Where in the world is Chris?

Extra Misc Videos

2008-07-11T14:47:00.006-05:00

crazy giant lizards in heat

harpist from Colombia playing Llanera music

English lessons

Carlos jammin out on a bossa tune

trio in Colombia

another trio in Colombia

Back in the Big Easy

2008-06-25T15:47:00.010-05:00

So the trip has finally come to an end... I just want to thank all the people who helped me out along the way, and say that it was a pleasure meeting you all. I would write some sort of summary/follow up of Latin America, but that would be stupid and full of generalizations, and I've done enough of that already. I'll just leave it at this... there's a whole lot of countries on this map that don't have a squiggly line running through it... so I'm gonna leave the blog open just in case my feet get moving again some time soon. (Ahem, Brazil... cough cough) Hasta la vista Latin America!

Bueno, por fin se acabo el viaje... Quiero agradecerles a todos que me ayudaron en mi camino y decirles que fue un placer en conocerlos. Escribiria algun tipo de resumen de America Latino, pero seria tonto y lleno de generalizaciones, y ya lo he hecho bastante. Solo dire esto... hay muchos paises en este mapa que todavia no he pisado... asi que voy a mantener el blog abierto por si tengo ganas de moverme de nuevo en el futuro... (ajem, Brasil! tos tos) Nos vemos, amigos!

Map of my journey, starting on Sept 6, 2007 in Monterrey, Mexico, and ending in Buenos Aires, Argentina on June 23. I did it all by bus, with the exception of New Orleans-Monterrey, Panama-Colombia (it's impossible because of the jungle and narcotraffic), and of course Buenos Aires-New Orleans... that would have been difficult in a bus. And yeah... I drew the line with the microsoft "Paint" tool... what?! step off!

Damage done on the passports

Buenos Aires

2008-06-19T15:00:00.120-05:00

Ah Buenos Aires... the Paris of South America. I'll always remember this town fondly. The people here were way nicer than I expected, and it's impossible to get bored here. I don't want to get too cliche, or say what everyone else has undoubtedly said about BA, but it really is one of those places that is just alive... it's a living, breathing city that has so much character (and so many characters). You still see old man playing cards in the park... tango dancing and old men singing in local bars... people losing their minds over soccer... of course, this city has some problems as well... I took part in "caserolazos," the art of protest with a pot and any kitchen utensil worthy of beating it with. for more info on this, check out:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/06/14/argentina.violence/index.html

As European Argentina seems and claims to be, it's still just as much Latin America as any other part of South America. Street vendors and their beautiful calls, thieves and their clever tricks, toilets that can't handle toilet paper, history of dictatorships, and a government more corrupt que la mierda. As Buenos Aires was my last destination, and I'm now headed back home, I have a lot of thoughts in my head, so I don't quite know what to say, so I'll let the pictures do the talking.

stay tuned for a summary of my trip and a special feature post I'm calling "the lost videos." basically videos I never had time to post before. Ciao!

me and my buddy Guillermo (Guishermo in Argentina)

singing jazz on the streets of Buenos Aires with the Jazz Friends jazz band.

Plaza de dos congresos

Orquesta Filarmonica Buenos Aires tuning up

Old guys gambling in the park

Cat gettin som grub on a trash can

Feeding time at the botanical gardens

hungry cat want cheese

The ever so famous "Evita´s" grave (Eva Peron)

Uh yeah that´s a coffin you're looking at.... right inside the grave... asi no mas

big ass grave

typical graves

some people put stained glass in their mauseluem

coffin inside grave

the cementery is arranged like city blocks, with streets and alleyways... the graves are like houses

Recoleta cementery

caseroleado por el campo! thousands of argentines took to the Obelisco with pots and pans in hand to show their support for the farmers (and show their ire for the government)

caserolazos!

???????

Argentina, Ecuador

Arg vs Ecuador, final score 1-1---- what's up with the friggin ties in soccer?

argentinean national anthem

light up that stadium

River field in Buenos Aires before the game

there are a lot of antique shops in the San Telmo neighborhood. beeeautiful stuff

walls in La Boca

La Boca soccer stadium

walls of the boca stadium

another wall in the boca stadium

this was a house in the Boca neighborhood a few blocks away from the touristy part... it's one of the few that remains like the original houses with the different colors

poltical graffiti in Boca

Popular militants that went missing from Boca between 1976-2006

houses in the Boca neighborhood. the supposed story is that it was always a poor immigrant neighborhood, and the people didn't have paint, so they took metal from the boats that came in to decorate their houses, leaving them multicolored

Tango band!

Tango dancing!

more houses in Boca

Boca is really a very poor, run down neighborhood once you leave the touristy part

pics of tango dancers

it's kind of weird, unfortunate, and interesting all at the same time, but this neighborhood obviously isn't what it used to be, or what they say it used to be, so to give the feeling that there is still life in the neighborhood, they've placed a lot of mannequins on balconies meant to look like typical neighborhood people

mannequin street musician... i gave him a peso

the architecture in Boca is strikingly similar to that of the french quarter

tango dancers

beginning of Boca

to realize how big this thing is, zoom in and look at the people waiting at the bus stop

Dennis, Ken, Will, and Sarah (France).... these guys are from Seaside New Jersey, and taught me that a bedet is actually to be used before the actual wiping process which I was not aware of. They also introduced me to my new favorite Youtube video, My New Haircut, which is unfortunately a daily reality for New Jersians.

Ah, here we go.... so there's this thing in Buenos Aires... on the days when people put out the trash... these other people come and open all the trash, sift through it for bottles and stuff they can recycle, and sell it.... then the garbage men come and this is what they have to deal with... this shit is literally alllll over the city on certain nights... you literally have to sidestep garbage for blocks. pleasant, no?

Puerto Madero, touristy part of BA on the river... lot of steak restaurants... very pretty

why don't we sell ad space on street signs in the states?? brilliant idea!

waiting for trouble

plaza de Mayo

There are people living in this plaza as well

people sleeping at Plaza de Mayo

guy finds interesting way to get out of the sun

foot painter

El Obelisco... I stayed a few blocks away from here

tango dancing in Boca

Buenos Aires Filharmonic tuning up

more tango dancers

i love this music

beautiful music

old tango couple

tour of the antique market in San Telmo

gameday

So I actually had to sneak into this game... I showed up with 35 pesos (about $11), which was enough to get the cheapest tickets, and 1 peso to take the train home... turns out they don't sell tickets the day of the game... so some scalper was trying to sell me a ticket for 50 pesos, but I told him I literally had only 35 pesos... and he had some connection at the gate and snuck me in.. i didn't have a seat, but it was all good, I got in at least.

Argentina!

so around 8 oclock at night, I'm walking down the street in suddenly, out of nowhere I hear carhorns and clanky sounds.... it starts getting louder and louder and louder... cars driving by honking their horns, people sticking their heads out the window with pots and pan, making all kinds of crazy noise...

I started walking home, and I found myself cut off with a march in the road... lot more pots and pans... turns out it's people supporting the farmers (el campo). see link
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/06/14/argentina.violence/index.html

national anthem

woo!

bruckner's ninth symphony

Aint Misbehavin' with the Jazz Friends (Tony, Adrian, and Cesar)

Puerto Iguazu, Falls of Iguazu

2008-06-11T18:20:00.029-05:00

Puerto Iguazu is a strange place in the northeast tip of Argentina... right next to the border with Brasil on one side and Paraguay on the other, you walk around hearing a mix of English, Portugese, Spanish, and Guarani (a native language of Paraguay). It used to be very small, but has grown quite a bit, although it still remains that small town feel. The people are extraordinarily nice here, it's no wonder people keep coming and don't leave.

