El Cusqueño

Today is Saturday and currently I am sitting in a vegetarian restaurant called El Encuentro below the San Blas neighborhoods of Cusco. For some reason this city has an abundant veggie scene and this specific restaurant has one of the best lunch menus in town. For the equivalent of about $3 a person receives soup, an unlimited salad bar and a usually pretty interesting main course with a side beverage of tea. Sorry to go on about food but currently I am starving haha and this place is very addicting even for people who enjoy meat.

A fairly decent amount of time has passed by since the previous post in this blog and for that I apologize. It's been close to two weeks since writing and each day has been filled with learning more about Peruvian culture while wandering the colonial streets of Cusco. I have been working about 35 hours a week as a receptionist for the Pirwa Colonial Backpackers and this has been one of the most rewarding experiences of the trip. Being in an entirely Peruvian operated establishment I am the token Caucasian working within the hostel's confines and through time have been given the exclusive duties of luggage storage, checkouts, laundry paperwork, and being a quasi events coordinator. Working here has been hard yet fun at the same time because none of the other employees know how to speak English and the learning curve has been sharp at times. After two weeks my Spanish has improved substantially and sometimes there will be entire days without saying a word of English. The people who work here are hilarious and it's been fun learning about how locals interact with one another.

Life in Cusco will continue until about January 3rd because December is a really busy month for Pirwa. Christmas is coming and the place is buzzing with decorations and preparations for a hopefully a big New Years Party is under way. The original plan was to reach Argentina before the end of the year but leaving the hostel before then would put the place in a unfavorable situation and so an agreement was made to stay until things slow down. This isn't too bad because Cusco knows how to have a good time and it will be an opportunity to improve speaking the native language.

Besides working behind the counter of Pirwa life outside of the hostel has consisted of exploring new food places and historical sites of the city by day then dancing with friends to the sounds of Reggaeton and Latin pop music by night. Some really good clubs in Cusco consist of Mama Africa, Mythology, and Temple with each having their own unique atmosphere. Cafes like Kushka...Fe, Muse, and The Laggard help give this place a bohemian feel without escaping its traditional roots. Cusco overall is a pretty expensive city for Peruvian standards especially if you stick around the main plazas but there are some hidden gem restaurants that offer a lot of food at very low prices. One place is called Lions and it has best deal I've seen anywhere. Walking an extra blog away from the touristy part of the city can easily save you half the price in some situations.

Last week some friends and I went at saw a Red Hot Chili Peppers cover band at a dive bar called 7 Angelitos and last night our hostel successfully initiated a ping pong tournament that ended with dancing at the club Temple. Yesterday was also filled with a hike to Saqsaywaman, an Inka ruin that sits above the city and is literally pronounced as "Sexy Woman".Being an employee of Pirwa has been interesting because other backpackers come to you for questions about trekking tours or places to find a cheap lunch and it has been fun showing new friends where some of the cool places in Cusco are located.

More updates will be on the way but until then I hope you are doing well and have a great rest of your day! Happy Holidays, stay in school, and don't ever ever try Alpaca breast milk...haha just kidding but seriously..

Machu Piccu and Cusco Corners

Today is Monday and for the past week I have been living in or around the former Inca capital city of colonial-style Cusco. Since arriving on an strenuous overnight bus from the deserts Nazca, a great deal of changes to the trip itinerary have taken place.

The original game plan was to relax at the low key Pirwa Colonial Backpackers which is located along La Plaza De San Francisco, tucked within the heart of the cities' historical district, for a few days then hiking Machu Piccu. After booking a two day tour of the Inca ruins a friend from the hostel who was working as a receptionist got fired. Having already been interested in possibly searching for a hostel gig either in Cusco or Buenos Aires, an impulse decision prompted me to ask to take his place. Within minutes I was now a member of the Pirwa Backpackers and now I am going to be working alongside an entirely Peruvian hostel staff for the next few weeks.

After landing the job I took a collectivo bus the next morning en route to Agua Caliente, the base village that sits below Machu Piccu. After a foggy cliff-ridden six hour ride and a two hour hike a small group of other travelers and myself arrived in Agua Caliente, ate a nice dinner, then woke up the next morning at 4:30am to summit the mountain. The hike was intense with massive vertical gains and took almost two hours. Machu Piccu is as beautiful as its reputation and the trek was the most rewarding experience of this entire trip by far. The views felt very alien and I feel extraordinarily lucky to have been there. By the way, thank you everyone for the birthday wishes it really means a lot!

Since hiking the Piccu life in Cusco has revolved around working as a reception assistant in a primarily Spanish speaking hostel and exploring the cities cobbled streets, cafes, food, and never resting night life. Some really good friends have been in town and we have dabbled in the dancing scene a few times which has been a great experience. Cusco has showcased some great music and everyday there are opportunities to vibe to great sounding DJs or live bands. Also some very cool couchsurfing friends have been made since arriving and it has helped me gain a better understanding of the Cusco culture. I will be here for a few more weeks then heading straight to Argentina to try some meat...
I hope everyone is doing well and have a great day!

Sandy Turkeys and Nazca Liars

Today is Sunday and currently I am relaxing in Cusco at a hostel called Pirwa located along the Plaza De San Francisco. After a 15 hour night bus ride through swerving mountain roads from the desert of town of Nazca, this beautiful colonial style city will be home for at least a week. This hostel has a helpful Peruvian staff and the other travelers staying here are very friendly.

