Medellin - couchsurfing and uh... modelling?

Tuesday, October 12th, 2010

Before leaving Salento, I learned some dramatic things about relationships in Salento. I also learned that in one month, 25 people had been murdered in the little pueblito called Circasia, fifteen minutes or so, from Salento. Only locals knew, and they could only speculate that someone was cleaning up the city for druginvolved badmen, because colombian law doesn`t really work, although police and military forces are present most of the time... the newspapers don`t write about it, and back home they today wrote about a sunnmoring who flashed in Karl Johan.

The busride to Medellin is beautiful... I met some other gringos on the bus that I travelled with, and went to the Pitstop hostel. I went out with the guys to dance, pretty late. I made some friends with a trailor, among them, a swedish girl I`m going shopping with perhaps tomorrow. I sent some of my stuff with them in the car down to Ecuador, because they had a lot of space. The next day, I did a nice sunday walk in the sun, and got to job offers: one, as a bartender, and the other, a bit more interesting:
Juan had spotted me while he came from a meeting, jumped in his car thinking: damn, this is going to seem suspicious without my female assistant. But I`ll do it anyhow. He gave me his card and shared information about the company. My first thought was: human trafficing! He`s been working a lot on ridding me of that thought. I called yesterday to schedule, and I went to the studio today with a friend. The studio was awesome! and the people were really nice. My friend knew one of the models, so that gave the final indication that this is legit. They don`t want me to pay anything, but they want 20 % of deals I may get.
We`re doing a photoshoot next week to make a "Referance book" with different clothes and looks.

I`ve been riding around on the back of my friend, Victor`s, motorcycle, Olga. We`ve done voluntary work at a psychiatric clinic; which was very interesting. Pleasant. Not always easy to understand the spanish of schizofrenic people on drugs, but yes. I decided try couchsurfing.org, and after five minutes of searching, I was just rediculously lucky! I`m living with a fantastic family of a doctor father(that will ask the hospital if they want a volunteer), a mother, a grandmother that does all of the cooking, a sister, a brother, and my host: Laura, a passionate girl that loves music and singing. This is fantastic for my spanish. I`ve spent a lot of time in two different universities now: first with Victor, doing his college survey, and today with Laura; for lunch and to watch a jazz-jam session. The house is in a nice area that even has a gate man, I get my own beautiful room, I have internet and they feed me :) How lucky could I get?



Friday, October 29th, 2010


I`ve been welcomed into this family that’s been joking about adoption, and I despite feeling bad that I`m accepting so much from them, I believe in their reassurances that they enjoy having me here. I really can`t thank them enough. I would have gone by, but with a lot of hardships with the little amount of money I have. There are couchsurfers that offers accommodation, but I`ve also been given food, transport, help with sorting out the bank, and a great deal of security. I`ve felt very much like being at home, in a different way than in Salento. The transfer to the account which they have given me, is still not complete, so I`ve been dealing without a refill of money for two weeks, but hardly spending anything at all. I`ve tried to help out with dishes , grocery shopping, keeping the parents company while they run a lot of errands, driving the others here and there. And I`ve quite enjoyed it, as well as it has been good for my Spanish. It`s great just being in a car again, even. Laura has taken me to multiple jam-sessions and concerts, as she is an active singer. The whole family has gone for Alejandra`s ballet performance(I then realized that it was my first one), we`ve all gone out salsadancing in a place called Son Havana, where we`re going out tonight to watch Laura`s band, despite being exhausted. It`s funny to see the parents dancing too. But I have a cold that`s just killed my energy today. The mom in the house is an odontologist that’s fixing my teeth; two holes and removing two visdomteeth, for more then ten times cheaper than back home! I`ve gotten to know some of the neighbours through rumbadancing(it`s the only exercise I`ve done since I came back and I`m dying from it). They`re taking me and a girl I met while volunteering with little kids(organization called Lazos), around the city tomorrow for the aquarium, science museum and some costume shopping for Halloween.