The Iguazu falls are some of the biggest waterfalls in the world. Bigger than Niagra Falls. When you get to the "Devil's Throat" (Garganta del Diablo), just the sound is almost deafening. Lots of pictures, so enjoy... today I'm headed to the center of it all, Buenos Aires.

"La ventana" ..."the window"

En Argentina, todas las publicidades ocupan la forma "vos." Vos Podes!

I don't know why, but it seems like every bathroom in Argentina comes fully equipped with a bedet.

Weird animal called a "coatie" that bugs people along the trail looking for food... we saw a nutria too! nutrias are from Argentina

people boarding the island

there was this cool island at the falls

Devil's Throat

that's supposed to be a snake, but you can draw your own conclusions

on the way to Puerto Iguazu... all the dirt here is red

sunset on the way to Iguazu

this is a cancion from Venezuela (llanera)

watch them fingers work...

awesome harp player from Paraguay, playing outside the falls.

Rosario

2008-06-08T13:51:00.036-05:00

Wow, Rosario... what can I say? Beautiful city with beaaaautiful girls. The weather was really nice here as well... but the thing that stuck out at me was how nice the people were here... Argentineans have the reputation for being "chanta," (sleazy, arrogant, etc), but with the exception of one chanta motherf%$ker (get to that in a bit), everyone was great... the only people that weren't very nice were "Porteños," (people from Buenos Aires) in for the weekend.

There's a really strange race in Argentina... you look at the people and say, "well, they don't look Latino... and they don't look European... what are they?" It's an immigrant country as well, but whereas in America, people stuck within in their comfortable "black, white" marriages, neighborhoods, etc, people here were gettin in on big time. That's not to say there's no racism here or noticeable class differences with respect to color... there's plenty.... it's just there was a whole lot more mixin goin on if you get my drift.

People in Argentina start their day early in the morning with a "cafe con leche" (half coffee, half milk) and a couple "media lunas" (croissants)... they take a nap between 2 and 4, and then eat dinner at like 11, and then go to a cafe and drink coffee... then they go to a "boliche" (discotech), where they pay a big cover charge, and dance until 8 in the morning. Oh, and they are drinking "mate" all freaking day... some weird herbal drink, served below boiling, in a unique wooden cup with a metal straw... it basically looks and tastes like grass.

So, here's the story with the guy my first night in Rosario... I got in real late at night, and had made a reservation by telephone... I took a cab to the place, and when I got there, everyone was so cool and laid back... the owner comes up and gives me the whole spiel... where you from, what are you doin, yada yada... and then he asks me and another guest, a Colombian guy, if we'd like to have some empanadas... we say alright, and go on the patio with everyone, chattin in up, eating empanadas, the whole deal, and I say gracias for the empanadas, and that I'm going to bed... about 15 minutes later, the guy (the owner) actually comes in and says "Uh, I'm gonna need 5 pesos each from you guys for the empanadas." (insert draw drop here...) Couldn't believe it... I basically told the guy to fuck off... I wasn't going to pay 5 pesos (almost 2 bucks) for 2 dry empanadas, when I was supposedly being treated... anyway... there was noise in the hostel all night until 4 in the morning, and then when I woke up at nine, there was no breakfast left... breakfast was supposedly included. Anyway, just needed to vent. That's what you call a typical chanta Argentinean.

Another thing... if you think politics is totally corrupt and fixed in the US (it is), you should come to Argentina, where they invented the shit... check out the videos below where I explain a bit more...

I'll soon be headed to the world's biggest waterfall, Iguazu. Will soon post pictures... ciao!

"Read... look after you belongings, is full of thieves!"

Maria Eugenia, standing next to her charactature... awesome girl that worked in the hostel at Rosario... not the first one, the other one, with nice people.

The "villa"... indigenous peoples of Argentina who've basically set up shop in the main Plaza in Rosario, with tents and all... they're demanding higher wages... but for doing what I'm not sure... It appears the government pays them for doing nothing... the people around Rosario have mixed feelings about the whole thing... they are basically living here, cooking, peeing, crapping, eating... all in the middle of Plaza San Martyn, until they get what they want.

People eating lunch on the river in Rosario

Esteban Morgado Cuartet... play tango and milonga... amaaaaaazing!

Parque de la Independencia, Rosario

Look how hippie this tree is...

Seriously, it's a really hippie tree

Church in Rosario... inside is beautiful, but the pics didn't come out so well

Monument plaza in Rosario

view from the Flag Monument... it's unfortunate, but the city is fuuull of condos

Another view from the flag monument

these people look like ants

another view from the monument

looking up at the flag monument

Monumento de la Bandera, Rosario

The flame of Argentina's heart

poor guy puttin out the flames on the trash cans that protesters burned... check out video below where I explain Argentina's policy on dealing with protesters

nice central plaza

chruch in Rosario

Rosario

So, my bus from Cordoba took forever because of this.. what is "this?" you ask... the farmer's strike. Here's the deal... Argentina's current president is the wife of the last president... sound familiar... ahem! just clearing my throat... thank god we've at least stopped the presidential bloodline... i was thinking Chelsea 2018 and Jenna Bush 2022. but i digress... The Argentinean government just raised the taxes on farm products like crazy.... so what do the farmers and truck drivers do? They light tires on fire and leave them in the middle of the road (see above video that I took from the bus) and make sure no one with any farm products can pass. Word was in one night they dumped 10,000 liters of fresh milk. So there is a scare in the country that soon there will be no food. I went to the butcher shop the other day and there was no meat! In Argentina! ... anyway, that was just one day, I've actually been eating beef like every day... a big juicy steak for one dollar!

These are some more people in Rosario protesting and demonstrating their arsonist tendencies... it appears that people protesting in a big group can basically do whatever the hell they want, because police aren't allowed to touch them.. not even when they go pyro... it appears the police here are just pretty faces.

street musician in Rosario

opening guitar trio at the concert

Esteban Morgado Cuartet concert.... this guy was amazing... at one point, his band left stage, and he invited the audience to request any song they wanted, provided they sing along... I don't think there's a song the man doesn't know... he mixed some tango with the Beatles' "Here comes the sun"... and he plays so beautifully. It was truly something when everyone in the theatre was singing along.

would like to post more videos of this band, but this internet connection just isnt cuttin it

Farmer's Strike

2008-06-05T09:37:00.001-05:00

I'm stuck at the terminal for a bus that's delayed 6 hours... trying to go from Cordoba to Rosario, but the route is blocked off by truckdrivers and farmers protesting: http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/06/04/argentina.farmers/index.html

Mendoza and Cordoba, Argentina

2008-06-03T17:44:00.036-05:00

So I'm in Argentina, and guess what? It's freezing cold. It turns out when sweating our asses off in summertime, the other side of the world has a thing we call "wintertime." Who'd of thought? Anyway, first impressions... Argentineans talk really funny. Nobody ever has change.... it turns out to make a 1 peso coin (about 33 cents USD), it costs 5 pesos (about $1.66 USD), and to make a 10 cent coin (about 3 cents USD) it costs 2 pesos (66 cents USD), 20 times what it's worth. So no one ever has any coins. Anyway, having said that, it actually is more organized than I thought it would be... and cheap. For about 3 dollars at the grocery, you can eat like a king... delicious beef. I still haven't experienced a real "asado" (roast/bbq).

People say that the Argentineans are loud and arrogant, and for that reason, most other Latin people make fun of them... I still haven't met the "porteños," people from Buenos Aires, so I'm not sure yet... so far, it's a mix of both... assholes and really nice people. Anyway, being that it's winter here and all, it's a bit dull, everyone is just working hard.

So it's official, I am coming back home to Nola, flying out of Buenos Aires. I bought my ticket for the 24th of June. Soon this trip will be over... *tear.

roasted baby pig

I know the picture sucks, but I was on a moving bus at night, but I promise that is a Wal Mart, in the middle of Argentina.

