Lima to Caracas

  Queenstown, South Island, New Zealand
Thursday, January 8, 2009

LIMA to CARACAS
 
Sunday 16 November 2008 - Judith explored downtown Lima whilst Dan spent two hours in a supermarket buying a new camera! We had a farewell lunch for Lindsey who was off back to Blighty and then hit Chinatown, where rows upon rows of shops were selling polystyrene Christmas decorations (Christmas trees, father Christmas - you name it, they had it). A day for farewells - a farewell dinner for David and Jacqui at a great Chinese restaurant, and then farewell to Katie.
 
The next day we drove along the Peruvian coastline to Huanchaco, a fishing and surfing village full of hotels, guest houses and restaurants. Narrow pointed fishing boats called caballitos (little horses) de tortora made out of reeds were stacked upright against the sea wall drying out in the sun. Fishermen ride these boats on the breakers like surfboards. We enjoyed a good dinner at a local restaurant, although one member of our group (Kate) nearly missed her food because - as the song goes- she got stuck in the lavatory! For some strange reason a workman was standing outside the lavatory with the doorknob in his hand! A few minutes later and with the help of a screwdriver (thrown through the window) Kate managed to escape looking a little flushed!
 



We visited the amazing adobe ruins at Chan Chan and the temple of the moon. Chan Chan is the site of vast, crumbling ruins of the imperial city of the Chimu domains and is the largest adobe city in the world. The ruins consist of compounds built by Chimu kings. Each compound includes a platform mound,which was the burial place of the king and his women and his treasures. Outside of these ruins we saw a "hell dog" basking in the hot sun. It was an ugly mut and resembled the Egyptian "anubis". 
 




The temple of the moon was interesting. The extensive polychrome moulded decorations were found throughout the 1990s. The colours have faded somewhat, but are still impressive. We saw various motifs including fishermen, crabs, spiders. Outside of the temple Judith was asked to go on a photograph with 3 women (strangers) because it is bad luck to have 3 people on a photograph, but good luck to have 4 people, we learn something new every day!
 
DESTINATION PUNTA SAL - a 5.30am start, so we had breakfast en route, i.e. at a petrol station. We got some strange looks as we set up the breakfast table and boiled the kettle, and munched on cereals and toast. After a few hours on the truck we disembarked at the Lord Sipan museum. Excavating since 1987, this is one of three crumbling pyramids which has brought to light a cache of funerary objects considered to rank among the finest examples of pre-Columbian art. The Peruvian archaeologist, Walker Alve, leader of the discovery, continues to probe the immense mound that has revealed no less than 12 royal tombs filled with 1,800 year old offerings worked in precious metals, stone,pottery and textiles of the Moche culture. The ear-rings were huge - round metal circles with thick stems -much too big for our ears! There were also large bulbous pottery figures, which reminded us of Alice in Wonderland caricatures. The tombs on display contained replicas of the original finds including mummies and skeletons. No cameras allowed though.
 
We arrived in Punta Sal at 7pm and pitched our tents on the sandy beach. We spent the following day "chilling" - sunbathing in the hot sun and cooling off in the sea. Dan swam amid the crashing waves and managed to lose his sunglasses. Judith only paddled because of her gammy leg (still a manky mess), although it didnīt stop her having a game of bat and ball with Jenny. Their best rally was 20 - the sand was too hot!
 
In the early evening, the sky was pink and looked beautiful - crabs scurried along the sand - the waves still crashed. That night, however, Judith lost her favourite woolly hat bought in Bolivia and her prayers to St Anthony went unanswered!
 


DESTINATION ECUADOR - We left Peru at 11am and got our passports stamped and headed to Ecuador. The border area was chaotic. Street vendors selling all sorts of things - clothes,food, budgies and dogs! Ecuador is tucked in between Peru and Columbia and our first impression was how green it is. Forests and patchwork quilt fields are quite a contrast to the dryness of Peru. We stayed in Cuenca, a pleasant colonial town with cobblestone streets, flowering plazas and whitewashed buildings. Rob (one of the Dragoman guides) kindly cared for Judithīs manky and infected leg, remarking that it resembled a guacamole dip in which one could dip a piece of bread - uuurrrggghhh!
 