Before embarking on an overnight ride through the southern half of the country, my friend Sean and I had our final adventure after traveling for nearly a month together. We arrived in the desert oasis of Huacachina on Wednesday after a fun weekend in Lima hanging out with some very cool locals and spent two days enjoying sunshine and hanging out with some Australian friends we met in Mancora who happened to be there at the same time. Huacachina is a pretty laid back place and is well known for is close proximity to a sea of sand dunes that span an endless horizon. On Thanksgiving a group of us rented converted snowboards and took a dune buggy tour through the desert which felt very much like a roller coaster ride along staggering mountains of sand. It was a fun alternative way to give thanks and we ended the day with a BBQ at a neighboring hostel and playing some intense games of UNO.

Sean and I then left for Nazca on Friday but before catching an afternoon bus we decided to take a tour of some Pisco distilleries in the city of Ica. This city is very relaxed with vey little to do except get tipsy off of Peru's notorious national liquor. A group of us toured the Laso and Catador wineries and proceeded to sample a handful of Pisco batches by a local with a bamboo serving stick who also happened to be our taxi driver.

Two hours and a decent buzz later, Sean and I were on a bus towards Nazca which is home of a few hundred ancient tribal drawings that date back hundreds or perhaps thousands of years. This desert town is tucked within an arid brown dust bowl of a valley with little to do besides watching dubbed romantic comedies on television and eat servings of Caldo de Gallina. We got to see two ancient drawings of a tree and a monkey from an observation tower and it really was pretty anti climactic. For some reason the locals in Nazca, despite being pretty friendly, were really interested in trying to rip us off in any way possible ranging from taxi fairs, false promises of wifi in our hostel, and random excuses for not serving us a set lunch menu price. This being said it was still a relaxed place to visit and it ultimately was the last place that Sean and I would be traveling together. He is now off for Haurez and now I'm in Cusco which puts a temporary end to a fun month of multi national adventures. We will meet again without a doubt! More updates coming soon and have a nice day.

Mancora Nights to Lima Days

Today is Tuesday and currently my friend Sean and I are staying at a family run hostel called Alpackers located within the Miraflores District of Lima. This location is very comfortable with fairly relaxed owners and hot showers which is a nice change from the opposite environment in Mancora. We have made Alpackers a home base since Friday night after a 22 hour bus ride from the North coast.

After five nights living in the crazed Loki hostel in Mancora, sleeping in the sun by day and exploring various forms of nightlife after dark, it has been nice taking a step back and enjoying downtime. Not much was accomplished in the sunburned surf town besides making some good new friends and meeting some crazy locals. The beaches there are great and food is very inexpensive despite being a tourist hub. Motorcycle taxi outnumber cars and loud Latin music is normally the last thing you hear before you fall asleep. Loki is a must see place and it's social atmosphere mixed with limitless amenities influences unexpectedly prolonged stays.

The original plan from Mancora was to take a 9 hour bus ride south to Trujillo which sits at the halfway point towards the Peruvian capital of Lima but not one terminal along the route offered a direct form of transport. After three buses and two taxi rides we found ourselves rolling into our destination at close to 1am. It wasn't worth booking a hostel and luck finally came our way because we managed to hop onto a last minute double decker bus enroute to Lima a handful of minutes before it left the station. 11am was when we arrived and a taxi took us to the first hostel we saw, Alpackers, and sleep felt like a gift.

At first glance Lima is a huge and un attractive city which houses close to 9 million people. After being here a few days this impression has changed because we have met hands down some of the warmest people in South America. Boasting an endless coastline, trendy cafes, a crazy yet fun bus system, and outrageously good food, the capital city is worth visiting.

The big reason for seeing Lima was to attend the Creamfields electronic music festival this past Saturday. We also met a handful of locals who were on vacation in Mancora while we were there as well so overall it was a good opportunity to reconnect with some good friends and to dance like it was the Spring of 1997. Creamfields took a year off of our lives and since arriving we have also been spending time with our friends who are from Lima named Aldo, Marcio, and Lizeth. We tried some great traditional restaurants and have gotten a fun perspective of Lima from an insider's viewpoint. I will forever be thankful for their generosity.

Yesterday I met a friend from Couchsurfing to practice Spanish and we explored the Plaza Mayor, Iglesia de San Francisco, and the bohemian Barranco District. It was a good experience and today will hopefully be more exploring before leaving for the sand dune oasis of Huacachina! I hope everyone is doing well and more updates coming soon!p

Peruvian Ramblings

Today is Sunday and as of 10 hours ago I am now in Mancora, Peru at a hostel called Loki. This hostel is one of many that are scattered around Peru and Bolivia that are well renowned for their vibrant social atmosphere. This particular location has a heavy gringo feel but is filled with people from all around the world. Mancora is a popular vacation destination for both Peruvians and backpackers because it boasts white sand beaches and a party environment that stands alone. The locals have been friendly despite all being pushers of more than just taxi rides.