Chruch in Cordoba

Inside of church pictured below

Church in main square of Cordoba

"Prohibited to forget them, they're not negotiable." with a picture of the Falkland Islands.

Plaza in Cordoba

The farmers are on strike in Argentina right now, these people are protesting at the stoplight.

Lot of horse drawn carriages in Cordoba

This is a statue honoring the fallen soldiers in the fight against England for the Falkland Islands.

Independence Plaza

Wine tasting at the wine musuem

This is where they refrigerate the wine

This is where they store the wine

Grape fields

Trash in a stream not too far from the vineyard.

"There are snails." Market in Mendoza

Argentinean beef!

Meat!

"Friendship between Argentina and Chile"

Plaza in Mendoza

Snowy mountain... I was looking at snowy mountains for about an hour on the busride to Mendoza.

a view of the snow-capped mountains from the bus terminal in Santiago, Chile, getting ready to head off to Argentina.

"malabaristas"... jugglers... these people are all over latin america. they juggle at intersections during red lights.

young Maradonas.

this just in from Facebook...

2008-05-26T18:38:00.004-05:00

me, Menemsha, and Nils at DocFest

Me and Anita getting drunk.

goodbyes to chile

2008-05-26T16:58:00.029-05:00

So I'm finally leaving Chile... unfortunately without seeing the south, which is supposedly the prettiest part (and priciest)... but at this time of year, it's very cold and rainy, so it's not really worth it. I left my job in Valparaiso, which I'll miss. They treated me so well there, and Valparaiso is such an amazing place, unlike the any other part of Chile. One thing about Chile is that it really doesn't feel like Latin America in a lot of ways... it's too organized... hot water is too reliable... there aren't enough donkeys in the street or people selling things on the buses. When you take a bus from one city to another, it doesn't stop and pick people up on the highway. But Chileans are definitely Latinos, with Latino problems... and it's still very divided about what happened during the dictatorship, in which thousands were killed and never found... a dictatorship initially funded by the US government to get rid of communism. For that reason (I believe) Chile looks a lot like the US today... obesity, debt, strange subcultures, cell phones everywhere, capitalism. The wages in Chile are higher than almost all of the Latin American countries, but the prices of daily needs do not correspond. I've seen more protests in Chile than anywhere else, and they are organized. The school kids organize what they call "tomas", or "takings," where they lock themselves inside the schools, and literally "take" the school, with a list of demands to improve their education. While one person is in charge of cooking, another is in charge of calling people and spreading the message, and the older ones march in the street protesting... things that adults in the US don't have the balls to do... one thing I've realized about the US is that as long as you have your car, your job, your house, etc, and you're comfortable, you're not going to complain. And if you do complain, it's under your breath, not in the street, with a sign, with a message. I bet if everyone stopped driving for a week, gas prices would go way down.

Anyway, Chile, albeit a country that doesn't have the touristy appeal of other countries in terms of beautiful landscapes or archealogical sites or traditions or Latin flavor, is a country with beautiful people who are involved in the change of their country.

As soon as the highway opens up, I'm headed to Mendoza, Argentina... it's closed right now because of the snow.

Emmo heads back to Sweden.

Me, Felipe, Emmanuel, and Carolina at the airport.

The crew, the last night together.

La Titi, always made me laugh.

Teresa, mi madre part time.

Francisco, el primo, and Nikolas.

Eduardo, mi hermano...

The view from the hostal in Valparaiso.

Sad story... my guitar was leaning against the wall, and all of a sudden I hear something fall... low and behold, there was a reason that my guitar cost me 40 bucks. That sure as hell wasnt maple wood.

Emmo and Cazuela de Condor. That's Julius and Victor in the background.

This is how Vikings party.... La Camila and La Sofia

Swedish people... Daniel, and (unidentified viking.)

After a good premiere, you gotta have a good party.

Gloria, La Bananaquequista. Crazy and beautiful porteña.

Me and my nutty friend, Menemsha.

More Doc Fest. This was the premiere of the documentary and my first official film score "Vine a trabajar, y punto." (I came to work, period.)

Doc Fest (documentary fest)

this is what happens when Germans have too much time on their hands. Nils' creation on the chalk board at the Nordic School.

this is some weird tree that is an important part of Mapuche culture.... the Mapuches are the indigenous people of south Chile

View of Santiago from a hill in a park... beyond the smog you can see the mountains

graffiti in Santiago

Big building in Santiago, I know it's pathetic, but I can't remember what it is. I'm gonna wager a guess and say it's a government building.

Anita, my girl, Felipe, my man, and Papas Fritas...

Wish the audio of my new camera's video were better, but whatever. Downtown Santiago, guy playing pots with a kazoo.

Crazy guy in Santiago dancing "Cueca," a traditional Chilean music/dance.

La Serena, Valparaiso

2008-04-06T14:44:00.037-05:00

The dividing line between Valparaiso and Viña del Mar, two cities that expanded so much that they are now connected.

Gianny, Cazuelita de Ave, and Nils the Viking... not pictured, Emmanuel the Chileno Viking. This was the big group we had at the hostel... from left to right... Melena, Karla ("Kahla" in her Australian accent), Christie, Jodie, Me, Barry (from irland, the funniest person ive ever met), Angelica (Colombia), Cynthia (Switzerland), Eduardo (the son of Theresa, the owner), and Lidija (pronounced "lidia" dammit).

Me and Camila practicing for our show at El Pajarito.

Lidija, caffeine-crazed Bosnian-Australian.

At Pablo Neruda's house.... the famous Chilean poet.

Giannina, Nils, Cazuela, and Emmanuel

Emmanuel, he and Felipe are doing the documentary.

Viña del Mar and the condominiums

Poor horse

bottles waiting to be recycled in Santiago... more pictures of Santiago when I actually go there for real

Zoom in on this one... and smile!

Vino con frutilla... "wine with strawberry," a specialty in Valparaiso

Old famous cemetery with mausoleums

Lot of graffiti everywhere in this city

I thought that this was supposed to be Harry Potter, but it turns out it's the president of Chile... a woman

Big statue in Plaza Sotomayor.... right outside the hostal

View from the Nordic School.... you can see the cargo boats and cruise ships docking

Clock tower, Valpo

The Armada of Chile, the hostal is a 2 minute walk from here

The view from one of the elevators

Famous elevators of Valparaiso... the whole city is built on hills... so they have these old manual elevators... you pay about 20 cents and they take you up the hill so you dont have to walk

Pisco sour, in Valle de Elqui. Pisco is the famous Chilean drink... (or Peruvian drink, depending on who you're talking to)

Valle de Elqui

Chile is full of "metaleros"... metalheads obsessed with metal from the eighties, especially IronMaiden and Megadeath... they are eeeeeverywhere

Church in Pisco

Church in La Serena

Hello, everyone. So, where do I start. I went to La Serena, and it was pretty boring. I played on the street and got very little money. So then I came here to Valparaiso, where I'm living. I came here thinking I would have a place to stay with a friend, but then found out that that wasn't the case, so I stayed in a hostal for a few days. There was a misunderstanding in the Nordic school, where my friends Felipe and Emmanuel are doing the documentary. Apparently, no one is allowed to be sleeping in the building at the school (where Felipe was sleeping), and people from outside weren't allowed in the building (like me). So me and Felipe went to Santiago for a few days and did some translations for a friend of his from Spanish to English. We did about 40 pages and got about 300 bucks... so I hardly saw anything in Santiago because I was working the whole time. Then, we came back here, and the hostal where I was staying offered me a job... I stay for free at the hostal in the dorm, and I go to the terminal and convince people to come stay at this hostal, as it's a new place and it's not in the Lonely Planet. But I'm really comfortable there... free internet, TV, nice hot showers, and they always feed me. Felipe found a place to stay with a friend, and they worked something out with the directors of the program, so I can be in the building working on the music for the documentary. We already recorded some of it with Camila, the violinist. She and I also played a show together at a local bar and it was pretty well recieved. The documentary should be done by the end of the month.

