still in bolivia

Sorry no blog yesterday. I was in Cochabamba (not Churubamba...these Incan names start sounding like clucks after a while), got in at seven and headed to a plaza and found nothing. I had a 2 o'clock date with Francesco and his friends, since he had invited me to the city to meet his artist friend. I went to Mass...? Yes. I got some really good daydreaming in there, then went to a restaurant near the meeting point. After three hours of doodling and making to-do lists the three Fs, Francesco, Fernando and Frans picked me up and we went to a lakeside restaurant outside of town. After that they took us to an old pueblo half an hour away to walk around and take pictures. The car ride was stupendous, sunny and warm with a cool Andean breeze coming through the windows and every mile or so seeing a 114-yr-old guy riding a bicycle. Frans is a Spanish teacher and Fernando is a Spanish artist, like from Spain. He's started a collective project of artists, architects, designers, etc. from the area and they have an old meat plant building which they're rennovating into a theatre/kids thing/cafe/gallery/artist residency. I like. visit www.martadero.org for more. They won an installation competition with a project of 400 indigenous-style clay figures, one of which they gave me to take pictures of around the world, a la Amelie gnome. I got into Santa Cruz, Bolivia early this morning and have an 18-hr. bus ride to Asuncion at 8pm, just bumming around again. Finally took a shower, its being a cold one shows my desperation. I've got a place to stay in Asuncion.

Que pena de no haberte escrito ayer. Estuve en Cochabamba (no Churubamba, apenas las palabras Incas suenan como cluc cluc). Llegue a las siete y fui a una plaza y encontre nada. Tuvi cita con los F, Francesco, Fernando y Frans a las 2, Francesco me invito a la ciudad para que conociera a su amigo artista. Atende misa...? Si. Y de ser distraido fue bien. Luego fui a un restaurante cerca del sitio donde ibamos a encontrarnos. Despues de tres horas haciendo listas de quehaceres los Fs nos llavaron a un restaurante a lado de un lago. De alla fuimos a un pueblo viejo para tomar fotos y caminar. La chance en el carro fue espectacular. Estaba haciendo sol y un poco de calor, y una brisa Andina entraba las ventanas, cada milla vimos a un viejo de cien años montado en bicicleta. Frans enseña español y Fernado es un artista española. Fernando tiene un proyecto con otros artistas/arquitectos/diseñadores/etc. y tienen un complejo de edificios que antes habia una fabrica de carne. Ahora lo estan remodelando lo para que sea una galeria/teatro/cafe/residencia de artistas. Me gusta. Visita www.martadero.org para mas informacion. Ellos ganaron el premio de arte installacion con el proyecto de figuras Incas hechos de barro. Me regalaron uno para que yo tome fotos alrededor del mundo, al estilo del enano de Amelie. Llegue a Santa Cruz, Bolivia muy temprano, y el bus para Asuncion sale a las 8, mientras estoy andando en la plaza 24 de Septiembre. Finalmente me bañe, y de ser uno de agua fria muestra la desesperacion. Tengo donde quedarme en Asuncion.

Festival

Today is the Independence Festival in La Paz. So far I´ve watched about a half hour´s worth of the parade, which closely resembles February´s Carnaval parade in Barranquilla, Colombia. Bolivia has about a billion traditional dances, so this one might be a bit more colorful. Last night I was walking around with the Italian guy and we heard a military band playing in some building in the Plaza de Morillo so we went into the party of primly dressed elite and had a glass of wine amongst the rubbing shoulders. I bought a ticket for Churubamba(?) for tonight, I´ll see that tomorrow with the Italian guy then head to Asunción probably Sunday night. So, I have the afternoon free for the 28th time this month, I´ll go eat and shop around. The fashion here is actually on par, the old men wear suits and hats. Of course the youth tromp around with their walkmans and baggy shirts. I´d buy a jacket, but I bought one in Lima. I´d buy a hat, but I´m not at least 47 (the older the man, the better he looks in a hat). Until tomorrow...

