I am so high right now... higher than anywhere in the continental US

So I am pretty high right now, way higher than anyone in the continental U.S., and have been for a week or so. I am currently in Potosi, the highest city in the world, I dont remember its exact elevation but I think its over 4600 meters, which is ridiculously high... well over 15,000 ft. Its crazy though, I have not had any alititude sickness since coming to Bolivia. Sure its hard to walk up and down hills, especially with a back pack, and yes I get random head-aches at times, but then you just pop some coca leaves in your mouth with a licorice alkaloid and ZAM!!!! No altitude sickness, its pretty nice. I just got back from a three day tour of the Bolivian Salt Flats which were amazing, but actually reminded me of Death Valley and Southeastern California excpet uplifted 4000 meters. So stunning, I have to make this short cause I have dinner plans soon, but we saw an Emu, fox, crazy rabbit-like-thingy that looked like it was from another planet, lots of Flamingos, tons of Llama and Alpacas, and some amazing landscapes. I will try to post up pictures because words cannot describe the eerie beauty of the landscape. There were also tons of rock outcrops that we bouldered on that reminded me of the southwest. Actually Bolivia, thus far, reminds me a lot of the Southwest US. It is shocking really, find myself feeling at home here, especially becuase the people look and act a lot like Nepalis. This is a good thing though, becuase starting Monday I am going to volunteer with an organization called Condor Trekkers that leads trips in the Andes and gives allthe proceeds to street kids that we train to be guides. I cant express how excited I am to be settling down for a month or two and volunteering. Its nice to travel but I miss feeling productive and having a sense of community. I am not too sure how well I will do trekking at altitude though, its much harder than one would think. But I have been adapting reasonably well thus far. Ok off to dinner.

"Coca Si, Cocaine No!"

So I am in La Paz, Bolivia and I whole-heartedly agree with the Bolivian President when he said, "Coca Si, Cocaine No!" Coca is an absolutley amazing wonder plant that helps with altitude sickness and revitalizes the body and soul, but after watching the epic benders that have been going on here in the hostel, I would have to say no to cocaine. I was at the Coca Museum today and there is an indigenous poem about the healing properties of coca and how it is medicine and magic in the hands of the natives, but drives the white devils mad. Pretty true in my experience. La Paz, and my hostel, is swimming in Cocaine. Its so cheap here, less than 10 dollars a gram that people do it pretty constantly and some of my mates stayed up for two days in a row on a bender. There is even a bar called Route 36, which is a secret after hours coke den that is only for Gringos, that serves grams right to your table. I went with a few friends two nights ago after dancing, just to check out the scene. It is an old renovated hours with blankets over the windows, lots of couches, but an over chill scene with good beats. The funny thing is that the waiters expect that if you go there you are going to buy coke. But supposively the coke is shit there and laced with speed so we obviously did not want to buy, and you should have seen the look on the waiters face when we told him we did not want any coke. At first I think he thought we were just having trouble deciding how much we wanted, but after a bit it finally dawned on him that we were not going to buy any coke and he gave us one of the dirtiest looks i have ever seen.
Never in my life have I been chastized for NOT buying drugs, what a trip. Oh and the other wierd part about Route 36 was that they were actually playing good beats, everyone was all coked up, and NO ONE was dancing. They were just all cracked out starring at each other.... a bit wierd if you ask me. Eventually Pete, our new Australian friend, and I started a dance party and some other people joined in a bit. But there we were, the three people not on coke, dancing around in a coke den while all these tweekers just sat and snorted lines.... totally La Paz.
Ok so that is not La Paz, but it is a tourist side of La Paz, I have also spen t the last few days trekking around the city, going down every random street i can find just getting a feel for it, and it is GORGEOUS here. La Paz is situated in a high altitute calley amongst the snow capped Andes. You walk around the city and see all the houses carved into the hill-sides and the snowcapped peaks starring back at you. It is unique and breath-taking, literally i have trouble breathing when I walk up the steep streets cause of the altitude, but I have been drinking plenty of coca tea and water and I am aclimating pretty well. We also went to see a local wrestling show where women and men wrestled each other. It was pretty bizarre, and I guess is Bolivia's take on female empowerment, but really it just turned out to be a cheesier, phonier version of professional wrestling from the States. The first act was kind of amusing, but the second act was literally two men pretending to beat up a woman, and every once in awhile she would fight back, but it sent shivers up my spine to watch allthese yound bolivian children watching the wrestling of two men mand-handling a local women. Even though it was all for "show", they pulled her braids and threw her around the way I have seen men do to their wives in India and it was way too realistic for me. I left after the second act with a bad taste in my mouth. Luckily my two friends left with me and we watched the sunset over the city from a tall hill, and then went out for fabulous Indian food. My one friend that was with me at the wrestling has my ideal job. He goes around the world setting up health education programs in rural villages for children. He is from Denmark and works there for about three weeks to every two in the field. It sounds aboslutely amazing, and has really inspired me to find my ideal job. I met another man who works with human rights issues from London and travels one week for every three back in London. Both of these jobs sound absolutley ideal to me.

