Notes

A) I believe if you subscribe through email you get the first draft not the final, it's not a terrible tool - but I have a tendency to upload photos separate from text because it publishes faster, so you may occasionally have to read the archives for the full posts.

B) As you can probably tell by now, iphone and iPad versions of blogger don't have the same editing functions so fonts, script sizes and colors are less available... Until I find out how to do that.

Similarly on a computer you can easily embed videos from YouTube but I haven't figured out how on here yet.. So sometimes it will be links. 

C) but.... Now that I'm traveling there are some real pictures. So we got that goin for us.   

Any suggestions for topics?  Otherwise it will likely be a lot of this for 6 months

"Today I went to a museum, caught a bus, fumbled through a conversation. Here are pictures of said things." 

3 Firsts and a lovely surprise repeat

 

1) Today I met up with a friend of a friend and climbed Monserrate pictured from below here.

The steep climb had been recommended by family and friends so I felt like I couldn't wimp out and take the cablecar...   Normally it takes about 50 mins to 1.5 hours to walk up but because we were having a lovely conversation and I was completely out of breath every 50 feet or so it took us a little longer to climb the 1500 or so steps.

The view from the top was incredible - the cameras just can't do it justice.

That is part of bogota.  The city is a massive that it takes up the whole view from one side if the mountain.  That tiny dark skyscraper in the center is about 50 stories tall.

At the top of the mountain is a church - which is the reason that some people do the steps as a pilgrimage - including barefoot or on their knees.  I was having trouble walking normally so you can imagine it's be pretty difficult.

It is Sunday so of course the church was full of people.

We ate lunch and continued chatting then went to see the view from the other side.

On this side they also had stations of the cross por exemplo 

The walk down was a lot easier but really hard on the leg muscles. 

2) After the mountain I was determined to  find something that would be a bit more chill.  As I was walking through La Candelaria (the older part of town where all the tourist stuff is) I passed the cultural center and noticed they had a Dali exhibition of the drawings/paintings of dali's interpretation of Dante's Divine Comedy and Inferno.  As I was walking through the awe inspiring images I started feeling like I had seen them before somewhere on a previous trip. I am not certain but I am pretty sure I saw this same exhibition years ago in the Czech Republic. Anyway I encourage you to look up the full series but here are a few: 

3) As I approaches Plaza Bolivar I was thinking about my experience yesterday of feeling not included... The whole country partied yesterday while wearing Yellow jersies and crazy hats... But as I got closer to the square I heard drums and saw lots of police (usually that means something interesting is happening).  

Turns out Colombia was celebrating PRIDE today along with many other cities in the world. 

The most amazing part for me was the recognition that like the day before the square was packed and the streets were crowded with parade goers/bystanders. 

It seemed to me that the numbers were easily as massive as the day before for the futbol game.  

Only now all colors and people were celebrated. 

Colombia has had civil unions and common law marriage rights for several years. The crowd all ages, races, classes, sexualities  was a beautiful mix of humanity. 

4) on Sundays in Bogota some of the main avenues are shut off to traffic and opened to pedestrians and bikers. It's called ciclovia and it is pretty awesome because along with the pride parade there was also just a ton of people out enjoying the city.  One of the avenues I took to get  back to the hostel  was shut off, and it was kind of like a carnival. People selling food and goods, street performers, games(gambling and chess), skate boarders, bikers and all sorts of fun.  I got some cotton candy for 50 cents.  And of course GUINEA PIG RACES!    You heard me right. I can't tell you the translation but the line up the guinea pigs and let people (mostly kids) bet on which home the guinea pig will run to. It's really about the hype and the wait and the eventual cuteness that makes it so fantastic.

And yes I did get one on video but you will have to wait for that treasure or just look it up on youtubes.  

And with that I am going to get my sunburned face some refreshment.

Leave a comment on which guinea pig you'd choose. 

Day trip to zipaquira and the salt cathedral

Mike outside with the miner

The Diocesan cathedral - I accidentally walked in on a funeral.

The town from a different look out point

The entrance to the mine

Well lit salt tunnel 

One of the stations of the cross

Today I took a day trip from bogota to a town near by called zipaquira.  The trip included two trips on the transmilenio (about a dollar each way) which I'm starting to figure out as well as some small intercity buses that you jump on if it's going your way and pay when you've gotten on the way (about 2 bucks each way for a 45-1 hour trip).

