#And have the campestre in two days

[toddtheodd21]

When mootuals interact with my posts🤭🤭 (they're all reblogs)

Jk that i see you in my notifications and am happy! Hope you guys will have a good week?

[museenkuss]

“How I transformed my body in 90 days” type video but I’m becoming a Renaissance Woman. Vlog footage of me reading the classics for hours on end, writing vocabulary lists, drawing in my sketch book to epic music. On day 15 I talk about how I’m slowly adjusting to my elaborate home cooked meals and how I struggle with the genealogy of the Borgias. There are montages of me educating myself on history, astrology, astronomy and dressing well, I take horseback riding lessons and go to museums. Erasmus, Machiavelli and Lucretius are stacked on my bedside table.

There’s a segment where I say ��it’s day 53 and I’m really struggling… I can’t even write a sonnet. I don’t see any improvement in myself. Is this even worth it?!” The stakes are rising. I’m shown ripping up pages of rhymes in calligraphy. I swear as I rush around the kitchen, trying to prepare my oysters. I sit at my desk and sigh, head in hands, my desk covered in stacks of notes, huge volumes on art history and printed out articles. The dramatic moment comes when I for the nth time try to walk and gesture with sprezzatura while balancing books on my head for better posture. I fall. The books topple to the floor. I’ve reached rock bottom.

Black screen. Voice over: “It was really hard. I felt like Dante, in the dark forest, having lost my way. And then, I realised what I needed: I had to go on a grand tour.”

Music swells again, there’s a montage of me packing and travelling in busses and trains. Landscape rushes past. I read Goethe’s Italienische Reise on the journey. Finally, there are snippets of me in Munich, in Vienna. I take a selfie in front of Parmigianino’s self portrait in a convex mirror, showing off my own elegantly contorted hand. I’m in Florence, breathing heavily with excitement as I walk along the outside walls of the Galleria degli Uffizi. “Oh my god, there he is—“ I film the Petrarch statue, the phone visibly shaking. “I can’t believe I get to meet him…” I whisper with awe. Cut. I’m blowing a kiss at the right Grace in Botticelli’s Spring (I have a crush on her). I’m in the Loggia di Psiche in Rome, I’m kneeling on a bridge in Venice to touch it, “Tintoretto walked on these very stones..”, I’m filming the ceiling of the Camera Degli Sposi in Mantua. I’m in the streets of Grasse showing off a bottle of Fragonard perfume I bought, I’m teary eyed in front of the Concerto Campestre in the Louvre. Cut.

I’m back home. “It’s now day…79. Those were the most unrealistic two weeks of my life. And the most expensive. But now I’m back on track. I feel like I can really do this.” With newfound vigour I get back to my battered Reclam German/Latin edition of Ovid’s Metamorphosis. Day 81, 85, 89. Emotional/hopeful music. I show a Shakespeare sonnet written in beautiful calligraphy. I’m in the museum sketching the composition of an annunciation and taking notes on a Venus by Cranach. I practice a speech I’ve written following Cicero’s rules on rhetoric. I’m back on horseback. I present a cake of some sort.

DAY 90. I’m at my desk. “Wow, what a journey. Now let’s see the transformation I underwent in those 90 days.” I show side by side footage of me from day 1 and day 90. I look the same, except day 90 me is wearing all black, Castiglione style, and has better posture. Back to the desk. “I changed so much. I learned so much about myself and my limits. I’m still not fluent in Latin or Italian. But what I learned is that beauty is everywhere, especially in the struggle, and it’s worth cherishing. And now, I’m back and stronger and more curious than ever. If you haven’t followed me on tumblr @Museenkuss at this point, what are you doing? Click the follow button and give this post a like because NOW, the fun really begins. A renaissance woman never stops learning.” From under the desk, I grab two books and put them on my desk. The Tale of Genji and Sei Shōnagon’s pillow book. “It’s time to expand my horizon.” Black screen.

[redsoapbox]

Boo Hewerdine and Jodie Marie Are Added to the Have Yourself a Merry Christmas Line-up

Folk-pop singer/songwriter Boo Hewerdine first surfaced in 1983 in the Cambridge, England-based group The Great Divide: two years later, he founded cult favorites the Bible, releasing a pair of acclaimed albums (Walking the Ghost Back Home and Eureka) and scoring a minor hit single with "Honey Be Good" before disbanding the group in 1988. From there, Hewerdine teamed with Texas performer Darden Smith for 1989's well-regarded Evidence, followed in 1992 by his true solo debut, Ignorance. After briefly re-forming the Bible, he returned in 1996 with Baptist Hospital; Thanksgiving followed three years later. Hewerdine maintained a low-key presence in the 2000s and 2010s, but he recorded steadily on his own and also in collaboration with the Great Divide, State of the Union, Brooks Williams and Chris Difford. (All Music bio, Jason Ankeny).

