Barranquilla y Cartagena part 2: COLOMBIA

I took a bus to a little city known as Barranquilla from Medellín . I was excited to go to the birthplace of Shakira, one of my favorite singers. Also, i experienced pre carnaval events; parades, costumes, aguardiente, the occasional gun shot and scare. It was fun, colorful and lively. Then, i took a detour on my way to santa Marta to go to Cartagena again. Unfortunately, that detour led to the theft of my lap top😒. I filed my first police report, cried, acussed a sketchy guy and ended up without laptop. Lesson learned: always, always, always lock your Stuff!!!!!!

For starters, when you see this guy you know the party will be good!

This little boy is not yet ready to shake his booth. This girl was born ready to shake her booty.

Gloria Estefon;" come on shake your body let me see you do the conga"

Excellent meat on sticks! (Notice tall guapo, very nice swedish man. Huge fan of the swedes now and their health care sustento (-;))

A man-woman giving birth to a 5 year old, it was quite the site.

Fían people spray, sometimes got out of hand.

Cutest kid of carnaval!

"Honey, you have something on your face."

"Has anyone seen my baby??"

Life can be tough, but when you wear a high ponytail it's alllll gooood! #highpony

Medellín - Guatapé, COLOMBIA: I have returned!

After visiting my new born baby niece, seeing my family and friends, and recovering from a weird rash, as well as my seriously bruised tailbone and those severe mosquito bites I have returned to Sur America. I will call this Sur America part II. I flew into Medellín, Colombia. I stayed in a cute hostel and reunited with my fellow travelers. Through workaday.info I connected with a few people who needed some assistance either at their hostel or on a farm. I am here in Guatapé, Colombia for a few weeks helping out at a hostel that just opened here in the town in January. My Spanish is improving here in the small town because few people speak English. I will continue on in a week or soo to a new location. Still searching for an English teaching job. Always practicing my Spanish.

Medellín, Colombia

The Metro 

Chicos preparing the parachute

Me, paragliding...nice double chin action.

Birds eye view of Medellín. It was cloudy but I could see how the city sprawled out.

My dangling pies (pee-ehs: feet)

People enjoying the paragliders.

El metrocable.

Viiew from metrocable.

How Spring like and comfy.

 After a short weekend in Medellín I took a two hour bus to Guatapé. The city was lively and very nice. I took a boat ride of the lake Embalse Peñol-Guatapé.

These fun ladies were bailando la salsa. 

My new amigo, him and his friends were very nice and made sure that I wasn't sitting on the party boat like a lonely gringa.

The next day I took a bike ride. 

Got some beautiful views of El Embalse.

La Piedra. 

Zorro, the town dog who everyone knows and loves took us on an adventure.

La Piedra, yet to hike it but will. 

Some of the houses in Guatapé. It's like the Cape for Paisanos or peeps from Medellín. 

El tipico,  o Bandeja Paisa is a typical dish here in the state of Antioquia. Heart attack on a plate but I couldn't have been more happy eating it after an adventurous hike. 

shamelessly asked nice woman to take photo of me eating an oblea. Soo good!

View from la piedra.

Steps to the top!

Waterfall in guatape!

There are about 600 steps to the top and I huffed and puffed at every step.

The cathedral, lit up at night with a full moon was quite beautiul.