, 1 potential bastard child (t-minus 6 months until d-day), and still no criminal convictions…but now it is time to leave South America!!! Over this time via bus, plane, boat, car, jandals…and so on…I have travelled an approximate total of 30,361km (excluding flights to and from South America) across 7 countries!!…For those of you who were also in Mr Humphrey’s geography class that’s like driving the width of Australia just over 7 times…or driving the length of New Zealand 19 times!!

The final blog entry…can’t wait for a break as it’s been, at times, testing (eg in Bolivia with dial up speed Internet)…and although my entries got less in effort as time went by I’ve also thoroughly enjoyed writing this, and I’m glad I did as its main purpose is to be like a journal. This was one of the best periods of my life and I want to remember it all!!!

So how do I surmise such a trip…I’m thinking through headers, bullet points, and rankings…

My favorite people:

We were so lucky to meet the people we did on our travels, it really is the people not just the places that make these journey’s!!!

The people that we picked up along the way and traveled with us included…

Zoe the “Welshy” - Such a fun positive chick AND such great banter (the amount of times she called me and Mike ‘Gaylord bastards’ is a true phenomenon - like John Travolta’s movie but with more purpose really)…I’ve also never met a girl so into rugby as her and with that much passion!! She traveled with us for around a month (or maybe just under) starting in Puerto Madryn in Argentina.

Dave the Englishman - All around good guy, if I’m as chilled and nice as this guy when I’m 40 (sorry Dave) I’d be lucky!! He put up with us and all the shenanigans which comes with that for one entire month from Bolivia to Peru!

Dan and Dave the Irish…silly silly fuckers but in a good way (mostly :) ). If something happens to someone then it’s going to be Dave…I mean anything between almost dying on the trip twice, once by a mule nudging him off a cliff, the other a bike accident and yet another cliff…to his fin sinking to the bottom of the ocean when we were diving…it’s always him…and it’s always entertaining but more so when he re-tells the story…amazing talent and even though the facts often slightly change every time I hear them I never grow tired of the story. We met these guys in Rurrenabaque in the Bolivian Amazon, and I travelled with them on and off from then on - mainly through Ecuador and Columbia though.

Stu and Cassie - Manchester’s finest - One of the coolest and most fun couples I have met, a true comedic husband and wife duo and genuinely great people (already seen them twice in London and only been here a week)!! We met them as I was signing up participants for the Pucon rafting trip in Chile.

Then there are people like Aussie Nic, ‘Dangling’, Tom the pom, Mike the American, Tom, Kat, Alejandro, Dan and Matt, Jacob and Tom…all great peeps who helped make the trip!!

Good people and good times!!

My ‘weirdest’ people:

The weirdest is easily the drugged out guy in the Loki Hostel in La Paz, Bolivia. We saw this dude dipping a barbie head in his glass of red wine then straining wine into his mouth from the barbies hair…all whilst conspicuously clutching a large file of seemingly important/confidential papers!! Mike got up for a piss at 4am where this crazy fucker was next spotted shaving his hair with a razor blade….the next morning he appeared at 9am looking like Antony Ronnie Dixon - both in terms of haircut and demeanor - by 10am all his hair was gone…too much cocaine and other stuff for this guy - a true victim of La Paz combined with an unstable and/or weak personality - Walker MD.

A special mention for ‘Johnno’ the Aussie from Galapagos who has been traveling for 5 years - 5 years too long. He has huge dreads which he has tied a blue ball point pen inside…WOW!!

My biggest lessons:

I learned a few things on this trip (as you do) whether its cultural, life lessons, or useless skills you pick things up…I learned:

• I learned to dive
• I learned Irish slang - “your man”,” your one”, “grand”, “ra head,” “coppers”, “animal”, “savage”, “jacks”, “that’s a good crack”…etc
• Very basic Spanish, enough to get by (just), and I only wish I learned more
• To always carry toilet paper with you
• Taxi drivers driving skills in South America are as good as a 12 yr old’s in NZ, they have no concept of direction, and they can barely even close a boot properly!!
• South America has its own time - things get done when they get done
• Don’t trust the lonely planet South America edition
  

My best experience:

I did some epic stuff, people fly to South America specifically for the Galapagos islands, the lost city trek, the Amazon, the glacier in El Calafate, the Nazca lines, Iguazu falls, the Colca canyon…but for me…

The Royal Inca Trail was the highlight among highlights…I keep saying I don’t even like hiking BUT I connected with this trek like a finger touching a sea anemone…the set up, the people, the weather, the sights, and of course Macchu Picchu…I mean I must of loved it I got a bloody colourful tattoo on my calf which I’m sure I’ll regret in a couple years (or months)!!