But right. That`s probably not amazingly interesting.. what`s more interesting , at least to me, is how the modeling has turned out. The register photoshoot went okay. They gave me “homework”: to read fashion magazines and look at myself in the mirror. Just like medschool! I arrived an hour late for the real fashion shoot because a stupid bus driver and several people on the bus said yes, when I asked if the bus was going there. Afterwards, the bus driver said: “oh, I didn`t hear what you said!” Ask again, you tard. I`ve now learned, very late, to ask the driver, let the bus go. And then ask either one or the two next buses as well. Today I did that, and it saved me a trip to the other side of town. But the people in the agency were really nice about it.
They didn`t want to put hardly any make up on me for the shoot. I was kind of hoping to be superstyled. The stylist actually loved my hair. What can I say? I cut and cheaply dye my own hair, and haven`t touched it in almost three months. - There you have the recipe for success. I took some close ups after being styled the first time. They would fiddle a lot with my hair and what to put on me, but for every round of photographing with new looks, they were all sounding super enthusiastic. I would just mix up emotions, try new things. The photographer would tell me some things to do and not. They all made me feel very good and professional. They sent photos around to contacts, and in a moment, I had several meetings scheduled. I`ve been to Chevignon, and the head wants to meet me. No one from the bureau has ever been requested by her, so that`s… cool. Surprising! Don`t know how much I`m able to believe it when they they say brag too much. I`m not letting them put too much helium in my balloon, so don`t worry. It's weird for someone that has never known how to look in the camera, and always thought of herself as normal looking, just with red hair. I`m even glad I never realized what a foul little kid I was, once. Now it`s just a hallway-entrance amusement in my house.
But here, I`m different, and all human. I guess that`s part of why the people I meet say they love my "ettitud"(said in the norwegian way the top model judges do)
We`re looking into the best way of getting me a working visa, so that I can fly in whenever I have a photoshoot, without having to give up on my travels, which I wouldn`t. Monday I`ve got the meeting with the head, after a meeting with a make up company called Avon. I`m optimisticly crossing my fingers for a photoshoot for them next week, and one for Exito, the biggest supermarket brand in South America, who asked for my sizes and is going to see whether they have work for me next week or not. Originally they were busy with one model. But I`m supposed to be heading south next weekend, so there`s a bit of time pressure. I extended my visa(had to go to the das three times), to have enough time to cross the border. Two of the three times, I met friends, so that was lucky, because waiting in line takes for-ever.

As for the family, again, it`s amazing to get to know them and get the inside view of a family living on the other side of the world. Both the differences and the similarities, troubles and love. The grandmother is especially culture shocked, and already a big fan of drama. I`ve taught them what a brownie is, made fajita, and learned how to make tortillas. Can`t believe they don`t eat a lot of taco here, so close to Mexico! I`m definatly visiting them on my trips back here, and I`m hoping to meet the last sister that`s studying in Italy. The job for Chevignon is in January, if I get that one, but there should be other gigs before that time. It`s an interesting twist that I can`t help but investigate. I don`t pass these things up. The one time I did that, when declining a job offer as a singer/coproducer in Melbourne, too early, it cost me a free trip to Singapore. Stupid, stupid girl!



Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010

Last days in Medellin

These days have been efficient, which I love. I`ve volunteered with the kids, been to the dentist, spent almost a day in and outside the science museum, where a big radio channel concert was playing next to it. I`ve celebrated Halloween, where the family lent me a devil costume. I`ve studied a lot of chemistry, been around the town doing and accompanying others in chore-doing, been to the uni researching and thinking about the future: It looks like I might just study for one year in Oslo and then 5 in Martin, Slovakia, instead of 6 years in Riga. Martin is not a big city, it`s closer to nature and there`s a bigger Norwegian society with more references than Riga, as well. It´s further south, close to everywhere for travel, right by the Alpes, and it`s a very cheap place to pay for your leisure time, stay and food. It`s good that I`ve got to thinking about these things. I`ve been to the cinema with my friend, Nicole. We saw The road, a really great movie that`s also really old. Colombia is so far behind for some reason! Inception is still in the cinemas too. Yesterday I was finally well enough to go to the EAFIT gym for two hours, and it was divine. I have to stop forgetting how much I love exercising. Your first day there is free, and it’s a big gym with zumba, rumba, sauna, spa, rooftop, everything. It`s been a weekend and a vacation-day, so any news from the agency has been… slow, because the assistant has been trying to multitask by doing both Avon and Chevignon on the same day, but I only have today and tomorrow to meet them, cuz on Friday, me and Victor are hopefully off to Ecuador! Entonces, I told her to arrange the meeting with Chevignon, that actually answers her phonecall. I`m not exactly going to be offended. I`d be more offended if they had said no After meeting me!


Some reflection about volunteering..