On Saturday 22.11.08 we celebrated Johnīs (aka Juan) birthday, firstly with a visit to the Panama hat factory. We had a complete display of the hat making process. Contrary to popular belief, the Panama hat originates from Cuenca and not Panama - read on! In the 1830s the people of Cuenca were so poor that they started producing hats for a living. Around 1855, Europeans fell in love with these hats,exports increased and oddly enough the name "Panama Hat" stuck after all the men building the Panama Canal wore them for sun protection. The industry reached a peak in 1946 where they provided 20% of Equadors earnings. Today the industry is slowly dying, however, these straw hats that were so popular with gangsters in the 1920s and presidents and film stars in the 1930s and 1940s can still be bought today. Supposedly, a proper Panama hat can be rolled up tightly enough to fit through a wedding ring and still retain its original shape when unrolled. In the evening we celebrated Juanīs birthday with a meal in a sports bar and afterwards with a few drinks in some local bars. Judith and Danny "lifted" some coconut lampshades from one of these bars - all will be revealed later on!
 


After bidding farewell to Cuenca we headed North to Rio Verde. The scenery was fantastic - rolling green hills interspersed with villages - fields shared by cows and donkeys - trucks packed with people waving to us. We arrived at Hosteria Pequeno Paraiso in Rio Verde in the late afternoon. Another Dragoman truck (Carmen) was there (heading South from Quito). It was "lashing it down", so we upgraded to a cabin (a blessing because we stayed there for three days). It was a super place nestled amongst steep green hills streaked with waterfalls and enjoying a warm subtropical climate. Rich, the owner and ex-Dragoman guide, advised us on the adventure activities available. We chose the canyoning (Judithīs leg passed Robīs fitness test).
 
The canyoning was a great adventure. Marco and Daniel were our guides and kitted us out with wetsuits, life-jackets and sneakers. We jumped from great heights into a raging river, hurtled down a zip wire, abseiled down slippery rocks and floated down the river. We will never forget Lesley diving head first (instead of feet first) from a great height into the water below. Thankfully, she emerged unscathed and with a huge grin! Judith also gave people a laugh when at one point she surfaced feet first - all you could see was the bottom of her sneakers! 



That afternoon, Dan hired a bike and Judith explored Banos - a touristy town getting its name from the thermal baths. Immediately South of Banos is the volcano Tungurahau. Levels of volcanic activity have remained high, although it was dormant during our stay!
 
The following day we cycled 17km to Banos. The weather was kind - dry, sunny and warm. The scenery was dramatic, but we had to be alert to negotiate tough bends and steep uphill stretches, not to mention the pitch black tunnel! Judith thought her time had come when we entered the tunnel facing the one-way oncoming traffic (as instructed to do so). Dan saw a huge truck hurtling toward us at which point Judith panicked and fell off her bike. The truck was getting closer, but Dan somehow waved down the truck, and Judith managed to scramble to the side! 
 
DESTINATION ANACONDA LODGE - After bidding farewell to Lee (a seasoned overlander since starting in Caracas) we headed off to the jungle. We left Cameron at a small dock and boarded a long wooden motor boat to Anaconda Lodge, located in the Napo province of the Oriente. The Oriente is Ecuador's slice of the Amazonian basin and occupies almost half of the country, but is home to less than 5% of the population. The reason that most travellers come to the Oriente is for the jungle tours. Anaconda Lodge sits on the eastern end of Isla Anaconda where the Rio Arajuno pours into the Napo river. The pride of the lodge is the Anaconda which lives in a small enclosure. Its colours shone magnificently in the hot sun.

