Ecuador

Arriving in the airport at Quito i was quite shocked and the price of the taxi to the hostel, the driver having said $30, he then explained that it was over one hour to the centre and that it was, from the airport to the centre of Quito, was close to one and a half hours. We drove around for a little looking for the hostel and he said he wouldn't drop me anywhere because some of the streets late at night are a little dangerous. Short while later i was checked in and in bed sleeping, the following day i woke up ready for some activities around Quito, i had been told by another traveler to check out the teleferico (cable car) up the mountain. so off i went after breakfast, i got a taxi about 15 minutes to the teleferico, it was $8 to the top, there where many downhill mountain bike riders taking there bikes up, i was a little jealous. I was also told, once reaching the top i could hike on further for 5 hours and climb to the top of Volcan Pichincha 4,780m , so thats what i did, it was only hard because of the altitude. i was really close to the top when i took a big step up a rock and heard a big tear, i had split my pants hahaha, it was kinda bad but i wanted to go to the top so i continued on, every big step up i could hear it tearing further. I wasn't wearing any undies and thought "if this gets worse, how am i going to go back down where all the people are with a huge hole in my pants, everyone could see everything". 

I turned around and heading back down before situation got worse haha. it was fine i just tied my jumper around my waist and no one knew a thing. 

A day or two later i left Quito and headed for Baños where i would spend new years. its a nice little touristy town in the mountains, offering lots of activities for the adrenaline junkys. I stayed in a nice little hostel there where i made some friends before the big night for new years, everyone was friendly and happy, with good vibes ready for the night. It was a lot of fun, because the traditional thing in Ecuador on New Years for the men is to dress up as women, so the guys and i in the hostel went along with it. We went to the supermarket to by everything we need to X dress and then the night began. There were thousands of people on the street and fireworks going all night, it was a lot of fun. 

This is guiny pig, one of the traditional meats in Ecuador, its like chick and 

tastes good...

After Baños i made my way to this creator lake called Quilatoa, at 4,000m above sea level i spent some days there in the little village, hiking around the lake, kayaking on the lake and also chilling out. I was up there high at altitude trying to get acclimatised, as i wanted to climb some mountains in Ecuador. 


                             

From Quilatoa i got in the back of a ute and hitched a ride to the closest bigger town where i could then get a bus to Latacunga, where i planned to meet Lisa and Australian girl who i had met in Venezuela. We had arranged to met and climb Cotopaxi together, she was also with another girl, Jenny from Point Lonsdale, Australia. we spent the days leading up to the climb getting things we needed and resting most of the time. We had heard from people coming back from the climb they weren't able to summit, due to recent weather and heavy snow fall there were avalanches quite frequently. I was confused and unsure if i wanted to leave the following day if there was a chance we wouldn't be able to summit, the guides didn't say anything because they get paid even if the summit isn't possible. In the end i decided i couldn't wait around for to many days and waste time as the weather was only going to get worse. The two girls and i had dinner and a quiet night watching movies and going to bed early. 

The following day we woke and left at 8am with all our gear, we arrived at the national park around 10am and walked for 2 hours up to the Refugio at 4,800m went had some lunch and spent the afternoon resting and playing cards, later had some dinner, shortly after that we went to bed around 7pm. 

We all woke at midnight and left the Refugio for the summit at 1am, everyone was climbing well and around 4 hours in, my guide and i, who were leading the large group of about 40 people, heard a small avalanche about 100m away, we both stopped and listened for a while until it stopped we had a short break, taking a drink and something to eat. We continued on for around another 20 minutes when we both heard a really loud cracking noise, i completely froze, we heard a large mass of snow start sliding maybe 10m from where we were. It was completely dark and with only our head lamps, we couldn't see a lot. The noise of the large avalanche rubbling and gaining in size as it went down, was like nothing i had heard before, it sounded something similar like a big clap of thunder, but it continued for what seemed like a minute. That was the point when i thought to myself there is no way i'm going any further, thank god my guide said "we are heading back down, no one is summiting today". The 40 of us, or what was still left at that point, turned back and headed down the mountain. It was pretty scary being that close to something that dangerous and big. We were just happy we were safe. We reached about 5,500m and only about 300m from the summit was the turn around point.   

