From Quito to Columbia and back

I was officially through with my business in quito Ecuador and was very eager to get out of the smog filled city and make my way onto a new adventure. Before I had arrived in Ecuador I made the plan to Volunteer for a hostel where I was going to spend one month and come up with a good route to take after I left. I ended up being in Quito for 2 months and by the end I still had no clue in which direction to head. I had made plenty of aquaintances while working and many of them told me to meet them somewhere, Argentina, Peru, Columbia, Chile. Uhhh so many choices! I had finally decided that I was going to go to Peru after much thought. Since Ecuador only gives you a 3 month tourist visa, I decided that one month was not enough time to see everything I wanted to see. The problem was that in Ecuador they give you a 3 month tourist visa and you are not able to just cross the border and return and recieve 3 more months. If I were a rich "budget" backpacker I could have just booked a flight from another country but since that is not an option I have to come back to Quito to fly out. The only option was to go to immigration and file for an extra month which costs $60 or suffer the $250 over expired fine when I get to the airport. So I spent one morning putting all of my paperwork together to go to the immigration office. After Photos, petitions, fill in the blanks, copies, manilla folders and internet cafe I made my way proudly prepared to the office. I was prepared to just drop it off, pick up my passport a week later with a new stamp and have no problems. I waited in the office for no more than 3 minutes before the line guard called me up. I went to the officer, showed him what a good job I had did preparing for him to tell me in 30 seconds that I would have to come back the day before my visa expires to extend. My decision to go to Peru had gone down the drain because I didnt think I would have enough time to get down there and back. I went up to the hostel to moan about my day and how my Plan A had fallen through. A co/volunteer said I'm leaving for Columbia on Monday, why don't you come with me? Immediately I said yes and Plan B had been made! The very next day we went to buy tickets to go straight to Bogota from Quito. We had decided to skip Cali because we had heard that there is not much to see there for tourists and is a bit dangerous. We went to the bus station to buy our tickets for our bus ride that would take 32 hours! I wondered why I had to spend $85 to be tortured for a day and a half. I spent the next couple days anxiously awaiting my departure for Columbia. We put on a big party at the hotel where I live and drank and danced it up all night. The bus for Columbia left from the office next to Parque Carolina. While we waited for our bus to leave at 5>00 am we met a girl who decided at the spur of the moment she was going to go with us to Columbia if there was a seat available. I woke up my friend Jefferson at 3>30 to drive us to the bus station. We got there a bit early and had to wait for the bus for awhile because it was coming from Peru. We got on the bus and there were many people who were already on it that had riding the bus for days from other countries. A women who was sitting next to me had already been on the bus for 1 day and a half and her trip to Venezuela was a total of 3 days. Luckily a dear friend I met in Quito gave me plenty of pain killers to help me sleep. In between dinner and breakfast stops I slept the entire way! We ran into a major accident in the mountains so the journey ended up taking 36 hours. The trip felt like a dream thanks to the help of some sleeping pills. We arrived in Bogota mid day to a very nice bus station< we went to the tourist information who gave us information on how much a taxi would cost and some maps of the city. It was such a change of atmosphere going from Quito to Columbia. The air was fresh the people were friendly and I was excited to explore a new city. We spent about 1 weeks in Bogota exploring all the museums, street markets and vendors and went up to the Teleferico where we got to see the entirety of the city from above. Bogota is a very touristy, artsy and friendly city with plenty of things to see and do. The food was also very good with many options to choose from at a reasonable price. We stayed at 3 different hostels while we were there but out of the three I reccomend The Cranky Croc. The staff was very helpful, the food was very good, there was a Tv room with a huge widescreen stuffed with bean bags chairs and comfortable sofas. The beds were very new and quiet and the rooms were nestled in the back of the hostel away from the noise of the bar and the street. After we were through with seeing Bogota we made our 10 hour bus journey to Medellin through winding mountains and a driver who caused us to have nausea after the ride. We arrived in Medellin late at night and caught a taxi to our Hostel The Tiger Paw. We checked out very early the next morning due to very noisy rude maids and staff. We happily checked into the highly reccomended Casa kiwi where we enjoyed our time for about 5 days. At this point in my travels I was a bit sick of being in the city and heavily desiring some beach time. medellin has quite a bit to see and do but I was as motivated to explore much here. It is a very big city and takes quite a bit of time to go to many places. We were in desperate need of some nature after seeing too much concrete so we had to decided to do less museums churches and see more of the natural things the city has to offer. We wanted to go to the Aquarium and then found out it was way too expensive for our budget. The next day we wanted to go to the waterpark and relax. After 3 hours of transportation and walking to get there we only had about 30 minutes to enjoy ourselves. The next day I decided to do absolutely nothing but sit by the pool and read all day and that is exactly what I did (except when I got up a couple times to make pina coladas). I decided that it was definately time for beach so we thought it would be best to leave asap. The next day we bused it another 14 hours to cartagena. This time the bus ride wasn't so bad. Cartagena is a Spanish town and located along the Mediterranean Sea. Cartagena has a beautiful very historic center. The beaches are little to be desired but the romantic city is hard not to love. We met a couple people there and enjoyed the parties and the colonial history of the city. since the beaches there are a bust it was past due time to go to the small fishing village of Taganga for some R n R. We caught a bus from Cartagena to Baranquilla to Santa Marta and then a taxi to Taganga. The beaches in Taganga were very busy because of the Easter holiday (Semana Santa) but we found some secluded spots to hide from the Columbians. We met some more people there and all hung around the small town together for a few days. The food was a bit on the expensive side if you eat ocean front but we found a spot with dinners for $2.50 which were prepared out of a camper truck. Every night there were always some entertaining hippies twirling fire, doing handstands and playing rythmic beats on drums. We bought bottles of rum and coke and sat beach side listening and watching and socializing with new friends. I successffully got some much needed beach time before it was time to head back to Quito for my visa extention. After flying from Santa Marta to Bogota to Medellin and then back to Bogota, I finally made it back to Quito where Jefferson was waiting for me at the airport. After all the hassle of worrying about my extension, I recieved a present going through immigration at the airport. They gave me an extra 30 days on my passport! It turns out I didn't have to file for an extension after all! Now back in Quitooooooooooo. Next on the agenda...exploration Ecuador.

