A Very Cuencan Christmas

It's been another week passed here in Cuenca taking a break from our constant travels. We managed to do some stuff this week which was a slight change of pace. We finished our Christmas shopping, both for each other and for our families. The packages we sent home should arrive sometime before next year's Christmas. We also stopped in at the local bowling alley and arcade just to have some normal, nothing to do with travel fun.

Before we get to Christmas, we should mention our other highly anticipated activity this week: our feast upon the local Andean delicacy, Guinea Pig. Now, before you judge us for eating your childhood pet, we have been adventurous eaters on this trip, and we had been excited to give this a try. Cuy is a delicacy here and you see them being bought live at the markets and roasted on spickets.

Some things are easy to figure out, but we will never understand why Guinea Pig is considered remotely edible. Of all the crazy things we've eaten, this was the one that pushed the mercury straight out of the grossness meter! After getting over the site of the still intact eyes, teeth, and claws, you battle through a salty crunchy skin to the layer of thick fat before finding a thin layer of very dark meat. The taste wasn't the worst thing, but the grease and fat doomed us to stay in bed for the rest of the day. Never again!

After purging our bodies of rodent meat, we focused on having a great Christmas. The big tradition here in Cuenca is the procession that takes place for a big chunk of the day on Christmas Eve. It was an interesting parade that was focused primarily on children, who dressed in all sorts of fun costumes and walked the streets with their families. Some rode horses or donkeys or sat inside makeshift cars decorated with hanging fruit and other items. Floats carried singers and dancers and people dressed as angels or biblical characters. There's always a lot of dancing and music here in Latin America when there's a festival on.

Our Christmas Day was definitely different than normal, but we really enjoyed it. First off, it was like 80 degrees out and as much as we don't miss the cold weather, it just didn't feel too Christmasy! We also missed our families a lot. But we made a huge breakfast, pancakes with honey and bananas, bacon and scrambled eggs. We opened some small gifts that we bought for each other, Rich got a Budweiser and Kendra a pen! So exciting! We spent the rest of the day drinking mimosas, gorging on chocolate, and just relaxing.

All in all it turned out to be a great day and not a bad way to spend the holidays in our own apartment before we hit the road again this week to head south... FAR south.

Cuenca: The Revenge

This week we continued our main task of doing nothing much of anything, and we feel that we have successfully achieved all that we desired. While it is true that Rich continued to take a few Spanish classes, and Kendra took a few photos, the rest of our daily time was spent in a few new books, a few new recipes, and one or two new TV crime show episodes.

Toward the beginning of the week we ventured out with a few older expats to the edge of Cajas National Park for a trout lunch served with traditional Cuencan sides of habas with aji sauce (large gray lima beans with mild chili sauce) and mote pillo (large corn kernels cooked with eggs and various seasonings). The area was absolutely beautiful and we definitely have intentions to return to hike before we leave.

We also took a mandatory Christmas-time trip to the local mall, where we observed the following oddities: seven straight aisles of nothing but top-to-bottom toy cars, restaurant-grade deep fryers for sale at the JC Penney's equivalent, and live children enclosed in giant inflatable clear plastic balls – all of which are in our pictures for your viewing pleasure. Some things when you travel are just too weird...

Just as many of you have been braving the cold and snow to prepare for Christmas, we have been braving the horribly intense 75 degree sunny weather. Kendra sadly forsook her plans to make a paper Christmas tree when faced with a green construction paper shortage at the local libreria and we opted for an 18-inch mini fake tree and put our crafty skills toward popcorn strings and paper ornaments. We have already received some cards and packages which are now practically overtaking the tree, just as Christmas should be. Although, for some sick reason, we are still waiting for the snow... doesn't seem like December without it.

Un Poco Mas de Cuenca

We don't have a whole lot to update these days because we've been passing most of our time doing a whole lot of nothing, it's outstanding!

It's been very relaxing to be able to put our bags away and shower without sandals on. Cuenca is a beautiful city and the people are friendly which makes our current situation all the more amiable. Besides sleeping late and dragging our asses out of the apartment occasionally to acquire food, we are in fact involved in some things beyond just sustinence.

Rich has been taking more spanish classes and gets frequent compliments from the locals about how well he speaks spanish. He also loves the free coffee the school supplies at all times. Kendra finished her weaving course, learning how to weave on a different type of loom that she used in Guatemala. She made a beautiful wall hanging out of thick wool and managed to speak enough spanglish with her instructor to understand that she was an above average student.

We also have been cooking ourselves senseless, which is great because cooking in hostels is very difficult. We have a big kitchen -- with an oven, a big rarity here -- and the traditional markets in town offer amazing fruits and veggies and fresh chicken and meat. Some highlights have been pasta and meatballs, homemade granola and applesauce, and cinnamon rolls. We're going to be taking a cooking class next week so hopefully we can continue to wow ourselves, a challenging task given how ridiculously awesome we are.