After the climb on the drive back i was speaking with our guide, asking him if he would take me on another climb up Ecuador's highest peak ( Chimborazo 6,310m ) 
He was all keen for it and said he would take me in two days, he lived in Baños so i made my way there again and relaxed for 2 days before we left for the climb up Chimborazo. I met him early one morning at his house, we organised all the gear and food and everything we needed for the climb, i had done a lot of ready about it and i knew how hard it was going to be, it was normally a 2 day climb but he had a plan to do it in one day which nearly killed me. We got a bus to a nearby town where we met his friend to borrow his car to head to the national park and to base camp. we arrived there around 4pm at 4,800. We ate some dinner and went straight to sleep, waking at 9pm to leave on the long venture to the top. It was dark, cold and windy, the weeks before they had also had bad weather with around a foot of fresh snow. It started getting really hard at around 5,500m, about 4 hours in, we were just bellow our knees in fresh snow.. 



 

It was twice as hard as normal walking in that deep snow, there was some really steep sections of icefall where i was struggling, as i would climb the crampon spikes were letting go in the icefall, it was frustrating and i was tired the guide wasn't really helping just yelling at me and pulling on the rope, he was pushing me hard, i was breathing so heavy i felt like i just couldn't get enough oxygen in to my lungs, i made it up there, needing a well deserved break. we were at bout 6,050 and still had another few hours to go, anything at that height takes time, having to climb very slow because the air is so thin you just cant get a deep breath, we made the summit by 6:30am to watch the sunrise. It was the hardest 9 hours of my life, i felt so strange, weak, dizzy and cold standing on that summit 6,310m above sea level. 

The most amazing thing about Chimborazo and the main reason i wanted to climb it and make the summit is... Chimborazo is on the equator and because the world isn't exactly round and bulges at the equator, Chimborazo is the furtherest point from the centre of the earth and the closest point to the sun by a small fraction, even more than everest. So when i was standing on that summit i was the closest thing on earth to the sun and the furthest from the centre of earth out of anything on the planet, it was a real surreal feeling thats for sure. 

The walk back down was really tough also, after walk 9 hours up a steep mountain in a foot of snow at an altitude of over 20,000 ft, my legs were completely recked. 4 hours down and so happy that it was over. One day was just crazy, but made it to the top....

 

After Chimborazo i spent a couple of days in Baños recovering, then made my way to Cuenca on my way towards Peru, Cuenca was a great little city, really clean and in some ways European looking. Overall Ecuador was fantastic, i really enjoyed it and it was super cheap to....

TO EVERYONE THAT HAS BEEN READING MY BLOGS, I APOLOGISE FOR THE DISTNACE BETWEEN BLOGS, I HAVE BEEN VERY BUSY AND ALSO LAZY

Well..... From Categena Harry and i made our way to Bogota (the capital of Colombia) Harry had his flight to catch over to London to surprise his family for Christmas. 
The bus was 25 hours, lucky enough we slept a lot of the way. We arrived and check into a hostel ran by an Australian guy, it was in a great location close to central Bogota, what really surprised me about Bogota was the public transportation, it was fantastic and so easy to use. The last days with Harry were a little sad, we had been travelling for the past 5 months together and what an amazing adventure it was.   