The Bible

Back in the 80s, I had an ongoing compulsion with compiling the ideal indie mixtape. New songs would be added here and there, while others would inevitably be dropped into the bargain bin of my memory banks in the quest for the perfect 90 mins of indie pop. There was consistency, though. Some songs are just classics, period! So, the ever-present songs included “Almost Prayed” by The Weather Prophets, “Word Around Town”, by Westlake and “'My Favourite Dress” by The Wedding Present. Also, un-droppable was “Graceland” by The Bible, so it’s an absolute honour to feature Boo Hewerdine on the album. In addition to the All Music bio above, there are some additional points worth noting: A re-released “Graceland” reached no 51 in the UK charts in May 1989.  Boo Hewerdine’s solo albums feature guest appearances by the likes of Richard Thompson, Martha Wainwright and Eddi Reader (another contributor to this album). Reader's first hit single after Fairground Attraction had called it a day, was with Boo's “Patience of Angels”. The song was nominated for the Ivor Novello in 1995.

 https://boohewerdine.net/

I’ve written about Jodie Marie a number of times for Wales Arts Review and New Sound Wales, and she remains one of my favourite musicians of the present day. Before I quote my own work (poor form, I know), here is All Music’s short introduction to her work: ‘Welsh singer/songwriter Jodie Marie (born Jodie Marie Warlow) makes yearning folk-pop with a bent toward soulful ballads and bluesy anthems. A native of Narberth, Pembrokeshire, Wales, Jodie grew up listening to blues music, began performing locally at age seven, and by her teens was writing her own songs. An album of cover songs she recorded caught the ear of record execs at Transgressive Management, who quickly signed Marie -- then age 16. Soon thereafter, she began recording an album of original songs in London, working with guitarist/producer Bernard Butler (Suede). In 2012, Marie released her debut album, Mountain Echo, on Decca.

It was 2015′s Trouble in Mind that caught my ear, and I nominated it as the redsoapbox AOTY. I concluded my Wales Arts Review of the album with ‘Whilst Mountain Echo was an album of sunrises and sunsets, of moonlight and ocean mists, its campestral lyric reflecting an idyllic childhood lived along Pembrokeshire’s Landsker Borderlands, Trouble in Mind contains not a single reference to nature, or indeed, the outside world in any shape or form. It’s a claustrophobic, nocturnal record, set entirely within the haunted house of the human heart, an album of candlelight and ticking clocks, of straight-faced lies and sleepless nights. It’s worth getting acquainted with Jodie Marie and these marvellous songs, you’ll be glad to have heard them all, and one or two might just become travelling companions for life’.

Jodie Marie “This House”

However, the best was still to come. The sublimely soulful The Answer (2021) was packed with dynamite tracks like “This House”, “Curse the Day” and You’re Gonna Miss Me (When I’m Gone). It’s a thrill, a privilege and an honour to feature Jodie on Have Yourself a Merry Indie Christmas.

https://www.jodiemarie.co.uk/about

[ryecolombia]

Casa de Marlen

December 5th

Day 105: Last night I moved to my Rotary aunt Marlen’s house. I will spend the next fifteen days here and then return to the Marmolejo’s for Christmas. Marlen lives in the quite hills right beside Ciudad Campestre with her husband and fifteen year old son José Simon. They are gone on vacation in Miami so it will be just us ladies and the maid Ana until Friday.

One of the reasons I chose Colombia was for the different culture and different lifestyle. I never imagined that life to be full of such luxury. Marlen’s home is the most beautiful house that I have entered in Colombia. It is completely open to the outside with large windows and a central courtyard. Impressive artwork covers the walls. Right now, the house is decked out in Christmas decor, which I am not a fan of here in Colombia. Everything is fake and plastic, making the holiday season feel artificial. But the decorations don’t take away too much from the impressive house.

