Medellin, our expectations exceeded.


As with any large city we venture into, we usual expect traffic to be horrific, people rushing about, and seeing old churches and museums just doesn’t really seem to be our thing anymore.

Medellin, well it’s different. A slower pace,happy people

 

 

Everything you knew about Oranges is wrong.


Everything you know is wrong: Oranges aren’t orange.

I was a little baffled, well a lot baffled actually. Shopping for fruit such as oranges, lemons, limes and a few others in the farmers market, grocery stores and even on fruit sellers carts on the street, I thought because of the green color the fruit was not ripe yet! Well, I couldn’t have been more ‘WRONG! “

The green skin of an orange isn’t indicating that not enough of its natural color is coming through. … It’s only when the fruit is exposed to cold that the chlorophyll dies off and the orange color shines through. In South American countries and tropical countries near the equator, oranges stay green all year around. This also goes as well for lemons and a few other fruit.

Well there you go, a fun fact for you to remember on your travels.

Oranges at the grocery store
Lemons

Deserts to snow capped mountains.


Entering Peru, honestly my first impression was not a good one. Although things went smoothly at the border crossing, seeing the many Venezuelan families with everything they owned, migrating to Peru because of the unrest in their homeland was deeply disturbing to me. Hundreds migrate daily, making the trek from Venezuela to Peru where they are gladly accepted. I took comfort learning that Peru has programs to help them get on their feet starting a new life there.

Leaving Ecuador and getting close to the border with Peru
Raising the Peruvian flag at the border at 8am
Here’s your sign.
Stamped into Peru
Venezuelans entering Peru

 

Meanwhile, after getting all of our required insurance, passport stamps, vehicle temporary importation and so forth we hit the road southbound. Almost immediately I began to realize the shift of change in the landscape. Sand dunes, desert and a few peaks of the Pacific Ocean for miles. After a two days of driving through this environment I began to get bored, lol. However, in retrospect it was a great opportunity to finally sit back relax on a two lanes black top going 70 mph.

 

but I’ve learned over the years to be patience and see how things unfold. Well it didn’t take long. A few days later we found some of the most amazing oasis in the desert. While traveling down the Pan American on Peru’s norther coast we were treated to some delights. Peru there are some stunning landscapes, beaches, ruins, and quaint fishing villages.

Buenos Aires’s best Cemetery


Recoleta cemetery is one of the world’s most extraordinary graveyards, with over 6,400 grandiose mausoleums resembling Gothic chapels, Greek temples, fairytale grottoes and elegant little houses. The exclusive cemetery is the last stop for the country’s most celebrated (and controversial) presidents, intellectuals, army generals and entertainers, and a popular attraction for visitors to Buenos Aires.

Though the cemetery most famously holds the remains of actress-turned-First Lady Eva Perón (also known as Evita), many of Recoleta cemetery’s less internationally known residents are buried in masterpiece mausoleums, many with dramatic and intriguing stories behind them.

Recoleta Cemetary at  little over 14 acres contains 4691 vaults, all above ground, of which 94 have been declared National Historical Monuments by the Government and are protected by the state. The cemetery contains many elaborate marble mausoleums, decorated with statues, in a wide variety of architectural styles such as Art Deco, Art Nouveau, Baroque, and Neo-Gothic, and most materials used between 1880 and 1930 in the construction of tombs were imported from Paris and Milan. The entire cemetery is laid out in sections like city blocks, with wide tree-lined main walkways branching into sidewalks filled with mausoleums. These mausoleums are still being used by rich families in Argentina that have their own vault and keep their deceased there. While many of the mausoleums are in fine shape and well-maintained, others have fallen into disrepair.[13] Several can be found with broken glass and littered with rubbish. Among many memorials are works by notable Argentine sculptors, Lola Mora and Luis Perlotti for instance.[14] The tomb of Liliana Crociati de Szaszak, due to its unusual design, is of special interest.

Organic, just the way I like it.


Since arriving here in Colombia, I’ve not eaten anything from a box, a can, or bottle. Well, there was the beer I had, it came out of a can, lol. Viva Colombia for keeping it fresh. The fruits, vegetables and the meats are from local farms just minutes away. Having two growing seasons probably helps too. Stay healthy my friends.

The Shake down!


It was exhausting. Slow, as in having mountain bikes pass you going up hill. Slow, as in going down hill, gearing and lightly braking, having everyone pass you again. Cold, leaving Bogota’s mountains and sweltering hot across the farmlands, then entering the rainforest, before finally arriving two days later on the Caribbean coast, Santa Marta.

I’m incredibly grateful I made it. It was quite a challenge, no copilot. I got lost a few times, almost ran out of gas, there where not many places that accepted credit cards. Having to take the toll roads a few times, was very costly.

Not knowing where I was going to sleep every night was a major stressor as well. I just had to put my faith in the expedition God’s that I’d make it, and I did. Much more to the story coming and thank you following. If you have any great cross country driving stories I’d love to about them.

Driving a 1986 Land Rover Santana Series 3, with a top speed of 53 mph. No abs, drum brakes, no gps, cruise control, air conditioning, the list goes on. Stay tuned.

Thank goodness I had no mechanical issues on the road.

A free “Guide”!


I was excited to go on my own walkabout photoshoot this morning. Just as I left the lodge, this dog, who shall remain anonymous, joined me. This is not the first time, but I always find it interesting how dogs, especially here in Colombia will attach themselves to you. Spot we’ll call him, became my guardian for the day. Up steep hills, across creeks, in the stores, lol. I noticed at the on set, trying to get him to go back home, he was in for the tour.

As a great guide, he’d turnaround every few hundred feet and make sure I was following him. When other dogs would get after me, he’d back them down and we kept walking. An amazing day. Thank you Spot.