Movement Invites MovementMove I Movetag:travellerspoint.com,2008-04-09:/blog/?domain=moveimove2009-10-22T08:17:42Zmoveimoveimg/travel-blog-feed.pngThe Colombian Islandstag:travellerspoint.com,2009-09-26:/blog/?domain=moveimove&thisblog_entryid=42&entryid=1774352009-10-22T02:40:42Z2009-10-22T02:40:13Z
Picture by Jorge
We had full intention of making our way to the Colombian Caribbean islands, however, our tickets were booked spur of the moment when we heard there was a seat sale. With E-ticket number in hand, we were booked to leave two days later for two weeks of tropical paradise. This was to be our vacation from our vacation. However, when we checked the weather forecast, it called for at least a week of rain/thunderstorms. ...Bogotatag:travellerspoint.com,2009-09-26:/blog/?domain=moveimove&thisblog_entryid=41&entryid=1774332009-09-26T18:52:30Z2009-09-26T18:42:45ZYou leave one dangerous South American city only to arrive in another dangerous South American city. Before all of you start thinking: “Well no duh! It’s COLOMBIA”, let us set the record straight. Colombia was no more dangerous than any other place we’ve been in South America. In fact, we would say that Bogota was relatively safe until you stepped foot in the old part of town… at night. Following our guide book, we ended ...Rio de Janeiro AGAINtag:travellerspoint.com,2009-09-18:/blog/?domain=moveimove&thisblog_entryid=40&entryid=1763042009-09-18T22:55:26Z2009-09-18T22:55:26ZWith our plans to fly from Rio to Bogota, Colombia, we had no choice but to return to the scary city famous for it’s da-dada-da-da,da-dada-da (Girl From Ipanema). Let us preface by saying that if it weren’t for the violence this city is notorious for, Rio really does rock. Beautiful hot weather is tempered by the winds coming from its coastal location… many lovely beaches all within spitting distances of lush green mountains… even the poverty adds beauty ...Ouro Pretotag:travellerspoint.com,2009-09-18:/blog/?domain=moveimove&thisblog_entryid=39&entryid=1762982009-09-18T22:25:26Z2009-09-18T22:25:26ZThe hellish wait and the hellish bus ride were thankfully worth it once we feasted our eyes on the beauty that is Ouro Preto. Arriving a 6am on virtually no sleep, we were so enthralled by the view of the city (and the perfect sunny day that awaited us) that the cobwebs of sleep were lifted away instantly. Ouro Preto has been (and will be since we won’t be visiting any more cities) the most beautiful and incredible ...Sao Jaoa del Reitag:travellerspoint.com,2009-09-14:/blog/?domain=moveimove&thisblog_entryid=38&entryid=1756962009-10-22T08:15:23Z2009-09-14T22:11:59ZOn our way from Tiradentes to Ouro Preto we had a 6-hour wait for the bus in Sao Jao del Rei. We decided to use this time to see the old part of the city. Our guide book didn’t say too much about it as most people only end up there to go to Tiradentes. Well we were in for a treat! We had a gorgeous day and walked all the way to the old part ...Tiradentestag:travellerspoint.com,2009-09-01:/blog/?domain=moveimove&thisblog_entryid=37&entryid=1739922009-09-04T23:32:37Z2009-09-04T23:32:37Z
A little taste of Tiradentes. Photo by Jorge
Arriving on a Sunday to this major tourist destination meant we were able to haggle with the owner of the hostel over the price and reduce it to a more reasonable level. This hostel was super nice (in fact, it seemed more like a B&B) and even had duvets on the bed! Duvets!!! No need for us to freeze in our non-heated room this time! Still being inland ...Teresopolistag:travellerspoint.com,2009-08-18:/blog/?domain=moveimove&thisblog_entryid=36&entryid=1722922009-08-18T20:16:20Z2009-08-18T20:16:20Z
Photo by the Jor(ge) - This is the view from our hostel.
What an adorable mid-sized city with a view! Teresopolis is surrounded by huge green mountains with a river passing through it, the days are warm and the people are friendly. We had planned to go hiking at the national park, but a non-morning attitude combined with very cloudy days and sold-out permits put our plan to rest. However, because of this, we found the most wonderful ...Follow up to Ciudad Perdidatag:travellerspoint.com,2009-08-06:/blog/?domain=moveimove&thisblog_entryid=35&entryid=1708922009-08-06T22:46:17Z2009-08-06T22:46:17Z
This is a picture of what our legs resembled (in some shape or form) after being feasted on by mosquitoes and something resembling sandflies. These are Jorge’s legs. He didn’t use any insect repellent because, (a) K hogged it all to herself because, (b) Jorge is not bothered in any way by the bugs or the bites.
This is a picture of Jorge’s water-retaining feet, post-trek. Yuk.