A large pool sits deep in the patio outside with a two storied gazebo to the left. The second story is level with the pool and houses an assortment of lounge chairs and couches. Stationed below on the first floor are pool and ping pong tables. Down the grassy hill from the game area is a soccer field. The grounds are immense, covered in exotic greens and full of chirping birds.

This is a drastic change from the Marmolejos’ home. The greatest positive difference to me is that I can now go outside freely. I can soak up the sun and walk the grounds. I can feel the grass beneath my feet. My room even has windows and I am feeding off of the natural light that they bring in. In conclusion, I love it here and am looking forward to a relaxing fifteen days.

[studiotomemersonfs20]

The three lakes stadium

 Overall concept and intent

 Spring is there. The ideal time to enjoy a stroll in the three-lakes-park. This you can do now. And as soon as social distancing rules progressively disappear, you will also be able to attend a nice triathlon event (See animation).

The gentle slope of the site is animated by various earth banks which limit the several activities that takes place here today (See picture). It was indeed a major shooting range whose scope progressively reduced. Today the site is mainly used for "Knabenschiessen", an annual shooting competition for teenagers, strongly anchored in Zürich culture. For us it is important to keep this tradition and consequently not to touch the 300m shooting area at the west part of the site. Our project will take place beyond the first embankment.

Downstream to it, the slope is quite gentle and would allow the construction of the stadium. As much as the roads are collecting the workers to the city, the small streams in and around the site collect the water from the Uetliberg hills to the lake. The site itself was showing us a path. Instead of being a project coming from our mind, it seemed to come from the site itself more and more as we were looking at it. Our stadium will be acut in the ground, above an artificial impoundment filled from the environing streams.

This space will be used for aquatic sports requiring artificial infrastructures. The proximity with Uetliberg allow the organization of multisport competition like triathlon. Its position makes it also perfect as a finish for mountain bikes tracks.

Finally, the presence of trees is a characteristic of the site: various species, various human interventions, between aesthetic and exploitation. Some trees may be kept, in particular the row of walnut trees that close the site on the north, some will be planted.

  Program choice

 Facing climate change, the demand for aquatic sports will increase in the coming years. Zürich is already well equipped with aquatic installations (Zürich lake, swimming pools, badis, Limmat) but does not have fixed installation for water ski (only installations in Switzerland, Neuchatel and Geneva). We also want this installation to be useful for the inhabitants of Friesenberg, all year long. Swimming in summer, walking during the shoulder season. It is not only to create a stadium for a few competitions but also to generate a recreation area where inhabitants can also try less popular sports.

This edge area will become a recreation node, from which forest roads and walking path bring to the summit of Uetliberg. More popular sports like Tennis or Football are indeed already well represented in Friesenberg (Sporthalle) but also with large infrastructures in the city of Zürich.

 Project description

 The three main elements of our projects are water, stones and trees.

 As far as the water system is concerned, small impoundments outside of the site, in the 300m shooting area and at the south of the site allow to clean the water before reaching the main water body (See General plan and Water map). The water is then retained in a network of three lakes at different levels. These have been adjusted to the topography, to minimize the earthworks. Small water chutes link the various areas, water from the Föhreneggach is cascading down through the main steps, and marking the finish line of the races. Some of the dikes were reused, one long one will be built with the excavated material. (See model and topographic map) Cut and fill, a very old strategy as is Delphi in the ancient time (See Atlas sheet). Water is then discharged in Albisguetlibach and finally into the Sihl through its natural way.

 Stone as a typical vernacular material of Switzerland will give materiality to the sitting benches which are dissolving in the landscape. They will only be marked by the stones, all the rest will be grass. The lines are following the contour of the ground and then merge in the main sitting area (See Detail construction). Almost like in the first version of the Delphi Stadium, the greek one, just retaining the ground, minimizing our intervention, staying within the landscape, open to it, and not enclosing the event like during the roman times. (See Atlas sheet)

 Trees. They are all around the site; a lot of small conifers are also planted in the close vicinity of the site; wood exploitation is a major activity. Some trees are already on the site itself and we want to keep them, but also to plant more. Salix alba, Juglas regia, Fraxinius excelsior… The melody of the name of the trees invites to compose carefully the location and choice of notes on the musical score. Sitting walls made of stones as lines, trees as notes…

Planting big trees is expensive, but we can get some from the site. The trees that will be covered by the lakes (around 22) will be planted back at a different place. More will be sourced from outside.