Other than that, we've spent some time with a great group of friends we've met and have just dug hanging out and taking a little vacation from our vacation. What could be better?

Oh, and Chicago, it's about 75 degrees here. Everyday.

Cuenca: Week 1

Over the past seven days we have settled into our new short-term apartment in Cuenca and made our temporary home for the holiday season. Cuenca is the third largest city in Ecuador with 267,000 people in the city proper and another 200,000 in the metro area. Located in the southern end of the country, in the Andean foothills, the city was built around four rivers that all flow toward the Amazon jungle, which adds to the charm of the city when you cross the frequent pedestrian bridges that pass over a handful local residents washing laundry in the gentle rolling water.

We were lucky enough to find a fully furnished, all included, apartment right outside of the historic downtown center. Most importantly, we were lucky enough to secure a place with a working oven! While we are here through the end of December, we wanted to provide weekly updates, instead of just posting on particular experiences.

We moved into our apartment last Friday, missing Thanksgiving by one day. We decided to hold off on celebrating Thanksgiving until we had full access to our kitchen. So Saturday, we spent 3 hours shopping for our food at the local market and the supermarket (two separate trips) and 7 hours baking the biggest feast of our trip yet. To our dismay the only turkey you can find in Cuenca is 20lbs and frozen solid, a little much for the two of us and our friend Andy. So we opted to by a 5lb fresh chicken instead. Another noteworthy substitution was the mango bread pudding for pumpkin pie. Rich and Kendra battled it out over peas vs. corn and the fresh peas won. The star of the show was the homemade stuffing, which was absolutely amazing (how could it not be with the slab of butter that was holding it together)! We thankfully did not have to move after such an overwhelming meal as on Sunday the entire country was ordered to remain at home for the national census, when local students visit every household in one day. A little different from home for sure.

We took the extra time we had on Sunday to research and book our next destination on our permacation adventure: Patagonia! More on that to come in January.

However, in the meantime before we can play with the penguins, Rich has signed up for another round of Spanish classes and Kendra has already begun more weaving classes (check out the pictures of her half finished wall hanging).

We look forward to sharing our more “normal” life with everyone in the weekly posts to come...but just to give you a hint, it is like waking up to a sunny Saturday morning every day. Tough life.

Vilcabamba - The Valley of Longevity

The small town in southern Ecuador of Vilcabamba is known in as “The Sacred Valley,” and also “The Valley of Longevity.” Residents of the area are rumored to live to the age of 140; now, whether you believe this or not is up to you... mostly it's a place where hippies come to soak up the positive vibes, eat organic foods, and sell their crappy jewelry. For everyone, it's a great place to relax and enjoy the incredibly tranquil atmosphere and beautiful scenery.

We found our niche at an outstanding hotel a mile outside of town called Izchcayluma (eesh-kah-loo-mah). It's a great collection of cabins that includes a restaurant, bar, pool, and a spa. We ate at the restaurant, swung in hammocks, and soaked up the perfect sunny weather while we watched the Chicago-area temperatures plummet from a distance! We enjoyed several outstanding hikes in the gorgeous surrounding mountains, including several that had us walking along ridges where the trail was no wider than two feet during some sections and the cliffs shot straight down on either side. Great walks during perfect weather with surreal views of the great valley.

Not only was our time in Vilcabamba a great way to spend a week before we move into an apartment for a month in the city of Cuenca, but it was a time for celebration for us. We celebrated our 5th anniversary this past week by renting a private cabin. Considering our often less-than-perfect accommodations on this trip, we relished with a private bathroom, private hammock-deck, and views of the mountains – not bad for $18 per night (per person, but that's still ludicrously cheap and it included a massive breakfast!). We celebrated in style with a bottle of champagne and a lush dinner. In our most debaucherous act of celebration, we got 75 minute full-body massage for a meager $18. Pure luxury!

Today, we moved into our own apartment starting for a month and plan to take more spanish and art classes, and cook a big, belated Thanksgiving feast! And with that we left the beautiful Sacred Valley behind.

Climbing Cotopaxi

After the Quilotoa Loop, we both had our eyes on a climb. Kendra is a fierce rockclimber, and set forth to Banos where she tackled a big outdoor wall, even in the presence of a cocky guide who apparently believes fruit only grows in Ecuador... From the time that we left for our trip, we both had a big appetite for conquering a high mountain. We both tackled Tajumulco in Guatemala which was amazing. But here in Ecuador, the Andes commence and there are numerous big-bad snow-capped peaks to wet the appetite, and while Kendra decided to forgo climbing around on glaciers with spiky shoes on until Patagonia, opting instead for the rock walls, spas, and hammocks of Banos, Rich was high enough from lack of oxygen in Quilotoa to give Volcan Cotopaxi a go...

