A bit About me

The first of several blogs I wrote, in fact, by far the most fun and adventurous of the lot.

In 2002, I completed my Bachelors in Business Finance at California State University Fullerton and was ready to escape the U.S,  starting in London, heading eastwards reaching Turkey half a year later.

From learning Italian in a matter of months and working in an Irish bar in Sorrento, Italy  to living on an party Island in Greece,  working at restaurants,  as a movie extra in ''dillo con parole mie'' and as bar promoter/bouncer at Amadeus, to  more backpacking in Turkey, Poland, Hungary, Germany, France and Czech Republic .

Finally, I took an adventurous sabbatical, risky travel through South and Central America, taking  18 months to get from Argentina to Mexico, mostly overland, by bus, train, hitch-hiking or cargo boat.

Past

In May 1994, I left Paris for South Africa, where I finished my last 3 years of high-school at Sandringham (Johannesburg) and then returned to Paris and  did a bit of travel for a year
(Holland, Belgium, Greece, Israel/Sinai, Turkey, Spain, Portugal and Mexico) before re-joining my parents who re-located to the U.S.A. to attend University

Future

I have a great job at the moment and am quite happy to stay in London for a 1-2 more years! When I decide to leave (before I turn 30) I would like to go on my last Around-the-world trip through China, Nepal, India, South East Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Fiji .

After my trip I want to return to South America to live and work for a few years in 2 of my favourite countries - Brazil and Argentina.

"La felicidad es un trayecto, no un destino."
''Happiness is a journey not a destination''

* Central America 2003

Panama

It was an adventure just getting there. I had waited in Cartagena, an amazing spanish colonial town for almost a week before jumping on a cargo boat illegally for $50.

We started out the 6 of us - Germany, England, Switzerland, Holand, Argentina and France, with 15-20 locals and crew. The captin who sold us the tickets lied to us about Visa stamps and drop off points. He didn't evn come on the boat (suprise). We had a few arguments with the sailers over food rations and tried stealing their mattress's but were unsuccessful. Most people slept on the floor deck but I ended up on the cargo and backpacks as there was no space.



The 2nd day we arrived in Acandi. I negotiated a canoe boat to the border of Capurugana in the Darien gap. After 2-3 immigration posts and several problems we had to leave the Argentinian behind. None of us had the required papers or funds or outgoing airtickets but I managed to bullshit most of us out of the border.

Finally we arrived in PT Obaldia expecting to jump on a plane the same day, but unfortunately the miltary took control of all the planes leaving us stranded for several days.

It was a bit intimidating to cross through the Darien gap by boat, its too dangerous by land because the Darien is full of bandits, smugglers, guerillas, and paramilitaries (chasing guerillas). Fortunately all our probems were limited to redtape at the border, having no money or food, and being stranded .

We all had very little money as we didn't expect to stay there for more than a day. I just had enough for a flight and 6$. We had to pull all our money together to have just enough for all the flights. The next couple days we survived eating from the trees - coconuts, mangos and starfruit.



Pt Obaldia itself is a miltary camp rather than a port village. Not so long ago it was controlled by Farc guerillas which is why it's full of soldiers, bunkers and has very few civilians . You need to ask permission just to go to the beach and after a certain time can not leave the inner town.

We finally got a plane but had to leave the Swiss and Dutch couple behind as they had more money, each other. There were only 3 spots left on the plane. It had the shortest runway I have ever seen, we lifted off right before falling into the ocean.



Arriving in Panama city was fantastic. The city itself is a very modern and American looking . Was strange to see cash machines again. Panama city is like a little New york . It was so nice to eat real food again. I was getting tired of climbing trees looking for ripe mangos and star fruit.



However it is the only place I have been where locals have stopped me in the middle of the street to warn me of danger if we continued up certain streets. I visited the Panama canal and then flew we to the carrabian coast. Stoping in Bocas del toro Island (Panama) and the Pt Viejo (Costa rica)- a cool little hippi town on the Carrabian side with some good surf and nice beaches. Unfortunately it rained most of the time we were in the Carrabian.