The trip down was long but well worth it. I had spent the night at a place called Hostel Romero in a mountain village called Zaruma. This is a quiet traditional colonial style town that is a UNESCO World Heritage site that houses some very warm people and fantastic views. Originally I was going to stay with a middle aged woman here for the weekend who offered me a couch to sleep on but this fell through and I left last minute for Peru. At 10pm I arrived via motorcycle taxi after four separate buses took me to and through the Peruvian border. A nice couple I met on the bus to the border town of Hauquilla walked me through the Peruvian border where there is a massive daily flee market but then was stopped twenty minutes into the crossing by police because it was illegal to enter without proper passport stamps. After backtracking and being driven ten minutes away from the border by an unmarked taxi things finally got in order and Peru was properly entered. Without the help of this nice couple I would still be wandering through side streets of habitual store fronts and awkward stares.

Before Zaruma I spent two days in Loja with my friend Sean from New Hampshire staying with a local and her family. We visited the valley of youth called Vilcobamba and spent time getting to know a city untouched by tourism. After Loja Sean and myself parted ways and I spent one night in Piñas to help the town celebrate it's founding while he darted for Peru. I might have stayed longer but the cheap Residencia Boliver where I stayed was rumored to have ghosts and for some reason always smelled like Iodine. Sean and I are once again in the same place and today's plan will be beach and maybe a little more beach if there is some free time from the beach. Mancora will be a home base for the next 2-7 days and more updates are on the way! I hope everyone who reads this is doing well and have a great day!

Onwards via Cuenca

Today is Monday and currently I am keeping it easy in La Cigale, a French influenced hostel that shares space with a posh restaurant under the same name. This has been my place of residence in a city called Cuenca since Friday. Located in the south easternish part of Ecuador, Cuenca is the countries third largest city and biggest exporter of STDs...just kidding. The past few days have been filled with reunions, exploring, and experiencing nightlife in arguably Ecuador's most picturesque urban location. Vividly green rolling hills surround the landscape and Spanish style architecture dominates the cobbled streets as carriages and street vendors go about their daily routines.

After four days here I can safely determine that Cuenca is my favorite city in Ecuador. If boasts a very metropolitan flair while still harnessing South American prices. Trendy cafes fill each corner of the historical district and families enjoy casual afternoons in one of numerous square plazas. Friday was Dia De Los Muertos and Saturday was a city-wide celebration to honor its independence from the Spanish 192 years ago.

Traveling with friends Sean and Nick, we parted ways with Hannah and John who are back in Quito. We all spent one last night together in Montañita to check the beach and celebrate Halloween with other backpackers. The group who didn't travel north arrived late on Thursday and quickly reconnected with another Quito friend named Paul and a girl I knew from Missoula named Jordan. Together with a few new friends we wandered, ate, and danced to contribute to Cuenca's increasingly wild fiestas. The city was alive with musical performances around various plazas and we ended the weekend's festivities with some salsa dancing at a hipster bar called Zoocuidad.

Last night Nick returned to Quito which marks the end of about two weeks of traveling together. Earlier today Sean and I visited Cajas National Park which boasts a tundra-like climate. With lush hills and a series of lagoons we finished a two hour hike by running after a public bus and catching it with seconds to spare.

Loja is the hopeful destination tomorrow and I hope everyone is doing ok too!

Montañita and Puerto Lopez

Today is Sunday and currently I am listening to the San Francisco Giants play the Detroit Tigers in the World Series. It would be nice to watch the game somewhere but the town that I'm currently staying is very quiet during this day of the week. Puerto Lopez is going to be a home base for the next three nights and four friends plus myself are staying at a cozy hostel called La Fragada which is located one block from a small fishing bay. Puerto Lopez is a small coastal town that has a beautiful waterfront and a very tranquil attitude.

Earlier in the evening we booked a boat tour of Isla De La Plata which is considered to be a cheaper alternative to the Galapagos. The price we payed includes transportation, snorkeling, and a guided tour of a place that houses a wide variety of wildlife. It should hopefully be a fun day trip and a good change from the more hectic Montañita, a wild party town we just visited.

Before taking a one hour bus ride north along the Ecuadorian coast to Puerto Lopez, my friends Nick, John, Sean, Hannah and I spent three nights living at the Iguana Backpacker Hostel in Montañita. The living situation boasted live iguanas and a social atmosphere and those are petty much the only good things about it because the amenities were pretty bare minimum. We reconnected with about twelve other people who had stayed un Quito so it felt very much like a reunion of classmates rather than the visiting of a foreign town.

Montañita is a very small surf town that offers warm water, great seafood, tiki bars, and an impressive nightlife filled with more discotecs than stop signs. Despite its tiny size this ocean community feels very much like Bourbon Street because everyone arrives ready to party and exist with very little sleep. The group I came with did just that and we had some long nights that crept into daylight. We also had one really nice beach day on Saturday and spent great deal of time in the water.

The next few days will also include Halloween back in Montañita then a long bus ride south to help Cuence celebrate its independence day/ Dia De Los Muertos next weekend. More updates coming soon and hope you are doing well too!

South Via North

Today is Tuesday and there has been a two week absence between blog posts. I am very sorry for the delay but to be honest not too many changes have occurred since the last update. Life in Quito is coming to an end and within two days "home" will consist of sandy beaches and a lifestyle of habitual wandering. Classes at Simon Bolivar Language School wrap up tomorrow and it will be refreshing change the environment despite how helpful the experience has been. Starting Thursday my friend Nick and I will be exploring the Ecuadorian coast beginning with a three day stint in Montañita with a handful of other good friends trekking from Quito then letting the breeze of the Pacific Ocean be our navigator. Nick has to return to Quito for volunteer work in a couple weeks and my plans are an open canvas. Some tentative plans will include Cuenca for its Independence Day in early November then bussing down to Mancora, Peru for a Loki Hostel experiece.