Our jungle adventures began with a trek wearing wellingtons. We climbed up into the forest, crossed a ravine in a cage contraption and swung high on a rope swing into a clearing in the trees! On the following day we walked down a river in our swimmers and our wellingtons! It was waist high in some sections and we laughed out loud as we picked our way precariously over the rocks and trudged through the mud. In the afternoon we visited an animal sanctuary and saw squirrel monkeys, parrots, capybaras and caiman. We even had a go with a blowpipe - the target being a plastic parrot on a polystyrene board! A hit on the head was worth a beer. For some reason the girls fared better than the boys at this particular sport!

On Friday 28.11.08 we celebrated Dan's birthday in style. In the morning we visited a local community and played with the children who were very sweet - the girls in particular were very mischievous. Then we clambered aboard a balsa wood raft (tied together with thin pieces of rope). We were under instructions not to put our limbs between the logs and to hold onto the rope. At one point it looked as if we were walking/sitting on water because the raft was submerged - a MIRACLE! As the raft floated downstream some of us got into the water of our own accord and let the river take us. We had to climb back on though to negotiate the rapids! Then another miracle - a man on a boat came alongside the raft and handed us some cold beers! We drank and sang "Happy Birthday" to Dan in 4 languages, i.e. English, Dutch, German and Ecuadorian!

That afternoon we visited a local SHAMEN. We sat in a darkened room in a wooden house and watched the SHAMEN perform a cleansing ceremony on Dan. The SHAMEN was a 68 year old man who was stripped to the waist and wore a grass skirt over his tracksuit bottoms. Dan was seated on the floor and the SHAMEN stood behind him smoking a cigar, clutching and wafting straw and hissing and spitting! That evening we had a jungle themed party - the eating area was festooned with balloons, inflatable jungle animals, party hats made from leaves and a glitter ball. We all had our faces painted, Judith was persuaded to wear her party outfit - a pair of coconut lampshades (the least said the better!) - and Bob (the Dragoman guide) dressed as Tarzan in a pair of leopard skin bikini bottoms serenaded Dan! A family from the village performed some traditional songs and dances. Dan was presented with a magnificent birthday cake and got dunked in it (a South American tradition). What a great day and a great way to spend a birthday.



The next day we bade farewell to the jungle and drove to Otavalo, which is one of South America's most important centres of ethno-tourism and (according to the guidebook) its enormous Saturday market is second to none and not to be missed. The streets are filled with vendors selling a vast array of brightly coloured textiles and crafts. There is also a food market, which is unbelievable. Sheeps heads rest on counters, cooked pigs strung up high, the aroma of pork crackling filling the air, flies magnetised on huge chunks of blood red meat, live chicks being sold in brown paper bags and people slurping on the chicken soup. We also enjoyed the beautiful countryside when we cycled to a nearby lake through the mountains and small villages.

DESTINATION QUITO (01.12.08) - En route to Quito (the capital of Ecuador) we made an interesting and informative stop in the "middle of the world" at the EQUATOR.



We arrived in Quito at lunchtime, so had time to explore the second highest capital in Latin America. We visited the Old City - very colonial in style with narrow, steep, cobbled streets. We  climbed the tower and the belfry in the Basilica - the views over the city were amazing.



On the way back to the hotel Judith's bank card was snaffled up by the ATM. The bank closed promptly at 17.00 and the transaction receipt read 17.01! The security guard would not open the doors and Judith was told to go back the next day. She did so and thankfully got reunited with her cash card (a little bruised after having been swallowed up, but none the worse for wear!).

The evening of 01.12.08 was the end of the trip for many of our travelling companions, including Bob and Rob (the Dragoman guides), so we had a good meal in the New City, followed by a dance and drink in a very strange nightclub. We rounded off the evening in a local bar.

The next leg of our South American adventure was due to start on 11.12.08, so we decided to hire a car with Kate and Jas (fellow travellers) and drive to the coast. It was a great road trip. BUDGET supplied us with a Nissan Almeria, which we named Sandy. Dan did a great job in getting us out of Quito and soon we were on the Pan American highway. The scenery was fantastic - lush green rainforest, clouds and mist and then sunshine, and wooden houses on stilts. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for the roads. Judith was at the wheel and at the mercy of the speed bumps! The car was too low and the speed bumps too high. The underside of the car scraped over the bumps in pain.  As the day gave way to night the bumps were hard to spot. Kate was on speed bump alert and did a good job. At one point the car screeched to a halt in front of a police station and Kate, Jas and Dan got out of the car while Judith drove over a speed bump! We arrived unscathed (can't say the same for Sandy) in Canoa and made it just in time for dinner.

