21 December 2008

Colombia: The trip that began it all!

This past June I spent 9 whirlwind days in  Colombia. My flight arrived late in the evening of June 19th. Somehow amid the chaotic rush of travelers I found my buddy Pablo and his cousin. After a long day of travel a delicious home cooked dinner of empanadas, a corn dish and flan awaited me. 

Our first stop the next day was Cerro de Monserrate. We (Pablo, two of his cousins and myself) took the funicular railway up the mountain, definitely an energy saver! The view of Bogota was spectacular. The church at the top of the mountain has become a mecca for pilgrims due to a statue of the Fallen Christ to which many miracles have been attributed. There were a few walls covered with plaques giving thanks for such miracles performed. After perusing the shops we took the cable car down the mountain to explore the city.
 

Plaza Bolivar was filled with vendors; food, clothing, trinkets, etc. The mayor's house is adajacent to the plaza and the President's house is only a few blocks away. Street performers lined the area and a group of young girls were performing a traditional dance.

We walked over to Iglesia de San Francisco, the oldest surviving church in Bogota. Viewing pre-Colombian pottery at an archeology museum was entertaining (at least for me).


We walked around a lot, stopping for a very large lunch and later in the day for some coffee. It was of great surprise to Pablo's relatives that I do not drink coffee. Blasphemy!

Pablo and his younger cousins showed me what Bogota has to offer for the night life. We went to two bars, the Bogota Beer Company and The Irish Pub-Bogota Colombia. I walked away with a pint glass from the beer company- a nice little souvenir! 

A day trip to Zipaquira to tour the salt mines was next on the agenda.  
Several different artistic depictions of Christ's suffering were carved in the salt. The big draw is the Salt Cathedral. Services are held at the underground church but weddings are not performed. The cathedral can accommodate 8400 people! A video presentaion showed just how expansive the salt mines are, several floors/layers of mining. 




I flew from Bogota to Cartagena to meet up with my friend Karmi. Shortly after arriving we boarded a bus to Taganga. Arriving later at night the only thing to do was to head over to Mojito Net, a small internet cafe with nightly live performances. Karmi, some of her friends and other talented travelers performed. The next day we spent a few hours sunning and swimming at Playa Grande. I did a little snorkeling but sadly there wasn't much to see. 

Karmi, a friend and myself took a taxi and motorcycles over to Minca. We spent the night playing cardsand drinking apple wine. Early the next day we went for a walk through the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta. Our walk led us to the Blue Pool, not sure where the name comes from, the watering hole was neither clear nor blue but it's chilled water was a welcome refreshment from the heat! After a cool down and a walk back into town we left Minca for Santa Marta to catch a bus to Tayrona National Park.

We arrived at the park after closing hours. However the ranger was kind, let us in and said as long as we hurried we could get to Arrecifes before nightfall. We prepared sandwhiches for dinner and later a group of travelers, Israelis and Americans, introduced us to Yanniv, an Israeli card game. 


The next morning we set out early to see the ruins of the the pre -Hispanic town of Pueblito. On our way we passed by other beaches, campsites and many travelers. The hiking trail consisted of large rocks/boulders. Some of the areas required a great amount of
balance,whether it was walking on some logs, jumping over some deep crevices or just avoiding any misstep and falling down! This was definitely not a hike for the weak or uncoordinated. (we also were wearing cheap sandals throughout the whole hike)

Pueblito was inhabitaed from about 200 AD-1600 AD. The numerous terraces served as foundations for the homes, ceremonial centers and other structures. Some descendants of the Tayrona people have reconstructed homes to replicate the originals. We ate lunch at the site and then began the arduous hike back down. We stopped for a swim at one of  the beaches before returning to our sleeping area. One of the beach bums talked to us for about 2 hours or so about the most random things. He provided a great deal of entertainment, trying to follow his train of thought was a workout! 