Zipaquira is a smallish mining town, famous for their salt mine, which has been mined continuously for centuries and was used  by the indigenous culture before the Spanish conquest as an important trade good that kept them powerful.

The draw for tourists and the devout is the salt cathedral inside the mine complex. According to the video the church has been there in some form for at least a hundred years but really it was reconstructed in its current form about 20 years ago (I think). The tour was entirely in Spanish so I was left to figure stuff out in my own.  

The first chambers were stations of the cross followed by different views of the chapel and sanctuary spaces from above then down into the various congregational areas. 

The rooms were all carved out of the areas previously mined. Much of the rock has been shaped into something that resembles rooms. The crosses for the most part were either carved out and rearranged(I assumed) or made from marble that I assume was from a different site.  At different points during the tour you smell heavy mineral smells but overall it smells like moistened rock salt (like any cave really).  You can't help but feel a little claustrophobic because you are moving up and down through the system and the air isn't so great. Still for the most part the tunnels are rather large and illuminated by sweet colored lights that make the whole place feel awesome.

At the end of the tour you can shop or watch the sweet 3d video (which finally has an explanation in English).  This is where I got the majority of the info I am sharing with you.

The salt "cathedral" (which is not technically a cathedral) is a fun adventurous spot that they have marketed as Colombias first world wonder. 

On the outside of the mine after I had recovered from feeling winded in the mine,  I heard Andian pipes playing "the sounds of silence" and "is this love" the bob marley song, so... Definitely a tourist spot.  

But one thing I have noticed so far is that the majority of the tourist spots I've been to have been visited by Colombians (and other Spanish speakers).  Which makes it feel less cheesy.

Anyway I walked around the rest of the town a bit, they had some cool plazas and another cathedral that was having a funeray service when I went in... Felt a little odd so I didn't take pictures but it had a beautiful red  and gray brick interior. Look up diocesan cathedral of zipaquira images...

Anyway it was the hottest day so far in Colombia so I was ready to fall asleep on the bus on the way back... But it was packed.  

 

Art

Hoy a visito los museos nacional y del oro, tambien el collecion de las artistas, incluyendo Botero y Obregon. Aqui estan algunas picturas me gusto:   

Exhibit of the people of Colombia

First Impressions

Before I begin, please understand that this is entirely based on my experience and obviously opinions change given new input. Also I woke up before 3 am, and though I did sleep on the plane, it wasn't necessarily a satisfying nap. 

Spirit Airlines

      Spirit has the reputation of being the worst airline operating out of the US.  They do all the normal things a budget airline does: charge you extra for bags, skimp on the amenities (the chairs don't recline, food items are bought individually) etc. They even do the odd hours thing that other budget airlines do, my flight for instance was at 6AM checkin had to be before 5AM and with a company known for weighing out all of your items... well I decided I needed to be there before 4. Luckily enough I had a great friend who was willing to drive me at that ungodly hour. So my first 15 minutes in line were what i expected, the line barely moved and I watched person after person removing and throwing away or rearranging bag s to fit the weight requirements. A woman took all of her shoes out of her bag and presumably put them in her purse. A working man removed tools from his bag and threw them away, there goes the heavy wrenches...

But when it came to me, Spirit airlines didn't have a thing to worry about. they checked me through without hesitation because I wasn't carrying much and had no bags to check. Security without a hitch and suddenly I am in the Dallas Airport watching people pack the lines for Starbucks. 

 My first flight was full of characters and cheer. A group of us joked about trying to get every passenger to take  a selfie at the same time, a guy in my row ignored the rules about using network devices andsnap-chatted  with his friend. a girl in our row spent the entire time in the bathroom pretending she really had to go...

I was nervous about the time between my flights but upon exiting and fully prepared to run to my next gate I realized it was 50 feet  ahead and the line of us exiting naturally flowed into the line to enter. 

The small section of the airport had 3 flights going to Columbia and one going to Mexico so almost instantly everything turned to spanish.

The flight went well and I landed in Bogota, got stamped and approved and exchanged some money at the cambio.  The money exchangers follow very strict guidelines where each individual order has be approved and seen by multiple people so no one can steal. They also ask for all of your info and a finger print.  It was at this point I started wondering what next?

My original plan had been to take the Transmilenial a mass bus system but I didn't have a clue where to catch it. I asked the guy at the information desk and he told me which exit but nothing further... the mass transit network is way more complex than I understood, and so when I was about to get on the wrong bus a young couple stopped me and asked where I was heading. I said downtown (which wasn't actually true) and they committed to helping me get where I needed to go. 