Valparaiso is a lot like New Orleans... it's an important port city, it's poor, dangerous, dirty, smells like pee... but great music. everywhere you go there's people playing the sitar or jazz or Chilean folklore, or something... There's an old tradition here in some of the bars, where the guitar players go around singing songs for tips or for a glass of wine. It's a big university town as well, so there's a few plazas where all the kids go and drink boxes of wine and smoke joints. It seems like everywhere go, someone is playing something. It's really not that poor or dangerous, but the other night, 2 guys did try to rob me... late at night, I was walking with my guitar, and they came up real fast cursing at me in gangster chileno, and one of them went for something in his pocket. Don't know what it was, whether it was a knife or maybe nothing, but I didn't want to find out, so I took off running, and luckily they didn't follow me. But aside from that, it's not so bad. But people do pee all over the place, I'm not sure why.

Valparaiso

2008-04-02T19:30:00.001-05:00

Hey all... I'm currently living and working in Valparaiso, Chile. Will post some pictures and videos soon. Until then...

Chris

Chile: Arica, Iquique, and Bahia Inglesa

2008-03-19T16:44:00.040-05:00

Clear Blue Sky, Bahia Inglesa.

Dani (Germany) and Rodrigo. These guys were so nice to me. They fed me about 5 times, and Rodrigo took me and Christian (below) to Puerto Viejo.

Christian (Germany)

Miguel, waking up

Beach at Puerto Viejo

A meteorite hit here.

Kind of looks like a monkey, huh?

birds

Puerto Viejo is a fishing village, almost all the people here are fisherman.

These kids begged me to take a picture of them with their dad.

Puerto Viejo

Joshua, Rodrigo and Dani´s baby.

On the way to Puerto Viejo.

The beach at Bahia Inglesa.

Bahia Inglesa

Me and Alejandro in Iquique.

Central Iquique.

Farc you.

Kissed this guitar goodbye. This is the one I got for $20 at the flea market in Bogota. It served me well, but it was a piece of shit.

Cop on horse in Iquique.

Big cactuses in Iquique

Beach at Iquique

This architecture looks like New Orleans

There used to be a streetcar here too!

Iquique city center

Northern Chile, pure desert.

I was glued to the window in Northern Chile, it's all desert, but beautiful.

Well, I crossed the border into Chile from Tacna, and I've officially been in Chile for about 9 days or so.. i can't really remember. I arrived from Arica, and was really sick. It turned out to be a good thing that I didn't go to Machu Pichu, because I got really sick (from the freezing cold hotel room in Cuzco). Arica was craaaazy hot. It's apparently the cheapest part of Chile and has a nice beach, but I wouldn't know. For me, it was a resting spot. I had thrown up at the terminal and was feeling extremely weak and tired. Everything that I was eating I was throwing up or it was coming out the other end, if you know what I mean. I managed to get my strength up enough to travel to Iquique, which is a cool little town that has a beautiful beach. What you have to understand about Chile is that it's a thin, but very loooong country. So almost the entire country

has a coastline, and a beach! It also has a dut-free zone, called the Zofri, where everything is cheeaaap. And believe me, this country is friggin expensive. I bought a really decent guitar for 20000 pesos, which is about 40 bucks. But to put Chile in perspective, your average hostal in Ecuador or Peru is about 4-6 dollars. Here, the cheapest thing you find is 8 dollars, and that's if you're lucky. Generally it's about 10-15. A typical menu (lunch) in Ecuador or Peru is about $1-2. Here, about $4-5. In Peru, I was paying 30 cents an hour for internet... here 1 dollar. Starting to miss Peru all of a sudden.

Anyway, had a good time in Iquique, and then left for Bahia Inglesa, which is a town little resort-type town, but the beach is goooooregeous. I lucked out and met some people who let me stay in their backyard in a tent. I stayed there for about 3 days and did absolutely nothing, apart from hanging out on the beach. But that was my first experience in a tent so far on the trip. Other first experience... hitch hiking. The Chilean youngsters often hitchhike, so to get to Caldera, the town next to Bahia Inglesa, I hitchhiked. (But just once... the other times they didn't pick me up)

I'm currently in La Serena. I played in the street today, but the Chilean people are stiiiingy. At least in Peru, a very poor country, the people tipped me well. Even people who really had no business tipping me were helping me out. Here, not only were they not tipping me, but they were making fun of me... ok basically just the kids were making fun of me.... I must have been close to high school because they were Catholic school kids all over the place.

Iquique

Puerto Viejo

where the meteorite hit.

Arequipa, Cusco

2008-03-08T19:51:00.015-06:00

Hey everyone.... well, it happened again. I got robbed. This time they took my daybag, which unfortunately for me, had some important stuff, and unfortunately for the theives, had nothing of street value. I was eating some sweets with my Chilean friend, Felipe, and we had only been in Arequipa literally one hour, and I had my bag sitting on the chair next to me, which was exposed to the outside sidewalk. I had wrapped the strap around the back of the chair so that no one would be able to run off with it. Enjoying the piece of cake, all of a sudden, some old guy is bent over on the other side of the table, reaching for some coins. Felipe helps him with the coin, and then the guy sort of struggles with the coin, but it appeared to me he was struggling on purpose. Right away, I realized something was not right. I looked at the chair and my bag was gone. I went running outside, and about 10 different people were pointing in the direction that the thieves went. I went chasing in that direction, but it was useless, he was already long gone. Had I thought about it, I would have grabbed the old man, because he was the accomplice, distracting us. The fact that I got robbed wasn't really what upset me... more the complete, utter indifference of the locals, who could have easily stopped the guy, but chose to do nothing.

Anyway, here's what I lost: my diary (most important, 6 months of thoughts, melodies and rhythms, and pages and pages of vocabulary), my address book (which I really liked, but I can get all those addresses back), a book in Spanish I was reading (Viaje a Itxlan, which had a $20 bill inside in case of an emergency, but I seriously doubt they will find that), an umbrella (which was tired and worn out anyway), a pocket knife, a pocket calculator, sunblock, contact lense eye drops, bug repelent, a roll of toilet paper, chap stick, floss, a small can of pepto, and hand disinfectant. Anyway, I bought a new bag, much more hippie mother earth, I copied the remaining chapters of Lonely Planet from a friend, and I went to a pharmacy and replaced most everything for a grand total of about $40. Everywhere I go now, I'm super paranoid. Moral of the story... I now wear a fanny pack.

I met up with my friend Bruno in Arequipa, who let me stay at his house... super nice family and friends. There was no water the first day I was there. There wasn't any water in Lima either when I left, so believe me I was stinking. Had a good time. I played one day in the main plaza there and made about $13 in 2 hours. Didn't stay long in Arequipa though, because I wanted to get here... to Cusco.

So Cusco is where everyone talks to you when you walk by in bad English... massages, information about Machu Pichu, etc. Ever since I've gotten here, I've felt a bad vibe... and everyone has been trying to rip me off. Last night I was up until 6 in the morning listening to drunk teenagers sing peruvian anthems. I hate saying this, but I feel like everyone in this town is on valium... you ask someone a simple question and their eyes go sideways and the struggle for 5 minutes, until you realize this person has no idea. The kid who works in my hostal is 16, and he can answer about 1 out of 20 of any questions you might have, bless his heart. Because of Machu Pichu, everything here is more expensive.

