... any way the wind blows ...

Gorditos y Casas con Colores

2 to 4 January, 2012 – Medellín, Santa Fe de Antioquia, Guatapé (Colombia)

Toilet Paper Vending Machine
We have encountered places where you are required to pay for toilet paper, before, but toilet paper vending machines are common, and in fact, the norm, in Colombia.

Medellín turned out to be a very pleasant city to pass a few days, particularly with the day trips to be had.

Again, as in Bogotá, an appreciation of all things fat is garnered by numerous artworks by Botero. His gordo paintings and sculptures can be found in many nooks and crannies in town, including advertising, but especially in the sculpture park, which is entirely dedicated to him.

Kids with Botero
Medellin has a sculpture park full of Botero's gordos (fatties).

A Random Corridor
A nice building, open, and we wandered through.

Looking Down - Sculture Park
Looking down to the park full of Botero sculptures, Medellin.

Candles, Church, Medellin, Colombia

Monumento a la Raza
Impressive and dramatic sculpture in Medellin.

Perhaps typical of cities in this part of the world, we encountered great difficulty in finding somewhere to eat in the centro, particularly later. At 8 p.m., we wandered the streets to find no restaurants open, and the majority of snack bars pulling down their shutters and washing their floors. Finally, one little bar took pity on us. Despite having most chairs on tables and counting the till, they invited us to a table and sold us some empanadas.

The first of two great day trips we made from Medellín was to Santa Fe de Antioquia, and the nearby Puente Occidente. The main transport around town, and to the bridge, is provided by a fleet of seemingly out-of-place Indian styled moto-taxis. Back in Santa Fe, we discussed who might come and visit us in this remote Colombian village if we bought that cute place that was for sale right on the plaza.

Distraction...
Some locals, just out of frame, started telling their friend off for walking in to the shot. They berated him, pointing at Jo and myself, and highlighting his complete lack of awareness!

Puente de Occidente
An impressive 19th century suspension bridge, one of the first on the continent. Now a national monument and closed to traffic.

Church in Santa Fe
Santa Fe de Antioquia, Colombia.

Santa Fe Streetscape
Santa Fe de Antioquia, Colombia.

Church and Plaza
Santa Fe de Antioquia, Colombia.

Comfortable Enough to Sleep
But with dolly to keep you company, anywhere can be bed...

Our second full day excursion had us climbing a monolithic rock before heading in to the nearby village of Guatapé. Excuse the large number of photos we have decided to include, but seriously, Guatapé was just too cute for words!

Heading Up to La Piedra, or "The Rock"
The approach to La Piedra, from the highway. The greater part of the climb lies ahead.

View From La Piedra
The island filled lake spread out below La Piedra, Guatapé, Colombia.

A Couple at the Top of "The Rock"
Matching blue shirts for the day.

Two Dogs in Gatapé
The shadow of a street lamp, two dogs, and some painted reliefs, Guatapé, Colombia.

A Music Shop in Guatapé
Almost all houses and businesses in town have painted reliefs and colourful doors. Guatapé, Colombia.

A Lounging Gatito
A wriggling and sprawling Colombian cat.

House Decoration
Guatapé, Colombia.

The House Next Door, Guatapé
Another beautifully decorated home, Guatapé, Colombia. The uniqueness of each home's patterns and colours shows much thought on the part of the residents. Barely a single building lacked some such adornment.

Typical Streetscape
Looking down an average and typical street in Guatapé, Colombia.

Another Guatapé Door – Another Guatapé Animal Lounging
Sailboats decorate this home, representative of the lake which Guatapé sits beside.

Guatapé Children Doing Homework
Christmas decorations yet to be taken down, but it's hard to believe they even feel a need to put any up! The colourful town must always feel ready for a party of some sort.

Guatapé Museum
These painted reliefs decorate the building housing the Museum in Guatapé, Colombia.

Street Lamps
The glass of the street lamps have been changed to cast Christmas motifs. Guatapé, Colombia.

Colourful Apartment Buildings
Even the apartment buildings in Guatapé get in on the action.

A Dozen Grapes and Some Whiskey

28 December, 2011 to 1 January, 2012 – Bogotá, Zipaquirá (Colombia)

Bogotá. Contrary to all probable preconceptions, we found ourselves feeling both very safe and very welcome in Bogotá. We are staying in an area north of the centre, about 30 minutes in the "Transmilenio", Bogotá's version of a metro. Couchsurfing courtesy of Isabel.

Downtown Bogotá

Bogotá Streetscape

A Random Courtyard
We spent most of our time in Bogotá in aimless and random wandering. We came across this lovely courtyard, enticed in to the building by an art exhibition.