[img=http://photos.travellerspoint.com ...Change of Planstag:travellerspoint.com,2009-07-20:/blog/?domain=moveimove&thisblog_entryid=34&entryid=1688132009-07-20T18:26:55Z2009-07-20T18:26:55ZWe returned to Quito after thoroughly enjoying our Galapagos tour, ready for a rest and also sick and tired of traveling. It was rather strange actually. We were both completely fed up with the tourists we were meeting and we were both dreading continuing our travels through Ecuador and into Peru. You see, Peru is a gringo hotspot because it’s where the infamous Machu Picchu is found. There are zillions of tours that travel throughout Peru ...The Galapagos Islandstag:travellerspoint.com,2009-07-15:/blog/?domain=moveimove&thisblog_entryid=33&entryid=1683222009-10-22T08:17:42Z2009-07-15T18:46:31ZDay 1 - Quito
After spending most of our traveling time in hostels, we were treated to a REAL hotel the first day of GAP tour. So real in fact, that we didn’t want to leave the room! A huge king-size bed with nice blankets and fluffy pillows, a lovely bathroom, a TV with multi-channels, and the room was warm! We did manage to get out and buy some junk food and we ate at the food stalls ...La Ciudad Perdidatag:travellerspoint.com,2009-07-02:/blog/?domain=moveimove&thisblog_entryid=32&entryid=1666182009-07-03T02:59:48Z2009-07-03T02:59:48ZDay 1
Hell.
We left the tour office at 9am and drove two hours to the Tayrona National Park (the north-east coast of Colombia) until we reached the last village reachable by vehicle. We ate lunch and began our 4-hour hike. There was a stop at a swimming hole and that was lovely. We reached our first camp which had electricity, toilets, cold showers, and f**kin’ hammocks for beds. Screw you hammock! There was also a deep ...Ooopstag:travellerspoint.com,2009-05-14:/blog/?domain=moveimove&thisblog_entryid=31&entryid=1612062009-05-16T19:40:34Z2009-05-14T23:09:00Z[map=145219 lat=-8.80597014925372 lon=-56.8656716417911 zoom=5.43243243243243]
In ten hours we'll be flying to Bogota, Columbia from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil yet we've been to a couple places since Saquarema. The blogging mood hasn't hit so we've been lazy about writing. However, that doesn't mean there isn't a lot to tell. We'll give you a quick rundown with the promise that we'll send a more detailed post shortly with pictures attached.
From Saquarema, as we quickly mentioned, we went to another beach ...Rio to Saquarematag:travellerspoint.com,2009-04-22:/blog/?domain=moveimove&thisblog_entryid=30&entryid=1590412009-04-23T00:11:08Z2009-04-23T00:11:08ZParati ended up holding us hostage for three more nights than planned. The first extra night was due to a bout of “La Tourista” (aka travellers’ diarrhea) and the next two nights were due to Easter and being unable to find a place to stay for an acceptable price (many places had tripled their prices). Because of this, we were given a suggestion for a day trip that turned out to be awesome. We caught a local ...To Return or Not To Return.tag:travellerspoint.com,2009-04-11:/blog/?domain=moveimove&thisblog_entryid=29&entryid=1578402009-04-14T14:52:46Z2009-04-14T14:52:46ZWe are seriously considering the idea of returning to Buenos Aires for the last month of our retirement in order to put Tango back into our bodies. Actually, we aren't really considering it any more - it's considered a done deal. Many of you may be wondering why we'd go back to Buenos Aires, a city we've said we really don't like. To answer this, let us begin by summing up the six months we spent there.
We ...Observationstag:travellerspoint.com,2009-04-10:/blog/?domain=moveimove&thisblog_entryid=28&entryid=1577672009-04-11T01:39:34Z2009-04-11T01:39:34ZOur initial observations of Brazil (and in comparison to Buenos Aires) are as follows:
- the people are friendlier and they smile, laugh, and talk FAR more in public than those in Buenos Aires
- the food (and sometimes the coffee) is tastier than in B.A. and you don’t have to order every item separately (i.e., your meat comes with veggies/rice and a salad)
- you have to pay to use public bathrooms (a total pet peeve for K – it’s a human ...Alive & Well!tag:travellerspoint.com,2009-04-07:/blog/?domain=moveimove&thisblog_entryid=27&entryid=1574032009-04-07T13:50:00Z2009-04-07T13:50:00ZAfter traveling a total of 38 hours with 8 hours of waiting time, we can actually say that overall, it was a really good experience.
The Good:
The 36 hour bus trip (which was in fact 32 hours) turned out to be great. The seats were really wide and truly did recline 180 degrees and that was combined with a foot/leg rest giving you a bed about the length of 5 feet 7 inches (the perfect length for K :) ...Avoiding Liquid Puddlestag:travellerspoint.com,2009-01-21:/blog/?domain=moveimove&thisblog_entryid=26&entryid=1464942009-01-21T16:07:11Z2009-01-21T16:07:11ZWe haven't forgotten and we will eventually get around to it. Our trips to Salta and Iguazu Falls will be documented here with photos, but we just haven't been in the mood to do so. Instead, we'll tell you why we avoid stepping in any liquid puddles found on the streets.
