Estoy Esperando.

(I'm waiting, in Bogota, Colombia).

Here's a short excerpt from one of my final journal entries.

"I think it would be wrong at this point to say I miss home. Missing is for when you've recently left and it draws a more sorrowing connotation. I'm actually almost ready to leave, although I know I'm really going to miss South America. I've already been making plans for when I return here. Traveling alone has been different than anything I've ever experienced, and I now realize how much I love it. Being alone, you are your exact self. There is nothing and nobody directly influencing you, aside from normal necessary interactions with everyday strangers; it tells you a lot about your persona. I feel like I understand my thoughts and feelings much better: I understand beforehand how and why I will react to certain situations and ideas - my true personality - and I've now gained a sense of acceptance for myself and the rest of the world that I've never had. There's definitely a change. I feel that I've really grown into myself - not a person that anyone expects me to be or that society shapes to an image. Instead of accepting some high deity, esoteric philosophy, existential beliefs, or complicated daily ritual, I've simply accepted myself. And   although I cannot claim to be familiar with all of the former, I can say the latter feels damned good. It's a relief and I'm new and refreshed. I'm now looking at life through appreciative, blessed (for as much as that means), and opportunistic eyes."

Unfortunately, for those few dedicated readers that still check, this will likely be my last entry in South America. I'm very near the end of my trip, and arrangements have been made (not without hassle) for my return to the states. If you didn't catch every blog, there's a drop-down list of links on the right side of the page to view old entries. 

I appreciate all the support and encouragement from those around the world, and I'll be glad to show pictures and share stories with anyone interested (I've got plenty to go around) over a cup of coffee or a beer. I've had suggestions for a book, and some have seen the movie Into The Wild, but I'm not quite that brave or valiant yet, for now this public blog suited my needs. I'll definitely consider a future trip in my life alone, and a book would necessitate a much longer one.. don't hold your breath.

Again, for all my friends, family, and new travelers I've met along the way: You made this trip, not I. Thank you, adios, ciao, hasta luego, paz, y amor.

Until the next escape,

Brian Sumwalt

Travel in the North..

Cartagena: in need of a clean-up day.

"You guys don't get the full experience!"Lunch with a traveler.

It's been a week since you last heard from me.

I've been through a bit. I'm still traveling with my friend, Aidan, from Minnesota. He's a chill guy. From Cartagena, we cruised out to Playa Blanca, an hour boat ride to a white sand, palm tree, clear water island of bliss. It was like the wallpaper your computer probably has as default. We stayed at a little camp-ish place in hammocks. We snorkeled. Everything was perfect. WAS perfect - that's past tense. I woke up covered in these:

Pictures don't do them justice, but still gross, right? They have Dengue and Malaria here.. but so far I didn't get it in those 200+ bites. We left the next day (I was miserable and gave up trying not to scratch) and spent one more night in Cartagena. From there, we went to Santa Marta.


Beauty.

Your new computer wallpaper:Yep, snorkeling. Buddy Aidan diving down.
Ray. I'm happy with my waterproof camera.

Santa Marta is unbelievably mellow. It has a strong wind from the ocean 24/7, and everyone's alright with you just wearing boardshorts, sandals, and no shirt everywhere you go, so that's what I did. It sits right on the coast, the water's not the cleanest but it's warm. We spent two days there doing absolutely nothing and relaxing. The third day we went to a nearby town that was exactly the same, and we just poked around.

It's a bit of a port.

We saw some dogs.. this is the worst I've seen in South America, though."How did you get purple?"Making guacamole in Santa Marta.Santa Marta by night.Ah, can't leave out the giant rum. I could put so many captions for this.

The fourth day, Thanksgiving day, we went to a national park about an hour away. It was amazing. After an hour walk through the jungle, it opens up to deserted beaches and cool, refreshing, clear water. We walked along those and jumped off some rocks.

Unfortunately we were in a bit of a rush to catch the last bus from Santa Marta to Medellin. We only stayed a few hours in the national park, then headed back. Since it was Thanksgiving in the states, we decided to treat ourselves to a great meal on the way out. We each bought two extra-giant hotdogs (they do them well here, better than the US) and fries. We also grabbed cookies, snickers, a 2 liter of coke, chips, and some beer. We planned to eat it all on the bus, but the bus was an hour late, so it was consumed at the station. No turkey, but hey, they have CHICKEN flavored chips. It sounds gross, I know. But they really taste like actual chicken.

Check out the rainclouds.. It didn't rain.

Jumping the gap.The view was better upside down.This picture of Aidan is awesome.This was the hour hike (Aidan) - through knee-deep mud mixed with horse urine.Our Thanksgiving. Clockwise from center: Giant hotdogs, fries, beer, redbull, snickers, Coca Cola.