My best party:

Close again, in fact in reality I was always in too good a form to separate and rank this one…so here are the best of the best:

• My night in Bariloche was fun and a child got displaced from his bed to make way for natural Shakira love in the purest sense…PLUS I didn’t get home until lunchtime the next day, which means it must of been good.
  
• Mancora - the biggest blowout, my face paint, my lack of memory, my terrible hangover…
• The pub crawl in Buenos Aires where even Hilary was on such a level she spewed on her shoes, then I got sick for 10 days afterwards.
• My birthday in Tayrona, making friends with non English speaking locals and having my Bolivian football shirt stolen…
• Huacachina…once again making friends with everyone and making promises that couldn’t be kept.

Too much partying - BUT all good stuff and unsurpassable in terms of quality!

My biggest hangover:

Close…very close…but Huacachina was huge and I was paralyzed till 5pm the next day and still scatterbrained!! Three heavy days drinking in Mendoza comes close…same with my last night in Mancora - that’s for sure…photos surfaced with me caked in face paint rolling around on the ground- WHAT THE FUCK - I was told It was supposed to be Maori in style but I looked like a gay pride clown!!

My best story (that I heard):

In South East Asia it was Terry’s story about the down syndrome child in the duffel bag…this trip was obviously one of your man Dave’s, the “eagle in distress ” is a close second BUT his best…

Your man Dave was on his way out of Thailand and he picked up a couple of novelty lighters for friends - one a realistic mock gun, the other a dildo…a dildo with hairy balls which vibrated AND once pressed shoots out a flame…upon exit from Thailand the gun lighter was confiscated - too real it would seem…but a realistic vibrating cock lighter was fine.

Upon arrival in Dubai (a heavy Muslim state) for his layover on his way home the scanners took a special interest in this novelty dildo. In fact on the x-ray machine it was seen being zoomed in on and examined very closely - but this wasn’t enough to cure curiosity and they proceeded to take your man aside and search his bag. Before you knew it the customs officers found this realistic looking cock lighter and in shock dropped it to the ground. Before you knew it, it sprung to life vibrating and shooting flames circling itself like a headless chicken…within a flash the customs officers had guns out and pointing at Dave the ‘dildo terrorist’ who threathened to currupt their Muslim morals. If it wasn’t for a more ‘westernized’ lady working in customs your man would have been in prison.

After a lot of laughter and the lady (‘your one’) calming the situation, he was told he could not repack the item BUT that it would be sent to Heathrow directly and he could collect it there. Fast forward to your man’s arrival at Heathrow - up to the luggage counter he went. “Hi there, I’m here to collect a package for Dave Roach” he said quite confidently - after some fiddling and foraging she pulled out a small box which in large black font read “Dave Roach - Dildo”…with a smile on his face your man accepted it gracefully but not before his friend caught the service desks attention fluttering his lashes and posing in a homosexual manner only fueling the awkwardness which shrouded the air.

Well done Dave - you tell a fucking great story mate!!!

My best meal:

Finally an easy one…600 grams of prime Argentinean steak (Bife Chorizo) in Mendoza…followed by a vomit which tasted almost as good on the way up. It was not only spectacular but so well cooked and so delicious I’m still having meat sweets to this day!!!

My favourite country:

It’s so very close as I have such fondness of Peru and Bolivia, as well as Argentina in many ways. However, I must say Columbia was my favorite. Similar to Vietnam on my trip of South East Asia, this place has so much going on and most importantly even the ‘average’ places in Columbia were good. Consistency is the key to life…slanger 2005 (c).

My top three places:

• Taganga, Columbia - on the surface it was such a shit hole, but it has such a rugged sense of charm and more importantly SO MUCH going on, plus being on the Caribbean coast is pretty advantageous as well.
• Pucon and Bariloche (lakes district) Chile/Argentina - So scenic that there was a postcard shot everywhere you looked - a true mega pixel fantasy. It was just such a beautiful place surrounded by the Andes and spectacular lakes…awesome!!
• Galapagos Islands, Ecuador- How could I go past this cluster fuck…literally a zoo with crazy animals and no cages and no boundaries. The scenery, the daily mind blowing experiences, and the ‘holiday within a holiday’ that was the 8 day boat cruise through the archipelago will never be forgotten!

