Miraflores, Lima Peru

Many people stay in Miraflores when they are visiting Lima because it's a safe cool suburb of the city. I walked around a bit and didn't think too much of it except it was very easy to get around and there were tons of places to eat and hang out. It wasn't until the 3rd or 4th day there that I explored a bit more and decided to check out the coast. I couldn't believe how beautiful it was! I took tons of pictures but here are a couple that show off the amazing waterfront in Lima.

I stayed at Loki Hostel Lima which is infamous for being a roudy party hostel. These kinds of hostels seem to be a good fit for me for a few different reasons. One, it's near to impossible to meet people in your average quiet hostel. Everyone wants to be with their friend, boyfriend, girlfriend whatever and don't really care to meet others. Meeting others, however, is a means of survival for me. So a place where people will talk to you and just strike up a conversation for no good reason is definitely the right fit for me (well at least for now). Two, I still, at age 27, can party. Some work friends frequently make fun of me for this but after 8 years of going out late and being with friends, I'm still not sick of it one bit. So yes, these party hostel types are definitely the way to go as of now.

Loki Lima does its best to make sure you spend tons of money. Their biggest ploy - happy hour two for one. This rivals even the best of happy hours in NY because the drinks are cheap anyway (beers are 3 dollars but are about the size of two beers). Sam, a friend from Scotland, is shown below taking advantage of the two for one happy hour. My beers are in front.

I just arrived in Cusco yesterday and will write soon about this incredible city. I will make sure to report on Lima when I return in a week and hopefully will see more of the city (if I can get away from the happy hour).

Much love,

Mags

Bogota, Colombia

I only stayed in Bogota a few days and good thing because it was really really cold. Bogota seems to be a place that would be cool if a) you had a local show you around or b) spoke Spanish - any Spanish. I had neither a local nor can speak a word of Spanish so I wasn't so fond of the city.

On the way into the city the cab driver got incredibly lost and he and I couldn't communicate at all. He refused to look at my map and address and then called an English speaking friend for help. We finally realized the issue (at the taxi stand they wrote down the wrong address) and he told me he'd drive me to the correct address. After an hour and a half in the cab stuck in traffic his car broke down. Yes, in the middle of the street the car just wouldn't start. The dude seemed lighthearted about the situation, laughing it off and we were pushed into a parking lot. I took out my map to figure out my next move and if I could walk it with my pack to the hostal. He quickly told me in Spanish (from what I could make out) "don't go anywhere". Then another guy jumped into the coversation and showed me someone trying to take my bag. Nice - stuck in a neighborhood where someone will take my bag with my backback and again, no Spanish. So I decided to stay and wait for another cab which he assured me was on the way. After waiting about 10 minutes the guy tried starting up the car again and sure enough, vroooom. Whew. Once we arrived at my hostal he decided to charge me 4 times the amount requested on my original taxi slip. I gave him half that and walked away.

I didn't even take any pictures! What I can tell you, though, is that it is set right up against the mountains and was dark and rainy. Normally I'd dig this kind of city but I wasn't feeling not being able to navigate the city at all. I did check out the gold museum which was very cool. Out of the two gold museums I've been to (one in Cartagena, one in Bogota) this one was far superior.

I now have to say goodbye to Colombia. I absolutely loved the country (regardless of what I said about Bogota). Every part of the country was extremely beautiful and I was so impressed with the lack of tourists (well, white tourists) around. Colombian people are beautiful, particularly the women, and are generally very nice and welcoming. Also, their dancing skills are unreal. When couples dance together their bodies look like one and they move at exactly the same time. It's not overly "masculine" or "feminine" just something inbetween.

Now off to PERU!!

Cartagena, Colombia

I had some not so subtle hints lately that I must add to the blog, agreed! It's been difficult to add my photos in Colombia but after a good hour of uploading I'm ready! Also, the keyboard is a bit funky so please excuse all the grammatical errors.