After spending a month in Northern Ecuador the next handful of weeks will consist of constant moving and rambling towards Cuzco, Peru. Since the last blog post I have done my best to improve my Spanish and have been meeting a number of locals through Couchsurfing in hopes of conversation exchanges. This has proved pretty cool because these people have been really open toward exploring the city and since then I have gained a better perspective of how locals carry out their day. One of the highlights has been eating guinea pig then going to a theatre called Ocho y Medio in the La Florista and seeing an Ecuadorian movie with a plot set in Guayaquil which thankfully had English subtitles.

A few side trips have included visiting the Mitad Del Mundo (the Earths equator line) and hiking up Cotopaxi which Is one of the worlds tallest active volcanos. Yesterday a friend from Couchsurfing and I hung out in the Itchimbia District which boasts some good views then today we checked out a museum dedicated to Oswaldo Guayasamin who is a well respected Ecuadorian artist. My friend Jordan from Missoula was in town today and we just had dinner in Old Town with a couple other people.

It will be bitter sweet to leave Quito and the experiences here have been ones that I will remember forever. Ecuador in general is filled with wonderful people, a deeply rich culture, and it has been an honor to have been blessed by its presence. More updates to follow and I hope everyone who reads this is doing well!

Firsts and Revisits

Today is Friday and it's the end of a long week filled with studying Spanish, learning Salsa, and trying to experience as many new things as possible. Life in Quito is developing into a solid routine of waking up, having some complimentary coffee at the hostel, then doing my best to improve conversational skills with my teacher Zulma.

Today we took a bus to her side of the city and we toured her neighborhood which has a more authentic feel compared to the Mariscal Distict which is where I live. She lives in a very relaxed neighborhood and her mom made us empanadas. Guidebooks refer to my part of the city as "Gringolia" because it caters to travelers and provides people with a comfortable atmosphere. After two weeks of language classes improvements in speaking are definitely visible but there still remains a great deal of work to be accomplished. I have been fortunate because the people who work in the Vibes hostel are fluent in Spanish and enjoy speaking their natural tongue. Simon and Stephanie are two really great people and without them I wouldn't practice nearly as much.

In addition to studying there have been some very cool people staying at the hostel and now we have a solid crew who do a lot of activities together. Nick from Belgium, Alex from Germany, John from the UK, me from the USA. For the majority of the week we have been found playing pool, kicking a soccer ball, or enjoying a few casual beers while going out for $2 set lunches at local restaurants like Tarzan's in the Mariscal. Yesterday we played soccer near the Botanical Gardens against some Quito locals at a park that was swarming with different games taking place. The wet season in Quito is approaching and light drizzle storms greeted us on the playing field.

Today a good friend from Missoula name Jordan and myself met up for the first time in a couple years. She is traveling for a few months and happened to be passing through the city. It was great to see a familiar face and share some good memories. Tonight people at the hostel want to partake in some rumba activities and Monday a buddy and myself will be in Guayaquil to help the city celebrate it's independence day on October 9th. Next week there will also be a salsa dance at the studio where classes are held and a World Cup qualifying soccer match between Chile and Ecuador. The hostel will all be in attendance and excitement is already growing in the air. I hope everyone is doing well! Peace and Love and you look really good right now..

Guaya-Not?

It's Wednesday and currently I am relaxing at the Manso Boutique Guesthouse with my friends Justin, Nick, and Joost. This quant hostel/hotel is located in the Malicon district of Guayaquil, Ecuador. The four of us took a nine hour bus ride from Quito to help the city celebrate it's Independence Day which is on October 9th. On that day Simon Bolivar liberated the city from the Spanish Empire.

We arrived in a big passenger bus that played violent Spanish dubbed films at around five on Monday and were greeted by a vastly misunderstood city. Guayaquil is the largest city in the country and is known for crime and shifty characters. We were told not to come here because of its negative reputation but after two days of celebrating, seeing sites, and meeting some really friendly locals it is easy to see that Guayaquil is definitely a hidden gem. The countries' bigger port city boasts an iguana park, mildly warm weather, and a family friendly waterfront boardwalk.

Yesterday we woke up early and ate a three dollar breakfast then went to a large park to watch the beginnings of a long military parade. The president of Ecuador gave a brief speech and ceremonial guards strided in formation while donning elegant white uniforms. After seeing parts of the concession we got lunch and checked out the multicolored houses in the las Penas district which has a lighthouse that overlooks the entire landscape. We stayed in the area for most of the day and came back later in the night to take in the nice views and inexpensive beer. There also was a bright fireworks show and a live salsa band to help begin a lively evening.

Today we all felt sluggish from a lot of celebrating last night but still managed to buy cheep Ecuador football jerseys and explore a little more of the surroundings. Earlier in the afternoon I met up with two locals for coffee and walked around a historical animal park. The two are named Maria and it was my first ever couchsurfing experience.
They have been very hospitable and want to show my friends and me more of the city later in the evening. After meeting them I want to pay it forward when I move home because it is a great way to learn about other cultures and make friends from around the world. More updates coming soon!