My regrets:

• Not making it to Brazil - Too expensive, not enough time, and no Visa….its going to be a whole trip in itself I think.
• Not paragliding - too drunk in Mendoza, too apathetic pretty everywhere else, and too expensive in Cordoba…one of the last mainstream ‘extreme experiences’ left to try!
• Not learning more Spanish
• Not finding, seducing, then stimulating Shakira…the missing numbers which completes the binary code!

My best mates:

It was so good to travel with Mike and Hilary, pretty much my oldest mates - friends that I have had since kindergarten. Travelling with people and being in each others space 24/7 has its challenges but honestly looking back, with these two it was not only pretty smooth BUT it was such a fun and amazing experience.

I think back to the day we struggled but made it out to the glacier at El Calafate, our hairstyles fucked from a night of carnage with a trimmer…our bags flying out the back of a taxi in Mendoza…then I fast forward to the first day of the Inca trail, us three at the front leading the way, chewing coca leaves, and really just living the dream - then Hilary and I covered in fecal matter in Ecuador and laughing until urine trickled from our urethra’s…(tears in my eyes) memories ill take to my ashes…ashes that will be scattered in the billabong up in the Dandenong ranges…

My summary:

I guess I just feel lucky, lucky that at 26 I’ve seen so many amazing things, world wonders in some cases. I have experienced so many different cultures, eaten their food, drunk their drinks, tried to touch their woman…and there is just so much more in the scheme of things and that excites me like my next quest to find baby spice - the childhood dream!!

That will about do i think…if you have read this far then I feel sorry for you, and you deserve this feeling that your experiencing right now…its a harsh reality when one realizes they have too much time on their hands isn’t it!

Overall a great trip, and I am stoked to have been able to have done this, to meet such great people, to strengthen such great friendships, to see such great places (great great great)!! London is next, then launch into Europe via baby spice’s bald taco, then followed by who knows what - that’s life, and as Mike the American (FUCK YEAH) says “in this economy - lets do the dam thing”!

Its been a pleasure….walker.com

Bogota, Columbia - 13th and 14th of January 2012 - PART 2

The next day before my flight in the evening I went on the highly recommended Bogota bike tour. This was awesome, in 5 hours I felt like I had seen all the sights of Bogota. It’s run and guided by ‘mike’ an expat American who’s also an ex journalist and looks like Tom hanks in the film Philadelphia, and also like he wears the same clothes everyday and showers once a week…despite the look hes a top guy and full of knowledge and stories (he even met the marching powder author a few times).

I got stuck with some American students who were nice but a little too American if you catch my slang…one looked like the girl from my big fat Greek wedding but fatter and uglier…another thought I was mike at the start if the tour…I of course played along and asked for cash up front!!! Then there was the eastern Europeans with their accents as easy on the ear as Hilary duff “let the rain fall down” on repeat…and the German who thought he was a pro biker doing jumps and weaving through crowds probably all whilst phrases like “I’m the man, bet there looking at my sweet skills, fuck yeah I’m gods gift to peddling…etc” was ringing through his head with homo hair on it!! The older Dutch ladies were the saving grace..the Dutch are like cooler versions of Germans with good English and slang!

We saw so much stuff in the 5 hours, highlights include;

- Bolivar square
- The bull fighting arena with robocops outside policing a protest
- Feeding show llamas (they were actually Vicunya´s)
- Visiting a tienda and buying a special local remedy which is apparently ‘natural viagra’…it consisted of all sorts of pastes, some honey, maybe milk??, a little liquor, and a live crab all minced up…of course because my group was full of American fat Greek wedding attendants and eastern Europeans I was left to handle business and skull the bastard
- The red light district, a cheap nasty version of Amsterdam…going rate was between $7 and $40 NZD (the creepy polish guy asked prices and specifics, who as well as obviously being a professional whorer also thought he was a comedian!!)
- The central food markets where we tried all sorts of delicious but weird fruits
- A coffee factory (Colombian coffee is easily the best in South America…dirty Argentinian is the worst…or they make it badly)
- A cool cemetery (similar but smaller and less impressive than Recoleta in BA) where most of the famous leaders were burried after in most cases being assassinated. It’s interesting as the locals often make certain graves superstitious saints eg the guy who made bravaria (?? i think) beer was generous in life so what they do is whisper in his statues ear and ask for something they want. Another one is the guy on the $20,000 peso bill, if you rub a $20k note on the column of his grave it’s suppose to bring you wealth.