I wanted to volunteer as an English teacher for kids in poor Bolivia, thinking that it was important for them to learn, and something that I could do. But I´ve come to realize how the most important thing for Those people is not a well paid job, money or speaking to tourists, but happiness in the way they live. Because frankly, the odds of that changing any time soon are pretty slim. Bolivia will not rise from voluntary work alone, giving education to a few that might leave the country for greener pastures.(speaking very harshly now, so here`s a teaspoon) Things are going to need time and a lot of pull force. South America is like Asia and Africa; on the move. Especially Brazil, from what I hear.
What I believe we can contribute more with, without taking jobs that other locals could do for less than we sometimes are offered, is information and education that can diminish cultural disputes and give them the courage to stand up for themselves if they have been wronged. They need someone to trust. Politically, they also need a functioning law system and police, which one can`t fix alone. Even in modern Colombia, that has military and police everywhere(!), they have little true power, which is what as I wrote, probably led to the Circasia-clean up, where 25 people got murdered in one month. I don`t have time to be that person to trust, but I can start up something, and help get the wheels going. Direct volunteers, scanning online for work they believe in, that they don`t have to pay to do.. I´ve started collecting info that I will post with time.

Goodbye, Salento.

Friday, October 8th, 2010

A demanding farewell. I´ve spent the last time here saying goodbye to this place I´ve come to think of as my second home. I took one day off work to do chores and try a delicious chicken almuerzo at Sosi´s. I met some local guys I´ve got to know, and a stranger just guessed that I was from Scandinavia, which is quite strange since we´re not many. Colombians know way more about Norway than Spanish people do, besides up in the mountain where one of the guys asked me if I drove to Colombia. Later that day I met up with the american guy that knows the sailor. After mailing the guy, I went with him to his hostal: Tralala, to see how it was. The owner had a birthday party, so there was lots of charming music and good food, even for me who crashed the party. I stayed there for a while, as there were many interesting people(and a delicious cake). - Especially old experienced travelers with amazing stories to tell. The owner of La Serrana is now taking over that hostal. Apparently there´s a dispute between that owner, and Tim, the owner of the Plantation house. They inform that they do not give out information about the other hostal... I feel there´s a tension that´s making my hair all electrical and airborn.
I left the party to hang out by the fireplace here, again, and there I got to know a girl who turned out to be from Brattvaagen! She´s a hardcore traveller by my opinion. She joined another girl who was travelling without money in Europe, for three weeks. The other girl was however travelling like that, longterm. Fascinating...

I´ve said my goodbyes to my colombian colleagues, have had lots of blackberries and fruit, and now I´m waiting for the internet to be fixed. I´m going back to Medellin in the morning, and I´m a bit worried for my back that the beds in the Los Nevados screwed up.- I had to lie in foster position on a hard bed to(try to) warm my feet. Not great for a 7 hour busride. Been considering trying out a new hostal in Medellin, even though I have several friends at the Pitstop. My bartending job is taken, and the manager said: "Sorry, but yay! Now we can get drunk together!" I think I must have been the only sober bartender they´ve had working there.
But yeah... My last night... People might ask me what I´ve done here for a that amount of time. I´ve done quite a few things, but there is no better or more simple answer I can give but: "finding peace and being happy". One shouldn´t leave a place when it makes you happy, but there does come a time when it´s time to move on to savour the magic of a place before it gets boring. So my greatest recommendations to you, little town. Just don´t think you´ve got it if you´re staying at a normal hostal for two days.

Writing this comment a few months later: My american friend from Bogota and Taganga; Taylor, went back to South America and followed my recommendations to Salento. He greeted them from me, and they still remember who I am. Those things are strange to hear after a a long time. Life goes on as before in Salento. Only without me...

Bartending in Medellin: work, exercise, Drama!

Friday, September 10th, 2010

I`ve seen more of the city, as the architectural playground it is. I´ve been on a daytrip to beautiful Guatape, in the countryside, where the locals retreat in the weekends. It´s 1hour and 45minutes outside of Medellin, and it´s just so green and quiet! The town is full of colour and figures on the walls; everything from sheep to daysies. There`s a lake that`s shapes the terrain quite picturesque because they flooded the area on purpouse to have a water reserve. You can also walk up a huge, black rock, called El Penol. It was tough to climb those stairs in the heat, but the view was definatly worth it!

I´ve taken a job as a bartender here at the hostel, and I start tomorrow night. It`s not a busy bar and only three nights a week, so I think it shall be fun. I`ve always wanted to try to work in a bar, and it saves me some money. They gave me a room to myself, so I could actually unpack, and they`ve told me about a great fitness center right by, that I`m going to today. The people here are great! I also went for a run yesterday and stopped by a primary school, where I asked if they would like some help. I`m going back down there now to have a chat.