I found out that the man had recently returned from LA where he was doing research. The woman returned from Argentina.   They hadn't been in the city for a few years so they were figuring it all out too. We took what the man translated as a "feeder" bus to one of the main stations where with help of another man I bought a ticket. Once on board we met two women who didn't seem to be hanging out but were seated next to each other. The Venezuelan woman told me about her time in CA and helped me practice some spanish. The Colombian woman from Cali took me all the way to the hostel (potentially 15-20 minutes out of her way) and as she spoke very little english and I spoke very little spanish we fumbled our way through directions -trying to understand one another. When we got to the hostel she asked the lady who works here for a cup of water and then wished me a pleasant rest of the trip.

So first impressions?

In  all my travels I have never been helped so readily by so many people. Normally you get a few "good luck" looks and then eventually you find your way... but these folks went so far out of their way I felt like I should have been paying them to be my tour guide. 

Other first impressions. 

Bogota is huge, at first it doesn't look like much, but then you look down a street  and see 5 different architectural styles all pishposhed into a beautiful medley. Same with the people, all colors, shapes and sizes, but when you look down the street the crowd collectively looks beautiful and just right.

I am attracted to the murals and graffiti, the architecture styles and the lively lively streets. I don't feel comfortable enough yet to pull out my phone and snap pictures (labeling myself as a tourist), but as I was walking around the neighborhood I saw two english schools and decided to go ask about hiring practices at one... so apparently I am feeling pretty happy.

Maybe I have met my people-they love sweets here! I can't walk a block without running into a vendor selling candy and snacks. Helado (icecream ) crepes, waffles, fruit, pastries, smoothies, donuts everywhere!

The hostel I am staying at has free salsa lessons tonight. I tried for about 5 minutes but couldn't get the rhythm in my tired tired state of mind and body.  

I'm thinking tomorrow museums and a long walk. Maybe I will try to figure out the transmilenial again.

Hope you are well!

sweet food I had in Dallas

Went to the Bush Library and Museum. World Class Propaganda if you aren't in the know. 

 

New Beginnings, Saying Goodbye and Closure

Hello Mike 

Here is a part of your daily horoscope for the Sun, 22 Jun 2014 : 

Your chances of the day You are at a turning point in your life and you will have to make decisions wisely. You will have the good luck to realize some ambitious plans that you have had in mind for such a long time. You will have the success you deserve.

Tomorrow I leave on the first leg of my trip. I will hopefully be in Dallas by mid-morning -visiting with one of my best friends who has been living down there for the last year. We decided that we will be living it up and doing all of the tourist things such as the JFK 6th Floor Museum and the Bush Library  and as a history and political nerd, I am sure I will love them both (though maybe not equally). 

That means in just a few days I will be flying into Bogota, Columbia and starting an adventure without a whole lot of details.  As I have mentioned in previous posts my return ticket says December, but I am hoping to see a great deal of places and intending to invest in a community(likely as a teacher) before I come home... so that 6 months could be more like a year or two. 

This has meant a lot of goodbyes, and a lot of effort in the last few months to prepare. If people have any interest in the preparation let me know in the comments and I will write about it later.

As the time of my trip has approached I have had a great deal of questions from folks, and also a lot of time to think about the purpose of the trip and the reasons behind my travel. 
I have been planning this trip for several years and on the eve of the adventure, it feels right. I am excited and hopeful and positive. 
That being said, all of this time to think has also left me with time to worry about all the things that could go wrong. This morning for instance I slipped in the shower, and had I not caught myself I am sure I would have broken a bone or two...  what would have happened to my trip then? Its easy to look for the things that could go wrong, to live out of fear (see last post) but of course that is no way to live. So tomorrow new beginnings.




Saying Goodbye
Before that though I'd like to acknowledge that I could not have done any of this without a lot of you. I know this is a public blog and there may be people reading who don't really know me, but this part of the post is for those who have my heart. Its still yours, even if it is another country. 
See video (updated later)
http://youtu.be/sI6bPMOd_mQ.  
Closure
Morbidly I have thought recently that if some tragedy occurred and I died in the near future... then at least things would have been wrapped up politely (done with work, finances in order, stuff all packed, goodbyes made).  I have no intention of dying, but the idea of closure is obviously something that brings people a lot of solace. As I may have mentioned in the video, I don't really like the idea of closure with people...because I definitely don't think of this as an end to things.