The Secret Garden at Cotopaxi National Park

It's hard to believe I have been in Ecuador now for 14 days. Time does certainly fly. I arrived in Quito around 12, my expected time, and met Antonio who was waiting for me at the door. He dropped me off at the hostel where I am working now and after climbing 5 flights of stairs with my book bag on I met Thomas my fellow volunteer. Thomas showed me to my room across the street at the hotel where the volunteers live. I immediately met Paul my other roommate and before I could put my bags down he asked me if I wanted to go out on a pub crawl with him and others that were staying at the hostel. There was no time wasted before I was in the taxi off to an area of abundant bars called the Mariscal. The first stop was a popular tourist bar called Fins. I had my first sip of their national beer by the name of pilsner. Before I had finished my beer the girl who had arranged the pub crawl was pouring shots for everyone. I wasn't into ecuador for more than an hour before I won snorkeling for two in Montanita by luck of the draw. Before I knew it we were off to the next disco called Bungalow 6 . This bar is by far more exciting than the last and I now know that it is one of the most popular in Quito after being there 3 times now. We danced the night away until about 4:00 when they kicked us out.

The hostel where I am staying has a sister hostel near the Cotopaxi National Park. As a part of my job I have to try and sell trips, transportation and accommodations to their hostel. In order to do this they send their volunteers on a complimentary "holiday" to their establishment. So here goes my quick blurb... The owners have carefully picked a piece of property set in a beautiful countryside overlooking the Cotopaxi volcano. Cotopaxi is the 2nd largest active volcano in the world so you can imagine the breathtaking sight of it. The volcano erupted about 100 years ago and because of this, the soil of the surrounding land has created perfect conditions for farming. There are many activities to be had that the hostel can arrange for you. The first day I got there we immediately went rock jumping through a stream for about 21/2 hours ultimately to see a waterfall. The owners have 4 dogs, two dalmatians and 2 wiener dogs. The obviously more fit wiener dog (Mash) and Basil the dalmatian guided us happily though the mountains and streams. The dogs had obviously done this before because they knew exactly which path to take and which rocks were safe for stepping. When we returned to the hostel there was a snack of tortillas, guacamole and sour cream waiting for us. Two German girls and I played a game of scrabble by candle light while we waited for our dinner. Going hungry is not an option here. They are constantly feeding you delicious international creations. For dinner we had Indian beef and vegetable curry with white rice and bread followed by dessert. We all sat around the fire for a few hours drinking red wine and beer before I crashed in my very cozy dorm room. I rose about 7:00a.m. to set off into the mountains by horseback. Plenty of scenic photos later and a sore behind we returned to the hostel in time for a snack of rice and beans and bread. The next morning we headed off to The Cotopaxi National Park. The windy bumpy drive up the side of the volcano made me wonder how in the world I was going to climb 1 hour without calling for help. After parking at the parking lot we slowly started the journey towards the refuge. Unfortunately we picked the one of the worse days to climb. With the wind in our face and the rain blinding me I wondered if I would make it to the the refuge and I knew I definitely wasn't going all the way to the glacier! After struggling and stopping a few times my new German friends and I made it. We arrived soaking wet and freezing and headed straight for the hot chocolate. One guy who was with our group made it to the glacier and back to the refuge before we even made it to the refuge! Had the weather been a little more tolerant and there were a view I may have attempted the glacier but I was ready for a hot bath at this point. Back to the hostel and nevertheless more food awaiting us. Still wet, I warmed up with some piping hot potato and cheese soup with bread. It was the perfect remedy after a tough morning of volcano climbing. After a hot shower I hopped into Arturo's taxi and headed back to the city. It was going to be tough to enter the madness of the city after a peaceful 3 days secluded in the mountains.