Canoa is a fishing and tourist town with a nice clean beach and is popular with surfers. We chilled out for a few days enjoying the beach in the day and the bars in the evening. We also cycled 17km to the nearby town of San Vicente and hopped on a boat to Bahia de Caraquez, as well as visiting the Isla Corazon famous for birdwatching, where Judith and Jas tried to hitch a lift back from.



On 08.12.08 we drove from Canoa to Mindo, a small town situated high in the cloud forest. The following day the sun was shining so we took a 2 hour walk to the waterfalls. The scenery was stunning and to get to the waterfalls we had to cross a steep ravine in a cage like cable car.

We arrived back in Quito on 10.12.08 and waited with abated breath as the mechanic in the car hire place looked over Sandy to see if she was damaged. He did look underneath her for a while, but said nothing!

Jas and Kate left us on 11.12.08 - a sad occasion indeed. That evening, however, we were reunited with Donna and Dion (the Dragoman guides) and met five new people who were joining the trip in Quito (Emmy, Kerry, Darren, Mie and Jannie). The itinerary looked good and action packed and we were ready to go again!

On 12.12.08 we got acquainted with Cindy (our new truck) and made a return visit to the Equator and Otavalo before heading to Colombia on 14.12.08.



The border crossing into Colombia was an experience. We arrived on the Ecuador side at 11.30am and bought our Christmas booze from the Duty Free shop (Champagne and Amarula). We met Milton and Fernando who were guiding us across the border and then driving Cindy through Colombia. We joined the "border" queue, which was very slow moving. Tempers frayed as people tried to queue jump. We giggled when a nun tried to jump the queue, but God was not on her side and she had to back from whence she came! After 5 hours we got inside the terminal building, got our passports stamped and walked across no man's land to the Colombian border. After 30 minutes and with a 60 day visa in our passports we were on our way to Ipiales.



En route we visited the Sanctuary of the Virgin of Las Lajas. The view of this Cathedral from the approach road is breathtaking. Looking into the canyon we could see the magnificent gothic style building. It is set on a bridge, but appeared to be hanging there, over the river Guaitara. It looks like "Hogwarts" in Harry Potter. We took the 15 minute walk down to the cathedral to get a closer look. A mass had just ended and hordes of people passed us. The interior is beautiful with the altar set in the rock face of the canyon. Legend has it that the face of the Virgin was seen in the rock. When we emerged the sky was black and the cathedral was lit up. It looked magical. We were fortunate to see it in both the daylight and the nightime. We spent the night in Ipiales where Christmas decorations adorned the plaza.



On Monday morning 15.12.08 we drove to Ipiales airport to board a flight to Bogota. After a couple of hours delay we went through passport control and discovered that some of us had different names and had changed sex. Judith's boarding card bore Yudith Tarcy and Lesley Mitchell was Mr Lesley Mitchell! We boarded the small aircraft and after a short while disembarked at a small airport. It was hot and stifling, but after 10 minutes we were back on the same plane and reached Bogota around 5pm. We then climbed into a mini-bus and drove 5 hours to Villa de Leiva, a colonial town dating back to the early days of Spanish rule (1572).