Hoy es el Festival de la Independencia en La Paz. Vi media hora de la fila, que se parece a Carnaval en Barranquilla. Bolivia tiene como un millón de danzas, entonces esta seria un poco mas colorada. Anoche estaba andando con el Italiano y escuchamos una banda militar tocando en un edificio en la Plaza de Morillo entonces entramos el fiesta y encontramos una gente pupi. Tomamos una copa de vino entre los bien vestidos. Compré el boleto para Churubamba para esta noche, la veré mañana con el Italiano y despues iré para Asunción por la noche, probablamente. La moda aquí es de acuerdo, los viejos andan con vestido y gorra. Por supuesto los jovenes andan con sus walkmans y camisas grandes. Compraria una chaqueta, pero compré una en Lima. Compraria una gorra, pero no tengo por lo menos 47 años (lo mas viejo el viejo, lo mejor se ve con gorra). Hasta mañana...

Yesterday in Puno went well. I went on the half-day tour of the floating islands about 7 kilometers offshore of Lake Titicaca. In the afternoon I took the bus to La Paz which took awhile because it stops at the border for immigration stuff. I tried to bribe the stamp guy into letting me in with my American passport, but no dice. I´m gonna go to the US Embassy in Asunción to try to clear this up, if not, maybe I won´t be let in to my mother country, my source of quickly dwindling nationalism (if e'er I had it). Today in La Paz was great, I went walking around and to museums with Francesco, an Italian guy I met on the bus. I´m gonna stay until tomorrow because there is a folkloric dance thing that´s important, then on to Asunción on Sunday.

Ayér pasó bien en Puno. Tomé el tur de medio dia a las islas flotantes que quedan como 7 kilometros desde la costa del lago Titikaka. Por la tarde tomé el bus a La Paz que demoró porque para en la frontera para inmigración. Traté de pagar el tipo para que me dejara entrar Bolivia con el pasaporte Americano, pero no. Me voy a la embajada estadounidense en Asunción para rectificar la situación, sino, quizás no me podré entrar a el pais de nacimiento, la fuente de la patria peorando. Hoy fue tremendo, caminé y fui a tres museos con un Italiano que conocí en el bus. Quedaré hasta mañana porque hay un festival folklorico de mucha danza que es importante, y después a Asunción el domingo.

the Lake

Sorry no blog yesterday, mom. I was on the bus to Puno all day. GOtta run now because I´m taking a half-day tour of a Lake Titicaca floating island. After that is the bus to La Paz, with a stop at Copacabana for lunch and passport stamps. More later

I thought yesterday was Sunday, so today ended up being Tuesday and I went to Machu Picchu. TODAY. Just got back, and I´m satisfied. Satisfied to be back, you see it´s so touristy now that either one hikes four days on the Inca Trail (not worth it, don´t have the gear anyway) or you take a bus to Ollantaytambo then the train to Aguas Calientes then a bus or hour hike to the Picchu. Plus you're surrounded by Irish, English, French, German and Chilean and Gringo people. Being July 24th, I learned it is the (math)th anniversary of the re-discovery of the Picchu, the lauded Jon Bingam rests in peace. It was in 1911. So, though tourist-ridden, Machu Picchu still holds palpable history among the peaks, but I´m sure it´s lost its eery majesty like when that cat Bingam ran across it. Being a wonder of the world, I think, it´s pricey, but I figured ´when in Peru'...do as the gringoes do. I´m sure it gets worse every year, so better now than in twenty years when they´ve made it into a miniature golf course. Don´t think I´m nastily irreverent, I´m just worn out and don´t believe most of the far-fetched celestial rock-carving theories given by the tour guides. ''This granite has quartz in it and is carved in such a way to be aligned with the cardinal directions and absorbs power from the sun.'' Yeah, and it´s a rock, too. Tomorrow I´m going to Puno, then La Paz, unless lake Titicaca grabs me. I hear Bolivia´s cheap.