The following day we headed off to the airport for Harry's flight, i went along to wish him off. Once arriving and going to the check in we had a problem, because we were in Colombia the whole time illegally we were aloud to leave the country without paying a penalty for being there illegally, we were in panic mode because we had to find the customs office and go through the process of signing documents to agree we travelled the country illegally and pay the penalty for it, this process was going to take over one hour, Harry was panicking because he could not check into his flight until he had done this, is was going to be a close call before check in closed. He made it in the end with about 5 minutes to spare, we walked towards the security checkpoint, said our goodbyes, gave a brotherly hug and went our separate ways, it almost felt like i lost my best friend haha, i didn't know what to do with myself. I just got busses back to the hostel and chilled for that rest of the day. 

The day after i had woken early and gone for a run, after that i showered ate some breakfast and went off to look around the city for the day, it was around midday, i was just walking along the street when i was approached by a woman around 60 years old, she was talking fast in spanish and i had no idea what she was saying, i just ignored her and continued walking, she was right by my side still blabbering on, 30 seconds later when stopping at a set of lights a man about 35 said to me in english she is asking you for directions, i told them i had no idea of the city. the chatter went on for around a minute when the man pulled out a badge and asked to see both our ID's

i had a photo copy of mine and she explained to him she was from Ecuador and showed her ID card, the Police officer asked us many questions, going on to say about how young men like me come to Colombia to get cocaine, a brief while later he insisted we follow him to the station. My heart sank, missing a few beats, i was in Colombia illegally and had no idea what was going to happen, i was thinking the worse, like possible jail time or kept in a cell for day, my mind was racing thinking of ways to try and get out of it. we followed him around 4 blocks the lady was carrying on but i was just trying to follow everything he said incase i got into trouble, we arrive outside of a building were we stopped, he got both of us to write down our details on a piece of paper and away he went, it crossed my mind to run away but i thought it could make things worse, my mind was racing standing there waiting. A few minutes later he come back out keeping very serious he said he needing to search the both of us, i was so nervous i just did what ever he wanted, he took her things then i handed him what i had (phone, wallet) he said wait there and i will back in a minute!! i was panicking thinking im in big trouble. I stood there for a while just day dreaming thinking about whats going to happen, once i snapped out of it i noticed the woman wasn't standing behind me anymore, i was there alone... something strange was up, i ran to the corner and seen her down the end of the street looking back to see if i was there. 

At that point i realised i had been scammed, the guy never returned and the woman was in on it the whole time, i was furious i ran to another corner calling to the uniformed police, i explained to them everything as best i could with a young female shopkeeper helping with the translations, they called on the radio to other officers in the area, they said the think they know who it was because he does it all the time. I just felt so helpless, pissed off, sad and dumb for falling for it, i still think if i hadn't been in Colombia illegally, that wouldn't have been playing on my mind and i would have seen what was going on. the police were helpful and told me to go to the station to get a report written which i did immediately. This whole situation was worse because it was Christmas eve, i felt empty after harry going and then getting everything stolen i felt terrible. 

I decided that afternoon i would go and get another phone right away, there is no point not having a phone i use it hours everyday, i found where the Apple Store was and i went there, whilst there in the rich area of Bogota i got my new phone, i then thought to myself, i have had a shitty couple of days ill treat myself to dine somewhere really nice tonight, i ended up at one of Bogota's most famous restaurants, Know around the world. I had the best meal i have ever eaten (Fillet Mingong), some amazing Argentinean Malbec and to top it off got looked after like a king. It cost me $90 but it was amazing, making me feel a lot better about everything.  

Christmas Morning was a real drag, the hostel was quiet and boring and i felt really homesick for the first time since leaving home, nothing was open except a supermarket, so i got some tuna and avocado and had that i dry biscuits for my christmas dinner. I didn't even like Bogota really and i began to wonder what i was still doing there. I thought i would spend Christmas there waiting for it to pass by before moving on, until the day after Christmas i check out and went to the bus terminal to find thousands of people there, with lines of hundred at each bus company, every bus i needed south was full, i had really had enough a gave up on that idea went back to the same hostel checked in again and booked a flight down the Quito, Ecuador. 

