Northern Tip of South America (Santa Marta, Colombia)

Yesterday, after a two hour boat ride, a one hour jeep ride, a 90 minute car ride, a three hour bus, and a taxi, we arrived back to Santa Marta. We came from Punta Gallinas, the most northern tip of South America, in the deserts Colombia along the carribbean coastline. So many people told us that it's not possible to get there on our own, and that a guided tour is better, but thanks to my friend Emilie, we got there with hardly any problems. We spent two nights in Cabo de la vela and two nights in Punta Gallinas. It was really gorgeous up there, we slept in hammocks three out of the four nights, and saw the stars above us. We reached a sand dune one day and swam in the ocean as once we ran down the billowy piles of almost white sand. It truly was mesmerizing the view from there. Melissa and I sat and reminisced and discussed life, as we once did in India on a mountain in the himalayas. Awww... moments like this want to make me keep travelling forever.

I miss Mike, I wish he was with us on this leg of the adventure. He got along really well with the girls, and we all had such a great time together. Soon Melissa will be returning to Montreal, and it will only be Emilie and myself. This time we will try to make it to the beaches on the farthest point West of Colombia, close to the Panama border, also on the unbeaten path...

Great Balls of Fire! (Santa Marta, Colombia)

So last week Colombia celebrated it's independence day and I had the absolute pleasure of joining my friend Jose to the fesitivies in downtown Santa Marta. He told me that we were going to watch some fireworks and see some cool lights. We arrived early and we waited on a sidewalk corner, sitting and watching the people slowly start to pile into this plaza. At first I was a little bored and skeptical that things would start on time here in Colombia and was even tempted to suggest a different activity. But soon enough, the events started. I saw a group of young Colombians running in one direction, with screams of joy and fright in their voices and I asked Jose what was going on and he nonchalantly told me that it was a ball of fire that they were chasing after.

At first I thought it was an anomaly, and we went to go see the excitement. I then realized that this ball of fire was something they did on purpose and they kicked it around like a soccer ball, into the air, and into the crowds of people... for fun! What ensued was two whole hours of multiple balls being enflamed, thrown and kicked around, while people screamed and ran for their lives!! Jose and I stayed on the sidelines and watched with anticipation and every now and then we'd have to run aways like little school girls, because the flames would be coming our way either by land or by air! All the while there was music bands playing loudly and people dancing in the streets like there was no tomorrow. I got hit twice by these flameballs, once on my leg overtop of my jeans, thankfully, and the next on my arm where my hairs were cinged. I had the mentality that if I stood in one place the chances of me actually getting hit were minimal, clearly I was mistaken. Man, did I scream like a little baby everytime those flames came near, along with everyone else in the crowds. I can only imagine what it would be like if I were in a war, with bombs and guns going off.

I thought to myself that this activity is so dangerous, and there were so many young children around that this couldn't be happening. How can parents allow their kids to play with fire like this? Where's the police? Where's the firemen? But as time passed, and I screamed louder and louder, and my heart beat rapidly as Jose and I ran up and down the streets, I realized how much fun this rare event truly was! Better than a rollercoaster ride at disneyland I suppose! Two full hours I'll say once again, of flames, music, fireworks, and pure anxiety and rip roaring hoo-hahs!!

Where ya at? Where ya been?

A listing of my 53 weeks of travel - from Nicaragua to Miami. 

Vilcabamba, Ecuador - December 2021

United States
Miami - Aug 13 - Aug 22

COLOMBIA - June 28 - Present

Bogota - Aug 12 - Aug 13
Medellin - Aug 8 - Aug 12
Capurganá - Aug 3 - Aug 7
Turbo - Aug 2
Tolú - July 31- Aug 1
Cartagena - July 26 - July 30
Santa Marta - July 24 - 25
Punto Gallinas - July 22 - 23
Cabo De La Vela - July 20 - 21
Taganga - July 17 - 19
Tayrona National Park - July 15-16
Santa Marta - July 14
Taganga - July 13
Cartagena - July 9 - July 12
- Playa Blanca, Isla Baru - July 11
Medellin - July 5 - July 9
Quinchia - July 4
Pereira/Santa Rosa - July 3
Bogota - June 28 - July 2