Pensé que ayer era el domingo, entonces hoy era martes, que significa que fui a Machu Picchu HOY. Acaba de volver, y estoy satisfecho. Satisfecho de estar regresado, porque ahora es tan turistica que solamente hay dos opciones para subir. Caminando por el Inca Trail (cuatro dias, no vale la pena, tampoco tengo la equipaje necesario), o tomar el bus hasta Ollantaytambo y luego el tren para Aguas Calientes y después caminando una hora o tomando otro bus. Además, esta llena de alemanes, gringos, franceses, irlandeses, ingleses, chilenos, etc. Como es el 24 de Julio, es el aniversario del re-descubrimiento del Picchu por Jon Bingam. Fue en 1911. Entonces, aúnque es bastante turistica, todavía tiene un sustancia historica y presencia entre las montañas, pero estoy seguro que no tiene la misma majestia rara como tuvo para Bingam el man ese. Siendo un maravillo del mundo, es caro. Pero cuando en Roma...haz que hacen los gringos. También estoy seguro que se peora cada año, entonces mejor ahora que en veinte años cuando lo habrán cambiado por un campo de golf miniatura. No piensen que estoy irreverente, solamente estoy cansado y no creo en lo que estaba diciendo el guia sobre las piedras trabajadas para que supieran in linea con las estrellas y las direcciones cardinales. ''Esa piedra de granito tiene quartzo y esta trabajada en una manera tal para que tome el poder del sol.'' Ajá, tambien es una piedra. Mañana me voy a Puno y La Paz en seguida, sino el lago Titikaka me llame la atención.

Pues

Still here in Cuzco. I think I ate some Suspect Chicken last night, because I was sick this morning. It´s smoothing out after some maté. Met a funny Brazilian woman at the movie place last night, we chatted about things. She´s like a grown-up nerd but funny in that dweeby sort of way. Two more days of stillness until I summit the Picchu. I might forgo Chile and just shoot over to Paraguay after Bolivia. That means I have to miss the Atacama Desert, which is unfortunate, plus endure a 30-plus hour bus ride on the Trans-Chaco Highway. I read that it isn´t exactly up to Department of Roads standards. The Chilean bus ride woulda been like 35 hours, anyway. This should save me a few days, maybe I´ll make it into Brazil after all.
Chao for now.

Todavía en Cusco. Creo que comí un pollo sospechoso anoche porque esta mañana estaba enfermo. Ya pasa después de un maté. Conocí a una Brasilera graciosa en la pelicula anoche y conversamos. Ellá es una nerda vieja pero muy chistosa en la manera de ser nerda. Dos días mas de quietud hasta que escala el Picchu. De pronto no iré a Chile, llegaré a Paraguay después de Bolivia. Eso signífica que perderé el desierto Atacama, y también aguantar el viaje en bus de 30 horas o mas por la carretera Trans-Chaco. Leo que no está en buena forma. El viaje a Chile hubiera sido como 35 horas. Ganaré unos días, después de todo llegaré hasta Brazil, quizás.
Chao for now.

I thought yesterday was Saturday. I´ve gained a day in life, but not much will happen with it, I´m afraid. I have a gorgeous laziness leftover from the lax Colombian coast, so I´ve been enjoying some movies, some terrace breakfasts and a top-5-ever steak last night at the Argentinian place. I´ve got to wait until Tuesday for my Machu Picchu tour, there were no spots left for Monday. So today is Saturday, I guess. There´s a museum nearby, hopefully better than the art exhibit I saw in Lima. It´s an Incan trinkets one, I think. Then I´ll watch Little Miss Sunshine in the bar thingy that plays movies (yesterday I watched Babel then stuck around for Borat). I´ve got a bus ticket for Puno, nestled on Lake Titicaca. I´ll be there Wednesday afternoon, maybe overnight. La Paz, Bolivia is nearby, I might just continue on (since I´ve ´lost´about a week from passport BS to spot-less Machu Picchu). More later...

