Lost and Found

I just finished a trek to Colombia´s famous lost city - called - Ciudad Perdida (Lots of new photos and videos). The ruins were stunning and the trek was relatively easy and uneventful - aside from fleas and ticks.

Notes of interest... The military pays low end soldiers $33 per month - this is to pay for essentials like soap, toothpaste, etc. The soldiers we met were constantly asking for cigarettes, because they couldn´t afford the $1 or so per pack they cost.

There are 3 main armed forces in Colombia
1) Army
2) Guerillas
3) Paramilitary (Professional soldiers for hire)

None of them get along.

Questions and answers

So, before coming to Colombia, I was urged not to talk politics with anyone, as the FARC is always listening...

So I waited a couple days before asking someone about the FARC - he absolutely refused to say anything, or comment on why he wouldn´t say anything. This is almost more telling than an actual conversation -- so anyhow, it´s serious business.

I asked about safety in the area, and was told that it was very safe, because the army has a base nearby and can have a plane in the air in 3 minutes -- interesting.

It´s wierd, because on the surface, so far the country seems like one of the safest I´ve visited - but scratch a little, and of course there´s a war in the background, and police corruption that sounds worse than Brasil.

Anyhow, this sounds a little sketchy, but at the same time, it seems like the country is remarkably stable and safe.

The wild, wild west

My visit to the Brasilian Pantanal was really cool - it is indeed an amazing spot for seeing wildlife.

Saw monkeys, caimans, giant rodents, a family of otters, coatis, endless birds and surely a bunch more I`m forgetting. Also went pirhana fishing - an experience sure to bring out the sharp teeth in anyone.

This afternoon, I`ll catch a Bolivian train to Santa Cruz, hang around if the weather is good, then catch a plane to somewhere in Colombia!

New Photos
New Videos

Sleeping with the fishes

I´m currently in Bonito, a Brasilian town renowned for it´s eco-activities. Yesterday saw me floating down a river looking at fishees. They were pretty.

Now, some interesting facts:

*Many, many Brasilians can´t swim - yet they all go to the beach/swimming place.

*Brasilian bikinis are tiny - yet they´d NEVER go topless. (Much as a North American or European would NEVER wear a Brasilian bikini)

*It´s okay to wander around in this tiny bikini (or speedo), but NEVER in your underwear. (i.e. there´s even a sign in the hostel specifically prohibiting people from walking around naked OR in their underwear.)

I´ve seen the future...

And it´s in the past!

Recently, I visited Brasilia, a city designed in 1956 by the country´s pre-eminent architect, Oscar Niemeyer (and a few others). Since then, many new buildings have been constructed, but they all have his distinctive 1950´s future style.

I visited many sites during my 10 hour visit, including the national congress - a building that is seemingly unchanged since it was originally built and decorated - i.e. even the chairs are 100% vintage!

This visit was conducted between an 11 hour bus ride and a 23 hour bus ride.

The shower I took upon my arrival in Campo Grande was simply spectacular!