As Karmi and I were about to settle into our hammocks for the night, I noticed the beam was split. We slowly sat on our hammocks and heard more cracking. Luckily we were both standing when the piece of wood broke in half. I was surprised by how restful of a nights sleep you can actually get in a hammock. Although two nights of it seemed to be just enough for me. 

We left the park the next morning and returned to Tagana. Another stop at Mojito Net was in order and once again Karmi and some of her friends gave a performance. We also went to El Garaje, a bar and dance club. We met up with one of the travelers we met at Tayrona and other travelers that were at Mojito Net. It was a great last night in Colombia and we didn't return to our hostel until about 6-7 am. 

Later that morning we left for Cartagena so I could fly back to Bogota. All the travelers I met along the way really got me thinking that I better start traveling soon. So, by the time I arrived back in the states I had partially convinced myself that an extended period of time off would do me some good. I think it was only within a week that I was 100% sure this was what I wanted/needed to do. So shortly after the new year my first trip will be to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands! I'll do my best to post updates.

11 December 2008

Florida: Sun, Palm Trees and Hockey?!

I spent a few days in Zephyrhills visiting my Godmother Lynne and her partner Bob. Our first stop was Silver Springs- "Nature's Theme Park". Here we saw numerous alligators; "tamed" and wild, birds, bears, panthers, cougars, giraffes, etc. To celebrate the holidays a festival of lights was on display. Walking around outside in a t-shirt, listening to Christmas music playing and viewing a winter wonderland felt a bit odd without the cold temperatures or snow.


A glass bottom boat took us around the springs. A diver squeezes her way into the narrow break and measures the depth every year, currently 80 feet. Our guide informed us that Numerous movies; Tarzan, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Rebel Without a Cause, Legend (to name a few) and television shows; Sea Quest, Crocodile Hunter were filmed here. After production of one movie ended three replicas of ancient greek statues were left behind at the bottom of the springs and have since been used for other projects.



I was last at the Dali Museum in 1990. I really enjoyed my visit then -
such sophistication for an 11 year old! (sometimes I think I have regressed) So I wanted to make a return visit after all these years and an increased appreciation for the artist. The museum was much smaller than I remembered. Numerous works were removed for a temporary exhibit on artist Wifredo Lam. Construction of a new, larger and hurricane proof museum is slated to begin sometime this month and should be opened early 2011. Guess that's cause for another visit!

Continuing with our classy afternoon, we went to the Florida Orange Groves Winery. You will not find a single grape in their selection of wines. This unique winery produces wines made from mangos, grapefruits, oranges, bananas, carrots, tomatoes, etc. We sampled many varieties(all for free) and purchased a few bottles. 

From art and wine to hockey! The Buffalo Sabres were visiting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Lynne and Bob graciously allowed me to wear my jersey. I had thought I would be heckled by those pesky Lightning fans but to my surprise I was surrounded by Sabres fans! The whole arena was about 50/50 Lightning and Sabres. Nothing to worry about at all. 



The game was a close one. Buffalo would score then within a minute or two Tampa would answer back. After the 4th goal scored by the Sabres I figured it would only be a matter of time before the Lightning struck again. (such copycats, pun intended). However, Buffalo was able to hold them off and WIN! Needless to say I was thrilled with the outcome. Being a good sport I bought Lynne and Bob a round of drinks, they needed something to brighten their spirits and I wanted to make sure I had a ride home! We stopped by Trolleys where they have a post game call in show and raffle. I won a 25 dollar gift card to Starbucks and Lynne won 2 tickets to Universal Studios. A great end to a fun evening!

When I left Tampa the temperature was 74. In Albany I was greeted by a chilly 10 degrees! Ah, the northeast- Home Sweet Home!

01 December 2008

Spain: Part 3: Madrid

A two hour Renfe train ride brought us to Madrid, the capital of Spain. Upon exiting our metro stop we came across this statue.
 The statue weighs about 20 tons and is the symbol of Madrid. Not sure what the significance is of a bear eating fruit off of a strawberry like tree, if anyone can offer any insight that would be greatly appreciated!