Pensé que ayer era el sábado. Gané un dia mas en la vida, pero no va a pasar mucho, creo. Tengo una flojera bella que he traido de la costa Colombiana, entonces he disfrutado peliculas, desayunos en la terraza, un ´bife´espectacular en el restaurante Argentino. Tengo que esperar hasta el martes para el tur de Machu Picchu, no habian puestos para el lunes. Hoy es sábado. Hay un museo acá cerca, espero que será mejor que el exhibición de arte que ví en Lima. Es de vainas Incas, creo. Luego veré ´Pequeña Señorita Sunshine´en el bar que presenta peliculas. Ayer ví ´Babel´y ´Borat´. Tengo el boleto para Puno, que queda en el Lago Titikaka. Estaré allá el miércoles por la tarde, tal vez trasnocharé. La Paz, Bolivia esta cerca, de pronto continuaré (porque he ´perdido´como una semana de parte de la complicación del pasaporte, la falta de puesto para Machu Picchu). Mas viene...

I like Argentina and I´ve never been there.

Cuzco is almost like Cartagena except clean. Nice plazas, a billion tourists (aaaah!) churches and bars. Got a nice hostel on the hill overlooking la Plaza de Armas. Yesterday I walked around, almost went to a play but the poster looked really bad, plus I came across a choice Argentinian bar/restaurant. Pricey, but the atmosphere beats most things and ties with la Posada (both of 'em) over there in Lima. Two dudes who were mimicking Motorcycle Diaries came in with a guitar and played some classics, plus were really funny. Oh, funny people with guitars. Can´t wait to get home. Checked on Machu Picchu, gonna go Monday for the day tour then get on with my life because the Picch is kind of account-draining. Oh, and there´s a place that shows pirated movies on projectors, so I´m gonna catch 'Babel' this afternoon. And there are so many stores with great clothes here! Can´t buy. Mustn´t...buy...

Cuzco se parece a Cartagena, a menos que es limpia. Plazas lindas, un millón de turistas (¡no joda!) iglesias y bares. Tengo un hostal bueno que queda en la colina con vista de la Plaza de Armas. Ayer caminé, cási fui a una obra de teatro pero la promoción se vió mal, y luego encontré un bar-restaurante Argentino. Un poco caro, pero valió la pena con el ambiente, tan bueno como ambas Posadas allá en Lima. Dos tipos que estan copiando los Diarios Motocicletas entraron con una guitarra y empezaron de cantar unas clásicas, y también eran bastante graciosos. Averigué la vaina de Machu Picchu, me voy el lunes para el tur y después sigo bajando a Bolivia porque esa vaina come la ´money´. Encontré un sitio que presenta peliculas piratas con proyectores, entonces voy a ver 'Babel' por la tarde. ¡Y que culo de tiendas de la moda! Bacanas, pero no debo comprar...no debo...

Cuzco

Just got in to Cuzco after the 22 hours on bus. Not too bad, I did get a little dizzy last night and gagged a few times in the bathroom. Probably the quick change of altitude. The Peruvian Andes pretty much look like the Rockies in west Utah. I hear the bars are competitive for tourist attention and most offer the first drinks for free. Might do a little celebratin tonight. I´d blog longer, but I´m starving and need to find a hostel. Read about a good one with a balcony in an area where most of the streets are pedestrian only. Sounds nice.