 I am not great at long distance relationships, but when people who are close to me move in and out of my life, I always assume I will see them again and when we do everything will be fine.  It has worked so far, so I assume I will see all of you again soon.

But there is a level of closure I have been facing lately. I donated and threw away a lot of my stuff. I quit my job and became unemployed on purpose (OMG!)  I have said goodbye to a lot of people I really love.  And in doing all of this I have come to a realization that I do want some level of closure on older parts of my life. I want to say goodbye to the side of me that felt stuck -and created expectations and routines that kept me that way.  I want closure with the side of me that didn't think I could do crazy cool things.  I want closure with the parts of myself that always felt exhausted and drained.

When I return, I want to see the people I love.  I want to be a part of their lives, and create community. I want to express myself creatively more often -through art, or writing or performance. I want to speak Spanish. I want a new job that is just as fulfilling as the last. I want balance and appreciation in my life... I am pretty sure this trip will help me figure some of that out... even though temporarily it takes me away.



P.S.  And because this post took the whole night to make (video included)

Here is a part of your daily horoscope for the Mon, 23 Jun 2014 :

Your health today

You need new energy to be in your best health. Fresh ideas about everything are cropping up in your head. Follow your inspiration. Let it guide you to new adventures. You are in sound health, so get out there and make new discoveries.

On Travel Fears and Xenophobia

There are numerous different fears I have faced while traveling in the past and have been experiencing in preparation for this trip.

The following are some that I have identified.

 

Xenophobia: The irrational fear of that which is foreign or unfamiliar. 

 

This one is hard to avoid. Every new experience can sometimes cause a defensive reaction, and when traveling you are constantly being bombarded with these new experiences. Culture shock is a sort of mild form of travel xenophobia, but I have met people who become absolutely disgusted and judgmental of the places they are traveling. This tends to happen especially when their fear of the unknown is paired with a traumatic experience such as an assault, robbery or sickness.  

For people who haven't been outside their home land, things like the inability to communicate, seeing a different language written and new smells can be overwhelming in themselves. New foods and simple things like architecture can create a feeling that you don't know what is what and really throw off your sense of security. Sometimes entering a city at night can trigger this feeling. Interactions with authority (where there is a power imbalance) such as border guards or police officers can certainly trigger the feeling. 

My experience has been that when I am entering a new place, I often feel a sense of unease. I haven't figured out the map yet (the lay out), or where I am staying, or where to get what I need. After traveling for a while I tend grow accustomed to this feeling and the time it takes to decrease the unease lessens.  On many trips within just a few hours I can completely put away the distress. In places I have been multiple times (London for instance), I almost feel no distress at all. The last time I was there the customs agent questioned why I wasn't prepared to travel (I had no cash on me)... I simply had no fear at all that things wouldn't work out.

On the other hand, places with distinctly different cultural values, can be incredibly challenging.  For me, growing up in Minnesota I have never had to deal with haggling, or people trying to rip me off when I am purchasing goods.  But in several places around the world, the deal you agree to is the one you deserve. In many of these places it also gives merchants permission to pester you with offers. 

In the first 15 minutes I was in Morocco I was tricked into a sort of relationship with a man who offered to guide me around the city. He lied to me about places to stay, places to eat, he tried to get me to use the ATM while he was around. He basically was not a good guy... but in his mind he was doing me a service, and at the end of the day he demanded payment (with the threat of violence). Despite misrepresenting himself (he told me he worked for the Tourism Ministry) he had also said repeatedly that he wouldn't need payment -he said this because I had told him many times that I had no money to pay him. After being exposed and made vulnerable by this man. I felt a strong desire to leave Morocco all together. I felt disgusted at the way I had been treated, at the lies, at the values behind them. It took me several hours to push the anger and fear away and instead decide to find a reason to love Morocco.  I added days to my trip there. By the end of the journey I met people who were incredibly giving, friendly and wanted to ensure travelers had good experiences in their country. 
Obviously I know my safety needs and intuition are important to respond to, but I have also recognized that the feeling of fear -in terms of the unknown, is not a permanent roadblock.  Its a fear of the unknown... until you get to know more. I choose to get to know more.

So this leads us to the rational fears.

 

Crime, Illness/health issues, getting swept up in the things you don't understand (like conflict, and sports riots). 