Back to School

Today is Sunday and it currently It is a very sunny morning in Quito. Right now I am sipping on free coffee from the Vibes Hostel and 80's rock is echoing from behind the backpacker's bar. This particular living space has brightly colored walls and a decent lounge for relaxing after a day of studying.

After arriving last Monday night the week has been filled with language classes, salsa classes, and meeting some really interesting people. Wednesday was the first day of what looks like 3-4 weeks of personal Spanish classes at the Simon Bolivar Language School with a friendly Ecuadorian named Zulma. So far the experience has been interesting and Friday we talked for two hours about our opinions of Hip-Hip and our mutual dislike for Jennifer Lopez. The process has been really challenging but also good fun. The school arranges student activities outside of the classroom which is nice because it provides opportunities to make new friends. On Thursday the school celebrated it's 18th anniversary and after cutting a cake we all boarded a Chivas party bus and joyrided for a couple hours with loud Latin music blaring and people passing around servings of spiked cider. The school is almost entirely filled with Germans and people with Eastern European dialects.

Since arriving the week has also been consumed with personal Salsa lessons with a lady named Fernanda and its been very fun but extremely hard. Hopefully after a few weeks I won't look like a gringo on the dance floor and next Wednesday a few people at the school will go Salsa at a local bar.

Yesterday some Germans from the hostel and myself took an hour long bus ride to Otavalo which hosts a huge market each Saturday. Anything from necklaces to goats could be bought at a reasonable price. Today will be a walking day through parts of Quito's historical Old Town. I hope everyone is doing well! More updates soon!

Quito Kid

It's Thursday and over the course of three days a great deal of tripplanning has been altered. On Monday I took a plane from Bogota to Medellin and had a few hour layover before taking another flight to Quito, Ecuador. The final destination was supposed to be in Guayaquil with hopes of enrolling in a Spanish school in Montañita later in the journey. After doing some research and following a gut feeling I decided to not finish the day's trip and left the Quito airport with my backpack and booked a hostel very last minute. It was a risky choice but the taxi driver from the airport was a really informative and friendly guy which provided a great deal of positive reinforcement.

I now have been in the city for three days and have been enjoying a stay at the Vibes Backpackers located in the heart of New Town. The staff is friendly and I am the token American in a place filled with Germans, Kiwis, and various members of the European Union. This particular area of the city is filled with hostels and does a good job of catering to a diverse set of travelers. The prices for food and rent are considerably cheaper than Colombia which is a very nice bonus. Cars are more relaxed and the massive Pinchincha volcano looms above the city.

Yesterday I registered for Spanish classes at a language school called Simon Bolivar and will be doing intensive private lessons for at least the next three weeks. My teacher is named Zulma and she is pretty nice so it should hopefully be a good experience. In addition to Spanish I also just enrolled in a salsa dancing school to try and get more immersed in the local culture. Dancing and language learning are two major reasons for the trip and it feels good to have found a city that offers both as a reasonable price. A tentative idea is to stay here for three weeks but this could end up being longer or shorter. Only time will tell but until then life as student should be fun. More updates to follow but I hope all is well!

Farewell and Hello

Currently I am enjoying my last cup of Colombian coffee in a chill location called Diletto's and taking in the scenery before getting a taxi to the El Dorado Airport. Classical music is the cafe's soundtrack and it feels bittersweet to be on the road once again. Excitement comes knowing that an entirely new culture, history, and series of experiences are about to greet me on arrival in Ecuador. Bitterness comes from leaving newly gained friendships and walking away from a really good life in Bogotá. Thirty minutes ago all of the other great people at Emerging Voices and myself said our goodbyes then parted ways as they left for today's projects. These were some of the nicest people I have ever met and it is a gift to have crossed their path.

I know little about Ecuador and the mystery of a new place sounds like a good way to start the week. Today I'll fly to Medellin, have a second layover in Quito, then have a final stop at Quayquil which is where my hostel for the next two nights is located. After Wednesday the itinerary is a completely blank canvas: There are tentative plans for visiting Puerto Lopez then enrollment in a Spanish School in Montañita. As of now I'm looking into Couchsurfing contacts and waiting to hear back from two schools. Either way I'm headed to the beach and am planning on learning Spanish while enjoying hopefully some surfing or just being a complete bum. The trip has been really structured so far and it will feel good to take it day by day. There are also some help exchange opportunities near the Peruvian border which might be a good fit.

What waits ahead is relatively unknown and this is exactly what I want. Farewell Colombia with your vibrant people, insane drivers, foot stomping music, and mind erasing Aguardiente. Hello Ecuador it is a pleasure to meet you :) shall we dance?

Out with a...

It's Saturday and I just completed my very last morning as a volunteer for Emerging Voices. After working 18 hours a week as a food server in a homeless kitchen it feels good to be finished despite the fact that the people were great and the patrons were generally nice. Salazar, Juan, Che Chee, and Cesar will never be forgotten.