I've made a big decision, but the right one... I am NOT going to Machu Pichu. Yeah, you read right. Chris isn't going to the biggest tourist attraction in South America. Why not? First of all... it's expensive, and the cheaper routes involve walking for at least 3 hours each way. Secondly, I haven't felt welcomed or wanted in this country, much less this city, and I would rather save my money for something where they appreciate tourists. Thirdly, and most importantly, I have no interest in seeing this whole thing. I've traveled all over Latin America, and I've seen amazing things, and guess what, I've seen Machu Pichu in pictures, in book, on TV,etc. As far as I'm concerned, it's a bunch of cleverly placed rocks. So maybe I'm missing out, but I really don't feel like I'm missing anything. I made it this far and chose not to go on my own accord. So there it is. Any questions on this topic can be diverted to my Swedish secretary "Naut Karring."

So now I'm off to Chile, where I'm looking forward to the first developed country I've seen since... since the US. Before my bus, I might try to buy a new guitar, because mine is beat the hell up.

"The Glorious Peru"

I asked these ladies if I could take their picture, and they immediately responded with an enthusiastic "Siiiii!!" After I took the picture, their look turned cold and they held out their hands and shouted "propina!" (tip). As I didn't have any change, and they asked me after, I didn't give them anything.

The Cathedral of Cusco

Another big church in the central plaza of Cusco.

Me and my buddy, Bruno

A protest in the main square of Arequipa.

Protest, Arequipa

My friend from Chile, Felipe, making a Felipe-esque look.

My friend Karla with Karin

My underwater friends.... showing off the waterproof capabilities of my camera.

Chillin at the pool, Lima.

So New Orleans isn't the only place in the world with brass bands.

Lima

2008-03-04T15:36:00.005-06:00

almost 5000 meters high

Me, Anibal, and Carlos... and the ladies, don't remember their names

Me and my Cololmbian buddy, Carlos, at Volcano Cotopaxi, outside Quito, Ecuador.

Well, I'm leaving Lima finally, after a week, and I have no pictures from this city. I got a new camera a couple days ago in a black market type place, but since my camera got stolen, I've had no desire to be a Japanese tourist anymore. So, I'll take some pics at Machu Pichu and let everyone know. Lima is suuuuper gringo, with fast food and american products all over the place. There's a lot of white people and chinese people, as well. They even have a China Town here. Peru, in general, is very cheap, but you would have no idea from living in Lima. I got to the streets with my axe, and was playing in the public buses. I did alright yesterday, 2 hours, 32 soles... it's about 11 bucks. there's nowhere to play on the street here so people generally play in the buses.

I made friends with some Chilean students who are here filming a documentary about Peruvians working in Chile, kind of like Mexicans in America. Anyway, they interviewed the men who are working there in Santiago and then they came here to interview the families who are living without a father/husband. We went to what is supposedly the most dangerous neighborhood in Lima, although we didn't know that at the time. On their block they have a huge gate blocking out the public, because there used to be a lot of people from other neighborhoods coming in and starting fights and sometimes even killing people. They have alarm, and every house has a baseball bat hanging from the door. So the last time someone snuck in, they pressed the alarm and all the men came out and beat the guy down with bats. That's good neighborhood watch.

I'm headed to Arequipa, and then Machu Pichu. I'll keep everyone posted.

One thing I need to get off my chest... people in Latin America are extremely ignorant when it comes to trash. People here just open a wrapper for something and toss it directly to the ground, even if there's a trash can 10 feet away. Even the people who know better do this shit. This happens all over Latin America, but by far the worst is Peru. Shame on you, Peru. Thank you, I feel better now.

A quote that I heard that I like:
"He that is a traveller must have the back of an ass to bear all, a tongue like the tail of a dog to flatter all, the mouth of a hog to eat what is set before him, the ear of a merchant to hear all and say nothing. And if this be not the highest step of thraldom, there is no liberty or freedom." -- Thomas Nashe, The Unfortunate Traveller
a quote I heard that I like:

Vilcabamba, Ecuador, and Peru

2008-02-26T13:27:00.002-06:00

Hello there... I've been bad with the blog lately, but it's really because I haven't had a camera. I'm hoping some friends of mine that I've met along the way send me some pictures. Anyway, I'm currently in Lima, which compared the rest of Peru is very developed, almost like LA or Miami. I'm staying in the ritziest part of town, but in a pretty cheap hostel that costs about 5 dollars a night. I realized something on the way down here from northern Peru.... I've never seen the desert before. I was completely glued to the window, staring at the desert, which for the people here is nothing new, but for me it was very pretty.

In Vilcabamba, me, an English girl, a German girl, a Spanish guy, and a Greek guy tried San Pedro, which is a cactus that grows wildly in north Peru and south Ecuador, and it contains mescaline, the same chemical in Peyote, which grows in the deserts of Mexico and the US. Anyway, the coolest part of the whole thing was that we actually got to go look for the stuff. Apprarently, two tourists (a couple) had taken San Pedro a couple years ago and they ended up running through the town naked and screaming, so the police went and cut down all the visible cactuses in the town. We went outside the town, on some farmer's property, who actually didn't seem to mind us there, and took a long walk through some hills and streams (2 hours), until we finally came across a whole bunch of them. We prayed for a minute, apologized to the Pachamama (mother earth) for cutting it down, and then cut off the head and planted it, so another would grow back in its place. Then, our Colombian and Ecuadorian friends cooked it for 12 hours, and the next day we took it. We knew it was probably going to rain, so we had rented a cabin. The experience was the strangest psychedelic experience I've ever had... for everyone else it was intensely visual... the girls were in the bathroom for an hour staring at the wall, seeing something I couldn't see. For me, it was more auditory. I was hearing music in ways I hadn't heard it before. I have never had such a strong desire to do nothing and everything at the same time. Overall, it was strange, but not the strongest thing I've ever taken. Wouldn't do it again. I was definitely the closest I've been to nature on my trip. There were so many bugs out there...fireflies, giant ants, caterpillars, moths, and bats flying all over the place.

Since I've gotten to Peru, the main thing I've noticed is the extreme poverty. We drove past miles and miles of houses built from 3 slabs of wood stapled to each other, with a piece of tin on top as a roof. Here in Lima, you don't see it so much unless you go the outskirts of the city. Peruvians in general are very nice... but they have what the call the "criollada" (viveza) which basically means the theives are very clever, as well as the taxi drivers. I found peanut butter at the grocery store!!!! It's not Jif, but at least it tastes like peanut butter. I can finally get my peanut butter diet started again. Soon, I'll be off to Cuzco, Machu Pichu, Lake Titicaca, Arequipa, and then finally down south to Chile and Argentina. I'm gonna try to buy a new camera here in Lima, so I should have some pics of Machu Pichu. After Argentina, I'm thinking about coming back home, cuz I'm bit homesick. I might fly into Miami as my last stop in Latin America, and then take a bus or a train home to NOLA. Well, hope everyone is good. Until Machu Pichu....

Chris

Still waiting...

2008-02-15T17:06:00.002-06:00

Well, the Ecuadorian customs is mind numbingly slow. And the people at FedEx here are morons. It's taken about 12 days longer than they said it would. Anyway, long story short, I should have my camera tomorrow (ojala) and then I'm off to Vilcabamba, then off to Peru and Machu Pichu. The good news is that I'm here in Cuenca, Ecuador, and it's nice and laid back, and cheap... internet, for instance, one cent per minute. People in this town have been hiring me to play, and I've played 7 shows the past 3 days, earning over 60 bucks, plus a free lunch, haha. I like Ecuador, but I'm really ready to leave. I just found out that Bolivia charges Americans 100 bucks to enter the country, plus we need to get a visa. That's a shame, because I was planning on going to Bolivia, but only because of how cheap it is. Now that I gotta go outta my way and get a visa... I don't think so. Stupid move, Bolivia... the only real tourist attraction you have is how cheap you are, and well... you screwed yourself. With $100, you can live for a month in Bolivia. Well, Chile also charges $100 to enter, but Chile has a lot more to do... plus I don't need to get a visa. I'm pretty sick, the flu I think... but I'm playing another show tonight around the corner... then hopefully leaving tomorrow. Well... only one more thing on my mind... GO BARACK OBAMA!