Volcan Cotopaxi is a dormant volcano whose peak is at a whopping 19,347 feet. It is a staple of the Ecuadorian skyline and on a clear day can be seen all the way from Quito 3 hours away. Climbing to the summit is considered by mountaineering standards to be between easy and moderate. Apparently, mountaineering is really damn hard!

Having never done any serious climbing, I wasn't really sure what to expect. I was told that by climbing standards Cotopaxi was easy, but my tranquility was disturbed when I saw the crampons and icepicks I would need to reach the summit. The altitude is also a serious factor: it's important to acclimatize properly in order to walk up to almost 20,000 feet, especially when the walk is straight up a live glacier! Even after hiking around Quilotoa for 3 days, I wasn't sure if it would be enough since the Quilotoa crater lies at only about 13,000 feet.

After getting geared up at the tour office and meeting our guides and the other members of our group (who were great!), we took a bus ride to Cotopaxi National Park. There, we parked the van at 4500 meters and walked 300 meters more with heavy packs on to the Climber's Refuge at 4800. The refuge is a small, crowded, noisy hell-hole designed to keep you from sleeping and eating well before your big climb, then laugh in your face after you fail your summit attempt... luckily, I would have the one left laughing.

After eating dinner with our group and walking to the base of the glacier to have a lesson in ice-pick-crampon walking, we went to “bed” at the wonderful hour of 7pm. After 30 minutes of sleep and 4.5 hours of staring at the ceiling, we woke up, geared up, had a light breakfast, and at 1am started our climb to the summit.

We climbed with our guides through the pitch black with only our headlamps providing light. Ahead, you could see the white dots of other headlamps above you, but not much else. I concentrated only on watching the guide's feet in front of me, making sure not to take any missteps. There were times where in the black you had no idea how steep the ridge was on either side of you or how far you'd fall if you tripped or slipped.

Much of the climbing was very steep, and besides victoriously arm wrestling Kendra, it was the most physically challenging thing I had ever done. My boots dug into my shins, my legs ached and burned, my lungs burnt from the lack of oxygen... but one step at a time I slowly climbed 3000 feet from the refuge to the summit. At 6:15am after 5 hours and 15 minutes, I got to the summit of Cotopaxi. And it was there, among the beauty of the sunrise and other snow-capped peaks in view that I realized... holy crap! I still have to climb down! Three hours later I was back at the refuge eating a Snickers, with a pounding headache and blisters on my shins. But every step was worth it – the beautiful ice formations of the glacier, the crunching of the snow under my crampons, and the view of Ecuador from the top... the only thing better would have been to have my partner there with me... but she was smarter than me and was lying in a hammock instead!

La Mama Negra Festival

The city of Latacunga, which is situated about two hours south of Quito, holds one of Ecuador's most famous festival, La Mama Negra (The Black Mother). And in case you miss it the first time in September, as we did, they hold an even more rowdy version of the festival again in November. So we put our party hats on and made sure we returned from hiking the Quilotoa loop in time to join the festivities.

They say that the Mama Negra festival originated as a yearly celebration of when the town was spared from the 1742 Cotopaxi Volcano eruption. Their salvation was attributed to the prayers offered to the Virgin of Mercy. This event intertwined with the arrival of black slaves to create the Black Mother. Over the years other Spanish, Inca, and Mayan traditions shaped the festival into what it is today.

The Mama Negra Festival in September is more of a religious festival, whereas the festival we joined in November was partnered with the city's independence day and is more of a giant street party. We attempted to arrive to the parade route early and once we located it, we found that we were not as early as we had hoped. We managed to cross the barriers and walk down the parade route 6 or 7 blocks until we found some empty chairs to rent for a few dollars. The procession itself is comprised of groups of dancers, bands, and people in costumes. However, our rented chairs proved only useful to stand on to see the procession as anyone in the crowd at street level was dancing along with (and often in) the procession.

One unique aspect of this festival is that those in the procession give out candy to children and, unlike festivals in the US, shots of homemade liquor to anyone who appears to be over the age 16. As the parade progressed, individuals would come up to the spectators with jars, casks, bottles, bowls, modified milk cartons, and soup ladles filled with mystery booze (brown, green, blue, and milky white!). In exchange, those in the crowd would share their beer with those handing out shots. In the end, the whole festival is a great excuse to dress up in fun costumes, dance, and drink to excess, all before 11am.

Even as spectators, the party quickly exhausted us and we chose to make our way out of the festivities to rest for the remainder of the afternoon. Unsure of quite how to get out, we ended up making our way back the 7 blocks against the procession (hardly noticed since half of the crowd was in the street anyway) only to find that we were on the wrong side of the barricade. Oh well, we had to party with the locals instead!