Today was a mess and I feel cynical to be happy about not coming back to a certain extent. We were short staffed and the only people who were capable of distributing food were Lupe, Erika, and myself. After serving 94 plates people in the room began losing their patience and soon we were rushed by homeless who wanted their proper serving of juice. Normally we walk around each table of patrons and distribute food then a cup of juice. Today was a different vibe and people were trying their hardest to skip their neighbors. The atmosphere went from calm to unsettled once the first juice cups came out. It was chaos and soon Lupe and myself decided to stop serving all together and let them wade in their own madness. We turned people away because the food had run out and a sea of hands grabbed for juice like a multiple armed monster. It was an awakening yet good way to end this volunteer stint.

On a lighter note this is my last weekend in Bogota and a group of us are planning on going dancing at Andres located in the Zona Rosa which is a major street for clubbing. The previous two nights included getting a couple beers with some friends I met in Cartagena and also meeting some other locals who grew up with my friend Laura who is now in California. The volunteers here are great people and it was an honor to serve next to them. I would highly recommend coming to Bogota to volunteer because the country is beautiful and easily one of the most misunderstood places in the world. It will be hard to top the experience that I have had here but am very much excited for Ecuador. I will give details later but people are leaving for pizza and papa needs to get his fixings. Peace and love...and pizza.

Ecuador Booked

It is Friday and a large group of volunteers and myself just completed a good day of feeding homeless people. I have been doing this assignment all week and the tasks each morning are now becoming second nature. The fellow servers from the community are very funny and call each other bad words in Spanish. Salazar is a 68 year old Colombian who is fluent in Italian from working on cruise ships and he jokes around with Juan who runs the feeding project about how much of a bad person he is. The atmosphere is laid back and each individual has a fun story to tell.

After volunteering I chilled with my friend Zach from New York and now the rest of the volunteer group is taking it easy at the apartment where we all live. As of two minutes ago I have now made official plans to see Ecuador. On September 24th, a Monday, I will board a flight from Bogota and land in Guayaquil which is Ecuador's second largest city located close to the southern Pacific coast. There will be only about 10ish days in Ecuador because there is a lot of land to cover for the next three months.

Ecuador boasts numerous beautiful sites and landscapes that are all worth seeing but I am planning on dividing my limited time between a few beach towns, primarily Montañita. Montañita is a very small surf town that sits about 160km outside of Guayaquil, well known for solid swells and a really affordable Spanish school. A major goal while in South America is to become fluent in the native tongue and this particular school feels like a great fit because of the location. For small extra fees students can also have the option of taking salsa or surf classes which could be fun as well. After a week here and a few extra days wandering the coast the next stop will be Peru. I hope everyone who is reading this is having a good day and I miss you. More updates as things happen! Booyashakaw

Bogota Base

It is Sunday and one full week of volunteering with Emerging Voices is now officially complete. After touring around the different projects available to volunteers here in Bogota I feel safe to say that there is one that fits my interests the best, feeding local homeless. On Friday two other volunteers and myself assisted a local soup kitchen in feeding over 160 homeless people. The work was fast, intense, and very fun. It felt a lot like my old job except the customers were actually a lot friendlier lol. People were extremely grateful and polite and it felt for the first time that I was making a tangible difference in other's lives.

Monday through Thursday was very eye opening and enlightening but none of the other projects seemed like a good fit despite the fact that everyone involved was great to work with. Feeding homeless was what I signed up for and it was satisfying being a part of a team of locals working to provide a meal for less the fortunate. I plan on continuing this assignment for the remainder of my stay in Bogota which lasts for two more weeks. The tentative plan is to make my way to Ecuador immediately after or possibly head north to Medillin for a few day to see a different part of the country.

Besides volunteering a few hours each day, life in Bogota is getting very comfortable. The city is easy to navigate, taxis are cheap, the beer isn't that good, and music is as important as money for rent. For the past two nights a group of volunteers and myself have been dabbling in Colombian nightlife. Friday we went to a really cool quant salsa dancing bar where tipsy locals played bongos and strangers acted like best friends. Yesterday there was a free jazz festival which led to beers at The Bogota Beer Company and more music at Andre's. On Friday there also was a major soccer game between Colombia and uraguay and a few of us went to a local bar to watch the match. Today a buddy and I are going to a big flee market to buy cheap souvenirs and tomorrow will be more Spanish lessons after volunteering. I miss everyone and feel very fortunate to be here!

A Tale of Two Cities

Today is Tuesday and I have just finished my second day as a volunteer for Emerging Voices in Bogota. The mission of my volunteer coordinator Monica is to expose each new recruit to every project that the organization supports. There are now a total of six new volunteers, five being American and one being from China. Yesterday we took a metro bus to an orphanage called Hogar and today we took a more hectic transit bus to Soacha, one of the poorest districts in the city. While in Soacha we visited an elementary school, introduced ourselves to each class, then assisted professors during English study sessions.

These past few days have been extremely eye opening. Having grown up with the security of a solid education and a family foundation it was interesting to work within a completely opposite environment. The orphanage consists of a series of very pretty buildings, large playground fields, and a lot of great attitudes. At Hogar we played games with some of the kids then helped with landscaping duty within the property. Everyone is very nice and the attitudes towards life I brighter than any place I have ever been. The people who work there are very inspiring and the kids were so welcoming despite the fact that we were all new acquaintances. I hope to go back there soon to help out in any way possible.