Ok so much has happened, especially in Colombia, but I might have to go to bed now. I am exhausted from traveling the city so much and we are headed to the Salt Flats tomorrow morning for a Jeep tour. I can't wait to get back into the desert!

Taganga....

So there are no words to describe how beautiful Taganga, Colombia is.. but I´ll try. Imagine the Sea of Cortez in the Baja mixed with Greece, and then Brazil´s amazingly vibrant culture and nightlife....
Ya I love it here, and I wish I had more time here. Everyone I have talked to pretty much feels the same way, Colombia just has amaizng vibes. The people are soooo nice here. There is a poster advertising Colombia in our Hostel and the caption on in says, in Spanish, ´the danger is... you´ll never leave´! And its true, Colombia feels the safest of anywhere that I have been so far, a lot of other travelers agree. Hoenstly people are so nice and most of the prices are fixed prices. Anyway, enough raving on and on about Taganga...
But seriously folks, Taganga. Fruit smoothies here are less than a dollar, beers are around fifty cents, street food and Ceviche are plentiful, and there is music and dancing every night... not to mention a perfectly temperate Carribean Sea within a minutes walk of the hostel. So I hasve spent the last few days swimming, hiking, reading, drinking 1-3 fuit smoothies a day, laying on the beach making jewelry, and dancing all night....
So there you have it,my number one choice for paradise so far: Taganga.

I am starting to miss the Americans though, I never thought I would say it but I met a bunch of Americans that own a Mexican Restaurant in Santa Marta today and it hit me... Damn I miss my friends from back home! There is something about the humor and cockiness that almost no other nationality has... Except English who have a bit too much of both, ha ha, oh I love to generalize all nationalities.

However, I do miss my friends from back home... and just being familiar with someone´s background and culture... its nice sometimes. But I guess I will be seeing you all at Burning Man anyway sooo....

Fuck Paris, Cartagena is the most romantic city in the world!

I know its a big claim, but its true, Cartagena is in my opinion the most romantic city in the world... especially at night. Pete and I both agreed that it is the perfect pace to whisk away a lover too for a romantic week. In the ideal situation we would both have enough time and money to be able to surprise or imaginary significant others with a plane ticket down here (actually that part is quite doable cause they are only two or three hundred dollars round trip from the States), and then set up in a awesome, air-conditioned (that part is key)room in theold part of town (preferrably with a view). Everything here is so cheap and very stylish that you could just wardrobe your lover here so it could be a total surprise, and then spend the week lying in bed during the heat of the day and strolling the gorgeou city at night, maybe have dinner at the beautiful restaurant on top of the wall at sunset... you know the usual. But everything here drips with subtle romance and beauty, its an amazing ambiance. Seriously, lovers consider it for a get away; its cheap, in close range of the States, and here you can definately embrace the hopeless romanitic inside you. Ok, I am exhausted and to embrace sleep.

Colombia and LOVING it!!!!

So I know I have only been here a day, but Cartagena and Colombia are my favourite destinations thus far. We flew into the city at night, which offered us a splendid panoramic view of the walled city of Cartagena, and it has been awesome ever since! I spent the morning strolling through the walled part of Cartagena marveling at the vibrancy, colors, flowers, architecture, and beautiful people. Everything here is just exponentially better than Central America... the people are soooo nice, friendly, and generally happy (at least it seems so). Even the catcalls I get are nicer, in a softer tone, and unoffensive. Most of the time the men, at a respectful distance, gaze and respectfully tell me that I am beautiful... now that I can get used to. Even the shopkeepers here don´t pressure you to buy, and will honestly tell you if something does not look good on you. It´s amazing. Maybe its the heat... maybe it just makes everyone a little more relaxed and a bit happier. I definately want to come back here; when its not so hot, I have more time, and I have more money. But for right now I am loving what I see. If only it were not so mind-numbingly humid. It is the humidity that kills, and I completely understand the importance of a siesta here. One cannot function in the middle of the day. I am having trouble just writing this email... hmmm... siesta time, at least for a bit, Pete and I have a date with the sunset that we have been keeping religiously. I think today we willhead to the castle...

