Third night in somewhere we don’t want to be thanks to food poisoning. Fab.
I did spot a melted smart car though
Unless it was a Pokemon?
Page 7 of 9
Marvellous, I know just where to head in the terrible event of a tsunami. Id prefer if the running man in this sign looked more like he was about to survive the disaster.
The Colombians were fantastic throughout. Utterly helpful in every respect. Well the Chileans have matched them.
So we arrive in the worlds worst airport at 4am. No cab rank, no wifi, no English information, no nothing. So how do you get from the worlds deadest airport to a hotel? Answer: Get the nice check in staff to book us a local cab (Shahds idea- Id had enough and was ready to sleep in the airport). The driver was a ‘don’t mess with with me’ looking chap, he was fab though, we overpaid and he insisted on not taking the money, then left the cab in the dark to help us find our weird little hotel AND stayed to explain to the hotel owner (who we’d just woken up 👍) that we needed a room. Top man. We tipped him well.
This path was way more intimidating in the dark.
Doesn’t matter where you go, you will always find those Golden Arches
As we walked around the town of emptiness a dog appeared and started to follow us. He’d walk ahead, then look back. Walk ahead, then look back. Cross the road, then look back. If we stopped he’d stop and look up at us. We decided to call this dog Peter. Peter was our best friend, our guardian angel. After about 2hrs we really all had bonded. Even his flees we could overlook. Then Peter attacked a cyclist. The cyclist (understandably) shouted at me because he thought it was my dog. Peter could no longer be our friend. 🙁
(Sauna town = Cartagena) Heat index was 40C+ everyday – usually 44C (111F)
Somebody won the lottery down the road!
No clue how much. Probably about £2 worth – the Colombians are an easily pleased bunch
Yep, that’s right. I also found Nemo and every other fish they’ll do in future editions of that film.
Speedboat to Rosario islands (about 20miles away) and the snorkelling was AMAZING. I’m told there are better places in the world but I was just blown away. My guide wasn’t bad either, he didn’t speak a word of English but coral tunnels which looked hugely dangerous to swim through were no problems for him.
Great shame I had no waterproof camera – speedboat and island shots will have to suffice
Free fish lunch they told me. It’s all included with the snorkelling and a great Caribbean lunch they said. Well it certainly felt authentic as the fish stared straight back at me from the plate.
Well we’re now at a hotel for a second night in Antofagasta waiting for my poor food poisoned stomach to recover from what I can only assume was that meal
😭
The humidity is insane. Showers are pointless. Washing requirement has gone up 10fold. Even the Israeli girls we met agree it’s unbearable. Brits ye be warned.
At least this lack of moving is keeping us in the hostel and friend making- yesterday we made a meal with 3 others and went out to a salsa bar
Predictably, I suck at salsa. Shahd was too short for these pictures 😂
Hostel hammock of shady goodness
The Spaniards built a wall here in Cartagena to keep the English out after it was taken ransom for 100days.
Good job guys!!!!!
I see why the English didn’t hang about after being paid off. It’s SO HOT. Medellin was only 1hr away and it was fine there. It’s the kind of heat even tea can’t cure. I can hardly move and my beer keeps getting warm. Situation is critical.
How people were dancing in the heat I’ll never know
20yrs ago Medellin certainly was. 381 in every 100,000 people were murdered. There were 3 big military groups fighting- just 1 was government controlled and even they were hopelessly corrupt. Want to survive? You’d probably have to join one of these groups and fight.
Pablo Escobar (ultimate drug lord/Colombian Voldemort) ruled the roost here- the series Narcos will give you a pretty good idea of the situation.
So why, upon finding out these facts, did we not book the first flight back to safety and run to mummy?
Well nowadays this aint no hit town. The shocking statistic above has dropped to 20 in 100,000. The place feels no more dangerous to walk around than Walthamstow market. Sure, there are ‘no go’ areas and you have to be very aware of pick pockets but all of this is completely and utterly overshadowed by the Colombian enthusiasm, friendliness and pride to have some tourists.
Pride to have tourists. That sounds stupid doesn’t it. Tourists to me mean a clogged up Tesco queue to get my work lunch. Well here, the locals can hardly believe that a group of white westerners are walking through their town. It’s a marked change from the years that have gone before.
They’re even proud of their metro. It’s not a great engineering feat, it’s not colourful, standout or special in any way. Frankly, it’s dull as. It is, however, Colombia’s first ever metro and again a stunning change from 20years ago.
Colombians are accepting their past and building a better future and they’re doing it frigging fast. I think it’s amazing.
I could go on but it’s bed time.
Ive kept my eyes peeled and this is what I’ve learnt.
See somebody you recognise:
Colombia- beepbeeppp
Britain- nothing
See somebody you like the look of:
Colombia- beepbeeepppbeeppppp
Britain- nothing (unless you have a van)
See a car you like:
Colombia- beeepppppppppp
Britain- nothing
See a policeman:
Colombia- beepbeeeppbeppppp
Britain- nothing
See your best mate:
Colombia- beeepbeppppebeppppvepp (get out regardless of where you are and have a hug)
Britain- bepbep
Regarding the white lines on the road:
Colombia- ‘¿que?’
Britain- they clearly mark out the road so there are two clear directions of traffic
Regarding a family riding on the roof of a v8 van:
Colombia- ‘sisisisi waaahooooooo!!!’
Britain- ‘Ms, we’ve just called childline – they’re taking away your children.’
Regarding overtaking a car on a blind corner:
Colombia- ‘sisisisi waaahooooooo!!!’
Britain- clearly risky and frankly plain stupid.
Regarding a van with side and rear doors that fly open every 10miles:
Colombia- Ehhhhh that gaffa tape should hold for at least another 100K miles
Britain- Your van is scrap.
Regarding a drummer sitting on the dashboard and playing while driving along:
Colombia- ‘sisisisi waaahooooooo!!!’
Britain- ‘Hahahaa youre winding me up’
Regarding an unforgivable mistake performed by the car in front:
Britain- BEEEPPPPPPPPP
Colombia- death. (just to be clear worrying people this is only a joke)
That’s what it claims. Not in my books but we did have some rainbow icing to go on our high altitude cake.
It’s easily the best rainbow I’ve ever seen. Couldn’t find the pot of gold though 😭😭
The picnic on the other hand…
- Mr colombo made this in his van and it was amazingggg