Soacha is about a two hour bus ride through the heart of Bogota. The streets at this point are riddled with pot holes, garbage is scattered throughout each alley,stray dogs follow you in hopes of temporary companionship, and vehicles sputter through corners with complete disregard to pedestrians. The scene feels more like a burrow within a battle scarred country even though Bogota is one of the most modern cities in South America. The students at the school are sweethearts and have a strong desire to understand English. There was very little structure while we toured the campus because at the end of the day each volunteer took command of around twenty students of all ages to help them practice their English. At one point a lady with very little knowledge of my language grabbed me by the arm and led me into a room and yelled to its inhabitants "Teacher Teacher!" With absolutely no lesson plan and a bunch of excited eyes looking at me I pulled a ninety minute lecture out of my butt. It was really fun but a total mess because the kids ranged from 5 to 14 years old and spoke little English. I don't know I I want to do that again within that sort of learning enviornment but we shall see.

tomorrow we will go to a retirement home to spend time with Bogota elderly and then we will serve food at a homeless shelter. I am happy to be here but it's been a test. I miss family and friends but I need to be here.

Bogota Beginnings

Last night I arrived back in Bogota, the capital city of Colombia, to begin a three week stint as a volunteer with Emerging Voices. Both cities share completely different climates and cultures. Cartagena is hot, muggy, and loud despite its beauty. Bogota is cold, relaxed, and not nearly as hectic despite the fact that it is a lot larger. Before leaving Cartagena I tried Camarones con Arroz which is a pretty authentic Caribbean dish in Colombia. It tasted very much like seafood then I hailed a taxi, checked in at the airport, and had a short flight to the big city. Bogota is the home of around 10 million people and sits 8000 feet above sea level. The buildings are not as pretty as Cartagena but Bogota will be a fun place to live for the next few weeks.

Upon arrival I met some new volunteers and now the apartment where we all live is filled almost entirely with Americans. This is a nice taste of home in some ways and the people are all very friendly. After eating dinner a group of us went to a hookah bar then checked out a salsa club for a little while. The majority of people who volunteer with this organization stay for at least a few weeks which means we all will work for a similar length of time.

Today is orientation day for three new volunteers and myself then afterwords we are going to see a professional soccer match between two Colombian teams. It should be exciting and I am looking forward to working with some really interesting people when the official project begins. I feel really lucky to be with this group of people because we all are about the same age and share pretty similar outlooks on life.

Tomorrow we will check out El Museo De Oro and possibly check more of the city our. more updates on the way! I miss everyone a lot and thankful for the support.

Santa Marta

Today is Tuesday, August 28th and I am currently staying at The Dreamer Hostel in Santa Marta. I arrived here last night after 6 days in one of the prettiest cities I have ever seen called Cartagena. Time since the last blog post has been consumed with beaches, a boat ride to sandy Playa Blanca, pizzerias, and bar hopping around Calle Media Luna. It was a truly great experience and the Makako hostel housed some really cool people from all over the world. On Saturday a group of us wandered through plaza after plaza in search of a good discotech and Friday was a fun night with a buddy from the UK as we stumbled upon a Reggaeton mini bar dance spot. For anyone interested in Playa Blanca it is a little over rated but the beach is nice if you can avoid getting trapped by the persuasive beach vendors. Cartagena, being a major Colombian tourist destination, is very lovely but is swarmed with people trying to sell anything from fake Ray Bans to sea food supposedly good for improving ones sex drive.

Santa Marta is a very relaxed town, a 5 hour bus ride north of Cartagena, and serves as a gateway to the famed Tayrona National Park. Unfortionately I do not have enough time to do an overnight trip so instead I have decided to take surfing lessons tomorrow at a nearby beach. I have committed a major travel blunder and accidentally left my money belt, holding both my credit and debit cards, in a Taxi while enroute to the Cartagena bus station. After calling the Makako hostel and public transit authorities to no avail, I learned the hard way that it is actually really easy to wire money from home. After cancelling both cards my Dad wired money via Western Union and within 10 hours a crisis has been averted and now I have access to money from my savings. I luckily was holding onto my passport which avoided a complete disaster.To celebrate not being broke and left in a Colombian gutter I am laying low with a couple Aguila beers. On Saturday I return to Bogota to begin a three week volunteer assignment with Emerging Voices.

Cartagena

After spending one full day in Bogota I have since travelled north to the coastal colonial fort city of Cartagena. Referred to as the Miami of Colombia, Cartagena boasts some of the most attractive scenery I have ever seen. Each building has its own bright colors and culture and the streets of Old Town are consistently crammed with countless pedestrians. The aura feels like New Olreans with humid air, vibrant colors, and well preserved architecture from generations ago. Cars zip through the narrow, exotically shaped brick streets and honk every few seconds to avoid collisions with innocent locals. Each corner is surrounded by fruit, shoe, telephone, and service vendors.

I have been in the walled city for two days and it easily is one of the most beautiful and frustrating places i have ever visited. Being situated along the Caribbean, with temperatures being consistently hot, it is easy to see that this is a tourist hub because everyone is trying to make money. People yell for your attention, cabs honk to see if you need a lift, and random strangers pretend to be your friend to try and sell you something. This sounds like a big turn off but once you play the game and don't take it seriously the city is a true gem.