We riled up the drunk onlookers with shouts of “Viva Latacunga!” Rich was caught up in a dance with a cross-dresser (men dressed up as women are an important part of the festival as Mama Negra herself is actually an important man from the community who is nominated each year). And both of us experienced on of the oddest parts of the festival. Throughout the parade, groups of men dressed in white would grab spectators, bring them out into the street, dance around them with sticks, and then one of them would spit water or milk on the spectator. This mini-cleansing ceremony would cost the spectator a $1 donation. When we were actually pulled into one of these circles, we discovered that the whole ritual is topped off with a live (hopefully still alive) guinea pig that is shaken all over your body. All in all a great time!

The Quilotoa Loop

After about a week at the beach in Canoa, Ecuador, we managed to pull ourselves out of the hammocks and away from body-boarding. We forsook our diet of pizza, ceviche, and banana-coladas, and decided that we should once again do something with our lives besides slowly turning into beach bums. The remedy? Grab our hiking shoes and head up into the mountains.

One of the main things we have been looking forward to in Ecuador is hiking and experiencing rural culture around the Quilotoa loop. The loop is comprised of several small mountain villages connected by trails, the most noted village being that of Quilotoa which is situated at the top of a spectacular volcanic crater lake.

We chose to hike from north to south, slowly rising in elevation and ending our last day at the crater lake. We found that the experience did not disappoint us. We hiked a total of about 15 hours in three days, staying in local hostels each night. Sandwiched in the middle was a recovery-from-food-poisoning (Rich) and relaxation (Kendra) day. The hikes ranged from walking on dirt roads, along a river, through grassy fields, and on rocky ledge paths. Some of the areas we passed through were lush and green, but most were surprisingly dry and hot. The final day was the hardest hike as we descended 500 meters (that's 1640 feet Americanos) down into a canyon and then climbed 1000 meters back up out of the canyon, through a town, and then to the top of the volcano. Afterward we bundled up into every layer we own and camped ourselves next to the hostel's wood burning stove as the elevation changed had dropped the temperature dramatically.

As absolutely beautiful as the vistas were, and they were spectacular, one of the more interesting parts of the route is visiting some of the small mountain villages. While some of the villages seemed very used to tourists, we did travel through a few that are newer to the loop that hikers pass through. As we hiked through and near these villages, people stopped to talk with us, shake our hands, and help point us out in the right direction. We got a few “where are you going” as we can assume that they assumed we were a little lost to be in that area.

It happened that we passed through one of these towns on November 2nd, Dia De Los Muertos. In Ecuador, as in many Latin American countries, Dia De Los Muertos is a time to remember your loved ones who have passed away. In the streets people sell flowers, cards, and bread baked in the shape of a baby or child (how this relates to dead relatives we are a little unsure...). Families then spend the day in the cemetery where priests conduct mass. Food is sold outside the walls of the cemetery and then brought in to enjoy and "share" with their deceased relatives. It was a pleasant experience to stumble upon this celebration in such a small and intimate setting.

Overall the hike resembled and surpassed the Sierra Norte hike we did in Mexico. It was also a great way for Rich to acclimatize for his upcoming mountaineering adventure and it provided a great excuse for Kendra to hit the spa for some pampering.

Manic Markets

A pig squeals, confused cows are loaded into pickup trucks, guinea pigs are bought for tonight's dinner, chicks and ducks chirp from crowded crates, a man yells unintelligible Spanish into a loud speaker... these are just some of the sites and sounds of the Otavalo animal market.

Every Saturday the small city of Otavalo, surrounded by indigenous villages and beautiful mountains, holds a massive market. Blocks upon blocks of clothes, foods, crafts - anything that can be sold - fill the town center. Tourists come in for the weekend and, along with the locals, haggle over prices with the myriad vendors. You can buy anything from deodorant to Alpaca blankets - of all the markets we've seen it surely takes the cake for size and diversity.

Or, if you want, you can buy a pig... or a cow... or a duck, or a chicken, a kitten, a goat, a puppy, or a guinea pig (the local specialty for the family dinner!). One of the highlights of 7 months travelling is most definitely witnessing the Otavalo animal market. From 5am until about 8am, a giant field is crammed with local farmers buying and selling their livestock and all sorts of creatures. It's a chaotic scene to say the least, the sounds of the animals chattering as well as locals vocally advertising combined with the smells of the livestock and the row of food vendors is complete sensory overload. Sprinkle in a few gringos with cameras and you can begin to get a picture. Make sure to check out our awesome pictures!

You have to see it to believe it, but since most of you can't, we did what we could to provide the next best thing. Check out the video below and make sure to watch and listen closely!