On the main steps common beech will be planted (F. Sylvatica) normal one and red one (purpurea), chosen for their straight trunk and their nice colour in autumn. On the other steps, we will replant the tilla cordata (10) for their nice smell and the fraxinius excelsior (4).  On the dike, we will have some salix near the water, some betula pendula for their nice shape on the top and a mix of different varieties, some of them coming from the existing dike (7). The garden in the upper part will me a mix of fruit trees, roses and ornemental plants. (See general plan)

 People

Homo ludens (man at play), homo sportivus, homo ambulis… they all should find a place in the area. Some will take a stroll on the dyke or in the kind of botanical garden above the main steps. Some will play football in the green field at the bottom, some will take a bath in the pool part. The one wanting sensation will try the water ski in the long lower lake. Younger ones may love the higher part of the site, with a sandy beach and playground area. Homo sportivus will explore the forest around and race for the pleasure of the spectators sitting on the stone steps. Or swim as quick as they can, surrounded by trees. Explorers may enjoy to discover the small Island and visit the lonely acer campestre there (See Topographic map and sections and Collage).

Energy thesis

 Most of the energy required will be used during the creation of the water body and the sitting steps for moving the earth (See construction drawing). The planting of trees compensate the transport and extraction of stones.  

The energy spent to move the earth will be compensated by the energy produced with the water.

In fact as we were building an artificial lake we looked after how could we use the potential of the site to create not only a leisure spot but also a powerful energy source. So we thought to the main electricity production in switzreland water damm and we calculate if it was possible to make it on the site. As the location is 50 m above the Sihl  and there is enough water coming from Uetliberg we would be able to produce a lot of electricity with a few earth work more. Then we planned to build a distance heating for the neighbourhood which is more efficient than individual heating . The principle of this heating is to take energy from the water even if it is cold you can grab some degree and then through an exchanger  sum all the collected degree to heat building . This makes it a reliable heating source.

 On the long run, maintenance energy costs should be low (no competition at night, water treatment with plants and not with chemicals, etc…)

Moreover to minimize our carbon impact, we try to source the material locally. We imagine to get limestone for the steps from a quarry in Glarus, and to get the plants from a tree nursery on the east part of the Zurich lake (See map on the lower part of the construction drawing).

link to the video:

https://youtu.be/_hXBQL6ObGw

[viarexpeditionsguatemala-blog]

Birds Expeditions in Petén

This adventure is to know the different ecosystems we have in the Petén Region, where 60% of the bird species we have in the country are found

DAY ONE

07:10 | Pick you up at the airport to transfer you to Paso Caballos.  

11:00 | We take a boat to Estación Biológica Las Guacamayas. On the way to Paso Caballos we will bird watch all the way until we get to the Estación Biológica Las Guacamayas.

13:00 | We will have lunch at The Hotel Las Guacamayas.

15:00 | Bird watching around the Hotel.

19:00 | Dinner at the Hotel.                                                                                    

DAY TWO

We ask for breakfast to go and have breakfast while we are riding the boat, we will visit the Archeological site El Peru, we be able to watch birds of the season like Scarlet Macaws, Ornate Hawk Eagle, Common Black Hawk, Yucatan Woodpecker. By night we will go for a night adventure by the River Sacluc to watch Owls and Night creatures like Moreletti Crocodile.

DAY THREE

Hotel Las Guacamayas/ Jungle Lodge in Tikal                                        

07:00 | We take breakfast.

08:00 | Tour in the river for the water birds around the creeks near La Estación Biológica to observe: Heron, Egrets, Kingfishers, Sungrebe.  

13:00 | Transfer from Hotel Las Guacamayas to Tikal.  

18:30 | Arrival to Jungle Lodge in Tikal.                              .                                                    

DAY FOUR

04:00 | We meet at the Lobby of Jungle lodge to start walking for the Sunrise Tour, we walk to Temple IV and wait for the sunrise, after sunrise we take breakfast on the resting house in Temple IV.                                                

After breakfast we take a combined tour of Bird watching and archeology, we walk to the principal Plaza, we may watch the Orange Breasted Falcon, Crested Guan, Great Curassow, Black Faced Antthrush, Oropendula Montezuma.                                                                                                  

11:30 | We walk back to the Hotel, free time to relax and enjoy the Hotel.    

15:30 We walk to the south side of Tikal.