More about the city later. Staying busy.

Place your underpants and shoes in this bin.

As I'm preparing for my departure next week out of Newark, NJ, I can't help but question the state of our security in our nation right now. Yes I have been watching too much CNN but I am amazed at how neglectful our country has become with the safety of it's own people. I feel that our country has put their noses too far into other people's business and has forgotten about their own. How in the world has Newark airport gone without cameras for the last 7 days! Wouldn't the bomb scare on Christmas day be enough to say hellooo, maybe we should get with the program. Considering the bombers flew through Newark, I would say somebody needs to get their pitbulls in check. Because we have a new president does not mean this war of nine years now has gone away. Terrorists are still very much at large and have no intentions of surrendering. Yes, Obama came into a huge mess that is too large for any one person to handle. We can be hopeful about having a new president but we shouldn't get too comfy because the poor guy has a lot of cleaning up to do. As with life, he can try his best to clean but there will always be mess to be made. I hate all the finger pointing and bad mouthing but polishing your nails should be done off the clock. I am sincerely grateful for the safety that has been provided to us for the last decade. As much as I hate bush he too tried hard for our safety. Can you imagine how many prospect terrorists have been ceased because of the hard work of our last President and current. And now, let me say that I don't believe in war and god bless all of the soldier's and families that have fought for our protection. With that all said, what is it with those people bitching about x-ray body search being too invasive? Someone almost blew up 300 people last week with a bomb the size of a post it note! I sure to hell hope someone is checking out every one's underpants and inner earlobes! I'm sure it would be a different story if their loved one was on that plane. So now the question is, do you treat this guy as a terrorists and torture him or give him a lawyer and 3 full meals per day. Don't just think that you as an American get all the benefits, yep so do the guys trying to blow our country to pieces. This guy has no obligation to say anything because he has a criminal charge and not a terrorists charge. I'm fully in favor of my rights as a U.S. citizen, but not his. Do all of us a favor, he wanted to kill himself anyway!

As painful as it is waiting and being searched at the airport for 3 hours, nothing is more important than being safe. Please everyone, have some patience, be nice to the people working in the airport, and don't sleep on the airplane!


Oh and did anyone see Joan Rivers on CNN about the security in the Costa Rica Airport. She made me want to vomit, what a joke.

Thanks for listening :)


Has anyone seen this man? Anyone?



Smoore

Blogtastic

Yea I know, I'm officially a blogging nerd now. There are a few reasons why I have opened myself up to the world of Blogging. Firstly, who new you can make money blogging (feel free to visit my page as much as humanly possible:). Well, of course it's not about the few cents I'll make from those obnoxious ads, but a nice perk. As most of you know, I am departing January 13Th from JFK and flying into Quito, Ecuador. I will be returning home on April 13Th. Because hopefully all of you love me, you may be interested in reading about my travels (and tribulations). I am traveling alone so it is also nice to leave a so called paperish trail so that you all can be accountable for me! I will also be posting a few pictures on here for for your visual desires. Thirdly or fourthly, this blogging thing is opening me up to new realizations. I think that this will open up my senses more to my surroundings to make for better reading pleasures and a deeper travel experience. Lastly, writing is a good thing and it's good to practice to keep your thoughts rolling, right?
So here is my tentative schedule for the next three months. Never mind, I don't have one. After my last two adventures (Turkey and Costa Rica) I realized that I really just want to go with the flow. I felt that Turkey and Costa Rica were way too structured and that I just want the ultimate freedom to do whatever it is my heart desires at any given moment. So this blog should be rather interesting because I too have no idea of what I'm getting myself into :) Okay, okay, I fibbed, so there is one structured piece of my journey. A stipulation from being a bad money saver. It shouldn't put a huge yield on my ideal freeing adventure. Anyway, I will be volunteering at a hostel in Quito Ecuador for 1 month. The hostel is called "The Secret Garden". While I am there I will bar tend or work the front desk for a bed, food, alcohol and Spanish lessons. Can't beat that right? It should be a good opportunity for me to meet a lot of travelers and lay out a good route for my travels to come. The hostel also has a sister hostel in Cotopaxi, Ecuador.
Apparently a mountaneous magical place and if I sell rooms for them I will get a monetary bonus :) I will be staying my first couple days there to get an understanding of what they offer and then back to Quito to work. As far as the rest of the trip, I hope to get to Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina. Stay tuned!

While I am gone for the next three months, I will be using a different email address. Smoore224@gmail.com. Send me some love, I look forward to hearing from all of you and all about your exciting winter :)
P.S. Thanks for reading this
Love ya'll, Sarah