So this is my second day in Medellin, Columbia. I'm leaving on a bus today back to Bogota (check last post) to figure out some travel details. It's very close to the end of my trip. I don't quite know how I'm getting back yet. I'll likely have another post or two before I'm home. I really appreciate everyone who's reading and commenting, it makes me feel great to know that I can always come back to open arms. I'll keep this post short (like I usually say and it's not, really). I miss everyone, and thanks again, it really does mean a lot to hear from you all.

Ciao,

Brian

Bonito Columbia..

Sorry for not posting in quite a while. Since the last post I came through Columbia: Popayan, Cali, Bogota, and I'm now in Cartagena, on the caribbean coast.

Popayan was a beautiful display of Colonial architecture, and the city is one giant version of Old Town in San Diego. Small markets and Loncherias dot the sidewalks, and the few small parks were inviting. I would've loved to stay longer than a day, but I had too much on my list to spend more time there.

From Popayan, I jumped on a bus to Cali, Columbia. Cali was amazing. I met a cool Australian couple the first night sharing a room, and we went out for a night on the town. The discoteques and salsateques are everywhere, and each one seemed equally exciting. I won't lie: I can't salsa. But I still had a great time. I spent a few days in another nearby hostel with tons of friendly travelers, played some music, tried local foods, and went on a few exploration hikes. I learned a lesson the hard way the night before I planned to head to Bogota. I bought up every fruit that I had never seen before at the supermarket and planned that as my dinner. I was learning names and trying them all with the help of the hostel owner, and most were delicious (Columbia is known for its exotic fruit). The next morning, however, I regretted it. I guess you can't eat JUST fruit, because I was sick as ever.

Yeah, don't eat all of these at once, bad idea.

Club in Cali.. Reminds me of somewhere but just can't put my finger on it.
Cali dusk view from a mountain behind the hostel.

I packed up and headed to the bus station with a buddy I met in the hostel also heading to Bogota. Got sick there and on the bus, too, but after a nap I felt a whole lot better. We got in late in a light rain and headed to the hostel. Bogota is a pretty big city, and I felt like I was back in downtown Santiago or even a Latin version of New York. We walked the city and explored, checked out some cool markets, plazas, and parks. At night we decided to head to a club to experience Bogota night life. We found another friend at the hostel and asked a taxi to take us to "The best club." We arrived, it was free, and it was 80% females, and they were all extremely beautiful. Nobody was really dancing. It took us about half an hour to realize the taxi driver had dropped us off at a strip club/prostitute lounge. Nobody wanted to dance and they were all nice until they figured out we weren't paying and that wasn't what we came for. We stayed for a bit and still had a good time laughing about it, but none of us were expecting that scene, so we headed back to the hostel after a while.

Buddy Aiden in Bogota, La Candelaria (Old Town) Plaza.

Bogota scenery.La Candelaria scenery near the hostel.Government buildings and a large plaza.

The next morning we woke up and headed to catch a bus from Bogota to Cartagena at 5 AM. The almost 23-hour ride wasn't the most pleasant, but wasn't terrible. We arrived in Cartagena this morning around 7 with a new friend we met on the bus, so now we're three. We explored all morning, and Cartagena is awesome. It's a chill little town that really reminds me of Puerto Rico, and its hot as an oven but lies on the caribbean coast with a nice breeze from time to time. Street food's been good so far, and I think a cold shower will do me well later this afternoon.

View of the "New City" of Cartagena across the river.

A large old fort in the center of the peninsula.Travelers relaxing in Cartagena heat.
Colorful plazas and buildings are everywhere in Cartagena.City center: Statues and crowds.Caribbean soccer match.

A lot of travelers have told me that Columbia was their favorite country in all of South America. I can't say I've seen every country, but out of Chile, Bolivia, Peru, a bit of Ecuador, and now Columbia, it's definitely high on the list in beauty, hospitality, and a general welcome feeling. Most of the bad things you hear about Columbia are from people who haven't even been there: "It's dangerous!" "It's all drug wars and cocaine," or, "You'll get kidnapped by guerrillas!" The reality is that Columbia is dangerous and does have those features, but it's really not any more dangerous than any other South American country. I've met people with horror travel stories; everything from getting Dengue Fever to being in a shootout to getting robbed and kidnapped at gunpoint. But that's the .00001% of the thousands traveling that you hear about. Knock on wood, but Columbia is treating me well and is a wonderful country.

From Cartagena, I plan to travel east to Santa Marta and maybe explore the national parks there, then into Venezuela. With less than 4 weeks left, I'm hoping I can see what I want to see and somehow find my way back to the United States and not be stuck here.

Relaxing in the Caribbean couldn't be better until then. Think of me at your desks and from your offices..

Paz,

Brian

Ecuador y Policia Falsos..

I've meandered my way through Ecuador since the last post. Sorry for not updating a bit more (for those that actually check often!), but I've been on night buses and a little sick the last few days.

