Well, after 7 months gone, with a few pitstops in between, I finally made it to South America in one piece. Am now in Colombia, or Locolombia, where there new tourist slogan is... The only risk in Colombia, is that you may never want to leave!! Here´s random news, events and shanannigans of the last week... enjoy and don´t forget, all the pics are available at www.transamericatrek.org!!!

DON´T MESS WITH COLOMBIANS!!!

So finally arrived in Cartagena, Colombia, waiting for the Jeep to get in. Got into a taxi to go to the port ans start the decontainment process, and ask for the price fot the ride, since there are no meters. The guys says to get in and we´ll see when we return. After the ride, I ask him again how much... and he told me how much do I think it´s worth.. Clever eh, that way I can say some ridiculous price and he´ll laugh his way home. So I give him 20 000 pesos, around 10$.

And that´s when the fun began!!!

I got back in the hostel and asked the lady at te desk if that was too much.... she flipped, calling it robbery, exploitation of tourists,bandism.. she was outraged... I followed suite!! Luckily the taxi driver, smelling a sucker, gave me his number so I could call him the next day and pick up the Jeep. So the lady called him, pretending I needed another ride, and staged an amubush with 6 police officers, in an efort to get my 10 000 pesos back... yes that´s 5 dollars. So they tell me to hide and wait. I hear a ridiculous amount of commotion outside, some yelling, arguing, the lady tells me to come and claim my money back, I get out of hidding, and I see the taxi driver, surounded by the police, arguing... and he was arguing rightfully so... IT WAS THE WRONG GUY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The lady then called the real taxi driver again, who confrimed he was around the corner, they hid me again, the police hid themselves... and he arrived, they surrounded him asked for id´s and explanations, there was a lot of arguing, I didn´t understand, they warned him severly, told him he was a bandit... and let him go. Police told me to be more careful, and keft as well... and in the end, I didn´t even get my 10 000 pesos back!!!!!

A GOOD SCRUB

So had I was driving with Manuella from Germany, Koen and Sophie from Belgium, when we decided to stop at the mud volcano. Small remnants of a volcano who´s crater is filled with mud. For 2$ so get in to your neck, het a mud massage and have a good laugh. Obvioulsy once you get out you´re covered in mu, and conveniently there´s a lake next to the volcano where one can wash.

And that´s when the fun began!!!!

So a lady pops in from nowhere with a small bucket, and without asking proced to scrub me... how should I say... vigourously!! Arms, legs, head, ears, nose... she washes me the way my Ma used to when i was 5. It was painful!!! But, suddenly, she reaches for my shorts, pulls them of, and I find myself buck naked in the middle of a lake, next to an old lady... but thankfully I finished the washing job myself, while she was cleaning my shorts!

But the look on the two canadian girls next to me when they suddenly became topless, not knowing what just hapenned to them was priceless!!


WHO NEEDS DRIVING RULES

So... I thought Panama was aweful for driving in... but Colombia just gave it a go as the worse driing in the world. Rules, forget them, or reinvente them... or just follow instinct. Cars in Cartagena seem to follow the theory of chaos, diving in wrong lanes, talking two lanes (like my Dad does), cutting in even when there´s no space, and honking A LOT!!

You honk when you pass someone to let them know you´re next to them

You honk when the driver in front of you is too slow

You honk when someone overtakes you cause he´s too fast

You honk at red traffic lights to let know that you´re coming

You honk at nice girls on the side of the road

You honk at your friends...

And it doesn´t get any better on the highway either!!!! Dogs, cows, horses, big massive trucks, crazy overtaking in curves. Unknown speed limits, ridicluous speedlimits 20km per hour, 30 on the main roads sometimes... Chaos I tell you, but no accodents so far, just a few close miss!!!

WHAT A PLACE

But I am in love with Colomia, it´s people, it´s towns and villages, it´s stunning scenerey, from beaches, to deserts, to mountain roads, I LOVE IT.

I am now in Villa de Leyva, a small colonial town, 2000 meters in the mountains (which means that for the first time in a long time I´m not sweating like crazy). The place is surrounded by mountains, populated by farmers wearing cowboy hats and rubber boots. Visited waterfalls, hiked mountains, had the ebst food in months, and met the friendliest of people.

Serioulsy, Colombia is definately winning the award for best country so far!!

Hope all is good with yous all, and give news when u can!!!!

Cheers

JF