Acaba de llegar a Cusco después de 22 horas en bus. No fue mal, pero me desmayé un poquito anoche y tenía ganas de vomitar en el baño. Probablemente fue el cambio de la altitud. Los Andes Peruvianos se parecen a los Rockies en el estado de Utah, en el oeste. He oido que los bares acá competen mucho para la atención de los turistas y lo de mas ofrecen los primeros tragos grátis. Quizás celebraré un poco esta noche. Escribiría más, pero estoy hambriento y necesito averiguar el hostal. Leí de un bueno con balcón en la area peatonal. Me suena bien.

leaving las lima

Well, my daily spending has been a bit excessive. Not exorbitantly, but a few dollars over a fake limit I made up in my head. Actually, I didn´t do that. But I sense I´ve spent too much. So last night was still, I dined on French bread and gouda cheese with some sangria. Cheese is expensive, so it was more than a restaurant would´ve been. I´m kind of a terrible economist. The bus to Cuzco leaves in a few hours. It winds through the Andes so I think it´s around 25 hours. That´s alright, because I haven´t read Moby Dick yet. Slept in today. I should get hotels without cable. Man, what a guilty pleasure.

Bueno pues, estoy gastando mas que iba a gastar por dia. No mucho, pero unos dolares mas que el limito falso que fabriqué en mi mente. Actualmente, no lo hicé. Pero me siento que he gastado demasiado. Entonces anoche fue quieto, comí pan frances con queso gouda y sangria. El queso es caro, fue mas que si hubiera comido en un restaurante. Soy un economista terrible. El bus para Cusco se va en dos horas. Va tras los Andes, creo que dura como 25 horas. Esta bien, todavia no he leido Moby Dick. Me levanté tarde esta mañana. Debo ir a hoteles sin cable. Hombre, que placer de culpa.

Lima not a lemon

I switched from hostel to hotel, the smartest thing I´ve done. Now I´m on the top floor with a balcony, and it´s one Peruvian sol cheaper than the wankpacker place. Last night I went to la Posada de Angel II, same bar different location, same atmosphere better guitar player. I bought him a drink and he repayed the favor with travel stories and jokes about the varying degrees of coldness between South American countrymen. Bogotanos won. I´ll soon find out. I was lazy this morning, like every morning, but today there was room service for me and I watched ´Election´on cable. Ate some good pesto spaghetti and better cafe con leche. Gonna check on Cuzco tickets for tomorrow (Lima has swooned me).

Me cambié de hostal a hotel, lo mas inteligente que he hecho. Ahora estoy en el ultimo piso con balcón, y cuesta un sol menos que el lugar de maricholero. Anoche fui a la Posada de Angel II, el mismo bar en otra ubicación, mismo ambiente y guitarista mejor. Le compré un trago y me pagó el favor con cuentos y bromas sobre los varios grados de frialdad entre paisanos suramericanos. Ganaron los cachacos. Pronto lo sabré. Tenía flojera esta mañana, como cada mañana, pero hoy hubo servicio de cuarto y miré la pelicula ´Election´en cable. Comí un espagueti de pesto bueno y tomé un café con leche mejor. Voy a averiguar las boletas a Cusco para mañana (Lima me ha enamorado).

I like

Lima. Turns out this place is really cloudy and gorgeous with such varied architecture I can´t help but do the tourist walk-and-gawk. I´m staying in the Barranco neighborhood which is a bit more historical but am switching hostels now becuase I actually heard two ´dudes´playing ping-pong say, ´Dude, I was so stoked, bro. F$%&, man, I just gotta f·"%%$ng shave and go out tonight, gotta date, man.´ Yeah, so I´m going now. I came to see Lima, not to listen to pothead snowboarder-types hang out in their faux-hipster natural environments.

Last night I went to a fantastic bar of dark wood and yellow light with acoustic guitar accompaniment and tasty pizza.