Sunday, September 12th, 2010

The gym was brilliant: fun rumba, spinning, kickboxing, etc - classes, steam shower, weights and a fingerprint entrance card. I´ve made a friend that has a jeep, which is pretty sweet. We drove around and talked about life, while he showed me more of the city. There amongst the massive shopping centers, that are a few minutes from where I´m staying. It was without a doubt the best Nike shop I have ever been to, f.instance. I start volunteering at the school on monday. I can work as much as I like. There was a birthday party here on friday, where I was the subject to analysis. Working as a bartender was pretty alright, but I feel darn tired at this point. So good night! I´m closing up.

Tuesday, September 14th, 2010

Bartending improved a bit after the first night. My patience has been challenged by some, but I´ve had good company, good music(chosen by myself and others), I´ve played pool and the bar has been chilled. I´ve been getting up early to go to rumba classes, and I´ve been down at the school, twice. They haven´t had time to arrange anything yet, and they won´t be ready before next week, so I´m just there talking spanish and english to whoever wants to, while studying spanish. Some kids taught me slang I doubt I´ll use in a class room. The weather has been beautiful, and I appreciate my hammock-napping before work. Now most of the people I know have checked out, so it should be interesting to meet the next group of people to check in. Tomorrow, after four nights in the bar, I have time off till the weekend!!

Aand if anyone is interested in getting fit and an interesting job, you can go to Bolivia and become a panther trainer. Basically you´re chained to it while it runs and climbs, two or three times a day.

Friday, September 17th, 2010

Wednesday, I killed myself physically at the gym with two sessions of rumba and thai boxing, and a steam bath. I actually bought some make up and an mp3 player, plus a fruit salad on the street that made me throw up when I came back. Very nice.. Very weird! Just watched tv, practiced my pool and then we went downtown to Medellin. Being in the center finally made me feel like I was in Colombia again. We ate dinner and went to the cinema, but the movie turned out to be swedish with spanish subs! So we couldn´t watch it, and with some belgian waffles w ice cream and berries, we snuk in to watch another movie, which showed "letters to Juliet", the biggest romantic soup of a movie we had ever seen. Horrible.

Today I spent a long time at the gym. After pool and basketball, I was going to have the night off and go on a pub crawl, but I was apparently supposed to work! The hostel is so quiet right now, that I´m Sitting and using the computer in the bar. Quite nice! I met my second norwegian today, who´s just next to me, having his birthday after 12. And

 tomorrow I´m going with my israeli buddy, Zohar(d), and two more israeli guys on a roadtrip to Santa Fe. There are so many israelis travelling after military service, so they grow fond of the concept. Travelling is addictive for a reason. The problem occurs when they stick together and only talk hebrew. A lot of backpackers don´t really travel. They just go from hostel to hostel, doing the most obvious tour things or just drinking the days away.. but I can see how it can be hard to do anything else if you don´t know spanish. I´d recommend putting in an effort to learn!

Saturday, September 18th, 2010

A dramatic night and a useless police:

Last night there was a murder attempt in the reception.

Murder attempt in the hostel

I woke up in the middle of the night. My good friend Zohar, was shouting. I heard the voice of the annoying chilean guy that ha

d been bothering me constantly. After fifteen minutes, it was clear that the police was there. In the morning, Zohar woke me up to go to the gym for pilates and rumba. He told me what had happened;

Gonzales and another guy called David had accused the receptionist for stealing David´s computer(which was on his bed), and Gonzales had broken a bottle. The breaking of the bottle woke Zohar up, and he was just in time to stop the high chilean guy from his third attempt of slitting the receptionist, Leo`s, throat. 

He had missed the first time, but he made a 8 stitch cut to his throat the second time, which would have been lethal just 2mm further. Zohar is an ex israeli solider, thus he was able to disarm him easily enough, and to keep him on 

the ground for fifteen minutes. There were several witnesses, and it was all caught on video, which the police saw as well as Leo`s cut. Leo was sent to the hospital, Gonzales was brought to the station, uncuffed. The others confiscated his passport and id, so he couldn`t flee the country. When we came back from the gym,

 Gonzales was sitting outside the hostel to apologize and get his passport back. The police let him go! We thought things would be okay, but on our way back from our roadtrip to beautiful Santa Fe, Zohar got a phone call saying that Gonzales couldn`t be stopped because L

eo or someone else didn`t press charges at the police station immediatly, but waited four hours, since he was in the hospital! They tried calling lawyers to file a lawsuit and everything, but if Gonzales has a brain, he`s a

lready flown to whatever country he can get a flight to.