19:00 Dinner at the Hotel. (optional)                                                                                                    

DAY FIVE

06:30 | Breakfast

07:15 | Bird Watching tour on the old airstrip at Tikal, we might see Ocelated Turkey, Grey Throated Chat, Rose-Throated Tanager.  

12:00 | Departure to Santa Ana, lunch in the way El Remate (optional).          

14:00 | Arrival to Hotel Campestre Santa Ana, free time for you to relax.        

15:30 | Bird watching by the savannah in Santa Ana Petén, we might see, Black Cat Bird, Rose- Breasted Grosbeak, Botteris Sparrow, Vermilion Flycatcher, Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher.

18:00 | Dinner in Flores (optional).                                                                                                                                                                                  

DAY SIX

06:30 | Breakfast.    

07:30 | Bird watching in Ixpanpajul, Caves at La Cobanerita, we might see, Hook Billed Kite, Lessons Motmot, King Vulture, Lesser Yellow-Headed Vulture, Barn Owl.

13:00 | Lunch in Flores (optional).

15:30 | Birding in San Miguel, we might see Yucatan Jay, Yucatan Flycatcher, Black-cheeked Woodpecker, Brown Jay.  

17:00 | Transfer to the Airport.                    

[panamagreg]

Our days seem to be shorter and shorter as we passed the half way point of our adventure. On Tuesday we made the journey to Panama City, Tocumen International Airport to pick up our good friends. On the way we stopped at an outlet mall and checked out the best places for values on everything from home improvements and furniture to appliances, clothing and pharmaceuticals. We retrieved our friends grabbed some dinner and headed back to Coronado. Since they arrived we have had the best time taking them to share some of our favorite adventure places and great places to eat. We have also had ample time at the pool and even got in a few games of cards.

On Thursday we took them for an adventure to Valle de Anton. It was our second visit and we wanted to hit a few of the places we missed the first time and share the wonderful mountain destination with our friends. Our first stop was Hotel Campestre where the world famous square trees grow. We thought, based on our own research, that the square trees were growing near the hotel and we could spend a few minutes to check it out. Once there, we found the path to the square trees and paid the admission of $5 each. We embarked on the path for the short hike which turned out to be too difficult for our friend. The hike was nearly 45 minutes of steep, and often difficult terrain. Our hosts dogs accompanied us with only two of us completing the entire journey to the one square tree. The hike through the jungle was beautiful, however it would be easy for us to consider this stop a tourist trap. We are sharing the pictures of the square tree hike below and hope that all of you will draw your own conclusion. At the end of the hike we had the great treat to see a sloth. It was high up in a tree near the hotel. We couldn’t get a great picture even with a zoom lens.

Hotel Campestre

Off to find the square tree

Off to find the square tree

Our host dogs

Bridges on the trail

Square Tree

There were benches to rest along the way

Can you see the sloth

Hotel Campestre

Following the square tree adventure we took off for the butterfly habitat. All of us enjoyed our visit there.  The $5 per person price of admission was considered to be fair. The tour was guided and very informative. We learned that there are over 1500 species of butterfly in Panama with over 1000 in Valle de Anton. Our guide told us that the definition of Panama is abundance of species and the butterflies certainly prove that out. We will spare you the details of life-cycle of the butterfly and all of that, but we did want to share with you some of our pictures.

Our guide Gloria

By the end of the butterfly tour we were ready for lunch. It seems that the fondas and restaurants in Valle de Anton may be geared more to the tourist business. We had a wonderful fonda lunch, but the price was almost double what we have paid for similar food at other fondas.

After a brief discussion, we decided to save the orchid exhibit, zoo and reptile house for another adventure. The girls wanted to return to the mineral springs and mud bath, while the guys wanted to make the hike up to El Macho Falls. We talked about the mud bath in the post from our first visit to El Valle so we will tell a little about the El Macho Falls. The hike was short and beautiful with difficult terrain and suspended bridges. The guy at the gate gave us walking sticks which proved very helpful. This is a hike that most people could do with no problem, and well worth the effort. There is a zip line through the canopy but it wasn’t open when we were there. I imagine that it would be great fun to zip line down from the top of the falls. We hiked up through the jungle and the falls were magnificent. When we returned to the base of the falls there were pools of cool mountain water where we took a quick dip to cool off. From there it was a short hike back up to where we parked. It was only about 5 minutes by car back to where we left the girls at the mineral springs and mud bath. We are sharing pictures of the El Macho Falls hike below. The video is only a few seconds long to give you the sounds of the moment. We were not allowed to film or use video equipment at the pools, but we were the only ones there, so there is a couple of pictures. I imagine that clothing is optional at the pools (we took our dip in swim suits). There is a 3 sided wood screen where people can change.