CAMERA STOLEN IN QUITO

2008-01-31T13:31:00.000-06:00

Hey yall... so yeah, I guess I'm officially a South American backpacker, as every single one I've met who traveled for more than 6 months lost a camera or had it stolen. The good news is I have the majority of my pictures on memory cards, and that I didn't lose that many pictures. The bad news is that the pictures I took yesterday were amaaaaaazzzzing. I'm really pissed. Amazing street musicias, amazing views. Quito is in incredible city, aside from the theifs, I guess.

So here's how it went down. They are celebrating Carnaval here, and they were all celebrating by spraying each other in the face with foam and sugar (I'm not really sure what it is, I wish it were sugar), and play marching band music. Great fun, but I was one of the only gringos there. It was mostly folks from the market. Anyway, I didn't feel anything, and after walking away from the festivities I was going to take a picture of my face, which was covered in God knows what. When suddenly I realized my camera was no longer in my right pocket, where it ALWAYS is. The truth is, I realized right away what had happened, and that I would never see that camera again, but you know, panic sets in, and you won't accept it, so I went looking for it among the masses, like a dumbass, and asked some people if they saw anything, and one woman, who was actually very nice, told me that it was dangerous for me to be there, and that I'm lucky I only lost the camera, and that I should get the hell out of there.

Anyway, I think they stole it after throwing something in my face... which is a story I've heard far too many times... that someone distracts you while someone else reaches in your pocket and takes your stuff. But unfortunately, I'm responsable, because I was taking pictures all over the place, with my gringo face, advertising the fact that I have a camera. I didn't feel a thing. Anyway, unfortunately there won't be many photos for a while... maybe I'll get another one soon... but in the mean time, I'll keep writing about my adventures.

Quito, aside from the theifs, is an amazing city, with really nice people, great music, and everything is dirt cheap. I'm staying in a hotel/hostel, for $5.50 per night (they use dollars here), and I have a private room, with a balcony with an awesome view of the city, and the most comfortable bed I've stayed in since I've been on the road. You eat a hearty meal for all of $1.25, which includes juice. You take a taxi from one side of the city to the other for 4 or 5 dollars.

It's a very colonial city, beautiful, and still very traditional. Lots of indigenous people everywhere, living in harmony with the mestizos. This is something that Latin America has retained, that unfortunately the US didn't. The US killed off the majority of the indigenous people, whereas here in South America, they're still all over the place.

Yesterday, I climbed to the top of the Basilica here, which looks like something out of Gotham city. I took a picture (sniff...) of myself sitting on the edge, about 15 stories high... with a view of the whole city. I also took a tour of a beautiful theatre, that burned down 10 years ago, and they are just now starting to restore it. There was a Pizza Hut next door, that had a gas leak or something, and they burned the whole front of the building, all five stories, and a big chunk of the theatre itself. Pizza Hut never compensated the theatre for one dime.

Well, I'm a bit depressed about the camera. I'm gonna go walk around and mope for a little while. Missing everyone. Ciao!

Buenaventura/Pianguita

2008-01-24T15:46:00.001-06:00

Me and Valen took a few days and went to the Pacific coast of Colombia, to Buenaventura and the beach town of Pianguita. Had some delicious seafood... Valen got really dark, and I got really burned, and we had a great relaxing time.

Pianguita
Pianguita

Pianguita
Valen, on the way to Pianguita
Slogan shirts
Mural in BA

Fisherman in Buenaventura
View from our hotel in Buenaventura.
This is a "urinal"... I swear to god... that tube goes directly into the Pacific Ocean.

Pelicans fishing

Seagulls

Cali

2008-01-07T12:59:00.000-06:00

Well, I've officially left Cali, after being there for about 5 weeks. I met a wonderful, beautiful girl, Valentina, and ended up taking a little break from traveling, even though Cali is a bit dull. It was time for me to keep on with my travels, so now I'm in Quito, Ecuador. Will post soon...

Furniture store... does she come with the sofa?

We went bowling... check out lane 13.... see that pair of legs. That's right... all 20 lanes had a little kid behind it, setting up the pins after every shot!

Me and Valen
The lovely Valentina
She looks confused
Valentina's Dad, Hector.

Drumset made of household products.

Bear with glasses.

Crocs

Valentina's grandmother playing the tiple.

Diapers... for babies and adults.... delivery... sorry, that just makes me laugh.

Homemade moonshine, "aguardiente", made by natives in Sylvia.

Local musicians in Sylvia

This plant is supposedly poisonous and is used to knock people out and steal their wallet. Can be put in a drink or on a cigarrette. In Sylvia.

Beautiful town of Sylvia.

Traditional lighting of the candles in the Castaño household for New Years.

Salsa fest in Cali

Typical music from the Atlantic Coast of Colombia

I'm not dead

2008-01-07T12:50:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone, I'm still here, in Colombia believe it or not... I decided to take a little break from traveling for a while and relax for Christmas and New Years. Luckily, I'm staying with friends so I don't have to pay accomadation. I'm in Cali, and soon I'll be headed off to Ecuador. Will post a bit more later. Here's a picture in the meantime...

Jesus on his birthday...

Bogota

2007-12-09T19:11:00.000-06:00

Hello finally! Sorry for the delay. I was in Bogota for a while, and then I went to Villa de Leiba, and get a touch of something, and was incapacitated for a few days. Anyway, not much to report. Bogota is a big, huge, awesome city, very cosmopolitan and cultural.... also very cold. I had to buy a jacket when I got there. Right now I'm in Cali, where I think I'll be for Christmas. Hope you're all doing well!

Traditional wedding in the colonial town of Villa de Leiba.

Cartoon, by my buddy Marcelo, of th cell phone people in Bogota that scream "jamaaaaa jamaaaaa jamaaaaaaaa!!" or "llamada llamada llamada" (phone call) They wear little vests that have like 5 phones in them from 5 different companies.

Me, Mariana (guadalajara), Marcelo (Buenos Aires), and Jorge (Guadalajara)

Frog Orgy.

The night of the candles, a religious (apparently Catholic?) holiday in Colombia. Candles all over the place.

Israelis celebrating chanukah. These guys were cooking up some delicious grub.

Me and my Danish buddy David. He's good people. Speaks better English than I do.

"Dancing Allowed"

Giant mall in Bogota.

Alex and Joanna, Americans from LA.... although they'd have you believe they're from Mexico and El Salvador, respectively. Good people, met them in the Cathedral of Salt.

Those beers are so leeeeetle.

Zona T, the party area of town.

The main cross in the Cathedral of Salt. It's actually carved into the wall.

Cathedral of Salt. This was a salt mine, that they carved into a church... it's friggin gorgeous and the people of Zipaquira actually go to mass in the mine (like 400 feet below the ground) every sunday.

Beautiful building in Zipaquira.

Another beautiful church in Zipaquira, small town outside Bogota.

Salvador Dali, Museo Nacional, Bogota.

Picasso.

Degas

Picasso

Botero

Fernando Botero, the most famous Colombian artist. Loves fat people

llamas en bogota?

Donkeys? all over Bogota.

Monserrate... the best view in Bogota.

Plaza de Simon Bolivar

"Colombians, the weapons have given us independence, the laws will give us liberty."