So people are a bit upset... but we`re still going, trying to enjoy the colombian valentines day. Hopefully Gonzales is an idiot, and stay in the country long enough to get caught and be forced to pay Leo what he deserves. As for those who says Colombia is dangerous and full of drugs.. Once again, it was the tourists on drugs making trouble, and 90% of the country`s cocain is after all exported, to the US, especially.

Cartagena and Playa Blanca

Friday, August 27th, 2010

I met some friends from Bogota last night, and had dinner with them. One of the girls were norwegian, so she was the first one I`ve met from Scandinavia! I got up really early and decided after looking at the cloudy weather, to catch a bus to Cartagena. One of the americans were going too, and I met a french guy I know, right outside my hostal. I got to know my ecuadorian roomies, who saved me a lot of money, because I didn´t have to pay gringo prices for a boat trip to Islas Rosarios. They are really nice guys, and I got to know two australian girls through them, who are also coming. One of them has a birthday today, so were celebrating. I`m also meeting irish Declan tonight. We`re checking out the big hostal called la media luna, that has a rooftop bar.

I`m surprised how nice Cartagena is!
I`m really glad I went. Now I´m chilling out with Seinfeld before we´re gonna cook some pasta for dinner.


We all went out to dance, but were a bit disappointed of the clubs we found. Not much people out that friday. Don´t understand why that is in Cartagena, of all places! But it was cool. Declan and the norwegian girl and her friend, Frank, who we also met at Playa Blanca, came. We tanned on the 4 hour long boat ride there(insanely slow), found some hammocks when we got there, and relaxed. It was cheaper than we had expected: 5000cop for a hammock, 10000 for dinner. Crystal clear water. I´m pretty red today, but tomorrow I shall be tan. I switched hostal from Casa Vienna to the bigger la media luna, which has the amazing rooftop view. Here, I met some cool people and also people from the lost city trek. La Casa Vienna lost my laundry, so I have to go back tomorrow morning, and we got Terrible dinner service at a nice restaurant, so things have been going a bit wrong. Tomorrow should be better.

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

Last day in Cartagena:

I changed my mind about the mudvolcano, after waking up several times because of my sunburn.

People took their time this morning! We didn't go anywhere before 1-2ish. Just hung out in the pool, etc. This is such a sociable hostal, and I´ve kept running into people I´ve met before as well. I eventually left for a quick lunch and to check out the big fortress(15000cop entrance). We walked in tunnels, looked around at the great view, had some great conversations and a cool trumpet guy played the national anthem of Canada for my canadian roomies. After that, we went back to the hostal and I met the norwegian girl and her friend again, who are taking a bus today, to Medellin. I´m apparently doing the same thing, and hopefully at the same time, because my payment didn´t really go through. Which means I´ll have one day less there, but save twice as much. You also never know about flight delays, which are very common in South America.

We walked around in the old town at dawn. Really nice, lots of people, dancers and horsewagons. Returned to the hostal, cooked and met some cool new people. I ended up having a very long talk to a medstudent, travelling by motorcycle and working in clinics, that opened my eyes to the possibility of travelling after just one year of medschool. I´ve been finding it very tempting to travel more, since I meet people that have been to 40 countries or more. It truly shows you that there are so many alternative ways to live your life. What´s the rush anyways?

After realizing how late it was, we got more sociable and played nationality guessing games with the people at the hostal. I slept for 4hours, thinking I needed to catch a flight, buut I can just chill out today, I guess. Too bad I only get one day in Medellin, then it´s hasta la vista, Colombia!

Back from the lost city!

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

We went on a boat trip to do some fishing; first with a pole and then with snorkles and harpoons, and after that we ate fish on a nice terrace. We took it easy, eating and checking out the nightlife at El Mirador, a nightclub with less gringos than Sensations, which is full of travellers and prostitutes. I thought the touristy cities by the coast would be less scetchy, but I was very much mistaken. It´s much safer in the smaller cities. I got a ride back to the hostal in a police car, though.

I overslept by more than one hour when I was going on the lost city trek, and I thought I had missed it, but I was right on time.. Colombian time! We had a newcomer from Seattle, Gabe, join us in our crammed jeep. The trip took 2-3hours on terrible roads, but it was quite interesting. The trek starts with rough uphills. The whole trek is pretty much up and down, and it`s quiite muddy and wet, so I was very glad I grew up trekking. I had a huge advantage there. One night was in a hammock and the rest were in beds. They cooked meals for us, some good, some bad. The guides were awesome, feeding us fruit and crossing strong rivers like they were puddles. We swam in many of those pools, and jumped from 6meters. The first night, a couple of us lost the others, and found ourselves walking in the dark jungle for 45 minutes. Really exciting, despite the dangers! No FARC is around there, luckily. There are 150 soldiers on patrol, and some of them lent us their geer to take pictures, on the way back. Cool guys! Don´t know what the deal is, but there is no way they don`t know about the cocain production that`s going on. 120 families in the jungle grows the cocain plants. We went to a cocain factory that next morning; again, very interesting! A guy showed us how to make it and told us a lot about their conditions.

