Hotel Belensate Merida

... br>variety. So we hand over our 150 bfs and return at 6pm to get on the<br>7pm bus. We had to pay an extra 30 bfs for each of the bikes and to<br>take the wheels off in order to stash them in the luggage hold. <br>lucky for us, the 20 or so English backpackers with HUGE packs that<br>turned up just in front of us were NOT going to Merida, otherwise we<br>might have had a problem.<br><br><br><br>Then we met Juno, what a character! <br>Juno is no ...

... it could have happened. We arrive in Mérida and get a taxi to the Posada before we loose anymore money. Eli has left a message as we were too late to call to the tour office that we travel tomorrow. Thats one thing off our to-do list. The next is a trip to the police station where, with difficulty, we make our report and get our print out for the insurance. Its all a learning experience, I tell myself. It would have been easier if the ...

... is nestled in the valley with a natural landscape writhing with dense vegetation of greens and splashes of color dangling from trees in the form of flowers, seed pods and fruit, and throw in a bird or two. Farms and villages give a grounding to the otherwise extraordinary paradise. We thought to stay awhile and celebrate one of our birthdays here, but admiring from atop was enough and so onward we press to a posada at the top ...

... movies, started with Black Hawk Down dubbed in Spanish. They did turn it off eventually but until way after midnight. Then at 5am we arrived at Maracabio bus terminal only to jump straight on another bus to take us the 5 hours to the border. After numerous police checks, an easy border crossing and another bus journey we arrived in Santa Marta completely exhausted, but with a new friend Anthony from Germany with us.

... San Antonio to San Cristobal I leave Colombia with great, great sadness. I have to admit there was a tear drop or two in my eyes as I left (for the second time). Colombia really is a special place for me and also for all other travellers I've met here and if it wasn't for my natural instinct to carry on travelling (there may be somewhere even better waiting for me) I could quite easily stay for a few more months..maybe more. Everything Colombia is famous for (the good parts) is ...

... Sprite. Beer beer beer, I love beer, down in my belly I love beer! We rolled into bed about 4 in the morning after another eventful night having polished off all the drinks. Boy do the Venezualians know how to throw a good party. Sunday 28th October 2007 - Day 139 Our plans to head to the beach fell flat on their face when it was throwing it down so we headed to..... wait for it....... another BBQ that his aunt was hosting! Still ...

Okay, so I don't think that it is mere coincidence that Caracas sounds an awful lot like Crackhouse, but at least we mainly stayed in the nicer portion of the city. Our main task for Caracas was to pick up the new passengers, and that we did. Here is the low down on the new pax: Mike: Ginormous dude from Canada, weighing in at over 300 pounds. He is very nice. Carries around a green porcelain frog figure that he likes to place in his photos. On New ...

... up grudgingly at 0830 and were at the airport by 11. Reached the continental desk, which was deserted, with not a passenger or employee in sight. So Stan had a look at the e-ticket again and said "You're going to kill me!" And yes, for a brief flicker of a mili second the possibility of that thought did occur to me but I let it pass. Instead I just raved and ranted at him for about four hours. Our flight was at 0900 that morning, not 1230. It was ...

... Realmente es loco...y muy complicado a buscar los lugares y los officiales para saber que esta pasando.... Que mas.....yes i believe we are in need of a siesta....soon.....but yes, we are safe and well....in our summer skirts and drinking lotsa water!! (don´t worry mommy) tonight the opening rally is happening, that should be awesome.....AGH! bueno, okay entonces, nos escribamos pronto...ciao por ahora....!

... didn't w*nt to displ*ce people even though they knew the mudslides were likely coming. It w*s *n interesting belief for someone who h*d otherwise very positive views of his government *nd their *ctions (even the question*ble ones he could conviently expl*in *w*y). Anyw*ys, other th*n the few very s*d sites the trip into the mount*ins w*s f*nt*stic*lly be*utiful with lush green hills rising str*ight out of *qu* w*ters with cr*shing w*ves *nd the whole thing. We *rrived *t ...