Amy´s Backpack

I got food poisioning and had to go to the emergency room. Just wanted to let you guys know.

I am now in Popayan waiting for my connection to San Agusten to see the ancient statues that are there.

In Cali I finally had the Rumba experience everyone in Colombia talks about, but I still think the Oasis is better. Plus I met the nicest travelers and we all really got along. I guess we all really connected on our trip to San Clementin. It´s a small village in Colombia, where you can only enter by taking a vehicle that rides the old train tracks, that´s rigged up somehow to a motorcycle. There the river is clean and the life is peaceful. We had a nice time and intended to go back that night to sleep in our hostel in Cali.

On our way out of town a man from a foundation approached us and wanted us to check out his program to help alcoholics and drug addicts to get clean. Great - what a wonderful cause I thought. We got there and admired what he had done and then he walked us to the road to catch the bus. But it never came. Worst of all the traincycle back to the city was already shut down for the night. We had no choice, we had to sleep in the rehab center. The beds were terrible, we didn´t dare enter the shower, and the patients had clearly not seen passerbys in a long time. At the time it was horrible, but looking back we played a lot of games, it was great to see a good cause in action, and it is definately a fun story and a good laugh.

Guerilas stopped my road today. That was kind of scary. But everything is a-ok.

I went paragliding today and that was incredible.

And the people actually helped me in the street and didn´t try to over charge me and steal my money and that was incredible.

And rained in the morning, so I stayed in and cooked pancakes and that was incredible.

I visited Pablo Escobar´s grave and felt so much history and guess what, that was also incredible.

Tomorrow I am going to the biggest water park in south america for $4 and it´s going to be incredible.

Yep, Cuenca is the coolest city in Ecuador, and Medellin is the most incredible in Colombia.

My plan to take a loop around South America, is rapidly changing, as I just found out that I cannot enter into Venezuela, without prior permission from the U.S. government.

Moreover, the country has the highest per capita murder rate in the world. Since I was really only interested in going there to see Angel falls, I just don´t think it is worth the risk. Many Americans are kidnapped when crossing the border, often for a ransom, and then they are killed.

To add to this, recently there has been some problems with the banks and the people there do not have access to their bank accounts and are therefore acting even less rationally. There are a number of travel warnings and right now my cash is worth half it´s normal value. Even though it breaks my heart, it´s just not worth it right now, it will have to be something I complete later. Bummer!

Instead, I think I will head back through Ecuador and down into Peru. I like it there, I don´t always feel like I will be stabbed or held at gunpoint. I can also be sure of seeing Machu Pichu in time to get home for Christmas and my mother´s wedding without feeling completely rushed. Peru is commonly a favorite here, so I´m sure there will be plenty to see. Just thought I would update everyone.

I am now in Cartagena and I had a wonderful day. I took a tour to a volcano here, where the top is filled with a mud bath, where I recieved a wonderful, although frisky massage. After, a kind woman bathed me and washed my clothes in the lagon. Afterwards we went to the beach, it was my first time going in the water in the Caribbean and although my preference for the Galapagos islands was not overcome, it was still quite delightful and a refresher after my 22 hour bus ride to get here from Bogota.

Bogota was cool, but ultimately Içm not a big fan of large cities, with all there noise, poverty and polution. I liked the museums, the Botero museum featured tons of famous art, including real Picassos. I recieved a free coin in the mint, a special edition. I also liked the Gold Museum, it was strange being surrounded by that much precious metal.

The food is quite different than Ecuador, I found crepes suprisingly popular. The day I arrived, I bought an apple my first day and some cheese to accompany it, finding it a good balance of flavors and diet. But upon biting into my cheese, I found that Colombia had already had already taken care of the fruit, and had filled the cheese with guava and it was delicious. Afterwards, I bought a crepe and it was filled with what+ Rasberries and cheese. Okay, that´s enough. So I bought a bread roll, and it was filled with fruit and cheese and I felt decieved. So I found the skinniest piece of bread I could find and it looked like a garlic stick, so I ate it happily, only to find, it was infact cheese bread filled, somehow, with a thin layer of fruit. Enough already|