Bogota

I think this is the palace of Nariño.

In Colombia... and especially Bogota (because I haven't seen it anywhere else) they have what they call "trios." Usually, 3, sometimes 2 or 4 musicians. Typically, one singer with maracas or some type of percussion, and 2 guitar players, one rhythm and one lead, who also sing or harmonize. The lead player (the one on the right) is playing a little guitar called a "requinto." They generally use a fingerpick on the right hand.

This was a FREE concert in the biggest concert hall in Bogota, with nothing but "trios." The concert lasted like 4 hours, and apparently they have free concerts there every week. This group here won some prize, because of how young they are, and they were certainly the crowd favorite.

Another trio, older guys but still great.

My buddy Francisco playing something he wrote, with a Colombian rhythm called Bambuco.

Manizales, Salento

2007-11-30T09:54:00.000-06:00

Que mas!? Bien o que? Manizales is very cool. Laid back, pretty little city. I went to see Los Nevados, a national park here in Colombia, with snow-capped mountains and thermal swimming pools with sizzling hot water from the volcano. Gorgeous. Then the next day I went to a coffee farm, and had an excellent (private, as I was the only one that day) tour, and drank delicious pure Colombian coffee, straight from the vine. Then, the next day I experienced my first Colombian soccer game, which is nuts... they get out of hand. I almost think they're more interested in creatin a ruckus than watching the game. Manizales itself is very nice, with gorgeous views of the countryside, but there's a bit too many hills.. it's like San Francisco, uuuuppphill.... doooownhill. I also went to the pretty little town of Salento... specialty, trout au gratin oooooeeeeee delicious. Only stayed for a day, so not much to report. I'm now in Pereira, on my way to Bogota.

Zoom in on this one... that's a cow head at the bottom.

Man this town looks like San Cristobal de las Casas in this picture.

This poor Limey had his guitar split in half. We put it back on that night, and it actually didn't sound too bad. Just no twelth fret, and it went out of tune real easy.

Central Plaza, Salento, Colombia.

mmmmmmm.... under all that cheese is mushrooms and trout. I ate this twice in Salento, it's like a town specialty.

Giant patacon on top of my "trucha" (trout)

All the crazy Colombian kids roll the field with paper during the game.

Colombians watching Manizales play Cali.... Manizales won 1-0.

Chipre, the highest part of Manizales. The view is gorgeous.

The view from Chipre.

Manizales city center. That sign in the back says "NO AL SECUESTRO." (No to Kidnapping)

Yummy....

Chruch in Manizales.

That's right, punk, I'm certified in coffee, whatchu gon do?

This nasty stuff you're seein here is what we call "Instant Coffee." See, the good coffee gets exported to other countries, for higher prices. The medium grade coffee stays and gets sold in Colombia. And the really shitty stuff gets sent to the instant coffee companies.

Haciena Guayabal, coffee farm.

oops, another picture from Los Nevados. This is me at the top. 5, 400 meters. The guy who took the picture has a big thumb.

Colombian Coffee... the red ones are ripe, reading for the pickin, and the green ones aren't quite there yet.

Hacienda Guayabal.

Los Nevados.

Up in the clouds.

Los Nevados.

I had to put on sunscreen like 3 times. That thing means business.

Los Nevados.

Gettin close to the top.

Los Nevados, a lagoon towards the bottom.

Basically everyone and their mother has a motorcycle in Colombia, and they all drive like assholes. Kannan gave me a ride on his, but luckily we weren't going very fast, cuz the truth is, I'm scared to death of those damn things (thanks, dad).

Diana and Kannan treated me to pizza.

Los Nevados.

The police try to contain the crowd, but there're just too damn many of them.

Colombian Cafe

Medellin

2007-11-17T18:34:00.000-06:00

So Medellin officially has the most beautiful girls in the world, let´s just get that out of the way. Yes, it´s Pablo Escobar´s hometown, yes he´s dead, no I didn´t go to his grave, yes it´s much safer these days. I love this city, and I don´t want to leave, but alas, other things await me. I went to the immigration office today and paid 30 bucks to extend my visa. They only gave me 30 days. Even the lady at the office was like, "they only gave you 30 days, what´s that all about?" Medellin is really organized, safe, pretty, and extreeeeemely friendly. I have yet to meet one unpleasant person here in Medellin. Everyone is just so nice, and honest. They talk really funny here too. They accent will never cease to crack me up.

The first day I got in I was walking down the street past a local community college, and I heard what sounded like traditional jazz, so I snuck in... the guard said "Chico! Señor!" And I just kept walking. I´ve learned how to use being a foreigner to my advantage. I speak pretty good Spanish, but whenever I want to play dumb, I just turn on the gringo accent, and it works pretty well. Anyway, I went in and introduced myself, and listened to them play for a while, and mmaannnn they are excellent musicians. What they were playing was a samba from Brazil, and the chord progressions, and harmonies are very similiar to jazz. They were fascinated by the jazz and blues I played for them, so we had some musical exchanges, them teaching me Colombian tunes, and me teaching them New Orleans tunes. Since Ive been here, Ivan has taken me all over the place, so I´ve seen other parts of Medellin.

There´s lots of beautiful parks in the city, and military guards all over the place. Anytime I need directions, I ask one of them, and they´re all super nice. I really feel at home here in Colombia, I wonder why... crazy people, good music, corrupt government, nice people, laid back... it sounds a lot like New Orleans... except it´s much cleaner, and has a public transit system that works. From the metro, you can take this ski lift type thing up the mountain, called the metrocable. It´s really beautiful. Also the weather here is always really nice. A bit hot in the day if you´re in the sun, and cool at night. The only problem is that it rains quite a bit, without warning. Lot of shopping to do here... I bought some things I needed: watch (broke), dayback (falling apart), eyeglasses (lost them in Panama), shirt, underwear, socks, and a belt (lost somewhere).

Did I mention how friggin nice the people are here? Off to Manizales... nos hablamos!

Lots of cool traditional hats in Colombia, this is one of them.

Locals watching Colombia playing Argentina in soccer. Colombia won 2-1!

Statue in Pueblito Paisa

Cute little chapel in Pueblito Paisa.

Church in Parque Bolivar

The really nice girls that run the hostel noticed my birthday coming up on my passport, and they bought me a cake!

Fish in the lagoon at the botanical gardens here in Medellin.

The view at the botanical gardens. If you look closely, you can see some turtles on that canoe.

The Colombiano, the daily paper here, November 19, 2007, my 24th birthday.

Ahhh funny Colombian hats.

The view of Medellin from Bello, a municipality just outside the city (and above)

View from the metrocable of the "comunas." It¨s this huge section of houses that all look the same, orange brick, and they keep expanding, higher and higher into the mountains. This is where a lot of the Pablo Escobar stuff happened. There used to be a lot of crime, but it`s much more under control now.

I had to take a picture of all my phone cards from Central America before I tossed them. That´s Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras, and Guatemala.

Cool church in Caldas, outside of Medellin.

Julian (piano, el cuatro llanero, guitar), Me, Ivan (clarinet, la bandola llanera, guitar, saxophone, el cuatro llanero) and Elver (drums, bass, guitar). They´re all phenomenal musicians.

It´s better to run spell check before posting a sign.

Playing at the mall, musica llanera.

Parque de los Deseos

View from the metrocable.

Las comunas

The metrocable

Sculpture by famous Colombian artist (from Medellin), Fernando Botero. He´s a bit obsessed with fat people, as his fat people sculptures are all over the city.

Ohhhh, I can´t remember the name of this building but it´s gorgeous.

No idea what this is.

Church in city center, Medellin

Another Church in city center

Another Fernando Botero

Palacio Nacional... this beautiful building is.... A MALL!