ARGENTINA - May 29 - June 28, 2012
Buenos Aires - May 31 - June 28
Salta - May 29 - May 30


BOLIVIA - May 18 - May 28, 2012
Uyuni / Salt Flats - May 25 - May 28
La Paz - May 21 - May 24
Copacabana - May 18 - May 20
- Isla del Sol - May 20

PERU - February 27 - May 18, 2012
Arequipa - May 16 - May 18
Cusco - May 10 - May 15
- Machu Picchu / Aguas Calientes May 14
Huacachina - May 8 - May 9
Lima - April 2 - May 7
Trujillo - March 31 - April 1
Huanchaco - March 28 - March 30
Trujillo - March 21 - March 28
- Huanchaco - March 26
Mancora - March 16 - March 20
Zorritos - March 13 - March 15
Mancora - February 27 - March 13
- Punta Sal - March 8

ECUADOR - November 30, 2011 - February 27, 2012
Vilcabamba - Feb. 23 . Feb. 27
Guayaquil - Feb. 22
Puerto Lopez - Feb.17 - Feb. 21
- Isla de la Plata - Feb. 18
- Montañita - Feb. 20
Quito - Dec. 31 - Feb. 16
- Cotopaxi - Jan. 11 - Jan. 12
Vilcabamba - Dec. 11 - Dec. 30
Cuenca - Dec. 9 - Dec. 10
Macas - Dec. 8
Misahualli - Dec. 5 - Dec. 7
Tena - Dec. 4
Baños - Dec. 1 - Dec. 4
Quito - Nov.30

COLOMBIA - November 4, 2011 - November 30, 2011
Ipiales - Nov. 30
Cali - Nov. 28 - Nov. 29
Guatape - Nov. 26 - Nov. 27
Medellin - Nov. 12 - Nov. 25
Salento - Nov. 9 - Nov. 11
- Cocora . Nov. 11
Manizales - Nov. 6 - Nov. 8
Bogota - Nov. 4 - Nov. 5


PANAMA - October 23, 2011 -November 4, 2011
Panama City - Oct. 27 - Nov. 3
David - Oct. 27
Bocas del Toro - Oct. 23 - Oct. 26
- Bocas del Drago/Playa Estrella - Oct. 24
- Cayo Coral/Playa Zapatillas - Oct. 25
- Bocas del Drago/Playa Estrella - Oct. 26


COSTA RICA - Sept. 16, 2011 - October. 22, 2011
Puerto Viejo - Oct. 18 - Oct. 22
- Cahuita - Oct. 22
- Manzanillo - Oct. 20
San Jose - Oct. 11 - Oct. 17
- Cartago - Oct. 15
Puntarenas - Oct. 9-10
San Jose - Oct. 6 - 8
Jaco - Oct. 4 - Oct. 5
Manuel Antonio - Oct. 2 - Oct. 3
San Jose - Sept. 26 - Oct. 1
Grecia - Sept. 25, 2011
Jaco - Sept. 22 - 25, 2011
Grecia - Sept. 16 - 21, 2011
- Naranjo - Sept. 17, 2011
- San Jose - Sept 18, 2011



NICARAGUA - Aug. 16, 2011 - Sept. 15, 2011
San Juan del Sur - Sept. 3, 2011 - Sept. 15, 2011
- Playa Maderas - Sept. 9, 2011
- Playa Maderas - Sept 10, 2011
- Rivas & San Jorge - Sept 14, 2011
Leon - Aug. 29 - Sept. 2, 2011
- Leon Viejo - Aug. 30, 2011
- Cerro Negro - Sept. 1, 2011
Big Corn Island - Aug. 28, 2011