Guinea Pig? $5.
Kitten? $2.
Pig? $75.
Puppy? $28.
Chicken? $2.50.

Otavalo animal market in Ecuador? Ridiculous.

(The Spectacular) Santuario de Las Lajas

After about 5 weeks in Columbia, we found ourselves at the south end of the country ready to move on to Ecuador. When you compare the size of Colombia against most of the Central American countries, you quickly recognize that 5 weeks does not do the country justice. At the same time, we were able to taste a variety of areas from the Caribbean coast, to the desert, to traditional communities in the mountains. We did not find Colombia to be as dangerous as its past reputation would suggest, rather it has become a thriving tourist destination. However, we also did not fall in love with the country as many other travelers we've met working their way north into Central America had. Thus, onward we go.

While excited to start exploring Ecuador, we thought it fitting to stop for one more day at the border town of Ipiales and spend the night out at a nearby “town” called Las Lajas. Las Lajas is home to a spectacular cathedral built right into the side of a cliff, towering over a river that cuts through the valley. It is arguably the most beautiful church in Columbia, and possibly South America in general. Through all his travels in Europe, Rich can recall very few churches that can compare.

The Santuario de Las Lajas was built in the Gothic style after Mary reportedly appeared in the stone on the side of the cliff. In honor of the appearance, they constructed the alter around the actual rock, painting the scene on the rock itself. While the inside of the church impresses you with light that comes through the stain-glass window and reflects off the gold decor, it is the location of the church that is absolutely breathtaking. We arrived as the last service was ending and stayed as the sun set and the church glowed in the valley. We definitely understand how this location has become something of a pilgrimage for some Colombians and other South Americans.

We have since arrived in Ecuador and have spent a handful of days in the small city of Otavalo, two hours from the Colombian boarder. We have enjoyed a chance to shop in a proper local fruit and vegetable market, and take a day hike around a near by lake (pictures added!). The main draw to Otavalo, however, is their weekly market on Saturdays. This market experience has been one of our most unique and deserves a post of its own...coming soon!

Southern Colombia

First off, we've updated a lot of pictures, if you want to see them all, they include the Popayan, San Agustin, and Tatacoa Desert folders.

We're nearing the end of our tenure in Colombia. We've spent a good chunk of time lately in Popayan, a colonial town and a good hub for exploring Southwestern Colombia. There are a few fascinating natural and archaeological sites in the southwest, and we used Popayan as a convenient, pizza-selling, grocery-store-having, internet-accessible home-base for checking out the area.

Our first stop was a three day stay in San Agustin. Surrounded by incredible natural beauty, the most famous part of the area are the old statues that are scattered about the countryside. The statues range in size, but generally mark old tombs and are nearly 3000 years old. The culture that the tombs and statues belong to are a bit mysterious And not much about it are known, but the sites are beautiful and the tombs and statues are fascinating. Additionally, we took an outstanding Jeep tour through the countryside, seeing some of the more remote statue sites as well as two giant waterfalls and beautiful rock formations on the Rio Magdalena. We rode on top of the Jeep to enjoy the outstanding views and to work on our bumpy-road-ass endurance.


Our other stop was an awesome visit to the beautiful (and quirky) Tatacoa Desert. The desert is an environmental oddity, surrounded by the rest of hilly Colombia, but they get only two days of rain per year, and the area looks like a proper, if small, desert. A little slice of Arizona in Colombia.

We walked from the nearest town two hours down a long lonely desert highway as the sunset to arrive at our isolated cabana. We visited an observatory where we saw Jupiter and it's moons through telescopes, and we woke the next morning before sunrise to watch the colors emerge over the orange cracked Earth and cacti. We took a walk around the "Labyrinth," a group of orange sand formations, with a cute kitten in tow, and enjoyed the morning light and cool weather. One of the the best parts was the nearly complete isolation. We spend a lot of time in "touristy" areas, and sitting on the rocks listening to nothing but the wind in the desert was a welcome respite.

After the desert, with our final stop on the southwest tour out of commission with rumors of Colombian rebel activity (good times!), we took an amazingly awful 12 hour bus ride back to Popayan that included a completely-inexcusable 30 minute rest break just 30 minutes before getting into town. But we've recovered by sleeping late, watching movies, and fattening up on Popayan-ese pizza before we head soon to Ecuador.

One more stop to visit a giant cathedral sitting over a gorge near the border, then onward once again!

Salento and the Six Month Mark

We've spent the past 5 days or so in a pretty little small town called "Salento." It attracts a lot of tourists for it's coffee farms and outdoors activities. Despite it's draw, it remains laid back during the week. Our highlight from Salento was hiking in the Valle de Cocora, a beautiful national park. Beautiful green mountains, and an environmental anomalie called the Wax Palm, gigantic palm trees that line the valley. One minute, you think you're in Switzerland, the next you're walking beneath palms.