Parque de las Luces. Really cool.

Parque de las Luces, from afar.

This excellent restaurant, in El Poblado, is situated above a tire shop! The food is delicious, you just have to deal with the smell of rubber and oil during your meal.

The urinals are just so damn cute in Colombia.

The view of from the bus terminal

This music was amazing. Julian, Ivan, and Elver were performing in Caldas at the Cultural Center, and they brought me along, and this guy plays typical Llanera music, from the eastern region of Colombia, with a harp. Needless to say, I´ve never seen anyone play the harp quite like that.

Julian, Ivan, and Elver playing Llanera music.

Ivan lent me his cuatro llanero to figure out some chord voicings, and I wrote a couple little jazz numbers. I call them cancionitas. This one is called Llanera Gon´ Find Me

Colombians celebrating the 2nd goal against Argentina.

The view of the comunas from the metro.

Ivan, bandola, Julian, cuatro, Elver, bass

View from the metrocable

Musica Colombiana

Another cancionita, called the Pueblito Rag

Cartagena Part II

2007-11-15T21:02:00.000-06:00

So, more about Cartagena. It's really hot there, and they have a flooding problem as you can see below. Another problem, in most of Colombia so far, is garbage. It's everywhere. A lot of people seem to have no respect or education with regards to littering, because they just toss trash on the ground. But these are the only real bad things I've found in Colombia. Everything else is pretty excellent so far. I took a night bus to Medellin, where I'm at now, and I can say one thing... the girls here are, unbelievable. It's like every third girl is the hottest girl you've ever seen in your life. But more on that later, on the Medellin post.

Beautiful cathedrals all over Cartagena.
The view from the "garita", lookout post
This guy was an awesome trumpet player, with beautiful tone, I can't remember his name
Viva Colombia!
Cartagena, view from Castillo de San Felipe
Castillo de San Felipe
Typical day of streets flooding in Cartagena.
Garbage is a serious problem here
The don't sell milk in bottles, only in bags!!
Cute little cat and her kitten at the hostel
Another cathedral

Historic Center

"Otra Navidad" (Another Christmas)

Iguanas in the park

San Felipe Castle

Cartagena, Part I

2007-11-11T22:45:00.000-06:00

Wow... Cartagena. What a city. I don't know where to start. I arrived in the city amidst the craziness of The Reinado, the crowning of Señorita Colombia, their beauty queen. Turns out Miss Magdalena won, from Santa Marta, representing! They take the beauty queen stuff very seriously here in Colombia. The winner gets like $100,000 cash, and like another $600,000 in prizes like cars, hotels, shoes, vacations, etc. Anyway, the whole city goes completely nuts for 3 days. Throwing flour and paint and water on everyone, especially tourists, like me. People are throwing fireworks all over the place... people are actually lighting fireworks, and then throwing them into the crowd. It's insane. The parade was amazing, as yall can see in the pictures and videos. Amazing dancing and music. The rhythms here in the northern part of Colombia are very African. The colors are spectacular. It's complete sensory overload.

I love this city. They have streets here that are basically just alleys, where people's houses are. They walk out their front door into an alley, it's so cool. Almost all the buildings in the city are hundreds of years old, with gorgeous Spanish architecture. Right now I'm in an internet cafe in a building which is probably 300 years old. People hang out in front of their houses, and if they are inside, they have the door wide open. People are so friggin friendly here, it's bizarre. The only thing I don't like about this city is that there are more cell phone stands than restaurants. I was walking around starving one day for over an hour just looking for a restaurant... just one!

Another observation is that there is a big gay community here in Cartagena. It's the first real "gay-friendly" place I've encountered. I know that places like DF, San Jose, Panama City are more tolerant, but I didn't notice it there. Here in Cartagena, people admit they are gay without fear, which is interesting, but generally, Latin culture is super machisto, and homosexuality is completely unacceptable.

But this city isn't without problems... it's apparently like the sin city of Colombia, and the have a big problem with prostitution and sex with minors. Also the city floods like crazy. More to come about Cartagena... in another post...

My Bucaramangan novias

Me and and the beauty queen of Colombia!

gorgeous

Awaiting their fate.

Festivities in Cartagena.

The WatchTower

Historic Center, Cartagena.

I still don't know how you call this flute, but I'm pretty sure the mouthpiece is the beak of some bird. Great sound.

Impressive

She is like the cutest old lady I've ever seen.

Age is not a factor here in Cartagena.

Yes, she is completely naked. Yes, I agree, she shouldn't be.

Mas Reinas

Chiquita Banana lady! Or Shakira?

Choo Choo!

Reinas

que linda!

This guy had a big rubber penis under his apron.

This is a monastery on top of a hill. Unfortunatelyy, this was the best picture I could get from the cab.

I love the lira!

People running from the "buscapies." These things could blow out your eardrum.

Cuban Salsa music.

My friends from Bucaramanga, who snuck me in, dancing the traditional dance from their department.

The beaut queens of Colombia, strutting their stuff.

Santa Marta

2007-11-11T22:12:00.000-06:00

Santa Marta... So I flew in to Barranquila from Panama City, and then took a bus to Santa Marta, where I was staying with my friend Yessica and her dad. Santa Marta is a little city, very relaxed, and very nice people. There's some nice beaches that we went to, like Rodadero and Taganga. More than anything, I was just getting my bearings in Colombia, as they were teaching me Colombian customs, listening to Colombian music, eating typical Colombian dishes, and learning Colombian slang, like "Cual es la monda tuya hijoeputa!" I was staying in a cute little neighborhood where everyone knows each other, and people walk down the street with barrels of fresh fruit and fresh fish. The number one concern of the people here is that you are happy and comfortable, and it's really pleasant. The Colombians are a very proud people, and they have a lot to be proud of. Off to Cartagena for the crowning of Señorita Colombia.

Iguana in a tree

The bed he died in.

La Quinta de San Pedro, Santa Marta. This was Simon Bolivar's last resting place, where they put him up before he died.

Un loro (parrot)

Yum

Typical Colombian (costeño) dish. Pescado (fish) with lime, arroz de coco (coconut rice), patacones (like fried bananas, I think), and salad. One thing about Colombian eating habits is they eat huge breakfasts and lunches, but they barely eat dinner, because they don't like going to bed with a lot of food in the stomach, but the American way is the other way around. Most people eat cereal or have coffee or NOTHING for breakfast, eat a quick lunch because they only have an hour to eat, and then dinner time is the typical family time, to relax and eat a big meal. Because of this, I am constantly starving by the time 7 oclock rolls around, and no one is eating dinner.

relajandose

I'll be back....

Eliana being my mom and rubbing in the sunscreen

Me and Yessica

Simon Bolivar, liberator of Latin America

un morro, by Rodadero.

City Center, Santa Marta

Eliana and Yessica.

me, toño, and katia

Rodadero. Mucha gente.

The cover of our upcoming CD.

A jellyfish (aguamala) stung me in the water at Taganga.

Me and Toño singing a typical Vallenato tune. Check out his website, www.elvallenatero.com

Where in the world is Chris?

Extra Misc Videos

Back in the Big Easy

Buenos Aires

Puerto Iguazu, Falls of Iguazu

Rosario

Farmer's Strike

Mendoza and Cordoba, Argentina

this just in from Facebook...

goodbyes to chile

La Serena, Valparaiso

Valparaiso

Chile: Arica, Iquique, and Bahia Inglesa

Arequipa, Cusco

Lima

Vilcabamba, Ecuador, and Peru

Still waiting...

CAMERA STOLEN IN QUITO

Buenaventura/Pianguita

Cali

I'm not dead

Bogota

Manizales, Salento

Medellin

Cartagena Part II

Cartagena, Part I

Santa Marta

more videos from Panama