Lima. Resulta que este lugar es bastante nublado y lindo con estilos de arquitectura tan varios que estoy caminando y mirando como re-turista. Estoy quedando en el barrio Barranco que es un poco mas histórico pero voy a cambiar de hostal porque acaba de oir dos ´bacánes´ jugando ping-pong decir, ´Ey, estaba tan prendido, bacán. No joda, man, solamente tengo que afeitarme, no joda y salir, tengo cita, bacán, no joda.´ Pues, ya me voy. Llegué a Lima para verla, no para escuchar a marijuaneros snowboarder-tipos andar en sus propios ambientes de pseudo-hip.

out of iquitos

Passport successfully stamped today so I´m in Lima in between the ocean and the mountains. Nearly had to pay the departure tax a second time, didn´t, and then the immigration guy actually smiled. Today I cooked a good lunch; meat and angel hair al dente. Now I´m in an overly backpacker-oriented hostel full of people I don´t really have the ganas to meet. Tomorrow I have to check on how to get to Cuzco. Lima is pretty I think but it is dark out.

Hoy, al fin, estamparon el pasaporte entonces estoy en Lima entre el mar y las montañas. Casi tuve que pagar el impuesto de salida otravez, pero no, y despues el tipo de inmigración actualmente sonrió. Hoy cociné un buen almuerzo de carne y cabello de angel al dente. Ahora estoy en un hostal que es bastante orientado a mochileros lleno de gente que en realidad no tengo ganas de conocer. Manaña tengo que averiguar como llegar a Cusco. Creo que Lima es linda pero esta oscuro.

out of iquitos

Passport succesfully stamped today so I´m in Lima in between the ocean and the mountains. Nearly had to pay the departure tax a second time, didn´t, and then the immigration guy actually smiled. Today I cooked a good lunch; meat and angel hair al dente. Now I´m in an overly backpacker-oriented hostel full of people I don´t really have the ganas to meet. Tomorrow I have to check on how to get to Cuzco. Lima is pretty I think but it is dark out.

well,

I had to stay in Iquitos because I don´t have a Peruvian entry stamp on my passport, which technically makes me illegally here. But when I left from Santa Rosa (mud town right after Leticia) it was 8 at night and no indication of an immigration office amongst the stick houses and dirty scrap lumber. I tried to get on the plane to Lima last night but was stymied by the passport checker who unflinchingly told me to wait until Monday when Immigration would open. Fabulous. Peeved arguing did no good, rules are rules and rule enforcers are really annoying. So I´m in a nice hostel showering, making breakfast, reading, listening to rain, waiting. Lima's probably dumb anyway. See you tomorrow.

Tuví que quedarme en Iquitos porque no tengo el ensallo de Peru en el pasaporte, técnicamente estoy aquí ilegalmente. Pero cuando me fuí de Santa Rosa (pueblo de barro después de Leticia) era las 8 de la noche y no había una oficina de imigración entre las casas de palos y madera sucia. Intenté de subir el avion para Lima anoche, pero no pudí porque el señor de imigración me dijo que tenía que esperar hasta el lunes para que la oficina abriera y pudieran ensallar el pasaporte. Fabuloso. Discutiendo no hizo nada, reglas son reglas y trabajadores bajo reglas me molestan. Entonces estoy en un hostal muy agradable, bañandome, cocinando, leyendo, escuchando la llúvia, esperando. De todas maneras, me imagino que Lima es harta. Nos vemos mañana.

what is the smell

that is me. okay, i have low hygiene standards, but i just got off an amazon cargo boat after three nights/two days and sub-sub-standard food supplemented by godsend SaltinNoel brand saltines and borderline delicious (considering) tuna and I need a shower. Now I´m in Iquitos, Peru. Boat disembarcation was borderline frightening because it was about 5am and still dark and wow I like the numbers of this font. 1984. Cool. I went to the airport in a moto-rickshaw, waited for AeroCondor to open and learned tickets to Lima were half as much if bought in el Centro for the 6pm flight. So I´m in Iquitos and just want to go to Lima becuase Iquitos isn´t that great. I feel like s···, I smell like s···, and then I stepped in s···. I gave a park bum a gallon of water after bathing my shoe in a puddle. Oh, I´d take a bus...maybe...but Iquitos´
piece-d-resistance is that it is the world´s largest city without roadlinks. Silly Jesuits, streets are for kids.