The normal day was getting up Really early, and going to bed at first: 9, then 8, then 7! Drying your clothes was useless. We had a lot of time to hang around while it was pouring down outside the camp, and I don´t think any of us have ever talked so much about food before. We had become a big group after day 1, because we put two groups together. Everyone but me were struggling with mosquito bites. My worst struggles were the occasional heat and the food portions that were way to big for me, right before starting the hikes.

La Ciudad Perdida, the ruins of the lost Inka city, were great! Everyone was impressed. For me, that was a bonus. I loved being in the middle of Nowhere; in the wild colombian jungle. Even though the indeginous people loathe us. We saw some amazing scenery, plants, animals like huge toads, white frogs and three snakes. Two were deadly poisonus and a bit too close, and the other one was two meters long!

The roads were muddy as hell, and when we were really looking forward to getting back, we had to pull another car out of a mudd hole, which took us quite a while. It´s great being back, and I´m meeting the others for parque Tayrona tomorrow. I`m actually supposed to be having dinner with them right now but..

It´s been raining so much that the river has flooded some areas and caused landslides on the roads. Tonight, I´m gonna find some good food and chill out with a movie, which is well deserved!



The ruins










A camp with hammocks, not beds
















Rivercrossing alternative 1













The whole bunch, on the first day














Rivercrossing alternative 2

Taganga

Saturday, August 21st, 2010

What we´ve seen of Santa Marta, and most of Taganga, is not very nice and quite scetchy, but I´ve ended up staying three nights. The food here is good, my hostal is comfortable, I have things to sort out, but the important thing was again the people I met. I was hanging out with an austrian and a brazilian guy one day, and had begun to struggle with headaches when the heavy rain started. Then suddenly, Taylor, the american guy I met in Bogota, appeared. I had to sleep for an hour to get rid of the headache, that I apparently get easily because of the low blood levels that kept me from donating blood before I went. But after that, I joined his big "gang" of Very different and funny people. I never seized being amused. I went out with them that night to dance at a terrasse night club, and after that we chilled out on a private rooftop with the stars and the usual lightings on the horizons. They are every night with a few seconds between each strike. Great!

The agency wouldn´t let me scuba dive for only one day, so I couldn´t join the others, but I met up with them later on, after chilling out in a hammock, filling out some papers. We went to a hostal in Santa Marta to play pool and eat some mexican food. The supervisor at their Bayview hostal wouldn´t let me in this time, so we went up to mine, La Casa De Felipe. We went to bed earlier tonight. I decided to join some of the guys on their trek to La Ciudad Perdida, and rather do Parque Taryona afterwards.

I´m very fascinated of people travelling that start up businesses here.

The guy who owned the mexican place met a guy, didn´t want to go home, started up a hostal and a restaurant. One of the guys I´m hanging out with spends three months every year in Cusco, working to run the only cancer hospital there, if not the only one in all of Peru.

San Gil - te amo

Saturday, August 14th, 2010

After deciding we would leave around 11, a bunch of us checked out the streets one last time. The main tourist street had been shut off to make room for musicians and entertainment. We visited a bohemian area with some cozy narrow streets and open areas with stand up comedians, etc. We just ate a great pizza, they had some beers, and we returned to the hostel where I snuggled up in front of the fire before Declan, the irish guy, who turned out to be awesome, woke me up. We went to the terminal, stood in line for a long time, paid 45000cop for the ride to San Gil, which was supposed to leave at 1 but left at 2. It was tight, cold, despite several layers of woll, and bumpy. I slept a little bit, but woke up to see the Amazing scenery of lush green hills in the light of morning. Sleep didnt matter anymore.

The Macondo hostel, and everywhere else besides El Dorado was full, so yeah. Its okay.. 15000cop. Right now Im enjoying the backyards great music and the fact that I can still wear my shorts at eight o clock. This has been a great day. We took it pretty easy: visited the market to buy a good breakfast, slept a bit, hung out at a beautiful park called Parque El Gallineral. Entrance fee is 5000cop. I realized how much you learn about the world while travelling. Not just about the countries you visit, but the conversations you have with other travellers from all over are just so interesting and meaningful. You share stories about South America and your home countries. Like Declan, who told me a great deal about Northern Ireland, today. Its amazing. You also have to look upon your own country with a new perspective and explain different things about it and it's people.