We also hit a significant milestone while in Salento, we have been gone officially more than six months. At this point, we thought it would be fun to revise our list of "Tops" from after our first month. Enjoy!

Top 3 Places (this one is really hard and provides no justice!)
- San Blas Islands
- San Pedro La Laguna, Guatemala
- Xela, Guatemala

Top 3 Activities so far...
- Hiking in the Sierra Norte, Mexico
- Rafting outside of La Ceiba, Honduras
- SCUBA Diving, Utila, Honduras

Top 3 Food Items/Meals!
- Belize BBQ Chicken from the street stands
- Fresh fish, lobster, octopus in San Blas
- Pan Dulce (sweet breads of all varieties, sold all over Latin America)
- Fresh fruit, particularly the incredible pineapple and mango (okay so we added a 4th, we love to eat)

Top 3 Fun Questions About Central America
- Why are beverages sold in bags?
- Why does every destination in the country necessitate a separate bus station within each city?
- Why does nobody have change for anything? Ever?

Top 3 Things We Miss From Home
- A proper burger
- Clean clothes
- Our own bed

Top 3 Things We´re Looking Forward To
- Tekking in the Andes
- Kendra's weaving classes and more spanish for Rich
- Patagonia (or bust!)

Holler kids.

Como Almorzar Como un Colombiano (How to Eat Lunch Like a Colombian)

Menu Ejecutivo, Menu Del Dia, Almuerzo, Comida Corriente... call it what you want, it's the "Set Lunch" and it's nearly everywhere in Latin America. Want to eat lunch like a Colombian? Here is, by far, the most popular way to do it.

Oh, and by the way, it'll set you back a whopping US$2.77.

The Rules
1. Be ludicrously hungry and short on cash.

2. Walk down almost any typical street and you'll see restaurants advertising "Comidas Corrientes." Find a crowded restaurant. When you find a crowded place, it's more likely the food is good and safe.

3. The menu is displayed outside, and the server will review it for you if you need, but you're expected to order the first time your server comes to the table. Know what you want when you sit down... that, or explain in Spanish that you need a few minutes to fully translate the menu for your linguistically-challenged significant other.

4. Take a long time to eat... noone wants to be heading back to work anytime soon. Two hours is sufficient. Pay at the front on your way out the door long after your stomache has settled.

The Food
The classic Almuerzos from Guatemala to Colombia are Carne Asada and Pollo a la Plancha (grilled steak and chicken respectively), you'll find those choices on every Menu del Dia you'll ever see.

Beyond that, it gets regional: local soups or fish, wild versions of fried chicken, pork or beef concoctions. All sorts of different things make the menu, but typically you'll have 3-5 choices: chicken, beef, fish, soup, and some sort of intestine if you're lucky.

The Experience
1. You're going to get soup. And not just a wimpy cup of broth, a ludicrously giant bowl of proper soup. Just in case the appetizer wasn't already too big, you're also going to get something with your soup. In Colombia it's an Arepa, a soft patty made of corn. Everywhere north of Panama, it's tortillas and more tortillas, surprises await as we head further south.

The soup itself varies, but might be a brothy chicken mix, cream of celery, or cream of frijoles (beans). Today, it's Sancocho, a specialty in Colombia that is a flavorful broth poured over steamed Yuca root:



2. Refresco anyone? Your $2 includes your drink. There is a huge range of drinks offered and they change in every region. You may get water infused with Canela (unrefined sugarcane) in Colombia, Atol in Guatemala, Horchata in Mexico, or Chicha in Nicaragua. Almost all are sweet and very refreshing. Today was adventurousness day, so it's the Mazamorra, a milk and corn mixture served with bits of raw canela to sweeten it up. Drop your canela in and eat with a spoon, or pop the canela right into your mouth and sip from the cup:



3. Now that you're full of soup and arepa, it's time to eat. Comidas Corrientes are unnecessarily gigantic by American standards, but keep in mind that lunch is the biggest and most socially important meal of the day for most in Latin America. On your plate will be your main dish. You'll always, always, always, have rice and beans and a small token salad. Further north you only see black beans and further south only kidney.

You'll rarely, very rarely, see a vegetable; what you will see in addition to your rice and beans are a rotating variety of sides... french fries, fried plantains and cream, lentils (further south). In fact, they'll often rotate the sides during the same lunch session in a particular restaurant, so Rich might get a plantain while Kendra gets the fried Yuca, so cross your fingers and hope for the fries! On one occasion we saw beets and almost hit the floor from shock. No such healthy shenanigans today, it's Carne Asada, delicious hand cut fries, rice and beans, salad, and a fried plantain (and homemade salsa to boot):



Buen Provecho!