Costa Rica

Saw some nice beaches and loads of wild life but I found Costa Rica terribly expensive and too overcrowded with package tourists (mostly north Americans). The locals were quite distant as well, probably as a resullt of excess tourism. We saw the Volcano Arenal while erupting and went to the bottom to see lava flowing towards us. It was spectacular.


My last stop was Montazuma on the pacific- a cool little beach town. I ran into a german guy I had met in the bolivian jungle in march- he had rode his bicyle all the way up to Costa Rica ( loco! ) After not meeting many interesting people and my credit card having expired (leaving me with 80$.) I left .

Nicaragua

Was a place with few tourists in general. San Juan had good surf and nice beaches and colonial Granada was interesting. Granada has a contrast of nice colourful colonial buildings and dusty, decaying rundown buildings. Leon also a colonial city -is said to be by some the only real city in the country ? The island of Ometepe (formed by to joint volcanoes) is cool from the distance but not what I expected.

I found Nicaragua friendly, poor and politically very interesting. The US intervention has been strong in Nicaragua. The CIA, US marines and US financial backing to intsall or remove dictators and governments has gone on for decades.



As recent as the 80s Regean sold illegal weapons to Iran to fund the contras (military groups) out of honduras against the current goverment (sandistas). Ironically, these contras are x- somazas the other party that the US Orginally supported until they got out of hand and switched over to supporting the sandista revolution. For the 3rd time they have swtiched sides creating another war to further there own politcal interests.

Politcs aside the capitol is a shithole, more of a town than a city. I'm waiting for a bus tomorrow through Honduras stoping in San Salvador for a day or two before heading to Guatamala and later Mexico.

Guatamala

San Salvador- was a very dirty, dodgy, chautic place. I didn't stay long.



Antigua- Guatamala to the contrary is beautiful, colorful, colonial city. It has a nice atmosphere, with loads of people walking on the streets and is full of foreign students and tourists.

San pedro a town on the lago de Atitlan felt more local although popular with backpackers.



It was a good place to relax before heading to the jungle to see the striking pyrimids of tikal ( some of the most impressive ruins on the continent) .

Mexico

It was great to arrive in a place that has good food, Spices and some variety . Somthing more than just rice, beans and chicken!



I crossed belize stoping in Tulum, the only ruins I have everseen along the coast. It's a beautiful place with white sand, crystal clear blue water and just a few beach cabanas and huts. A cool relaxed part of the Carrabian that isn't yet overcrowded.



Playa de Carmen and it's bigger version Cancun were terrible. Like little vegas strips on what used to be a beautiful beach full of overpriced restaurants, hotels, shops and 1-2 week package tourists(yankies).



Cuba

Was a great change and a place to visit (while Fidel still lives). Cuba is such an interesting place . Habana has a great atmosphere and always has some little bar playing live bolero, sono or salsa. It has a lot of character, although its buildings are dirty and decaying they still look very impressive. In Cuba you actually feel like you are in the 50's. The buildings, the old american cars... It seems as if Cuba stopped developing and never progressed after the US embargo. Leaving Cuba quite preserved.



It's has an interesting system. I enjoyed not seeing any American fast food chains and bill-boards. They have 3 currencies going around and as a tourist you pay a lot more. Although by paying with local money which is hard to get some things are very cheap like a cone of ice cream (4 cents), a pizza (25 cents) a mango juice (8 cent). Otherwise things like hotels, long distance buses and restuarants a very expensive.



I had to cut my trip short as I have been reyling on money transfers this last month since my credit card expired. I was told I could recieve money in cuba so went with about 150$ which didn't last long.



After news of the transfer being sent back I had exactly enough money to pay the exit fee and was forced to change my ticket( 25$ and 25$).The last 2 days I had zero money for food or accomadation and even had to take a local bus (and then walk 10km to get to the airport) since I could not pay for a taxi.

