Cusco - the belly button of the world. That's the translation from quechua and that's what the Inca believed. Their capital being the center of the world - built in the shape of a puma. Nowadays most of the ancient Inca temple are destroyed and instead you'll find many churches on their former spots. In the cathedral at plaza de armas a small stone from an ancient temple tells the former history and during service people still come and pray here. The Spanish tried to destroy the old culture - and almost succeeded. Almost. Old walls still show the amazing art of building walls - only with one special mineral as a tool. The town's ambience is really specially with all the colourful fabrics people wear and sell. There's nothing better than to stroll through the tiny streets - especially in the oldest part St. Blas. Against altitude sickness the tea leaves of coca de mate help a lot and a sopa de pollo or sopa de quinoa at the local market or at some street vendors bring you back some energy. In the end all the tourists who come here have one destination: the sacred valley of the Inca with its core Machu Picchu.
Along the amazon on a boat like in the famous movie "Fitzcarraldo". Somehow I pictured myself on a wooden boat like that. In the end I've chose the luxurious version: 12 hours from Leticia/ Colombia to Iquitos/ Peru in a speed boat. Like a luxury bus - just on the river. At 3:30 am I waited on a runway surrounded by the dark with others for a water taxi that broad us from the colombian/ brasilian side over the river to Peru. The day before I had to get an exit stamp in my passport from Colombia and an entry stamp into Peru. Bureau-cracy! The boat ride in the end was quite comfortable. And during the journey we passed two (!) other slow boats. Those ones are more Fitzcarraldo style. Heavy wooden boats where the locals sleep in a hammock on the first floor and below are cows, pigs and all kinds of products. Sounds more fun but better with a group...After 12 hours we reached Iquitos/ Peru. A poorer version of Leticia. After on night I left the tropical climate towards Lima. And after an eight hours stopover there I continued to the Inca capital of Cusco - high up in the mountains with finally fresh air but lower temperatures!
The minute you exit the plane, it hits you: tropical air, super hot and humid. Welcome to the jungle! And welcome to the smallest airport I have ever seen: Leticia in Colombia's southeast. Surrounded by kilometers of jungle and next to the world largest river, the amazon. After entering Brazil its water flows towards Colombia and then into Peru. When I arrived at the waterfront in Leticia the river was further away due to the dry season. Normally its 10 meters higher. For the next five days I stayed at Casa Gregorio, a wooden open house on piles - with Heike from the Netherlands and her partner José and his kids. By boat their village is three hours away from Leticia.
First we took an express boat to a junction of the amazon and then José's cousin gave us a ride in his wooden canoe. And suddenly between the trees the first roofs of St. Martin de Amacayacu appeared. 500 people, electricity only from 9 to 12 pm and from 5 to 10 pm, internet connection only suuuper slow. The local school boat gets the kids two hours before school starts further down the river. Welcome to the most unique experience ever - among the friendliest people, the Tikuna, who showed me their life with fishing, harvesting, doing laundry in the river and just living close to the rhythym of nature. What I didn't see: anaconda, piranhas (only on a plate), pink dolphins and other weird animals. What I did see: mosquitos, catfish, the matamata tree (the phone of the jungle that works like an echo) and local soccer games each afternoon. La gringa in the jungle - mission accomplished! Welcome to the sweet, quiet life at the Carribean, northern coast of Colombia: Cartagena de Indias. From here the Spanish conquered Colombia in the beginning of the 16th century. That's why it still feels like an old colonial city - with an old wall, fortress and old buildings. 30 years ago the city has been designated Unesco World Heritage Site. It's also the city of world known author Gabriel García Márquez. Here he began his writing career. First as a journalist, later as an author. He honored Cartagena as the setting of his novel "Love in the times of cholera". The best way to explore the city is by renting bikes. Another, to explore the ocean by motorboat with friends on a lazy Sunday. Decadence at its best. And be sure: the next Cuba Libre is always around the corner. Que vida! Salud!
For most people the city of Medellín in the center of Colombia is all about Pablo Escobar and his cocaine-escapades, mainly in the 80s. Now after 22 years of his death in 1993 his legacy is kept alive. It's money. For sure. And so tourists enroll on a Pablo Escobar tour or play paintball in one of his houses that has been destroyed by 200!kg of dynamite at the time of his death. Some locals make money, the others hate that his still seen by some as the Robin Hood of Medellín. Back in the day he knew how to keep people on his side with building schools and churches but also handing out money for any dead cop. Dark decades.
Now Medellín is a really nice, green city. Last year they won the award for the most innovative city worldwide - with building a free library in a poor neighboorhood or a fairly cheap "Metrocable" that makes it easier for people to commute. Plus for me Medellín was mango heaven. Every morning I got fresh mango juice right from the street vendor. The fruits almost fall into your mouths from the many Mango trees. One day I went with a nice group "on holiday from the holiday" - how one Australien guy put it. To Guatapé east of Medellín, in one of these shaky minibusses. There the others went paintballing with some Kiwis we met along the way in one of Escobar's houses (which is about to be turned into a hotel??!!). And we climbed up 740 steps of LA ROCA to enjoy a stunning 360° view over hundreds of little lakes that had risen after they flooded the area in the 60s. Bienvenido a Colombia! The difference between the cliché in my head and the reality I faced couldn't have been bigger. Everything I heard before was about cocaine, guerilla and getting kidnapped. But of course that's not the case. At least not in the main cities. People are super friendly and always ask if you like their country. They really want you to have the best experience. And I'm sure in five or ten years it will be the paradise for tourists. It's such a beautiful diverse country - from mountains to the coast to the amazon river. I couldn't have tought of a better start into América del Sur - especialmente con la ayuda de mis amigos de Colombia! Muchissimas gracias a todos!!
DC still feels soo familiar - every time I'm back. The smell of the Metro is the same, DC dress code and the Mall, too. The "new "things at the Mall: Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and the soon to be opened National Museum of African American History and Culture. So great to catch up with old friends!!
WELCOME TO MIAMI!! Finally got to know this crazy city. From South Beach to downtown and Wynwood. Sooo diverse with a big influence of hispanic/ cuban culture. Hasta luego!
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Go West! Charlotte finally jumped out of the box and is travelling the world for the next months. Her favourite moment so far: staying with an indigenous family in the amazon river in Colombia. ArchiveKategorien |