Que huele? Yo. Bueno, tengo estandares bajos de higiene, pero acaba de desembarcar la lancha de leticia y después de tres noches/dos dias y comida fea suplementada por SaltinNoel y atún cási delicioso, necesito bañarme. Ahora estoy en Iquitos, Peru. En la desembarcada tenía un poco de miedo porque todavía estaba oscuro a las 5 de la mañana y los numeros de esta fuente son bacanos. 1984. Bacano. Fui al aeropuerto en un mototaxi de tres ruedas, esperé para que AeroCondor abriera y dijeron que las boletas eran menos costoso si las compras en el Centro para el vuelo de las 6 (hasta Lima). Iquitos no es tan bacana. Huelo mierda, Me siento como mierda, pisé en mierda. Dí un galón de agua a un gamín despues de bañar el zapato en un puddle. Yo tomaría el bus, quizás, pero la pie-d-resistance de Iquitos es que es la ciudad mas grande del mundo sín carreteras a otros lugares. Jesuitas bobos.

chao-cito

Alright, I´ve got fourteen minutes of internet to flow this thing. The casa familiar I´m staying at here in Leticia is run by an old ex-sailor hipster into philosophy, literature and controlling the flow of conversation. Regardless, he´s a decent guide and knows the good stuff. I told him I wanted an overnight jungle tour, so the next day we (Gustavo the Guide, Konstaninos the Greek Guy and myself) took a bus out of town until kilometer 11 and hiked into the roadside forest (pictures available someday). Inside of two hours we arrived to the campsite set in a large clearing bordered on three sides by the winding Atacama river. A quiant building of three rooms and four stilts sat in the center. Jorge, a fourth grader at some pathetic school was an unofficial shadow with plenty of camping savvy since his life is ultimately camping there with his family. His dad caught five fish for us, two regular thingies, a Pero and a piranha. Later some guy came along and offered us caiman, so yes, I ate bonfired caiman and it was delicious though illegal I think. We sat around an swam in the river which maybe had scary creatures but was very refreshing and boiled some water for tea and I haven´t gotten Dengue fever yet. Jorge and I walked around a little at night which was scary, but if the jungle senses fear something will bite you so I steeled myself. Spiders´eyes reflect a bluish light from the flashlight, so Jorge´s machete knew where to strike. Later we went in the canoe, Jorge and I. I rowed, and with his machete he scalped four-inch fish with sublime accuracy. Ta! just a little of the top. The next day we had some amazing jungle grapes and pineapple, hiked out and that night we went to Brazil (!) to watch the Brazil-Uruguay semifinals and drink caipiriñas. There´s an open border here, it´s only after a while in a larger city were one must do passport business. I didn´t get the boat to Iquitos, so I´m going tonight. LATERZ.

jungle boogie

Today I awoke to motorcyles, roosters and Cuban music. The hotel guy/tour guide has arranged a jungle trip for us today and we´re staying the night tonight in an indigenous village. Some hiking will be involved. Depending on when we get back, I´ll blog tomorrow or take the boat to Iquitos.

Hoy me levanté con el ruido de motos, gallos y música Cubana. El guia ha arreglado un mini-tur en la selva y esta noche quedarémonos en un pueblo de indigenas. Para llegar, hay que caminar en la selva. Manaña, depende de cuando llegamos, escribo en el blog o tomo la lancha a Iquitos.

touchdown

I´ll go for two. Leticia isn´t too hot. Looks like rain, though. It´s a rainforest. Found a good spot to stay for the night. The other dude who´s staying here comes to bask in the jungle´s indigenous culture and take a three-day cleansing thingy with this drug plant one eats with proper shaman guidance. Sounds interesting, but I think I´ll just take a boat to Peru. Cargo boats leave at seven every evening and take three days to Iquitos. I could take a rapido and get there in ten hours, but that´s boring. Less boring than a slow, stanky barge?