The following day, Oscar (the owner of the lodge in Villa de Leiva) took us around the cobbled streets of the pretty and peaceful town. For some reason our group attracted attention - people sidled up and had their photograph taken with us! We also visited a Stonehenge where the carved stones are believed to be giant phalli and a solar calendar! The area also abounds in fossils, and we  saw the fossil of a dinosaur found in 1977. In the afternoon some of us hiked up the mountain behind the lodge. We trampled onwards and upwards - Lord of the Rings style - until we reached a clearing. We could see the landmark (some water tanks) where we should have been, but couldn't work out how to get there! Eventually we found the path, hacked our way through the undergrowth, fought off a giant spider and reached the summit. It was a spectacular view - lush green hills, pine forests and clear blue sky. That evening we saw the children of the town running round excitedly wearing santa hats and holding candles. We assumed that they were going carol singing. It was a pretty sight and a reminder that Christmas was just round the corner. Later we had a BBQ at the lodge and were entertained by a local Colombian band playing drums. We ended the evening round the campfire and stargazing.



DESTINATION BOGOTA - We decorated the minibus with balloons and a banner to celebrate Donna's birthday. En route to Bogota we stopped at the roadside for strawberries and cream, and visited the Catedral de Sal, which was located underground in a salt mine. The tour was based on the 14 stations of the cross. We saw the biggest underground cross and a simple yet majestic nativity scene.



Steep stone steps were for one's pennance, i.e. one has to climb them on one's knees! The sacristy holds a special crucifix - special because it depicts Jesus nailed to the cross still alive. Apparently, he is alive because his head falls to the left. If his head points to the right he is dead.

We arrived in THE BOG (Bogota) early afternoon and visited the BOTERO museum and an adjacent art gallery (some wierd and wonderful exhibits). That evening we celebrated Donna's birthday and our 20th anniversary of being together with dinner and drinks. It was a good night and Kate joined us, which made it even more special.

DESTINATION CARTAGENA - On 18.12.08 we flew from Bogota to Cartagena, part of Caribbean Colombia and Colombia's top tourist destination. It is a beautiful colonial city, the heart of which lies within 12km of ramparts. Within the walled city is a labyrinth of squares, mansions, narrow cobbled streets, hotels and restaurants. We spent a few days in Cartagena and took in the sights as well as buying our "secret santa" presents! We enjoyed our jaunt to the formidable Castillo San Felipe De Barajas, the largest Spanish fort built in the Americas. Once inside the walls we walked through the many tunnels to reach the top. It was very peaceful up there, far away from the maddening crowd of tourists below. We saw a glorious sunset - all that was missing was a bottle of wine! At the entrance to the castle stands a statue of the one-eyed, one-armed and one-legged hero Blas de Lezo who defended the city from the strongest attack in 1741 - Sir Edward Vernon besieged the city for 56 days with 27,000 men and 3,000 pieces of artillery, but failed.



We also went salsa dancing in a great colonial style bar. We drank at the huge horseshoe shaped bar and after a few mojitos danced to the rythm of the music (on stage and on tables!).

One of the highlights, however, was bathing in the mud lake of the Volcan del Totumo. The volcano is about 20m high and the mud lake is 10m across and is reputed to be over 500m deep. We climbed the wooden steps to lake and masseurs pulled us into the mud. We declined the offer of a massage though! We floated in the gloopy grey coloured mud before submerging. We looked like alien mud creatures. We had great fun and then it was time to get out - easier said than done! We slithered down the wooden steps, mud still clinging, and scrambled to a nearby lake where we washed ourselves off.  It took muddy ages (Judith's joke)!