Tale of Two Cities

After spending six days at sea, we were both excited to get our land legs back and start exploring Colombia. As you know, Colombia has had a bad reputation in the past for violence and drug cartels. We had heard from many travelers coming from the south into Central America that Colombia was amazing and one of their favorite places; we were excited to see if we felt the same way. We have been surprised during our time here to see how many travelers are actually visiting Colombia. There are new hostels everywhere, many of them packed every evening. News is out that Colombia is no longer a super dangerous country, off limits to foreigners. This is good for all those at home who were worried about us, and bad for our budget as their tourist industry has adjusted nicely to the influx of dollars and euros.

We first arrived in Cartagena and then after almost a week we moved to Medellin. We enjoyed both of these cities even though they are completely different. Cartagena was a Spanish controlled port city, with the old city completely surrounded by a stone wall. The original architecture is still intact in the old city, and is now even more beautiful as almost every building is painted in a different color. Owners go the extra mile by planting flowering vines to hang from the balcony. During our time here we wandered these beautiful streets and eventually made it over to see a large fort. We filled the rest of our time tasting the wide variety of deep fried street food, cheap set lunches in restaurants, and sweet sliced fruit.

As traditionally lovely as Cartagena was, we found Medellin to be a proper, modern, and clean city. The relatively new metro system puts Chicago to shame with their quiet, spacious train cars; additionally, they have free transfers to their cable cars, giving great views of the city from the hillside barrios. The center of the city is filled with parks, fountains, and sculptures and connected by bustling walking streets. Between the public sculptures and art museum, we saw a large collection of Fernando Botero's work. Kendra dragged Rich to a free tango performance, and in retaliation, he dragged her to a local soccer match. We also partook of a Pablo Escobar tour, learning more about the city's turbulent past.
So far we have enjoyed the Columbian cities, but are looking forward to getting into some more rural areas in the next week as we head into coffee country. (And yes, Rich is very very happy about the prospect of good coffee).

Sailing San Blas: Why We Quit Our Jobs and You Should TOO

Ever see a postcard with a perfect white sand beach lined with coconut palms? We found the islands where they take those pictures. They are called San Blas and they are just as the postcards promise.

After a week in Panama City hanging out in cafes and eating good food, we prepared to cross into Colombia and conquer a new continent. Unfortunately, you can't take a bus from Panama to Colombia, because not only is the Darien Gap (a region spanning the border between the two countries) some of the densest jungle in the world, it's also controlled in some areas by Guerilla Narco-Militias which isn't nearly as cool as it sounds.

You can fly to Columbia, but that's just not our style; we chose to sail. Numerous captains make the trip between Portobelo, Panama and Cartagena, Colombia, and we chose to go with Fabian and his 40 foot Catamaran the "African Queen," a beautiful boat.

The trip was absolutely mindblowing. It's a 6 day journey that takes you through the San Blas Islands on the way to Colombia. San Blas is a group of over 360 small, picture perfect islands. Some islands are nothing more than a patch of white sand and a single palm tree. Most of the islands, however, are inhabited by the Kuna Indians, a traditional people group who successfully lobbied the Panamanian government to maintain their own control over their territory. Since San Blas is an autonomous region controlled independently by the Kuna, they have been able to maintain their traditional way of life and restrict outsiders from buying up the islands.

While the Kuna have avoided cruise ships and mass tourism, they generously share their islands with groups like ours. We spent 4 glorious days skipping around San Blas. We hung out on perfect white sand beaches, snorkeled, and swam in the crystal clear water. Rich did backflips off the front of our boat and Kendra soaked up the sun. We both turned a reddish-brown color that offset our typical pasty-ness.

We ate fresh fish almost every single day, and when we say fresh, we mean eating within an hour of them being pulled out of the water. The Kuna ride around in hollowed-out-tree-trunk canoes selling fish they just caught to sailors. We also ate our fill of ludicrously cheap and fresh lobster and octopus. Several times we had the opportunity to eat in the homes of Kuna families, which are little more than stick walls and thatch roofs covering sandy floors.

As part of our sailing voyage, we met a great group of people from all over the world. Our motley crew of passengers were from the US, England, Scotland, Germany and South Africa. Our Colombian Captain, Fabian, was an amazing sailor (ever sailed solo across the Atlantic? Fabian has!)and his wife was an outstanding cook. We were surprised at each meal how she was able to outdo the last. Even the last evening's dinner of ribs did not disappoint. How many people have eaten ribs out in the middle of the Caribbean?

After being completely spoiled by our time in San Blas, we spent the final 40 hours sailing to Cartagena, a beautiful sail at open sea where we enjoyed sunsets and groups of 20+ dolphin leading the boat. The largest obstacles to overcome during our six days included mild cases of sunburn, being slightly salty, being too full from our lobster lunch to eat our fish dinner, and running low on rum rations. Not a bad life.