Pool at the bottom of El Macho Falls

We picked up the girls at the mineral springs/mud bath and made our way to the market. Jen bought the hat and we browsed through. The treasures and vegetables were nearly the same on Thursday as our original visit on Sunday. You may recall that the market at el Valle de Anton is called the Sunday Market. We were relieved that vegetables would be available every day.

It was time to head home. We had a message from an agent who would be available to show us through one of our top choices for a permanent retirement home. We wanted the opinion of our friends, so we made the stop. Rio Mar Pacific Tower is a beautiful, newly constructed 24 story (48 unit) condo. We looked at a 2 bedroom and a 3 bedroom unit and it is hard to not love this place.

Balcony of Rio Mar 18th floor 3 BR

It just may be a little above our comfort zone for price. It does include underground parking, a deposito (storage locker), 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, large laundry room (accommodates a full size washer and dryer), and appliances. We will share a couple of other top choices with our friends before they go back to Michigan.

We have been working on this post for 3 days now, and could go on for much longer. We will wrap it up here, though, because we do not want to ramble. Thank-you for following along. Once again, we want to express our gratitude for the kind comments. Please catch up, if you missed anything, by clicking on the archive links. We are pleased to have our blog and any portion shared. There has been time when we have shamelessly borrowed content from others. We consider it an honor when people enjoy our content enough to share.

For now, Buenos Dias,

Greg and Jen

    She Bought The Sombrero Our days seem to be shorter and shorter as we passed the half way point of our adventure.

[badaikrohit9-blog]

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[rehnro]

When you live in Medellin you actually have plenty of options to spend your weekend other than going crazy in Lleras Park or any of the other nightlife venues the city offers during its busy weekends. Having spent half the weekend doing the latter, i opted to visit Guatape instead. What a great trip it would be!

The journey to Guatape usually takes about 2h with buses from Medellin’s north terminal (COP13,500) and depart every 15min. While heavy traffic slowed us down the journey went by quickly as I was joined by Claudia for the trip and we weren’t short of topics to talk about.

Our first stop was El Penol well before the actual town of Guatape, as we stopped in to climb up the Guatape rock (well, right after a good paisa lunch with a view). The granite rock stands out in the scenery at 650ft and requires the visitor to climb some 700 stairs to reach the top. Takes a little effort, but is well worth it as the effort is rewarded with stunning views from the top across the reservior with its hilly landscape and my little islands.

How did this landscape come about? There wasn’t always a lake in Guatape/El Penol. Only in the late 1970’s a dam was built to store water for the summer month. the city of el Penol actually fell victim to this decision and was completely submerged. A model city has been build and a large white cross on the lake marks the locatiuon of the now flooded church.

By the time we climbed down from the rock the sun had set (sadly without a nice red colour as clouds were in the way), but the hotel (Hotel Zocalo Campestre) was thankfull right nearby. While some 2.5km outside Guatape town, the location is beautiful and boasts views of the rock as well as the lake. Great to wake up to in the morning and enjoy the view over a colombian breakfast.

Guatape city can be easily reached with one of the motos – essentially moped powered taxis for two guests. Fun gratis! We went to Luigi’s pizzeria (great pizza & fantastic athmosphere) before strolling about town. The place is pretty tranquile, the houses full of colours and it feels really safe everywhere. There was even a few openair movies shown by local artists with the main one being ‘Taxi‘. My Spanish, unfortunately, wasn’t quite up to the challenge yet though I definately got the gist of it (the fact that Claudia’s english is also very good made for little training). Next time!

On Monday we took it pretty slow and did a little more city exploring in daylight including the local mueseum. There was another performance on at the mini-amphitheatre – this time two musicians from Brasil that are touring south america. Great to listen to. After a well earned lunch, we got on one of the boat trips on the lake (COP15,000), which took some 1.5h return from memory.

You can take in the scenary a bit more close up and admire the villas of Colombia’s rich & famous such as football James Rodriguez. The main attraction on the tour though is a huge finca of the late Pablo Escobar. He built it for his daughter, visited it 3 times before it was bombed with 200kg of dynamite. Quite impressive construction that goes some way to show how much money the cocaine trade produced for him (estimates suggest USD60m+ per day for the Medellin cartel).