DESTINATION MERIDA (VENEZUELA) - Monday 22.12.08 - a day of travelling not to forget. Not quite planes, trains and automobiles, but very close! We said bye to Dion (one of the guides) who was making his own way to Venezuela after picking up Cindy and made our way to the airport. It was only 4.30am and we had to be alert to cope with the bizarre departure tax at the airport. We paid a tax and then got a refund and somehow came out in profit. We landed in Bogota and then took a flight to Caracas, where we were met by a local guide. He suggested that we change money there and then on the black market. Deals were done in the airport under the noses of the airport security - very surreal. We then boarded a minibus to the bus station, Judith's seat being a coolbox! First impressions of Caracas were not favourable (scruffy, hustly and bustly). The guidebook describes it as being not the gentlest of introductions to South America. Founded in 1567 it lies in a rift in thickly forested mountains which rise from a lush green coast to heights of 2,000 to 3,000m. At the bus station Donna (our other guide) was informed that all the tickets to Merida had been sold and the next bus was on 27.12.08! We settled on the alternative, i.e. an overflow bus, more expensive, but at least we would reach Merida the next day. It was like an opening scene of a film - drivers and assistants touting for buisness, people weighed down by luggage haggling the price and then hurrying and clambering aboard the overflow buses. Ensconced in our seats we dared not move, otherwise they would be taken by others who wanted to get home for Christmas. When every seat had been filled and luggage of all shapes and sizes had been piled up at the front we were off. The little boy who was assisting the driver acted as DJ all the way to Merida - all 12 hours! It was quite an experience for us, a novelty in fact, but it is important to remember that it is a normal way of life for the people of Venezuela. After 12 hours we disembarked at a bus station 63km south of Merida, so took taxis for the last leg and got there at 7.30am on 23.12.08.

Merida stands on an alluvial terrace (a kind of giant shelf) 15km long and 2.5km wide. Founded in 1558, the capital of Merida State retains some colonial buildings, but is mainly known for its 33 parks and many statues. We met Alan our local guide for the next few days. He became known as Big Al and entertained us with his many jokes, and charmed us with his enthusiasm for all things, especially nature, fauna, and wildlife. He is a legend.

On Christmas Eve we went mountain biking whilst others went canyoning and paragliding. We  drove high into the mountains and then saddled up to make our descent. The ride was good, but very technical and challenging. The first section was mostly uphill on rough and muddy terrain - in some places it was almost impossible to pedal through the syrupy sand. We had a pit-stop at some hot springs and soothed our feet whilst munching on huge chunks of water melon. Shortly afterwards "calamity Judith" fell off her bike going uphill and opened up old wounds on her left leg! Sore, but determined, she carried on. After 4 hours we reached the bottom of the mountain and felt exhilerated.



We celebrated Christmas Eve at Arassari Trek and it was beautiful. The tables were set on a balcony overlooking the valley below. The lights of the houses in the valley below glistened and the stars up above twinkled brightly. It was magical. The hosts served up a typical Venezuelan feast, which went down very well. At midnight we climbed the spiral staircase to the top floor and watched the fireworks explode in the valley below. It was a Christmas Eve to remember.



Christmas Day - In true Christmas tradition we got up early, boarded Cindy and were on the road at 6.30am. Our destination was Los Llanos. Wearing santa hats and draped in tinsel we sang christmas tunes. We were a million miles from home and missing our loved ones, but were in good company and having fun. En route to Los Llanos we passed through a village where "guy fawkes" type dolls sat outside houses. Apparently these dolls are burned in the last minute of the year. The tradition is to give children money to buy fireworks for "the burning". We obliged by throwing loose change from the truck! We had Christmas lunch at a very nice roadside restaurant - BBQd beef, salad and yukka. The toilets were unique - one cubicle housed two toilets side by side!

We stopped at an off-licence for some Christmas drinks shortly before reaching our lodge. It was manic, but great. People were gathered outside on foot and in cars, stereos blaring and people dancing. The off-licence was behind bars and people shouted through their orders. The owner, however, let us in behind the bars to buy the beers.

The lodge was beautiful, set in beautiful forested countryside. We had a Christmas Day swim in the river nearby, which was pleasant and refreshing. Before Christmas dinner a few of us exchanged presents. Jamie and Dan both got a pair of stripey travelling trousers coloured pink and purple resspectively. Armed with Champagne and Amarula we marched off to the restaurant to enjoy the festivities. We ate well and exchanged Secret Santa presents. Big Al got some butterfly rattles, Dan got chocolates, beer and a blow crocodile game and Judith got a sick bag and liquers! We drank, laughed and partied the night away. One party game was how many people can you get in a hammock - we got four people in! The hammock later became Judith's bed - being a little worse for wear, she decided to sober up outside and fell asleep in the hammock until 6am! At one point she swore that she heard a bear - rumour is that spectacled bears prowl the area, although they are very rare! Anyway, it was a Christmas Day/Night to remember if only Judith could!
 