Me and a Fat Hand
At the Museo de Botero, Bogotá. One of Botero's famous gordos.

Monseratte from Museo de Botero
Visible from many places in Bogotá, Monseratte tends to pick up the afternoon sun.

Three Characters
In a small plaza in Bogotá. I felt they were an almost unlikely trio of friends. And yet, a fantastic and harmonious company.

Looking to Monseratte
View from Plaza Bolivar, Bogotá.

Bogotá, from Monseratte
We joined the hordes on new year's day, and climbed to the white church which watches over the entire city.

One of the best things when travelling is sampling the local delicacies...

Dipping Cheese in Hot Chocolate
A very bogotano dish. It was quite a weird combination. This was in the best place to try such a dish, La Puerta Falsa. The cafe has been in business since 1816.

Another Strange Bogotano Dish
Squeaky white cheese, with dulce de leche (caramelised sweetened condensed mild) and strawberry jam. Jo's expression probably sums it up for us.

We made an extremely worthwhile daytrip to nearby Zipaquirá.

Inside the Salt Cathedral
The cathedral is carved out of an old salt mine, at Zipaquirá. It is a beautiful place to visit. Unfortunately, the photo does not do justice to the scale.

Church Interior
Zipaquirá, near Bogotá.

Zipaquirá Plaza
A day trip from Bogotá.

One of the best things about couchsurfing is the opportunity to gain local knowledge, inside tips, and even be taken to places that you would never get to when passing through as a traveller.

With Isa and Guillermo
Isabel is our Bogotá couchsurfing host, and Guillermo is her novio.

Night View Over Bogotá

Oh, and those 12 grapes and whiskey? New Years Eve with a Colombian family is going to be different to New Years Eve in Australia. Knowing that we were invited to spend the night with Isabel and her family, and not knowing the way things normally happen, we decided it would be important to not fill up. Parties always have food, and if there is no dinner, we can probably fill up on nibbles, verdad? When we arrived, we could smell delicious odours from the kitchen. We were introduced to the extended family and friends in attendance, and spent some time chatting. But no food. Drinks were offered - whiskey or a soft drink. After a couple of whiskies on our empty stomachs, we both felt we better not drink more before food, otherwise our Spanish would get better, but only for the two of us... Hours later, we counted in the New Year, still with stomachs containing nothing but whiskey, and yet with delicious aromas coming from the kitchen. But, at midnight, there was something that had to be eaten first. A dozen grapes. Nobody told us the significance, but we were just told it was traditional. And then, minutes later, the food began coming out of the kitchen. And what an amazing feast we had. A traditional Colombian stew, to which one could add from a range of bowls. Chicken, corn, avocado, cream, capers. I skipped the capers. It was a wonderfully memorable New Years Eve.

When My Baby Smiles at Me I Go To ...

20 to 28 December, 2011 – Rio de Janeiro (Brasil)

Did you here about the uproar, the commotion in São Paolo airport, caused by an Australian fellow? Surely, it was so dramatic, it must have made the news! It seems that he had a tomato in his bag. Oh, he did declare it. Left overs from a picnic. Fearful of losing the lot on arrival, he ate the salami and cheese, but the lesser valued tomato was not worth consuming. However, not wanting to waste it, the said tomato made it on the declaration rather than the bin. "No, no, no!" exclaimed the custom's officer. Dramatically, he carried it, outstretched, as if it was biohazard waste. "You cannot bring in a tomato!" This was exclaimed so loudly that almost everyone in the customs hall turned to see what was going on. "No tomatoes allowed!", he re-iterated. Surely this international scandal was on the Australian news?

As to our Rio accommodation, it's not a story worth sharing, but the end result is. We had booked an apartment in Rio to share with Lisa and Andrew, as well as Kristy who ended up being on the same flight out of Paraguay. Due to a number of circumstances, and after a bit of negotiation, we upgraded to the penthouse. There was a lot more than the beautiful view. Spa, balcony, barbecue, rooftop terrace, and a sauna, which none of us had any intention of using, given Rio's climate. The main view included nearby Pao de Acucar, with its distinctive shape and cable cars to the top, and all the way to the other side of the huge bay, with mountains in the distance. We could watch the cruise ships sail out of Rio, and the planes making their final turn and approach to land at Rio's second airport. From the rooftop, the view was even wider, including the yacht club and beach, and even the statue of Christ the Redeemer looking down, (although you did need to stand and look the other direction to include that in the vista). The way it all happened, there was little doubt about us feeling very blessed.

Lisa and Andrew have been living in nearby (well, sort of) Belo Horizonte. They have been doing mission work, and volunteer to work in areas of children at risk. Brazil has a significant problem with child exploitation and this is a challenging and intense calling for them. Them joining us in Rio was a way to have a small break from it all, as well as a chance for us all to spend Christmas with people from home.