 

  Crime

 

I fear the crazy news reports of kidnappings and murders, and the guide book warnings (though well meaning) that talk about bus hijackings and mugging of tourists.  
These are the kinds of fears that will drive you nuts and keep you from good travel. 
A couple of good rationalizations though: 
Crime in these countries is often on par with the US and just like in the US, it tends to affect people disproportionately, so if you keep your head up and stay aware of your surroundings and don't put yourself in a position where you might be in danger... you'll be in less danger.  Less danger because there is no way to avoid crime altogether (except by moving to Iceland).  There is danger in being a tourist... but other than my health and pictures, my stuff will be replaceable. 
So I am planning on staying healthy and perhaps replacing things. 

Health

 

Well similarly to the crime thing, there are certain tropical diseases and random things that can happen. There isn't a whole lot you can do to avoid them, other than what you would already assume... wear sunscreen, wear bugspray, have a net. Keep your feet healthy. Eat stuff that can be washed, or peeled. Don't eat street foods or drink the water... and all of this I will do within my normal reasonable limits. I mean already wash my hands more than anyone I know. 
That being said...
A few years ago I had my biggest travel disaster I have ever had. I have lost money, been threatened, had stuff stolen, gotten sick, gotten lost etc in previous trips... but this was different because it ended my trip. I was on a beautiful lake in the mountains of Guatemala. I was having a blast and forgot to put on sunscreen, and the tropical sun mixed with my white white skin... into sun poisoning and the worst blisters the doctor had ever seen.  Things ended ok... but I am reluctant to even bring shorts on this trip. And YES I WILL WEAR SUN SCREEN. 

I also have travel medical insurance, and some of these places have really wonderful healthcare in the major cities. For instance Bogota where I will start my journey is quickly becoming a travel dentistry destination, so maybe I get some new teeth while I am there. Columbia, Venezuela, Brazil and Argentina are all well known for their cosmetic surgery... so you know I am going to come back as a whole new Mike.

The things you don't understand can hurt you.

 

I have been fortunate enough to not have really dealt with this directly, but a few years ago I was in Belgrade Serbia and wondered why everyone was so rude to me... I somehow forgot that we had been bombing this very city for several of the recent years.  I woke up to the fact when I saw wreckage of an American bomber and the pilot's uniform in the military museum. I think in my head I was not representing my country, but in the minds of the people there I certainly was.

Packs of dogs roam the streets of Bucharest and attacked a tourist a few months before I went there. In the night I could hear the dogs roaming the streets I had just been walking around.

I have been to several places that were bombed by anti-government forces.

In my own city I have seen sports riots overturn cars and start fires. In other countries I have seen riots and protests that got ugly... in some ways these thrilling events can get out of hand before you realize it.

It is also important to connect the dots between things like crime/conflict and economic issues. Its true I have seen desperately poor people who didn't resort to ripping off tourists or worse, but as I shared earlier I have been ripped off and threatened.  One of the important things for me to recognize with the situation in Morocco (whether it directly affected that man or not) was that the country at the time was dealing with its own economic, political and climate issues. There had been a drought the previous few years. There had been less economic activity (war on terror). The Government was enacting new policies because of the US war on terror. The country was going through changes that had destabilized people's lives and when people do not feel stable, or don't see opportunity to create stability crime can be a result. 

There is also fear of things like car accidents and natural disasters that you just cant predict. 

It is hard to prepare for these types of situations other than to try to educate yourself on the possibilities and listen to the warnings from the embassy.  Because of the previously mentioned items... I am staying away from Brazil until well after the World Cup. I am also probably not going to Venezuela (due to economic issues facing the country). I will not take the overnight bus from Columbia to Ecuador. I will try to avoid drunk drivers and situations that could be bad for my health or safety... but all of these fears are just normal fears in life.

I know people safe in their homes in Minneapolis who worry about being robbed when they go out at night, worry about losing their job, worry about getting ill. When traveling some of these worries get escalated into a sort of panic level, but for the most part people every where have the same basic fears.

So to close I'd like to share the fears that I will probably face the most.

Loneliness, self consciousness and doubt.

These are the real things I've found that can devastate a trip.  In the words of the Hold Steady "You've gotta stay positive." I will probably write/vlog about how I stay positive in another post.

And lastly... fear of being away from home.  I won't go into detail, but I think one of my biggest fears is that something happens at home and I am not here to help.   

So take care of yourselves and I will too. 


Always feel free to say hi, ask questions, give feedback or suggestions in the comments below.