Mexico

On my plane to cancun I met a mexican woman smuggling in several boxes of Cuban Cigars. Having no money I agreed to smuggle one box in exchange for transport to the center, money for internet, transport to a bank and then to the port. After all that I jumped on a boat to Isla de mujers (island of women).



Stoped in merida to buy a hamac as I no longer have enough money to sleep in hotels. Then visted the impressive ruins of Palenque and spent 4-5 days in San cristobal and Oxaca. They are both extremely colourful and beautiful spanish towns.

My last stop before going to visit some freinds in Mexico city were the beaches of Mazunte, Zipolite and Pt Escondidos. Then I will vist my father in Cali for a month and the rest of my family in Paris before heading to look for work in london.

* Ecuador and Colombia 2003

Ecuador is a small country but a joy to travel through since the buses are for such short distances. In a day you can travel from its coast through the sierras and arrive in the heart of the jungle. Especially in the south it seems like the whole country is a jungle with occassional towns or cities every few hours along the road.

The infrastructure is more modern with better roads and more development than Peru or Bolivia. The weather is warmer- the hills are much more verdant and it is very Americanized. Since it uses the American dollar, its also more expensive than most latin American countries.

I started in a village (Vilcabamba) bordering a national park in the mountains with an attractive very green country side. It's famous for it's inhabitants living longer lives (90 plus yrs). 2 km out of the village there are a few great hotels with great food a pool/jacuzi/turkish baths etc... It was a great place to spend a few days relaxing from my already stressful life.

A couple hours north lies Cuenca the most beautiful city I have seen in weeks. Nice bulidings, streets, plazas, and grandesque 15th century churches. Besides it's colonial setting its filled with a lot of nice little cafes, bars and is full of students. After relaxing a few days in the city I went back to the coast.



Montanitas is a small coastal village with a bohemian feel to it.It's had many surfers and travelers. It had a good surf break, plenty parties and bonfires on the beach, but not to much else.

My last stop before Quito was Banos- a touristy place frequented for it's hot thermal baths and proximity the the jungle. Went to the famous indian market of Otavalo which I think is overated . I had a great time in Quito the old part is pleasant and I liked the visit to the equater (or just under it).




We stayed in the modern part on a small strip called (by some) gringolandia. It is just a few streets of bars, clubs, restaurants, hostels, internet cafes and a lot of tourists. I discovered this great mongolian buffet and a few nice clubs. Tomorrow I leave for Colombia a place I am excited and scared to go to, but I know I will enjoy it. Salsa in Cali, colonial Cartagena and carrabian beaches. Not to mention a place with very few tourists.


Colombia was a really amazing time. Some of the most interesting people I met were other (Hardcore) travelers that had the balls to come to Colombia. The locals are the freindliest people I have met in South America ( aside from brasil). The fact that there are so few tourists makes it easy to meet travelers as there is usually only one place they all stay, and you continously bump into the same people as there maybee only 30-40 people backbackers in all colombia. It also keeps Colombia pure and more interesting.

Colombia has both a Pacific and Carrabian coast with world class diving, colonial towns, jungle, desert, amazingly beautiful countryside-( full of verdant mountains valleys and hills) and several vibrant modern cites with great music and nightlife.

Aside from the bloody struggle between Farc guerillas, paramiltitary and the miliary for control over Colombia it´s a beautiful place to visit. It´s intimidating to travel overland as it can be dangerous and seeing so many armed soildiers and checkpoints takes some getting used too.

Initally at the border we had problems entering the country without an exit return ticket. After several trips to and from the border we were able to bribe a bus station company to rent us a false return ticket to enter and get our passports stamped.

Our fist stop was a little colonial town with all white buildings (Popyan). Colonial towns are everywhere in South America. Usually well preserved with spanish style architexture, white and bright vivid colors, narrow cobblestone streets, monumental churches, and attractive plazas.

