Colombia is responsible for 80% of the cocaine produced worldwide annually. For years, Colombia would be mentioned and the listener would most likely automatically think of drugs. Of course- its the country with all the narcotrafficking!
My Mom is worried silly that I choose to come to the single most dangerous country is South America, but honestly from my experience I think Nicaragua was more dangerous.
My sister Jen an I spent 9 days exploring this northern region of the Andes, and discovered a territory that is more untouched by tourists than most countries these days. We have spent a few days exploring the capital city of Bogota, and then went north to the coutryside. San Gil, the adventure capital of South America, provided us such excitement as jungle hiking, paragliding over the Sierra Nevadas, and rappelling down a 200 foot waterfall .
To paragalide, we went with a tour company that came highly recommended from an Aussie we met who owns a hostel in the town. Jen got to go before me, and as I waited for her on the top of a mountian, I enjoyed the panoramic view which stretched around me on all horizons. Lost in the beautiful abyss of the Andes, I was startled suddenly by a few shouts, and a herd of people running towards the edge of the cliff.
"They fell!" Everyone was yelling. Horrified, i thought Jen had fallen out of the sky into the broccoli-esque treetops. But it was someone else... and the crash was a lucky one. they were safe, jen was safe, and then it was my turn. By the way, it is relatively scary to board a flying plastic sheet after watching someone fall from the sky into the distant tree. But it was beautiful, and worth the cold breeze.
Staying in hostels is a grand experience. Your roomates could be the craziest European drunkards... or they could be quiet hippies from Australia. Meeting other travelers is fun, yet sometimes hostels remind me of freshmen year of college: everyone is staying in dorms and trying to make friends as quickly as possible.
Tomorrow morning I take off on a jet plane to Managua, and after staying the night there I am coming back to America. I am flying into Chicago on Monday night- where I will be greeted by my siblings Jen, Melissa, and Jonathan. We are going to pull an overnight sibling roadtrip and arrive in Iowa for breakfast... to finally be together as an entire family for the first time in two years.
Friends and family make coming home really easy. thanks guys.
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"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." Henry David Thoreau
2 comments:
oh lisa! I wish that I could be there to greet you!
You are one of the top reasons that I am excited for next semester.
so you'll be here tuesday? You should come visit. And maybe I've found a ride... ross can maybe take me. Alvin can mabye take me. And if they back out, then I'm screwed into driving myself I suppose. Unless you can take me? Or maybe if you ride with one of them they'll be more willing to do so...
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