… and so quickly was the long weekend over… just a few more snacks from the street vendors … and back to Medellin!

Rocket on the rock: Weekend in Guatape When you live in Medellin you actually have plenty of options to spend your weekend other than going crazy in Lleras Park or any of the other nightlife venues the city offers during its busy weekends.

[theglobetrottergp-blog]

I absolutely LOVED San Pedro. It’s a small town in the north of Chile, not far from the Bolivian and Argentinian borders. It’s your gateway to the Atacama desert and the Bolivean Altiplano and you could happily while away a week or two here, soaking up the towns abundent charm and exploring the local dramatic scenery by hiking, 4WD, cycling or even horseback!

A few facts:

Town population : 5000

Altitude : 2100 metres

Language spoken : Spanish

Currency : Argentinian peso (£4.30 = 100 peso)

Visa requirments : None for most countries. Australians need to payt a recipriocity fee of $117 if entering via santiago airport. Chinese have to get a visa which is free. 

Where to eat

San Pedro is not cheap so if you are on a budget you will need to look around and find the best deals – they are there to find. You will however find an abundance of great restuarants covering cuisines from all over the world. You certainly won’t go hungry in San Pedro. If you have space afterwards, I recommend stopping at one of the nurmerous ice cream shops! Here are a few of my favourite restuarants:

The Burger Garden

  –    Best for hanging out with locals

Basically just a no frills burger bar found on a side street in a little courtyard lit up with fairy lights. There are a few long tables to sit around and a great sociable atmosphere. Frequented by lots of locals it’s a great lace to get to know some of the people who know San Pedro best! The burgers are also delicious and a decent price – around 6000 pesos (£7-8.)

Laestaka

Best for fine dining

Not the cheapest of places but the food is delicious, the staff helpful and friendly and the atmosphere is great. The food is also well presented – the chicken curry came inside a coconut! Dinner will set you back about 12-14000 pesos. I’d recommend the carne pasta – like a lasagne but with shredded beef instead of bolognaise. The chicken in a mustard cream sauce was also a hit.

Cafe Peregrino

Best for people watching

Found in the main square and with tables outside to sit and people watch and soak up the sunshine, this was a great find. The food was delicious, portion sizes VERY generous and they also make amazing cakes – I recommend the chocolate cake! The fruit juices are also huge and absolutely delicious – I had strawberry and banana and it was so good! We ate quesidillas with some yummy homemade guacoamole which cost about 5000 pesos. They will also do takeaway if you wish.

Cafe Esquina

Best for takeaway

Here you can get absolutely huge and really tasty empenadas to takeaway. This will keep you full for most of the day and only costs 3800 pesos!

Where to Stay

There is a huge choice of hostels, campsites and hotels in San Pedro as it’s such a popular place to visit. I usually use booking.com as it allows you to search based on requirements e.g below a certain price or only with a swimming pool or wifi. You will also find a booking.com search bar on this website for your convenience. Scroll down, it’s on the right!

The place I stayed at I can highly recommend. Camp Campestre is primarily a campsite but there are also some dormitory rooms if you prefer a bed! There’s a kitchen to cook in, a nice area to hang out in outside including a hammock and chair swing and they are in the process of building a swimming pool. More importantly the showers are hot, the toilets are clean and there is wifi (sometimes.) It’s a 2 minute stroll into town but it can get dark at night so take a torch with you when you go out for dinner!

What to do

People watch in the main square. There are several cafes dotted about the square where you can enjoy a coffee and some people watching.

Do some shopping.You will find everything from souvenir markets selling all things alpacca to high end jewellery in boutique shops.

Enjoy the nightlife – San Pedro is bustling at night, especially for such a small town! But you will find everything from traditional chilean pubs selling nowt but beer to swanky bars for Pisco sours.

Arrange a day trip to Moon Valley in the Atacama desert. Marvel at the rock formations (see if you can spot the witch and the dinosaur.) Climb to the top of a sand dune for amazing 360 degree views of huge rock formations and salt planes which looks like a snowy winter wonderland! Then find a rocky cliff to sit on to watch the sun go down. Don’t forget a jumper – it’s super hot in the day but the temperature drops quickly in the desert!