Most City's are unattractive, poorly built and have little structure, appeal or development. Then there are several large modern metropolis's much like in the 1st world. On occassion you will come across beautiful coastal fishing villages or a remote towns in a scenic mountain setting. I've always liked the colonial towns most.

Afterwards I spent some time in Cali a modern city famous for it´s freindly people, salsa as well as for being home of the drug cartel (the worlds capitol of cocaine traffic). Next I went to Medillin also a vibrant modern city with a really nice metro. We drank a lot of aguardiente (like a white sambuca or anis) a local favorite.

Cali, Meddillin and Bogota have some fantastic nightlife, and a large amount of very attractive women. Not to mention the Gold museum is said to be one of the worlds most impressive displays.



Bogota in the center can be unsafe. In the 4 days, 10 people from my hostel got robbed, All within blocks from where I was staying. Either I am lucky or my travel experience is paying off. I slao spent a few days with some locals I met through a friend which was cool.

Venezeula

I crossed in to Merida for a week ( the border was terrible). Within one hour we eperienced 7 checkpoints. The first - Me and a german had to get off the bus and have our bags searched but at the the 2nd search/checkpoint (20 min later) we were escorted to a private room with 5 armed soildiers and asked for a money as so we coulld be remembered. We paid and went on our way only to be stoped again 10 min later by the police. We got off the bus and this time they told the bus driver to leave without us and after being searched thourghly we had walk to the bus station several miles away.



Finally we arrrived in Merida . A nice student town with a very friendly atmosphere. I met a lot of people and went out almost every night. It is famous for having the worlds highest cable car( unfortunatly it was closed for repairs). It is the cheapest, safest place in Venezeula and it was a hard place to leave. I met 3 local girls who took me into the valley where I got to experiment with local marmalades alcohols and fresh trout.

Colombia

Going back to the border was just as complicated except I was expecting it this time. 3 searches, 1 private room and a toal of 16 checkpoints in less than 2 hours.



Santa Marta was hot and not what I expected. I think people use it as a base to go to the ruins of the lost city (in the jungle), Tangana - (a small town that is a scubadiving centre )and the national parque Tayrona.

On the way our bus got stopped in the middle of a Gun fight. I don't know between who, but several soldiers and guys with automatic rifles were shooting at each other. Straight out of a movie! Saw a few dead on the ground 20m away and then a military trooper jumped on our bus, took a look and told us to leave quickly. And so we went. It took a few minutes to register all that was going on.



I spent some days in Tayrona- 1hr north of Santa Marta. It´s one of the most beautiful beaches on Colombian carrabian coast. It has the highest coastal mountain ranges in the world filled with jungle rainforest that meets palm trees and white sandy secluded beaches.

We slept in hammac's on the beach in absolute silence except for the sea breeze and the crashing waves. We lived on cans of tuna, olives and cocunuts - that we struggled with ( having only a pocket knife to open them with).

A few weeks later 12 backpackers were kidnapped from Tayrona (same camp).



From there I went to Cartagena the beautiful colonial city where I am now. I will go to a beach called playa Blanca before looking for a sailboat or cargo ship to panama next week.

* Bolivia and Peru again 2003

From Brasil I took the death train into Bolivia and some smaller buses totalling almost 2 days of non-stop travel. Spent a few days in Santa Cruz and Sucre. Nothing really unique except the amount of wealthy bolivians who live in Santa Cruz. Many of them are involved in the drug trade.




Potosi is the worlds highest city (4000+m). It´s Known for it´s silver mines. They financed the Spanish monarch for over 2 centuries. The condition in the mines are appauling.

It´s like they havn't changed since the 1500´s. Although now there are no longer black and Indian slaves but local miners working them. They are full of dust, posionous arsenic fumes and small narrow tunnels .Infact the deeper you go in the hotter it gets and the harder it is to breath due to lack of air. They are still pulling steel wagons full of minerals that weigh a ton with 2 or 3 men and rope. 8 hrs day of mining will make any job look good (what a terrible job ).