The sailing trip was by far the highlight of our five months, not only for all we have written above, but also for one other reason.....

And in case there weren't enough great moments...

As many of you may already know, our time on the San Blas Islands was made all the more perfect by our engagement. On an empty, powdery white sand beach, in two inches of clear warm water, Rich dropped to one knee and asked Kendra to marry him. To this, she replied, "Are you serious?" Once reassured that he indeed was very serious, she said yes to the proposal. The "yes" is about all Rich recalls of the event, as he was too nervous to record much more at the time. All in all it was a perfect proposal.

We want to thank both our families for the open arms into which we have been received, as well as our friends for joining us in our excitement.



If you're curious, pictures #85-#90 in the "San Blas" folder are immediately after the proposal. Pictures of ring are in the Cartagena, Colombia folder.

Notes from an epic bus journey...

It's a long trip from Granada, Nicaragua to Panama City, Panama. Since we usually only show you the fun stuff, we thought we would share our notes from the 27 hour trip for your entertainment and for our own amusement... enjoy...

8.26.10 - 1:25 PM - Bus is 25 minutes late. Not a good start. Our seats are in the row with the TV, Rich says they're relatively roomy compared to Chicken Buses. Rich successfully negotiates the window seat for the first leg of the journey. The movie is "City of Torment," 3rd time we've seen it down here, not sure why.

4:34pm - First border crossing complete, now in Costa Rica. Mental state still positive. Air conditioning inadequate. Movie needs subtitles but the female action hero fight scenes are easy enough to understand. Cookies and trailmix consumed.

7:00pm - Dinner of peanut butter, honey, and bananna sandwiches. Mental state has declined to neutral and somewhat bored. Seat spring in Rich's ass. Movie is a bad version of "Bring it On" which means it's really bad.

10:10pm - Arrived in the San Jose bus terminal. One hour layover. Last movie on the bus was a CIA action film shut off at the very moment where the triple agent is revealed. Anger ensues. Kendra is positive, but Rich is tired, bored, and terrified we're only 1/3 of the way there...

8.27.10 - 2:05am - Air conditioning is now working but now at an ironically colder-than-hell level. Three blankets and a wrap and still shivering. Doritos and Oreos provide some respite, some sleep but mostly uncertainty lies ahead... mental states deteriorating.

8:20am - Two hours into our Panamanian border crossing and still waiting for a bag inspection... not going well. Anger over being forced by border officials to buy a return bus ticket has impacted our attitudes for the worst. Trying to maintain good spirits but not succeeding.


9:27am - Back on the bus after a 2.5 hour border crossing. Breakfast is a wonderfully healthy deep fried plantains served with hotdogs and mystery sauce, but happy to be on the bus and moving. Food and coffee lifts our spirits.

1:00pm - Stewed chicken with rice, beans, and plantains. Nearing the home stretch. In strangely positive mood, perhaps delirious from monotony.

4:42pm - Finally arrived in Panama City bus terminal which resembles an American airport giving us a strange feeling of nostalgia. Hair disheveled, bodies stenchful. Processing normal thought proving difficult.

7:30pm - One city bus, two taxis, three hostels, and one rainy season soaking later we've arrived at our hostel. Glorious pizza consumed. Early to bed.

Nicaragua!

The last few weeks have been a bit of a blur. We are on a hot trail to Colombia! After 5 months in Central America, we have a taste for the South and are heading there soon.

For now, we wanted to post some highlights from Nicaragua. We didn't spend a lot of time in Nicaragua, but we did manage to visit two nice colonial towns. We needed to recharge our batteries a bit after spending a lot of money and energy in Scuba mode.

Leon and Granada are two old, very touristed towns in Nicaragua. Both feature enormous churches, pretty town squares, and Euro-American-Tourist-coffeehouses. Leon has a history of liberalism and is crumbling and beautiful in a very different way than Granada, which is freshly painted and flat out gorgeous. Pictures will be uploaded in the next few days. They are both great towns for lounging around and soaking up a sunny day with a solid caffeine buzz. Kendra caught up on school work and Rich was lazy and lazy some more.

One fun thing you can do in Nicaragua is strap yourself to a wooden board and haul-ass down a volcano. Not wanting to pass this opportunity up, we donned sweet Volcano Boarding jumpsuits, high school science class goggles, and took our turn sliding down Cerro Negro outside of Leon. A good time was had by all and ashburn was limited to a minimum. In case you're wondering, Rich won the race to the bottom even after taking a tumble or two with his warped board.

And, just to be sure, we definitely felt as ridiculous as we looked wearing the green Nascar outfits. Good times.

As for now, we're hanging in Panama City. More info on this and one epic bus trip coming soon to your favorite blog...