I knew that i had to go through the same process Harry did with exiting Colombia so i went to the airport about 4 hours before my flight. everything went well, paid my exit penalty and arrive at 11 pm in Quito!!! 

Colombia / Cartagena

Once arriving in Cartagena from the bus terminal we got a local bus into the central part of the city, getting off the bus in centro we had no idea were to go, we asked around for the hostel we were after but no one had any idea where it was so we just kept asking everyone eventually we got some directions and found it within an hour or so. Cartagena pronounced (Cartahena) was really cool in the old city within the walls, which the walls were built hundreds of years ago around the city to keep the spanish from attacking and taking over. It was so hot in Cartagena, everyday just sweating, we went to check out the Castillo San Felipe de Barajas 

which was the fort that they fought in to protect the city, it was really impressive with so many underground tunnels running in every direction bellow the fort. I didn't use my camera the whole time i was in Cartagena, i don't really like taking it out in the big cities. i just have a few photos of what we got up to around the city.     

We met up with Sam & Chloe one of the nights and went for dinner to this English pub drinking English pints, we always had heaps of fun when the four of us met up, there was one downside to the night when harry got caught peeing in public, the cops are so corrupt they just ask for cash or your going in the cell, he had to pay them $40. But all in all it was a good time. 

We also met another cool couple in our hostel Martin & Laura from Melbourne, we only met them briefly but gave them some good advice for the north of Colombia, we have kept in touch with them on Facebook and i actually met them last night for dinner here in Baños with another Canadian couple. It's so funny how you meet the same people over and over its really cool. Cartagena was where Harry made the decision to book a flight from Bogota, Colombia to London to surprise his family over there for Christmas, his brother lives in London so the family was doing a winter Christmas, it was only 4 days before Christmas that he booked the flight, so from Cartagena we made our way down south to Bogota. 

Colombia / Minca

Returning from Tayrona we went back to our hostel to collect a few things we didn't take to the national park, we pretended we were leaving for Minca that day when really we weren't, we just wanted to change hostels because we needed a shower and shave and a proper freshen up, the bathrooms there were horrible, so we changed to this hostel also in Santa Marta that had only been open for 8 weeks, everything was fresh and clean and new, we had a freshen up then later a few drinks with the Argentinian that was in our dorm room. Early the next morning we headed off to Minca which was a nice little village up in the mountains that overlooked Santa Marta, it also offered down hill mountain biking, coffee plantation tours and many waterfalls. We spent two night there at a really cool little hostel a 15 minute walk further up the hill from the village. We seen Ellie and Rich there also and most the people from the hostel went into town for dinner and drinks, it was a really fun night. We had been told about this BBQ grill half way up the hill on the way to the waterfalls, that next day we went to the waterfalls and swam for a little but the water was really icy so it didn't last long, we walked back in the rain to the famous BBQ, it was really good, we sat there under the shelter watching the Toucans in the trees around us, they are such an amazing bird, unfortunately i didn't get any pictures because my camera battery died at the waterfalls.

Minca was a great little chilled hippie village, our next stop was to Cartagena where Sam and Chloe were, we made the 8 hour trip early that next day. 

Colombia / Tayrona National Park

After Taganga Harry and I went back to our hostel in Santa Marta, the following day we left for Tayrona National Park, we walked to the supermarket to by all our food supplies we needed for the 4 days we planned on staying in Tayrona, we then walked to the other side of Santa Marta through the big markets and past our favourite chicken shop to get to the area where you catch the bus to the National Park, it cost $6 and took one hour. Once arriving at the entrance we paid our park fees and had our bags checked for drugs. Heading off on the 2 hours hike to Carbo San Juan (the most popular camp site) was hot and humid, walking through the jungle and along the cost we made it around mid afternoon, whilst walking we meet a cool young couple from New Zealand Ellie and Rich, as soon as we got there and checked into the camp site, figured our hammocks out we were straight into the water to cool off. We could not believe where we were, the place was just paradise with no cars to noise just magical beaches with a thick jungle backdrop. 