When we left the mine we learned how to light sticks of dynamite- very cool. I even held it in my hands for a few seconds after lighing the detenator . Wow its a real rush to have your life in your hands! After about 5-10s I quickly took some distance before it exploded.

Went north to Sorata to relax for a few days. Sorata is a small village in a deep valley above a river bank beneath towering mountain peaks over 6000m high. One of the most beautiful settings in Bolivia.



From LaPaz I took the most dangerous road in the Americas to Corioco. It drops 3000m in several hours. It its the most frightning road I have ever taken. It´s narrow enough for one car, muddy (slippery) with endless vertical drops and a collection of buses that have gone over the edge, but some amazing scenery. It even has rivers and waterfalls going through the road to keep things interesting.



After we got through the most dangerous part we ran into a rockslide, which cut off the road, leaving us and 50 other buses and cars stranded in the middle of the jungle. After spending the night on the road, which is nothing but a dirt path on the edge of the mountain, buldozers eventually came to clear the the boulders so we could pass. In the end a 15 hous bus ride turned into a 40hr nightmare.

Finally we arrived at 1am of the following day in Rurrenbaque. I took a tour into the Amazon rainforest and the pampas for about a week. In the jungle I ate my first tree, palmito- The heart. After cutting the tree we drank water from it . In the pampas we saw a lot more wild life- birds, monkeys, boars, dolphins,...We also for hunted anacondas and alligators and fished for piranas.




I Flew back to Lapaz with a military plane (in the cockpit because they ran out of seats) and stopped in la Isla de sol (an island on lake titicaca).Its the highest navagable lake in the world. The ancient Incas believed it to be the sacred birthplace of the sun God and is still inhabited by the ancesters of the uros indians. Bolivian buses and roads (paths of dirt) are horrible, bumpy, muddy, smelly, overcrowded, late, continuously breaking down with no toilets.



The food is ok but I can´t say I have had one great meal yet. Altough they are the cheapest meals I have had ( at 60 cents for a 3 course meal and coffee). I had some interesting meals such as alligator, cow heart, llama meat, stomach and trees .But I mostly ate chicken and rice.


Peru:

After eating only chicken with plain white rice, salad (with tomatoes and onions only) and chips drenched in oil for the past month I decided to stay on Peru"s coastline to avoid chicken. Several weeks of only fish and cebiche was refreshing and just what I needed.



I went back to Cuzco and Lima for some nightlife, also somthing there wasn't much of in Bolivia.



I relaxed for a few days in an Oasis in the dessert near Ica, before heading north to Huanchaco and Mancora for some surf and nice sunsets. I skiped almost all the ruins in the north, but am a little ruined out, at least until I get to Mexico where I will catch up.

Brazil again 2003

An amazing place! I have had the best time in Brasil. Brazilians are happy, friendly, extremely social and hospitable people. It's the only place I know where 10 random strangers will start up a conversation in the middle of a public Bus, or Bus sto( really just about anywhere).

In the next 5 or 6 weeks (apart from carnival) I will be just visiting one beautiful beach after another along the brasilian coastline (and several of it's islands). Some of which are really like what one perceives paradise to be like.

Lot's of fiesta, dancing, going out, Caiperinha, Rodizios, eating, tropical fruits, meeting up with old and new freinds. Not to mention, waiting in line for everything, long buses and an excess of fejeau (beans)......



I attended the World Social forum in Porto Alegre. It was really interesting. I met 2 Uruguayans on my way there in the bus who let me stay with them in their tent.

As we arrived at the bus station I met a nice brasilian girl who helped us register and find the camp site ( which wasn't the most organized). Later she introduced us to the other 47 brasilians in her group and we ended up having a really good time together. It was a little crazy. There were 35,000 people staying in this camp site and only 4 toilets/showers.

Mostly Brasilian with some Argentines/Uruguayans and a few people from the rest of the world. About 200,000 people attended the Forum. It was nice to attend as I don't think I'll make the next one in India.