Overall a cool tour and well worth $20 NZD!! Wish I was able to stay here longer, as I said it’s got a great vibe, alas, I’m on the home-straight. SO it’s 3 separate flights and 20 hours then I’ll be in Puerto Iguazu to see the famous falls!!!

Boca Jr game, Mar Del Plata, Argentina - 21/01/12

In amongst some pre-game chanting…silly gringo!!!

Mar Del Plata (Boca Jr Match), Argentina - 21/01/2012

In a conversation I had with old mate Nick only two days prior I had mentioned that Mar Del Plata was the only shit place I had been to in my entire trip to date!! Now I was back…direct quote from blog entry 26/09/11  “Most likely due to going there in “spring” it was as barren as the skin which connects my balls to my anus”…and to a degree i was right, because now in the midst of summer, this place was more likened to Shakira’s post groomed, waxed, and massaged vagina…it was awesome - it really is just a seasonal town, in fairness you would get sick of it after two days BUT during those two days you would have the time of your life and a little part of your soul would die!!!

We left BA on our road trip at 6.30am and by 1pm we finally arrived in good old “Mardel”. We hit the beach, “arena beach” to be precise, which translates to sand beach - nice work Dan. It was cranking, so many people, so much happening eg drinking, kites flying, beach football, a giant free concert headlined by Bruno Mars, beach boozing, and chicas, shakira looking chicas wearing G-strings or variations there of…at times we all had to sit down and take it all in…plus let our semi mongrels subside!!!

After a few beers, and a disagreement with the loser half of our group, we left (why?? No idea…it was like saying “mmm na heaven isn’t for me sorry”)!! After a few more beers and a dirty hamburguesa at a less cool beach down the road it was time for the game!!

We all bought Boca Jr shirts on the street outside the stadium, not only for the fun and experience, BUT also for safety to ‘blend in’!!! As soon as we got in the stadium via a full body police search where the cop made small talk (more like pillow talk) whilst feeling me up, I realized we were really in for it here. The toilets were like a prison block’s and we were under strict instructions to go with at least one other as back up just in case (the first of many safety rules). The core fans - “Boca mafia” were just singing and beating drums behind the stands getting reared up, they finally descended into their reserved area minutes before kick off. These were the guys we were under strict instruction not to photograph…little 2-3 man units placed in the stands watch the crowd and control the chants…if your seen not chanting they will look at you and warn you…if you still are not chanting they will generally have someone push your head down until you do.

This was SO MUCH FUN…I have never been to a football game (let alone any sports match) with atmosphere like this - and it was only a exhibition tournament. The fans are so passionate, they pretty much chant and dance non-stop for 2 hours, if the other team scores they cant louder for their team - true unconditional support!! There is no alcohol sold in the ground, and this is probably a good thing as these people don’t need fuel - they are drunk on football!!

I am so glad I got to do this before leaving South America, it is such an awesome experience. Once your at one of these matches you realise pretty quick its not really about the game at all its about yelling, chanting, supporting…if you wanna watch you do it on TV.

Montevideo, Uruguay - 19/01/12

After ‘ummming and ahhhhing’ or “hooting and tooting” as the Irish say, on how to spend my last few days in South America I decided on Uruguay, just a dabble, another stamp in my passport, and just a few days before I fly to London from Buenos Aries. I’d just caught word that “old mate” Aussie nick (from Xmas) was in Montevideo so the plan was laid!!

I arrived in Montevideo at 8am so had the full day to explore…it was hot as hell, a commonality it shares with Argentina this time of year…in fact as my day progressed the more and more I pondered how similar Montevideo was to many city’s in Argentina…the mate (ma tea), the food, the slang, the cost, the people…Argentina in disguise I thought….I made sure for once in my life I just simply thought this as if I expressed it to the wrong person I’m sure I would be stabbed with a homemade shank made with a lighter, electrical tape, and an Oral B toothbrush!

To cut a long and uneventful story short, the city was really nice, clean, cultured, modern…but not much to see though…and what there was to see I saw…in 4 hours…

It was good catching up with Nick and meeting a couple of his friends…and we had a solid night out…in fact I probably got off lightly getting home just before 5am cause another thing they have in common with Argentineans is that they party hard!!