The Panama Canal....

The Panama Canal is over fifty kilometers long, and was built in yada, yada, yada... Now imagaine that repeated over and over again in Spanish and English while you sit on a tall platform and watch ships SLOWLY go by. And thats pretty much it really, definately not work the $5 entrance fee to Mirador Locks visitor center. But luckily Pete and I snuck in and did not have to pay the fee anyway, ya I know we are ridiculously cheap. All in all though I was not that impressed. I do think it is interested though, the history behind the Panama Canal and how the US funded Panama's seperation from Colombia in order the instigate the construction of the Canal, talk about meddling. Ok going to enjoy the last little bit of Central America, we fly out in ten hours to Cartagena, Colombia!

Panama City!!!!!

Oh the glory of modern cities, and what a city Panama City is, what a city. Pete claims its nicer than Lisbon, Portugual, and I trust him. Do you know what it means for a city in Central America to be nicer than a city in Western Europe, it means that Panama City is one sweet, clean, beautiful city. Ok it does help that we are situated in the old restored part of the city in an old Colonial house that serves as a hostel called Luna's Castle. We actually did not intend to stay at the infamous Luna's Castle when we first arrived, but "the Lord works in mysterious ways". I know I am an aethist but honestly is the best phrase for how we got here. Perhaps I should go back to good old Costa Rico and tell the story properly, but for that I have to go way... way... back...

So after Frenchie left Pete and I both felt a deep sorrow, as if a part of us was missing, and decided to forget our saddness by way of some good old fashion trekking. Thus, we headed to Corcovado National Park on the Osa Penisula, which is without a doubt the most beautiful part of Costa Rico and the best way to spend I could have possibly spent three days in Costa Rico.

Pete and I were astounded by the wildlife we saw, in the first hour of hiking we stumbled upon a massive animal about the size of a small cow munching away of leaves and bugs that we both assumed to be the largest ant-eater EVER. We were told later, that we were dead wrong by Felix the Costa Rican guide. He told us, as he nursed a fallen baby woodpecker back to health with coconut milk, that it was actually a Tapir (look it up), which were endangered in the area. He then offered to smoke me out, which brings me to another random tangent. If at any time any semi-decent looking white girl should want a confidence booster she should come down to Central America. Really. There is not a day that goes by that I am not hit on more times than I can count. It's horrible.

As you all know I don't need a confidence booster, I already have a much too big ego already, and the machismo culture of Central America is KILLING me. I honestly want to slap most men in the face, but my arm would tire if I actually attempted to slap every man that made a lewd gesture, comment, suggestion, or even physically started hitting on me. There is no relief here at all. It is actually debilitating how often and rudely I get hit on. I am forced to seek white male company while I walk places at night and sometimes even at day because at least the comments are not as bad if the men assume I am with my boyfriend.

It definately takes some getting used to, and I have gotten angry at Pete multiple times for leaving me places at night where I have to walk by myself for any period of time. Its is not his fault though, he just forgets the lack of rights women have here and has never seen the kind of attention I get when I am alone.

So as amazing as Panama City is, the catcalls here are as bad as ever and I still feel like a piece of meat whenever I walk down the street. The men call to me as if I am a common whore, and let out grunts that sound as if they are imagining fucking me which make my skin crawl. However, the Panamanians are no where near as bad as the Nicaraguans, who were by the far the worst in terms of machismo and sexual harassment. For while the grunting, catcalls, and lame attempts at conversation that most men in Central America are bad enough, the Nicaraguans actually touch and grab at you. I have discussed this at length with many of my girl friends down here and they all agree: Nicaraguan men are the WORST.