Cartagena was wonderful. The city is absolutely amazing and there was tons to do there. When I arrived in Bogota on Wednesday I immediately knew I didn't want to stay there for long. I marched up to the ticket counter and bought a roundtrip flight to Cartagena. It was expensive and impulsive but I don't care one bit. It was absolutely worth it and proves that you should always follow your intuition.

Cartagena is on the coast and surounded by walls that once protected the city from pirates. I love pirates and loved the city. One of the first thing I noticed in Cartagena is that there are very few American or white tourists. Most of the city is filled with tourists from Colombia and Argentina.

The first day, as all first days, was extremely slow. It was almost 93 degrees outside and the heat made city exploration really hard. I tried to leave the hostal every couple of hours, see the sights and then come back for a shower and nap.

I met people right away in Cartagena and one of the first activities I did was go on this bus tour that fills you with rum and coke (cubalibre) and then drops you off at a club. I went with a bunch of people from the hostal including hilarious British dudes and two Irish couples. In the back of the bus they have a band playing the whole time so you dance and drink until you get to the club. One of my favorite things about Colombian clubs is that they always play Colombian or Spanish speaking music. Only once did I hear the intro to I Got a Feelin before it quickly being mixed into a Colombian beat. The night was a blast and I met some really great people.

A few highlights

Drinking at Cafe del Mar and sitting right on the water

Going to the mud volcano (truly one of the weirdest tourest attractions of all time). They plop you into a mud bath and you rub it all over your skin. This picture is of me and two other solo travelers - Ryan from the US and Caroline from France.

After a week in Cartagena I'm now in Bogota. I'm not a huge fan as of now but we'll see. Post to come soon before heading off to Lima, Peru!!

Much love!!

Pre trip thoughts (skip if you don't like the cheese)

I'm a couple days away from departure and before I head out I'll share some thoughts and reflections about the time leading up to the trip . . .

* It's been one heck of a summer/early fall! Since May I have moved out of my, sold all my furniture, hauled my crap around the city six times, subletted two short term rooms, quit an awesome job, traveled to NH, Boston, Maryland and Colorado. I mostly decided my trip dates when wedding season would be over. Jen and Jess kicked off the festivities in May with a downtown Manhattan wedding with a killer dance party; Casey and Nes tied the knot in a gorgeous seacoast NH setting; Kathleen and Taylor got hitched in Maryland in September in one of the most picturesque spots I've ever seen; Dave and Ari had the sunset fall at their Massachusetts wedding exactly when they were pronounced husband and wife and Dinuka and Sarah had the most perfect balance of fun and elegance in Denver. People ask me all the time about the siblings getting married off, how I feel, am I sick of all the weddings yet, etc. The answer is absolutely not. Each wedding was beautiful, heartfelt and real. I'm just so happy I could be a part of them. As far as the siblings go, I couldn't be happier for each one of them to find the person they want to spend the rest of their lives with . . . I also consider myself lucky to have such amazing new (official) additions to the family. (And I will have the cutest little nieces and nephews, just sayin).

* Another pre departure reflection point: I have incredible friends and family. I've been talking about this trip forever. My mom and I chatted this week about how difficult it is to find the origins of the idea since I've always said I was one day going to travel around the world. All of my friends and family have had to listen to me all these years about leaving and traveling even before I saved a cent. I am so appreciative of the many ways people have helped me form my plan and help me prepare. Whether you helped me move six times this summer, helped me book my flights, hooked me up with people living in the countries I'm visiting/travelers, listened to my rants, came to have a farewell drink with me or let me leave my job and work home for the past year with one of the most thoughtful send off of all time - thank you. I'm consistently motivated by every one's encouragement and it means everything to me to have such generous, helpful and caring people in my life.

So that's enough of the mush. Have no fear the blog won't be all feelings and no fun.

I'm just about off to destroy my ecological footprint by taking a million flights in 9.5 months. I'll do my best to post one last time before Colombia so that I can share my packing list/tips.