Está como fresquito acá. Tiene ganas de llover. Es una selva. Encontré una casa familiar donde puedo quedarme. El ótro tipo que esta quedando viene para disfrutar de la cultura indigena de la selva y tomar una limpieza del cuerpo durante tres dias por una droga que uno come bajo la lección del shaman. Me parece interesante, pero voy a tomar la lancha hasta Iquitos. Las lanchas de carga salen a las siete cada noche y demoran tres dias para llegar. Podría tomar un rapido y llegar en diez horas, pero eso es aburrido. ¿Menos que un barco lento y putrido?

Still in Bogota. Only sleeping and eating, although I had an envious wednesday and thursday in which I went to the country club for some turkish bath. That soaked in, since I´m not anticipating any luxury for the coming month (years). My only dilemma is whether or not to bring backpacking this suit I have with me. I won´t need it, but I´d hate to part ways. I can´t sacrifice my second-hand thrice-repaired favorite Italian leather shoes to the trail. I´ll carry that weight to the grave.

Listen to me. Rich man/poor man.

Versión Español for friends/family/friends of the family...(godspeed)

Todavía estoy en Bogota. Solamente durmiendo y comiendo, aúnque tuvi unos dias envidiables en que fui al club para meterme en turco. Esto firmó porque no estoy anticipando ningún lujo para el mes (o años) que vienen. La unica dilema que tengo es si valdría la pena llevar mochilando conmigo unos vestidos. No lo necesitaré, tampoco quiero dejarlo. No puedo sacrificar mis favoritos zapatos usados que tienen el cuero Italiano arreglado tres veces. Los llevaré hasta el tumbo. Escucheme, sueno como hombre rico/hombre pobre.

Well, that's over.

yeeah. I'm back in Bogota after a six-month tour where action on the front wasn't too deadly. I was teaching English (think noun clause as direct object, not Faulkner as direct influence) to the lovely lazy young adults of the Colombian Caribbean coast. Lowdown:

January: no friends, no money, observed classes for a while, I think I rented a movie. Actually, the first week I went on a lovely family trip along the coast up to la Guajira, near Venezuela. There are some pics of that on fotki.com, search 'The Southern Continent' or 'brent meier' or something.
February: 10 hours a day of teaching, afternoons across town in the school's other branch (the dirty east, trust me). After work I was scared to wait for the bus because people get robbed here, plus a week into February two Italians got capped not far from my apt. That wasn't cool and I wanted to leave. But I settled down.
March: March was alright.
April: Hello, Latin America. Oh, I get a week off? We (sister and friend named Pav) went to Medellin and Manizales. Best thing I did in those six months was leave for a vacation. Lots of pretty girls in classes. Being a native English speaker somehow qualifies for University Professor status, so I taught an American Civilization course at the Universidad SanBuenaventura. It was alright. The other side of the desk lets one know the regret of being the same pain in the ass to former teachers as my students were to me. Disinterested lazies. I learned hindsight.
May: Wow, that was quick. Hey, I met some cool people, started strumming some guitar outside of the projects where my sister lived, hanging out in the coffee shop, blah blah.
June: I don't even remember the first two weeks. The routine had me whipped and I'd just drink Aguila beer on the weekends. The last two weeks were brilliant. Safe (British for cool) friends, neat bars, coupla 'despedidas' (farewell parties), I personally had a Despedida Week. I am still tired from that.
July: These entries are painfully brief. If you wanna know about the culture or wanna hear some anecdotes, ask me.
July: First few days in Bogota with some family, mooching room and board and more board. Saved up a decent travel purse, thanks to crazy Colombian job benefits. I got a half-month's salary bonus plus a liquidacion, which I still don't understand but it was a full month's pay. Thank you dual citizenship. Plans, i.e. Reason for blog: I'm gonna backpack for a while, this thing is so you know the answers to the W questions.

Where: Peru, Machu Picchu, Bolivia, Chile, Buenos Aires, Brasil I think. I'm open.
When: I'll come back, don't worry.