Organise a 4WD trip across the border to the Bolivean altiplano. Here you will find incredible views of snow capped mountains, colourful lakes, spouting geysers and bubbling pools of sulphur. You can even stop for a soak at some natural hot springs overlooking a beautiful lagoon. Keep your eyes peeled for flamingoes, llamas and vicuna!  The short journey back over the border is also pretty spectacular!

Organise a star watching trip but be warned, they don’t run for about a week around the full moon (sadly when I was there!) But apparently it’s one of the best places in the world to star gaze. And even with a full moon, they looked pretty incredible from San Pedro.

There are countless other places to visit with lagoons, rock formations, geysers and hot springs. You can arrange to cycle, hike or horseback ride to see the sights. Sadly it was a flying visit for me but I did meet a guy, Pablo, at the Burger Garden (see above) who runs a tourism business where he arranges private tours of the surrounding area tailored to your interests eg hiking, photography etc. You can visit his website at www.atacamacontact.com.

San Pedro is definitely a place I’d like to go back to see more of! Have you been before? Maybe you got the chance to star gaze? I’d love to hear about your experiences!

San pedro & the atacama desert in Chile! One of my favourite places I've visited in S america! I absolutely LOVED San Pedro. It’s a small town in the north of Chile, not far from the Bolivian and Argentinian borders.

[ryecolombia]

La Fiesta

October 28th

Day 66: Halloween is a celebrated holiday in Colombia. Kids dress up in the typical Halloween costumes but instead of going house to house trick or treated, most go to malls or grocery stores to ask for candy. Halloween for my age group is celebrated in the same way as the United States, with loud parties full of interesting costumes.

October 27th, Friday night of Halloweekend, I would be surprised if there wasn’t a party. My classmate Laura had taken it upon herself to host. She graciously invited me along with the other exchange students in Tulua. So at eight o’clock on Friday night, Lara, Hermione, and Mathilde, arrived at my house to get ready. Mathilde is a French exchange student from Cali who spent the night in Tulua. I didn’t remember her from the intro camp but the common thread of being an exchange student tends to form fast friendships. Unable to speak much English, we communicated predominantly in Spanish. I find it interesting how I gain much more confidence in speaking Spanish when I am not talking to a native speaker. For me, there is so much less intimidation and I don’t worry about messing up as much. Hermione was able to speak her native tongue for the first time while on exchange as well.

Lara arrived earlier than the others, so we played with Carnela until they arrived. Mathilde dressed as a pirate and Hermione as Buttercup from the Powerpuff Girls. She walked through the door with intense but delicately painted green eyeshadow, matching her emerald dress. Her host mom had hired a makeup artist to doll her up before the party. But as soon as she walked into my bathroom, she pulled out a pack of wipes and proceeded to tone down the affect on her eyes. “I didn’t have the heart to say it was too much, my mom was just so excited,” she told us while rubbing away the green powder. Lara dressed into her skeleton suit and I decided to not wear the risque rabbit costume, instead opting for a safer 90’s look of denim on denim, a choker, and doc martins.

Santiago generously offered to give us a ride to the party. Since it began at 9:00, I told him we would be ready at 9:30. We ended up arriving around 10:00 and we were still early. It began to pick up around 11:00 as more people arrived. The party was very similar to a typical party in the United States, loud pulsing music (reggaeton instead of the American beats that I am used too), strobing green lights, street clothes mixing with wild and sultry costumes.

The biggest difference was the dancing. A few hours in, and the music transitioned from the fast paced reggaeton into the more traditional beats of salsa, merengue, and bachata. The floor soon became full of pairs, dancing expertly to the rhythm. A few Colombians attempted to teach us foreigners a few simple steps when we made our way onto the floor. We spent the rest of the night laughing hysterically and making complete fools of ourselves as we tried to keep pace with the Colombians. Even with our inferior dancing, we all had a wonderful time.

Lara and Hermione began to tire as the party died down. I could have danced the rest of the night away, but I knew it was time to retire for the night. My school mates begged me to stay as we said our farewells and made our way out the door. The party was conveniently located a block away from Hermione’s house in the gated community of Ciudad Campestre, so she had graciously offered to let us spend the night instead of having to call our parents a two o’clock in the morning. Two extra mattresses were laid out of the floor of Hermione’s room when we arrived. Within ten minutes, we had changed out of our costumes and crashed into a deep sleep.

Laura’s fiesta was the first party that I have attended here in Colombia. Full of friends, loud music, and dancing, it exceeded my expectations.

peinado: hairstyle