There was sections of Tayrona where you weren't aloud to swim due to strong under currents and rips, so we just stayed around the main swimming beaches, i really felt like i needed some good relaxing time like this, we hadn't really been to many beaches in the month before in Venezuela so it felt great to be back on the coast in the hot weather and back in the ocean again, we really couldn't have had a better place for it. We spent so time with Ellie and rich just chilling out of a night in the camp talking and playing cards. I also spent a lot of time cruising around with my camera enjoying the perfect weather and waking from my hammock at sunrise each morning, Tayrona was my kind of place, it was good to wake early and have some time to myself listening to my ipod just walking around the park with no one around, just embracing and appreciating exactly where i was..  

On the third day Harry and i decided to go on a little adventure along some hiking trails, we seen a track that led along the ridge of a cliff along the coast, we just didn't know exactly how to get to the trail. We were walking up a steep hill in search for this trail further above, there were parts marked with pink tape but the trail basically ended, it just turned into thick jungle with vines and branches hanging in our way everywhere, we didn't give we kept making our way up, struggling more and more as we went further. We came to a point were we both said "this is ridiculous" we stood there for a while pouring sweat then turned back i had my camera hanging from my neck the whole time and it was just getting beaten by all the rocks, trees, vines and branches. The way down we got completely lost, we could not see a thing because the jungle was so dense, our sense of direction was totally out, we just made our way down, by this stage it had been hours and we were getting really frustrated, it was so had to make our way through we felt like we were getting no where, the next thing i slipped down a rock and smashed camera on it, i heard something fall down a gap between the rocks, the gap went so far down i couldn't see the bottom, i noticed the door to the SD card compartment on my camera was open, id lost my SD card down the gap in the rocks. I was furious i was screaming out to Harry, who was about 100m away, he made his way over, i had been in a frenzy digging a tunnel under this monster rocks with my hands, there were spiders and bugs everywhere but i didn't care at all i needed to find my SD card with all my photos on it, Harry was taking photos of me because i was just black from the dirt sticking to my sweaty skin, i don't remember when i was this angry last. It was basically useless the gap in the rocks went down for ever and i couldn't see a thing. we stood there for a while thinking what to do, whilst we were standing there i pushed the preview button on my camera and my photos were still there.... i was completely confused, i looked and my SD card was in the camera, but i was certain i heard something fall down between the rocks, then i noticed... it was my lens cap not my SD card, i didn't know what was worse, i could replace an SD card and loose some photos, but i wouldn't be able to find a 82mm lens cap anywhere. It was really frustrating but we had to get out of there still, we didn't have any water and had now been lost for over 3 hours, around an hour later we finally made it out completely covered in leaves, sticks and dirt with cuts all over us. As soon as we made it to the bottom and on the beach we just ran into the water and swam for about 30 minutes. We got back to camp and just chilled out for the afternoon. In the meantime i have been using a sock as my lens cap which means each time i want to used it have to clean it because it has dust and fluff all over the lens filter. I have been in search ever since for a lens cap but no luck at all, because of the rare size 82mm no one has them in stock, i spent a full day in Bogota going to every camera store and not one of them had one.    

Harry and I spent the night just chilling our and admiring the view talking rubbish and listening to music on my little speaker over a few beers, it really was one of my favourite spots so far, just exactly what i like to do. It was only $10  a night to stay in the hammocks, you were able to but dinner at the camp but we were told to take our own food because it was quite pricy there, we ate tuna and bread, fruits and muesli bars, that was enough to get us by for a few days haha. 

We spent three nights in Carbo San Juan and decided to head back to one of the other camps we had walked past on the way there, this camp was $15 a night but it was cleaner and way less busy, we met a really cool Colombian guy Jose who was 45 he ate dinner with us and told us his life story, he was from Bogota and on vacation for a week. Again i went along the beach early morning taking photos and enjoying our last day there.