I got to see the new president of Brasil Lula speak but missed out on Chavez's speech (the president of Venezeula). It was almost like woodstock with all the concerts and different things going on. Political demonstrations, discussions, speeches and very little sleep. People from all levels- students, radicals, politicians...



After the forum I went to the island of Santa Catarina where after a few minutes in the hostel I met a group of 15 Argentinians, an australian and 4 chilians. They were on on there way to ferrusum and convinced me to go with them (a few hours later).



A tiny little village a few hours south of Floripa with one street and one beautiful beach, amazing nightlife full of beautiful people that starts at about 3am. We rented a house and spent a few days.



Then me and Pual (the australian) went north to another Island- Isla do mel (Island of honey). Paradise! Small, remote almost untouched, with no cars or streets. It had just has a few pousadas, bars, some travellers, amazing beaches and 4 or 5 guitars.

Next I had to stop in Sao paulo to see some freinds. After I went further north to Rio and Belo horizonte etc..



Rio was great as always. Infact I will go back again for a few days before when I leave brasil. I think I ran into everyone there from travelers to freinds of mine from chile, peru and Buenos Aires etc....

Most of them I bumped into at my hostel or in the Macarana Footbol stadium. It is suppossed to be the largest stadium in the world. I got to see flamengo beat botafogo 4-2- a really intense game.

This time around I went into a Favela with some brasilians I knew to a funky party, with 3,000 people. It was great- really intense and unlike any place I have been. A favela is where all the poor people in brasil live and can be extremely dangerous. I would not recomend it as most of my brasilian freinds havn't even been to one. I was 20 min away from the largest one in brasil (maybee globally) where 300,000 people live.



After Rio I left my passport and backpack at the hostel and brought only a shirt, tank top, shorts and sandals to travel with for the next month. It's been great to travel so light.



I went to visit freind in Belo horizonte- a big city with a few hills and a reputation for an excess of women ( somthing like 8 women to every man). Most of which were quite attractive. Nearby I visited the colonial town of Oro preto.

A charming town with narrow cobblestone streets with white brick houses with colorful shades of yellows, blues, Reds and greens. The city follows the contours of the hills and valleys creating a dramatic blend into the mountain.



I stoped in Porto Seguro and some small local beaches after flying there without a passport. (Only in brasil...jejej) Then I arrived in Salvador of Bahia for Carnival. Intense, traditional and crazy all at the same time.



Imagine a bus convertibale with a band and some dancers playing music on the top deck, being led by several hundred people wearing the same clothes surround by a rope forming a block.





Now add thousands of people watching and dancing outside the block multiplyed by another 30 blocks following each other down the street and you get a picture of what carnival is like.



I spent the last few days in Carnival in Olinda ( more traditional). Olinda has small colonial streets full of people making it hard to move. It was full of mini marching bands of 50 people marching with there Huge drums and trumpets in all directions. I prefered Olinda where I celebrated my birhday for the second time in Brasil.



Olinda is a very different Carnival but a lot more social and mellow but still with thousands of people. Although the variety of music was better in Salvador where the people are much crazier ( it is more dangerous ). It's nice to know that I have been to the craziest and the best Carnivals in brasil. Salvador and Olinda.



Afterwards we went to Natal to take a jeep bugy tour through some of the northen beaches and sand dunes which was an amazing trip. I'm on my way back to Rio so I hope to arrive there in about a week.

I have a lot of distance still cover. Brasil is an immense country. I found A flight back to Belo horizonte from Bahia ( funny enough) when I arrived I didn´t get off. I stayed on the plane instead.



I ended up flying to Rio for free which was my next destination anyways. In Brasil anything can happen.

Spent some days in Rio and then went to Bontio (beatiful in english). Which is south of the Pantanal. They are both known for ecotourism. Went snorkling down a river, about 2.5 km saw many exotic fish and so on.