Today I took a tour with an 80 year old local named Madrida who has been giving tours since the 1960s. We walked all around the walls and saw the major plazas that Cartagena had to offer. He was a really cool guy until he started to ask for more money and citing various reasons why he felt he needed it. I felt bad but he was blatantly trying to con me and despite his age I had to walk away. It was a great experience and it really shed light on the cities' character. Afterwards I checked out a Spanish castle that was erected a few hundred years ago. Tomorrow I am going to La Playa Blanca and in a few days will bus up to Santa Marta. the hostel I am staying in is the Makako Chill House and it really is CHILL. more updates coming soon!

Americano's en Bogota

It's 9:30am in Bogota and I just bought some coffee at a Juan Valdez Cafe. The plaza where this cafe I located sits between a church and a large bank. People dressed in suits, students with notebooks, and walkers with expressions of determination stride around me. The air is fresh and the coffee tastes pretty good at this time of day.

I've been up for a few hours and finally my mind is slowly beginning to clear after 24 hours of traveling and stress. After a failed attempt to sleep in the Houston airport and during the plane ride to panama city, I arrived in bogota a strung out tourist who felt very unfamiliar with his surroundings.

After passing customs, large travel pack on my shoulders, an older man In a furry suit came up to me and asked if I needed a taxi. His taxi name tag and slicked back white hair was enough for me and I followed him to a nearby mini yellow taxi. He opened the door, I sat down, and the driver took me to the apartment where the volunteers for emerging voices live. After 30 seconds of awkward silence in the taxi I broke the ice and asked a few questions in terrible Spanish. The man understood me and we ended up talking for the entire ride even. It was my first conversation in a foreign language ad it was really fun.

After paying the man and meeting Monica, the Colombian born volunteer coordinator , I met the other volunteers and most of them are either American or kiwi so it was a taste of familiarity. The apartment is pretty fancy and there are 16 of us living there. I was wiped and not functioning vey well so I decided to avoid deep conversations with people and go to bed. Today the goal is get a SIM card for my phone, bank, and book hostel reservations for Cartegena.

I will fly to Cartegena tomorrow, a colonial coastal city located along the northern carribean side of the country. I will be there and in Santa Marta for 10 days to soap up sun and not get bitten my mosquitos hopefully. It is very san francisco like here with mild temperature and mostly cloudy skies. After exploring the streets aroud this part of the city i have come to the conclusion that we are in a very safe neighborhood. Each block has army or security guards and some of them are carrying automatic rifles. It's really different but also very exciting. More updates coming soon but I am safe and miss everyone from back home. Have a good day.

3..2..1

In 8 hours I will board a flight to Bogota, Colombia and begin a trip that will span 4.5 months and hopefully guide me through 6 countries. Despite the fact that time is really limited I still have to pack my bag and probably should not be writing haha. Post Missoula life has consisted of visiting Portland then driving to California to be with friends, family, and seeing my girlfriend Anna. She was able drive down to CA with me for a few days and we got to check out the Outside Lands Music Festival plus a Giants game. She is now back in Portland and all energy is being devoted towards the departure. Emotions and stress are rising now that the reality of leaving is on the forefront of my mind. I am pretty anxious right now and truly thankful for everyone who has supported this trip. Here are some details: The flight will be long: Leaving San Francisco at 8pm today and arriving at midnight in Houston with an 8 hour layover in Texas. Afterwards I will fly to Panama City then enter South America at 4pm on Monday August 20th. Bogota is 2 hours ahead of San Francisco and 1 hour ahead of Missoula. I have signed up to volunteer with a Bogota based volunteer organization called Emerging Voices and starting September 1st I will begin a three week homeless feeding project. The project will be with other volunteers from around the world and while working we will live together in a community house. A major goal is to take Spanish classes alongside working with Bogota homeless. There will also be a two week gap of time between landing in Bogota and commencing the food service project. My plan is to bus north to Cartegena and Santa Marta, two Caribbean bordering cities, and explore for a little over a week while staying in a few hostels. As of now I am planning on seeing Ecuador for about a week starting in late September and hanging on the coastline then going to bus down to Peru. This is a very loose idea and things might change. More updates will follow once I'm down south!

Last Missoula Days

My name is Danny Catena and this is a blog that I will continue to update for the next 5 or so months in an attempt to keep friends, family, and loved ones informed concerning my where-abouts. Today is Friday, August 3rd, 2012 and this is my third to last day as a Missoula, Montana resident. After 7 years of living in one of the most beautiful places ever conceived, surrounded by some of the greatest people I have ever met, a decision has been made to pack up my belongings and explore some different places. I am deeply thankful for every friend, co-worker, and acquaintance that I have met while living in Missoula and know in my heart that we will remain close. Moving will be a considerably bittersweet experience because I love living in Missoula but inside there is a desire for something new. The next few days will be filled with moving chores and spending time with as many people as possible before leaving on Monday. The official plan is to fly to Bogota, Colombia on August 19th and spend 4.5 months as a vagabond learning Spanish, volunteering, dancing Salsa, and meeting people from different walks of life. My ending point is going to be Rio De Janeiro, Brazil and on December 29th I am going to be returning home and making my way to Portland, OR where my girlfriend Anna lives. This is my loose schedule for now and more updates will pour in as new ideas and events take place. This trip is something my heart is craving and thank you for your support, friendship, and love. Have a nice day, you look really good right now :)