Boxing Day/St Stephen's Day featured a long drive to another camp in Los Llanos, a vast sparsely populated wilderness lying between the Andes to the west and the Orinocco to the south and east. En route Big Al spotted some river dolphins and called to them with a high pitched holler. It was like a scene from Dr Doolitle when they swam toward us! We arrived at the camp early evening and after being fed and watered settled into our hammocks located in a large stone built circular room. Some other guests gatecrashed, namely giant spiders and a huge butterfly.
 
The next day was fabulous. FIRST on the agenda was ANACONDA HUNTING. Before that, however, we saw a giant anteater, a rare occurence apparently. Then armed with anaconda sticks we crawled under a barbed wire fence and got into the water. Our feet sank into the mud and god knows what else! Eventually we came face to face with an anaconda - a 3m long female which had just eaten a caiman - you could see the bulge in her stomach as she was digesting it! SECOND on the agenda was more wildlife spotting and we weren't disappointed. We saw around 53 species of birds and a variety of animals including capybara, a honey-bear (type of anteater) and caiman. One of the funniest things was a cheeky monkey hitching a lift on a pig's back. THIRD on the agenda, but not for the faint hearted, was the slaughter of a pig, which was to be part of that evening's meal. Judith watched and remembers it vividly, but won't go into detail! FOURTH on the agenda was a boat trip and pirahna fishing. Big Al talked to the animals again and pink river dolphins swam close to our boat. The pirahnas were also biting - Judith caught 3 and Dan 1 - there were many that got away - honest! FIFTH on the agenda was caiman hunting. The guides caught two and handed them to us for the customary photographs before releasing them. They were confused the poor things. We also some beady eyes looking at us from a nearby river - a herd of water buffalos - we scarpered before they stampeded.
 


We said goodbye to Big Al on the next day, but before doing so gladly signed his guestbook. He had certainly made an impression on us and we will never forget his enthusiasm. It was a joy to see. That afternoon we were equipped with helmets, life-jackets and giant inner tubes. We were off river tubing! It was great fun and we shrieked and whooped as we tubed over the rapids.
 
DESTINATION PUERTO COLOMBIA - 30.12.08. A 5.30am start because we had a long drive day ahead of us, including the tricky drive through the beautiful Henri Pittier National Park. The scenery was fantastic - steep rugged hills and sloping forests surrounded us and at some points our heads were in the clouds literally. It took some skilled driving from Dion and skilled navigating from Donna to negotiate the hairpin bends and narrow sections. It took 3 hours to get through the park.
 
NEW YEAR'S EVE - PUERTO COLOMBIA - a great place to see in the New Year. We explored the narrow streets of this laid back fishing village and then spent the rest of the day sunbathing on the dazzling long strech of white sandy beach set against a backdrop of mountains and palm trees. We had a dip in the warm waters of the Caribbean. There was a strong undertow, making it difficult to swim, but riding the crashing waves was great fun. There was an air excitement around the place as the New Year approached. We celebrated the New Year with drinks and dinner and at midnight watched the fireworks cascade across the harbour and into the Caribbean. 
 


NEW YEAR'S DAY - DESTINATION CARACAS - Wow! Where did 2008 go? On the truck at 8am and back through Henri Pittier National Park. It was precarious in some sections, especially when we met the oncoming public buses, which hurtled round the bends! It was quite tight and on one occasion we "high-fived" a group of ploicemen in their truck and shouted "Feliz Anos"! We arrived in Caracas feeling a little down because our 5 month tour of South America was almost over. However, we enjoyed a "last supper" at TGI Friday.
 
FRIDAY 02.01.2009 - a sad day as we said 'hasta luego" (don't like saying "goodbye") to our friends, Cindy and South America. It was hard waving them off - nevertheless, New Zealand beckoned.
 
We will see you all in New Zealand in our miniature version of a dragoman truck - a hippie camper van, which Judith has named "FRODO"!