Now comes the silly part…”your man” Irish Dave messaged me and mentioned he is not only in Buenos Aries but is off to a Boca jr football match on Saturday…after 1 night in Uruguay I was gone…hungover and on the ferry direct to Buenos Aries - 3 hours and I’m back to where it all began…the circle of life…Simba was almost home…Mufasa, Rafiki, and Zazu would rejoice…the end is only but a few sweet super hot days away - but not before ticking off one of the big boxes I thought would be left empty - a silly hooligan football match!!!

Cordoba, Argentina - 18/01/12 

An Aussie guy that I slanged with during my brief Cordoba stay pulled out a tube of the only thing that is worthy of sacrificing to “humidvag” the god of yeast…we made sure we got the dulche de leche loving Argentinean hostel guy to have a taste…haha I haven’t seen such a horrified reaction in ages - pure comedy gold!!!

Moral of the story (as I’m all about morals and my blog is all about education) - next time you try someones new or strange type of food just remember we have Vegemite - a salty, tangy, and bitter yeast extract (a by product from beer manufacturing), with vegetables, and some spices, all contriving to make the beautiful tainted brown spread we know and love…especially my Nana who won’t eat her toast unless every single pixel of toast is smothered by a minimum of 4mm of Vegemite - that’s right she eats breakfast with a spreading knife and a ruler!!

Cordoba, Argentina - 17/01/12

You know your back in Argentina when the busses are bloody expensive but super luxurious, its near impossible to get a bottle of beer smaller than 750ml, coffee is shit (and they serve it with a shot of sparkling water), tipping is big but they serve sweet free bread and dip appetizers, and my nemesis dulche deliche is everywhere and in everything sweet or breakfasty (in some cases these are two and the same)!!

The steaks of course = WOW!!! Just added the second best bife de chorizo of my life to the list…delicious AND no vomitting this time - mother fucking yeah get inside me!!!

The sexy sophisticated looking chicas are everywhere…the Argentinean summer is as smoking hot as the shakiras! And of course “mate” (pronounced ma-tea) is back, every third person carries a thermos, a pot, and the special straw!!

Traveling slowly north over the four months i didn’t realize the cultural differences were anywhere near as prevalent as they are!!

God bless Argentina - off to Uruguay for a Taste then back to BA for my final couple days before the dream ends!!!

Iguazu falls, Argentina - 16/01/12

Iguazu falls - named after the virus which infected my colon in October 2011, leaving my anus chaffing and resulting in weight loss of 3 kg over a 10 hour period. It was time to face this demon and bury the past misfortunes and embarrassment of defecating water!

I’d heard it was epic but there is a difference between hearing and seeing - Hilary knows this as when i had the virus id make her wear headphones!!

After being woken up at 6am in my dorm by some overeager Colombians I was up early and caught one of the first buses to the falls - I was literally there as they opened the gate making me a “falls geek” - front of line.

Being on my own and a powerful slanga I had the advantage over the other couple hundred people there waiting so off I went…straight to Garganta del Diablo (devils throat) which is essentially the main attraction and epic part of the falls where Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay all meet…after a 15min train ride and a 10min power walk I could begin to hear the furious sounds of water similar to that fateful night back in October…then heaps of mist rising (similar to that night in October)….then I was there…WOW…fuck-a-licious (new adjective I’m working on) i couldn’t help but smile like the first time I discovered ‘tugging’…I got to appreciate this beast for about 10 minutes with only a handful of peeps before about 200 others showed up and would continue coming throughout the day!! Words don’t do it justice, nor do people simply telling you its amazing…it really does leave you in awe!!!

After being boggled I set off for some more views and other falls. Each little walk would produce truly incredible sights and more waterfalls…at times it felt like an amusement park with all the people but once you catch a glimpse of the falls the rest sort of fades out!!

I got so caught up in it all I even opted for the touristy boat ride. Glad I did it though it was cool actually cruising right into some of the falls and getting smashed by them and cooling off as it was around 38 degrees - good times - freckle times!!

This was indeed spectacular and a must see, even though I only did the Argentinean side it felt like enough!! The 3 separate flights and 20 hour journey was well worth it and I was finally at peace with my anus!