We have always done our best to avoid stepping in liquid on the streets. After viewing (and smelling) man after man pissing outdoors in broad daylight, along ...TWICE in One Daytag:travellerspoint.com,2008-12-24:/blog/?domain=moveimove&thisblog_entryid=25&entryid=1426232008-12-24T19:08:27Z2008-12-24T19:08:27ZWe have developed a 6th sense when it comes to thieves... and obviously you can understand why.
On Monday, we went and completed a little Christmas shopping (for ourselves). A new pair of Tango shoes for K (pair number 5) and two Tango suits and a pair of pants for Jorge (think mobster look). As we were returning home in the subway, we were ambushed by two, short, young thieves. They made a beeline for Jorge ...Beautiful Colonia del Sacrementotag:travellerspoint.com,2008-12-20:/blog/?domain=moveimove&thisblog_entryid=24&entryid=1421062008-12-20T19:50:35Z2008-12-20T19:48:40ZGod seems to like testing our animal pity limits. We managed not to cry this time...
We boarded the ship to Colonia, Uruguay on Tuesday with the parents. A one-hour trip and we were in muy tranquilo Colonia. An immediate peaceful presence bestowed us and we knew that we were going to love this little city. We began our 8 minute walk to our posada (hotel) and upon stopping to look at the map, we heard dog ...Lose-Lose Situationtag:travellerspoint.com,2008-12-03:/blog/?domain=moveimove&thisblog_entryid=23&entryid=1400052009-01-08T20:29:24Z2008-12-03T19:18:52ZIn our last post we mentioned how we two very smiley people must go around this city with uber-serious faces in order to avoid being even more likely targets of robbery. Doing this is the exact reason we attracted the interest of a (somewhat loco) business man. Of course he noticed Jorge and came up to us and asked us, "De donde sos?" Our general rule is to pretend we don't hear anyone when they speak to ...Attempted Robbery Attempt #5tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-12-01:/blog/?domain=moveimove&thisblog_entryid=22&entryid=1398232009-01-08T20:27:39Z2008-12-02T06:33:43ZEvery time we leave the safety of our apartment, we become paranoid, suspicious observers. Thank God we do.
We were taking the subway yesterday and as we stepped off the train onto the platform, we both immediately saw a young woman with dark sunglasses on. She did not proceed to get on the train, but instead took a look at us and immediately turned around and started walking in the same direction we were walking. However, she started ...Robbery Attempt #4tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-11-27:/blog/?domain=moveimove&thisblog_entryid=21&entryid=1393202008-11-28T07:49:57Z2008-11-28T07:49:57ZJust when we got a little too comfortable, it happened. We were at our local cafe where we go almost every day (it's only about 10 steps away), enjoying our cafe con leche with media lunas, when the ASSHOLES came in. Our guard was down because the cafe is small and we actually trust and like our cafe people. My purse was on the back of my chair (a big no-no) and this couple came in and ...Waiting in Linetag:travellerspoint.com,2008-11-24:/blog/?domain=moveimove&thisblog_entryid=20&entryid=1387622008-11-24T18:57:41Z2008-11-24T18:57:41ZThis post is a little late coming, but hey, we'll write when we feel like it! :o)
Two weeks after completing his antibiotic cycle, Jorge had white spots in his throat again. We didn't waste any time and headed straight to the private clinic. Unlike our last visit that included a one minute wait on a Saturday, we had to wait almost 2 hours on a Monday. The smart doctor decided to have Jorge tested for tonsillitis this ...Guilty Until Proven Innocenttag:travellerspoint.com,2008-11-13:/blog/?domain=moveimove&thisblog_entryid=19&entryid=1372622008-11-13T23:57:09Z2008-11-13T23:57:09ZOn the way to a tango lesson today, an average looking 35-40 year old Argentinean woman attempted to rob Jorge. He had his backpack on his back and we were walking to the lesson when Jorge felt a tug on the bag. When he took the bag off to inspect it (after evilly peering at the thief) he saw that the zipper to the pocket was opened. Luckily, our paranoia prevents us from being stupid enough to ...Trust Issuestag:travellerspoint.com,2008-11-07:/blog/?domain=moveimove&thisblog_entryid=18&entryid=1364342009-01-08T20:19:22Z2008-11-07T19:27:50ZThe title refers more to the Buenos Aires people than ourselves. They got trust issues. Every home, apartment, and business is "protected" by barred windows and doors, or solid metal curtains. Every building resembles a miniature prison. What must it feel like to grow up believing you need that protection? What must it feel like to grow up jailed in (or out) of your home? Yes, you definitely want those bars to keep the ...