I stayed behind in the park to relax and think. I know I need to put things behind me and stop being nervous when I'm alone. The "incident" has startled the innocent norwegian a bit more than I thought it would. I'm not easily frightened. It was really relaxing and wonderful to just be there for a while, have a coffee and a brownie, talk to some colombians and a german guy who worked for the embassy in Bogota.
Declan is sleeping now, but we'll take a stroll down to the plaza for some food. The plaza is filled with families and couples just enjoying themselves. A great atmosphere in a great, small town. We have a lot of things we want to do tomorrow, so we will be getting up early. We are going paragliding from 3000meters, which will leave us in air for around 40 minutes, and then we will go for a swim in a natural pool, perhaps visit an area up north with cable cars, etc. Can't remember the name. There's a lot of things to do here.

I'm glad I randomly went along with Declan. I noticed he was fun, but I didn't know how great this would turn out. We're doing a bit of soul searching. I'm just a bit more fortunate, since he already chose the wrong education and job, and needs to find another road in life. I'm a few years ahead. Quite interesting how we act like good friends after knowing each other one and a half day!

looking forward to tomorrow!!

Sunday, August 15th, 2010

Paragliding:

We got picked up at our hostel at 9.30 in the morning, and went for a nice 1,5hour trip to our paragliding spot. It didn't give you any adrenaline, as I had hoped, but it was very pretty andchill to just hang out up there. We didn't even need a sweater. You run off the edge, circle a bit, gain as much altitude as you can, do a spin, etc. My partner's cell rang, but unlike Declan's, he didn't answer. Declan got two rides because his first one only lasted 20minutes. The whole thing cost us 170000cop. We were supposed to be back two hours earlier than we did, but we stopped for a small bite and went to the other paragliding spot to pick up someone else, which meant we kind of got an extra tour of the country side. Unfortunatly, it started to rain, so it put off our plans to go for a swim in a natural pool nearby, and a nice cable cart trip at night.

(Barichara)

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

We went to Barichara yesterday. - A really quiet village where we walked around a bit before hiding beneath the trees with two ice creams. Guess we should have tried the local dish: ants. I neeeded some time for myself and to slow down a bit further, so I doubt I was the best company for silly Declan.
The whole day was Relaxed. I got a free spanish lesson from one of the guys who work here. The two young guys who own this hostel are by the way really cool. Long time travellers with experience with many others, agree. The rest of the day, I spent lying on the ground outside, talking to two new zealanders, as day turned to a starry night. We eventually went to grab a bite at carne y carne, to try goat for the first time. It was perfectly alright. I am now ready for rafting. Declan is leaving so its just me and strangers, really. They will remain strangers />for about five minutes...

ord

Altitude sickness, and the last day in the capitol

Thursday, August 12th, 2010

Headache!

After a "massage round" and chilling in the hostel, we went to a party with live colombian music. An american girl took some photos, that I will never see again. I was pulled onto the floor by the lead vocalist, for salsadancing. The guy was crazy, and exhausted me, but I got a lot of creds for my dancing! I went earlier to bed than the others, because I felt awful. This morning I woke up with a terrible headache, which I Never have. Thus I´m not sure if I should go for a 7hour, bumpy bus ride to San Gil.. we´ll see if I suck it up.
I tried my new can of pepperspray, and both me and Tom had to flee the area after breathing a little bit of it. It´s strong, alright!

Friday, August 13th, 2010

Me and Tom went to the police station and filed a report with some very friendly officers. The whole hostel was pretty tired, so we just watched a movie and a house episode before going to bed. I´ve read some chemistry because of my exam the 23rd of november.. yuck. I´ve been taking it easy to recover, and I feel much better. We went to the northern part of the city today, and it was a completely different world. Suddenly we were in a metropolis. It´s where the richer colombians live. Pretty interesting, and I bought a new camera, so I can soon post some pictures!
The whole process of buying something other than groceries is quite time-demanding and tiresome. To use your credit card, you need your passport number, and you´ll be sent from one person to the other, until you finally get security checked. There´s always too many people working in a shop, but it´s good that it gives people jobs.
I was going to fly to Santa Marta with Tom today, but an irish guy from the hostel is going to San Gil at midnight, so I decided to join him instead, and try to do some paragliding, etc. Tonight we might either go to the cinema or chill out here. It´s really cozy, with warm blankets and a fireplace, which we need in this cold city.