Little Corn Island - Aug. 22 - Aug. 27, 2011
Granada - Aug. 17 - 21, 2011

- Masaya - Aug. 19, 2011

- Lago de Apoyo - Aug. 20, 2011
Managua - Aug. 16 - Aug 17, 2011

Community Fish Grab (Taganga, Colombia)

Two nights ago I witnessed something new on this trip. We are staying in a small fishing village/beach town on the Caribbean coast. We were sitting on the beach at night, having a few beers and shooting the shit. Along comes some men and a gigantic fishing net, I mean gigantic! Eventually, about 8 men start reeling in this net that has been strategically placed into the ocean by a boat, and slowly a crowd starts building around them. As the net came closer and closer to the sand, all you could see were these medium sized silver fish flipping out, squirming, trying to escape. The community of Taganga all came about and some started to go into the water before the net had fully come inland, to start grabbing at whatever fish they could. There were couples tag teaming, one on the beach and one in the water, collecting the jumping, helpless sea creatures. One girl was stuffing her bra, a man was filling a 3 liter plastic bottle that he'd cut the top off of, another was just throwing them from the sea onto the sand to let them die as he ran back for more. There must have been at least 2000 fish there and at least 100 community folk all grabbing at the fish. One man ran past us as we sat on the beach and grabbed our small plastic shopping bag, he came back later with two filled bags! It was crazy! He explained to us that they do this about every two weeks, it's a community service for the townspeople. What a spectacle!

Not from the same event mentioned, but me getting some ceviche on the beach. 

Mike goes home today. Boo. We've been with Emilie and Melissa know for about five days, and I'll continue on with them. It's so nice to be surrounded by friends I know so well. At the same time, I'll admit, I miss traveling solo sometimes, it just been an adjustment is all.

Colombia Pride (Cartagena, Colombia)

Ahhh... it's nice to be back in the caribbean side, with the warm sun and the sticky humid air drenching my skin and clothes.  Okay, I admit, it's a little annoying at times, but I prefer over the cold winter in Buenos Aires.  Mike and I have been on a steady track going throughout Colombia. I guess it's not so different than the average backpacker, but it's been a while since I've done it I suppose. We are onto our 7th place in a couple of hours and will be meeting up with my friends Emilie and Melissa tomorrow!

Some of my Colombian highlights this time around are...

-Partying it up in Bogota with Mike at the gay discotecas, some of the largest clubs I've ever been to!
-Hanging out with my old travel buds, Louise, Orlando and Shaun in their respective cities and reminiscing about our times together.
-Bogota Gay Pride, it was a huge parade, slow at times, and lacking music and festivus, but exciting nonetheless. The after parties in the main city plaza and the evening club was jam packed with people! I love dancing outside under the sun in a gigantic crowd where I can barely stand my own ground! They know how to represent! I was embarassed when one man asked what the gay community was like in Calgary.
- The thermal hot springs in the coffee region of Colombia, damn hot!
- Staying in the small town of Quinchia with magnificent views of the mountians, where we couchsurfed for one night, hosted by a Colombian man who spent most of his life as a famous fashion designer in Costa Rica.
- Meeting up with a couchsurfer in Medellin to show me around, and discovering that we both know Sebastian, my Scottish buddy that I hung out with in Peru for 2 weeks.
- Shopping and sitting in the mall with Mike, where Leticia and I hung out for the first time ever, and shooting the shit and laughing up a storm, then later getting drunk at 6pm from splurging on cocktail after cocktail in the zona rosa.
- Sleeping in a hammock over night in the beach, where I was literally bumping into Mike and our friend Catalina, whose hammocks were only centimeters away from mine, wondering when the morning sun will rise so I don't have to suffer any longer in this damp, hot, smelly caccoon like state.
- Beach, sun, drinks, beach, sun, drinks.
- Sitting on the walls of the colonial city of Cartagena at night time, buying beers from the local street vendor, and have deep conversations with my best friend from home.

One more week to go for Mike being here. I'll miss him when he goes. I'm glad he came out to visit me!