Bogota, Columbia - 13th and 14th of January 2012 - PART 1

Another capital city…but this turned into a pleasant surprise especially since I’d be promised only mediocrity!! Out of all the cities in South America I’ve been to so far for me this is the most livable…maybe the fact I was only here 2 days means I only saw the good but it was such a cool and happening place.

It is eternally spring so it’s hot enough to wear a t-shirt but not add too many freckles to my ever evolving galaxy, and cold enough at night to wear a slick leather jacket to impress the shakiras who dig the Enrique Iglesias swagger…silly shakiras (my only regret in Columbia is not visiting her city Barranquilla, although one of the peace Corp girls I met works at “shakira secondary school”…I’ve never felt so close to shakira…enough shakira for now, if i mention her name more than 6 times in a paragraph google will flag me as a potential stalker!!

Back to bogota, I stayed in the old town called la candelaria which is right in amongst it. It’s a real beautiful area and has a bit of everything, crazy little shops, bars, cafes, and restaurants everywhere, and heaps of sick street art. With a decent job offer I’d live here for sure and eat patacones and drink Club Columbia until I’m a fatty!

On my first little half day I was pretty tired from the overnight bus but managed to explore a bit. The whole city is grided out nice and easy so even I only managed to get lost once. I popped into “museum del oro” which is full of old native gold and metal works some 1500 years and older…very apocolypto. It was pretty cool, nothing special but there were some expensive and sweet things there and entrance cost $2 NZD which is sweet for a flash museum!!

Taganga, Columbia - (On and off) from Dec 29th 2011 to Jan 12th 2012

It feels like I spent an eternity in Taganga…and it is that sort of town which manages to seduce travelers. Taganga is like your trite stripper, although she has an ugly face, what she has got she uses well and like not many others can.

I’ll start with the ugly face;

- The roads and general lack of infrastructure are 3rd world…although the gruffness adds to it’s personality somehow its pretty feral, its like a rubbish tip in places.

- Sydney may have the “bra boys” well Taganga has the “Ganga de la gypsy” armed with tents bongo drums, hippy trinkets, smelly hair, and an unashamed knack of scabbing money! Once again though this almost adds to it somehow…you always need to hate something in a town to take the focus off other things eg focusing on the strippers pimple rather than the herpes hawk beak it’s on

Now the tits and ass;

- Everyone has a job here, weather it’s being a travel agent, working in a shop or restaurant, selling juice on the side of the road, selling drugs, hailing taxis, showing people to parking spaces whilst waving a red cloth or t-shirt…everyone makes a buck round here and is on the take which ultimately is better than seeing homeless bums begging!!

- The weather is magic and bloody hot…it’s the Caribbean after all.

- There is always stuff to do, this small town is in amongst heaps of things eg. Beaches, Tayrona national park, lost city trek, diving etc. We even met a nice travel agent lady which never really scammed us and I’d often just drop in to say hi, her mum even did our laundry…i would have touched her, i just lacked the confidence to take her on a date…especially since her ex husband was a huge German fucker who owned the hostel we were staying at!!!

- You can find good food…ultimate days meal here would be one of Maria’s baguettes for breakfast with a fresh street juice, half a spit roast chicken for $6nzd with papas and salad for lunch, and dinner at casa Felipe hostel literally a sanctuary with a kitchen with a French chef who cooks up reasonably priced epic meals…Ratatouille in Taganaga - WTF?!

- It has crazy nightlife, the clubs close at 1am just as they are starting to crank THEN everyone - LITERALLY EVERYONE walks up to casa bait “hostel” (undercover nightclub) the same place I hated on when we stayed there turned out to be a nuts party!!

Taganga walks a the finest line between small town shithole (Ming Ren) and small town paradise (Monica’s) and often the line is blurred but it pulls it off!!

I had a blast here and did so much - can’t believe I was in and around here for 2 weeks!! I also parted ways with my travel crew consisting of Tom the intellectual and quick witted pom, Donnacha the solid Irishman, the newest addition mike my dive buddy and all round classic guy (America fuck yeah). Finally, “your man” Dave and Dan who I’d travelled with for over a month, the silliest Irish fuckers I’ve ever met but also the most sound - definitely miss all the entertainment and banter Dave provides…not his ´sing songs´ as he so lovingly refers to them as though!!

Time to go solo - off to Bogota then wrapping this trip up - starting to really feel like the end now…mmm MMMM mmmmmm….