Bogota

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

After the bbq, I met an aussie guy and an american guy, named Taylor. We walked the streets, took the gondol up the Monserrate and saw the awesome view of Bogota. The city just goes on and on!
I´ve bought a new backpack and pepperspray!
I might try to get revenge for being hit on the back of my knees with a baton stick thing, just for fun, not painfully, thank God. A guy was hanging out of a car window. That was my first impression.. like What?!

Tomorrow I leave for San Gil, the adventure sport capital of Colombia. In Bogota the weather has been okay, but quite windy. And yeah, I got my luggage. So fantastic to change clothes!

One hell of a rough start - mugged

Ever done something that everyone in your life thinks is crazy? A part of me even agrees. I have no idea of what I'm getting myself into, but I´d rather lose my life to wrecklessness than never feel it due to fear. People who work in health care, like I do, get reminded every day that life is short. We aid those who no longer have the freedom to do such crazy things. Soo I don't really know what to expect from this trip. I'll have to be observant, careful, calculated, reasonable and be prepared that the people might change me. Going on this trip doesn't just mean putting my physical self at risk, but it means growing up. - And I personally don't know which is more scary.

.....................................................................................
The last days I spent in Norway were magical, and it was difficult to let go. I love my life, and I caught myself thinking that I´m crazy to even risk it. But I am. And yes, I am crazy. Today is my proof... but wait for it... believe me, it´s worth reading!

The journey here was.. well.. okay, until I reached the immigration line in Houston. It was insanely slow, and despite cutting lines etc, I still missed my flight by 5min. It didn´t cost extra to catch the next plane, and I even got three seats for myself, but it left me with several hours to kill at the airport. While eating mexican and watching a movie, I spotted my luggage all by itself outside, between two airplanes. I told the people and they said they had fixed it, but mine and another woman´s luggage, never made it to Colombia. I´m getting my stuff tomorrow.

My first impression was great. I walked around very early in the morning. People were very friendly, police was everywhere. Everyone was going to work or school, and there were lots of small vendors selling freshly baked food and coffee, making it smell wonderfully. It was easy to navigate, and my hostel turned out to be great. I took a stroll up the hill to get some photos of the view. Police was still around. I decided that it was best to go down again, but on my way, Murphy´s law kicked in and gave me the scare of my life....

I noticed a guy that had started to follow me, and went in loops. The police was gone. I tricked him into going further down, while I stayed up there and he stopped when he realized. A woman pulled me into her house and told me to stay there with her brother while they called the police. We hid in there for fifteen minutes while they tried to reach the police, but there was hardly any signal and the police was not to be reached. Meanwhile, the organized guys were shouting outside and looking for me. I was scared they´d come inside... The woman who had saved me was an unemployed english teacher that told me how terrible it was to live in that area, and that she was scared every day. I hadn´t had the chance to write down the dangerous areas in this city, like I did with the others, because I was supposed to go straight to San Gil. I was too afraid to stay in Bogota... Idiot...They eventually reached a police friend in civilian clothes that came to accompany me downhill. We started walking, and a guy ran after me, and I fought him a bit before he left with my backpack. With pepperspray or something sharp, it would´ve been okay. I was just about to go and buy it! Luckily I had my passport and credit card hidden on me, but it was goodbye camera! Nervously, we continued downhill. My spanish is still bad, but I was able to comprend much of what they told me. I couldn´t tell the police where it happened, because they´d get in trouble from the thieves. But that doesn´t matter. I won´t get it back. The people were amazing and comforted me a long time.I made a friend as soon as I came down that from now on calls himself "my protector". We´re going shopping soon, as I have no luggage what so ever. I´ll get it tomorrow. It´s good to have met him though. I´d be terrified to go out again. It´s just the area, though. Where I live, it´s very very safe. I was just ignorant. On my first day!! Does anyone feel worried? haha. No, it´s terrible. But lesson learned. I´ll never be that careless again.

I don´t like worrying you, so sorry about that. I did ask for it, did I not? But it happened, and I think the insurance company must really look forward to the rest of my journey. Como es tu, no? at least it gave me an experience I´ll never forget, and became quite a party starter for this blog! One has to look at the bright side..
We´ve been shopping now, and one of my new friends, who is from Buenos Aires.. His phone got stolen! It´s crazy. The worst part is almost the process of buying a new phone. You have to fill out several forms, write your Passport number several times and she has to call and confirm. I have NO idea why! I´ve now met more people and we´re all going out for dinner later, before watching Knight and day.. I just wish I could post some of the amazing photos I took today.. I´m buying a new camera tomorrow, as well as pepperspray. So mug me again, and this cheap norwegian will drown you it!