For example, one afternoon I was lying on the beach on Isle de Ometepe in Nicaragua reading my book, minding my own business, when a local Nicaraguan man came up to me and tried to talk to me. I was not painfully rude to him, but I ignored him as I usually do, and asked him to go away. About a half hour later he came back, closer in my personal bubble, hovering over me as I read, right in my face trying to talk to me. I of course sprang up and away from him and started gathering my stuff, and asked him to go away. He then, I think he was flustered by my sudden movements, came even closer to me and tried to restraint me from gathering my stuff. Which of course lead me to pulling away and screaming at him in the poor spanish I know, to "Fucking leave me ALONE!" Ok actually I started yelling at him in english as he came advancing and grabbing me, and I kept retreating and yelling at him. Which after about five minutes of the fight, I think he finally got hte picture that I did not want him there (a bit dense no?)and started to walk away, but then changed his mind, picked up a very large stick (about four feet long and a few inches thick in diameter) and started coming towards me, fortunately half-way to me he must have changed his mind again cause he twirled around, broke the stick on his legs and stormed off. Maybe what changed his mind was my violent opposition to him in the first place, maybe it was the fact I held my stance and laughed at him "as if to say what are you going to do with that", but regardless it was an experience I hope to never revisit again. On the other hand, my violent opposition to being grabbed and hassled in the first place might have spurned his violence. I guess I will never know, but honestly what did he expect was going to happen when he approached me the second time after being turned down once? Did he think I was just going to change my mind and fuck him there on the spot? Mind you he was a particularly unattractive man to begin with, and when has that EVER happened as a response to invading someone's personal space like that?

Anyway, I was talking about Corcovado, which was breathtakingly beautiful and definately the most wildlife I have seen on this trip so far. The first day we saw a slew of monkeys, a herd of wild boars of all sizes, a few tapirs, a few occelots (which are SOOO cool they look kind of like a badger and a cat mixed), a lot of parrots, a lot of Scarlet Macaws. Infact, I am almost positive that it was the bird's mating season. All of the Parrots and Macaws flew in pairs and bickered constantly. At first it was so magical to be among the jungle, looking at the Pacific Ocean, and hearing the bords squawk above, at first. Then I just wanted them to shut the fuck up. I mean these birds were REALLY going at it, for hours at a time. And I though human married couples fought a lot! Oh and the howler monkeys, man do they wake you up at the crack of dawn, literally. Anway, the one down side of Corcovado was that Pete fell ill with a horrible fever and sore throat the first night, which changed our hiking route a bit. Luckily though, his fever was gone by the third day and he was able to hike out the 22 km that we hiked in. This forced me to carry the heavy pack the whole time and brought back that old familiar trekking burn that I love and have missed. I had missed the long days on the trail, the familiar ache in the thighs, the relief of letting putting your bag down at the end of the day ready to make camp, the silence as you watch the sunset physically exhausted but mentally afire.... So I have decided to volunteer in Bolivia with a group called Condor Trekkers and lead treks in the Andes in May. I have been swapping emails with the coordinator of Condor Trekkers, which essentially is a NGO that helps street kids get life skills and funds itself by leading treks in the Andes with tourists, and I am all set to start working there in May. Housing is supposively ridiculously cheap and he will help me get all settled in when I get down to Sucre, Bolivia, and I could not be happier. It will feel so good to make a home for myself down there, even if it is temporary one, be leading trips again, and volunteering with local street kids.

First though, I have until Sunday night in Panama City. Afterwhich Pete and I fly to Cartagena, Columbia and have two weeks there before having a massive coke-binge (just kidding mom???) for my birthday in Bogota and leaving the country April 17th with a massive hangover for Bolivia.

Then I travel with Pete around Bolivia for a bit and start volunteering in May until my money runs out...... Not a bad way to spend my summer... hiking in the Andes... Somehow everything is working out so perfectly for me I can hardly imagine it. Just twenty four hours ago Pete and I were being driven around Panama City by our retarded cab driver who could not find the first hostel we had intended on staying at, Zuly's, and then could not find the second one, Luna's Castle. Even though we had a map of the city. Finally Pete and I screamed enough you incompetent fool, who in retrospect was probably stoned out of his mind, and jumped out of the cab with our bags and walked our way here (don't worry we only paid him the original fare we agreed upon $6- for what turned out to be a one hour ride), to good old Luna's Castle... where I walked into reception and saw a girl wearing a clue necklace which came from Burning Man and I knew I was home! It turns out that she has NOT been to Burning Man, but IS from Eugene and works the Country Fair every year, and actually so does most of the hostel staff... Home Sweet Home. Nothing is sweeter than randomly running into Oregonians when you travel, cause hey- you know they are chill, and to top it off a girl I know from Pitzer College works at the hostel too and is heading down to Colombia two days after Pete and I...
Coincidence? I think not...
"Nice, nice,
All the things,
in the same device"