Madrid offered another NYC type vibe. Very crowded, loud, and our walk along the Gran Via was much like walking along Times Square. Ryan and I noticed some scantily clad "ladies"- "ladies of the evening" h
anging out in this area. 
(no, Ryan was not harassed. Nor did he make any propositions.) 
 
Onto a different topic~

Interested in art?

We went to three art museums while in Madrid. Museo Nacional del Prado, containing works by Goya, El Greco and Rembrandt, among others. Museo Thyssen- Bornemisza and Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia. Picasso's Guernica is on display at Reina Sofia. Guernica was a small village chosen for bombing practice by Hitler's army. The town was bombed for three hours and left 1600 civilians dead or severely wounded.  

The Palacio Real underwent construction from 1738 to 1755 after the previous royal palace was destroyed by fire. The current King and Queen do not reside in the palace. With 2800 rooms I hope their decision was not due to a lack of space! 




We continued to walk around the city. Ryan and I agreed a stop for Chocolate con Churros (thick hot chocolate with thin slices of fried dough) would be a nice treat. This "treat" had become a daily occurrence during our stay.


The Royal Palace: Day and Night


After a whirlwind two days in Madrid it was time to say goodbye to Spain. It was eerily quiet at 8 am when we left our hostel for the airport. Would I return?- YES! (but that is how I have felt about every country I have visited. So far.)






21 November 2008

Spain: Part 2: Seville

A two hour flight brought us to Seville. Ryan's friend Erica greeted us at the airport and after a quick stop at her apartment we were off to the city center. 


A bit of history: The motto of Seville is No8Do. The 8 is shaped like a skein of wool, or, madeja in Spanish. The motto is a rebus, reading "NO madeja DO", a play on the sentence, "No me ha dejado", she (the city) has not abandoned me (the king)". The motto refers to the city's support of King Alphonse X in a 13th century war with his son. This symbol is seen all over Seville and on manhole covers, grates, etc. 

While in Seville we toured the university, formally a tobacco factory. Plaza San Salvador offered a lively gathering of Sevillans on their "siesta" and had a small exhibit of Salvador Dali's statues. The Cathedral was monumental, one of the largest in Christendom and the long walk up El Giralda- the cathedral's tower (shown here), offered spectacular views of the city. 

We attended a Flamenco show- a very passionate female dancer performed to live musicians. Many tapas, tinto de verano (a mix of red wine and club soda) were consumed during the trip. Our favorite place to eat was Cerveceria 100 Montaditos which serves excellent small sandwiches and for only 1 Euro on certain days!

Many photos were taken of Torre del Oro (Tower of Gold) a twelve 
sided structure built by the moors as a defense against Christian
invaders.

Maria Luisa Park offered a relaxed peaceful moment of our trip and
led us to the Seville Archeology Museum.
(I can't leave work completely behind!)

Adjacent to the park is Plaza de Espana. This plaza was constructed 
for the 1929 Spanish-American Exhibition and now mostly houses
government offices. 

Fun fact- this building was used in Star Wars Attack of the Clones as a setting for the planet of Naboo.










Plaza de Espana

Spain: Part 1: Barcelona


What a way to begin the trip- First Class! A delicious and very long meal of cheeses, fruits, chicken satay, veal dinner, dessert, free wine, etc. We all received a small travel bag full of small products and a hot towel upon boarding and within the last hour of our flight (as we were waking up). A bit spoiled, yes, but I am already considering flying first class for my future Australia adventure!


While in Barcelona we went to several of Antoni Gaudi's architectural marvels;
Batllo House, La Pedrera, Guell Palace, Parc Guell, and the famous El Temple De La Sagrada Familia- a church that has been undergoing construction since 1882.

Numerous walks around the city took us to Church of Santa Maria del Mar, a view of old roman walls and defense towers, Palau de la Musica Catalana, La Boqueria (a street market), Picasso Museum, and more!

At night we enjoyed walking Las Ramblas- an elongated series of streets that offer many stores/restaurants and plenty of street performers.