Rio weather is supposed to be quite variable at this time, with a fair amount of rainfall. So, when we awoke to clear skies, we decided that our first day should include ascending Mount Sugarloaf, or more correctly, Pao de Acucar. After all, we see it every time we look out from our penthouse ;)

View Over Rio from Pao de Acucar
After two cable cars - sunset approaching.

Big Jesus Watching Over Rio

Sunset

Sunset Over Rio
Using sunglasses as a makeshift filter during sunset, from Pao de Acucar.

The next day, we hit centro. A wander through the main squares and streets of "downtown" Rio.

Catedral Metropolitana
Stained glass in Rio's Catedral Metropolitana.

St Francis
Silhouette in Catedral Metropolitana.

Sunlight Through the Dome
Igreja de Nossa Senhora de Candelaria, Rio de Janeiro.

Art Nouveau Afternoon Tea
Confeitaria Colombo, Rio.

On our third day straight of beautiful weather, we went up to visit Christ the Redeemer, Cristo Redentor, or Big Jesus as we started calling him. "How can I get to Christ the Redeemer?" someone asked on an internet page. One reply, "Do you mean the STATUE of Christ the Redeemer, or Christ the Redeemer. I can tell you either, but one answer may make you uncomfortable."

Riding the Cog Railway
Ascending to Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro.

Jesus Close-up
Christ the Redeemer, watching over all of Rio.

Cristo Redentor, and Us
It was a long wait to get a photo with so few others in it.

Things got nasty on the way back to town. Preparing to get off a crowded bus, we all had to squeeze through. After begrudgingly letting the other 4 past, one older guy decided he was going to make some sort of point. He refused to squeeze in that last bit to allow me past - in fact, I think he was pushing out. He pointed at some others to make room, but they were all doing their best to make a path through. I requested that he make space so I could pass, but he started yelling something in Portuguese, but included the word Brazil a few times. I finally just ploughed past him, to ensure I didn't miss the stop. Later, we made up our own interpretations. "When you come to Brazil, learn to use the bus." "Busses in Brazil should not allow foreigners on board." "When you sit on a bus in Brazil, you have to stay on till the end of the line." Certainly one of the few times ever we have encountered someone who will actively try and be nasty or rude.

Lisa and Andrew Introduced Us to Frozen Acai
It's sort-of like a slurpee, and it's a great way to cool off after pounding the streets in high 30's. Almost every snack bar sells it.

Preferential Seating for "Obesos"....
"Sorry, you can't sit here, you're just fat, not obese!"

An encounter with crime on our trip to the beach. The girls decided to swim at a different part of the beach, leaving Andrew and I to keep an eye on our things. Kristy kept an eye on her towel, which she had folded on the sand. With good reason, as it turned out. They had not been in the water long when a man walked up to the towel, looked around, and he proceeded to purloin said towel. He then went to a beach chair, draped it over, and then lay on it. By now, Kristy was charging up the beach. She confronted him with an accusation about the towel being hers. He mumbled an apology, and sheepishly handed it over. The nerve!

Rio Sunset
We watched sunset from Ponto do Arpoador.

Lisa and Andrew
At Devil's Beach, Praia do Diabo.

Santa Takes the Metro
Christmas Eve, after spending a day on the beach, we encountered Santa taking the Metro. We still think that donning such an outfit is just so he can go up to random women and give them a hug.

Did you know that Rio is famous for its giant floating Christmas tree? The "lighting of the tree" ceremony even makes the Australian news (as opposed to tomato carrying visitors).

Cute Brazilian Nativity
Donkey drinking from a coconut, with sunscreen, and an "ola". Even the gifts of the wise men have been interpreted slightly.

Giant Floating Christmas Tree
Lago Rodrigo de Freitas, Rio de Janeiro.

Christmas day was beautiful. It was so special to share an overseas Christmas with friends from home. Sometimes, Christmas on the road can feel a bit flat. But not this year! We didn't even leave the apartment!

Two Men, a Barbecue, and a Fish
Sounds like a great name for a new sitcom, hey. For Christmas lunch, we fired up the barbecue. Hot coals, and sea salt. The fish was beautiful.

A Magnificent Christmas Feast
Barbecued fish, chicken, steak, and prawns, potatoes, pumpkin, beans, carrots, snowpeas, and a great dish Kristy whipped up with tomato and onion and breadcrumbs. I still may have missed something? Merry Christmas.

Working Off Our Christmas Meal
A workout in the spa after lunch, with coffee and cake.

Current Travels

Gorditos y Casas con Colores

A Dozen Grapes and Some Whiskey

When My Baby Smiles at Me I Go To ...