From Chicama (prime surf spot), I went North to hit a couple other surf places, notably Pacasmayo, Lobitos, and Cabo Blanco. Unfortunately the swell had worn off, and none of those places had decent enough waves to warrant my staying there, so I continued North through Mancora and to a little town called Tumbes, the gateway to the Ecuadorian border.

The border is really weird. From Peru, there's an exit sign marking the supposed line, saying, "Thank you for visiting Peru." You get your exit stamps before that. Then there's this giant, dangerous marketplace, with shops and tons of people and mayhem going on, and THEN there's a sign saying, "Welcome to Ecuador," that is supposed to mark the line of Ecuador's border. No one really knows what country this in-between market is in. It's like no-man's land.

I decided to take a cab to the border, which I figured would be faster and they'd direct me to the right places, etc. Bad idea. The story is really long, so if you're extremely interested I'll tell it to you in person sometime. Basically there were 3 guys in the cab, and they were all fake cab drivers. I got my exit stamp, and they took me to some offhand location in this crazy market place, and a fake cop came out (he was in uniform but definitely was not real) and made me pay him 150 Soles (about $50 USD) entrance fee to Ecuador. There is NO entrance fee, for ANYONE to Ecuador. I argued, but really couldn't do much. I paid off this fake cop, and THEN was made to pay another 70 Soles ($25 USD) to the taxi drivers, even though they told me it would only be 12 Soles to the border. I couldn't do anything about it. So basically, I was scammed out of 75 bucks, and then had to get lost in this market and have a hell of a time trying to get into Ecuador (I was frisked by 2 different cops elsewhere for no reason).

I finally got some cash, got on a bus, and went all the way to Quito, the capital city. I spent a little time there trying to forget my border dilemmas and have a bit higher spirits. Today I took a bus out of Quito, North to a small town called Tulcan, where I am right now. Tulcan is the gateway to Columbia, and tomorrow I'll be cruising North in Columbia, but can only take day buses. I've been warned that night buses are often stopped and all passengers robbed by militants/guerrilla troops, and I'm really not into that kind of thrill quite yet. Other than that, most of the cities in Columbia, especially larger ones, are generally safe during the day... You just watch out and don't be a tanto gringo and walk around with your camera out, 200 bucks in your pocket, and your nice new gold watch.

Other than that, not too much to update. I'm planning to probably head through Cali, Bogota, and then up towards Santa Maria on the Caribbean coast.

Here's a couple old pictures:

My 6'4 beauty, she rides like a queen.

Chicama: Swell pefection at the longest left in the world. Looks small, but it's not.Big fan-wind-generator-thing at Chicama.

Lennon is alive and well in Quito, Ecuador..So are Chinese Restaurants.. Which taste kind of like if someone in Georgia who had never eaten Chinese food tried to cook it from a description. But they're really cheap and you get a PILE of grub.

For now, hasta luego. I'll talk to you in Cali, where everything's supposed to be beautiful.

-Brian

Surf, Surf, Surf..

This is what I see from my window:

This post is mostly surf-oriented, so if you don't catch it all, sorry...

So I've continued venturing North, and am now in Puerto Chicama, Peru, which probably isn't on any map you might have, because it's tiny. Since the last post, I've been through Lima, Trujillo, and Haunchaco. In Lima, I bought a surfboard and wetsuit and all the necessary gear to get me in the water. I scoped the city just a bit, then headed to Trujillo, which wasn't extremely interesting. I kinda cruised through it and paid a little more attention in Huanchaco, which is a bit more surf/beach oriented. A quick surf check and I was in the water Friday afternoon, a strong current and all lefts. My new board, a 6´4 with a medium rocker, performs well and will be good to practice my lefts on.

Today I grabbed a bus to Chicama, famous for "the longest wave in the world." Not certain that that's entirely true, but the waves are definitely the longest lefts that I've seen, curling around two different rocky points with 20 or 25 second rides possible at best. They're beach breaks, but you have to walk over some pretty big rocks to paddle out, and the current is strong north so you're constantly paddling back to the sweet spot at third point. Once you catch a wave, that's it and you have to go in, walk back south to the point and over the rocks, and paddle out again, because its virtually impossible to paddle back out from the outside with the current. Luckily the local crowd of kids are super chill and the lineup has a good vibe, everyone is mellow. The waves are alright right now, but a swell is coming in so they should get bigger, hollower (they're already peeling off pretty well with constant onshore winds, they're like solid 3-4s) and faster. It doesn't come without a price, as coming in, if you come in in the wrong place, there's razor-sharp rocks to greet your feet lurking just below the surface, of which I've already had a good taste of.

Weak but carrying potential: Chicama, Peru.

Proof that you can find a place with only a picture as your guide. Chicama, perfection.
For Surfline.com's take on Chicama, read up here: http://www.surfline.com/travel/tripwire/tripwire.cfm?id=1311

I'll probably be hanging out here for 2 or 3 more days until the swell hits, then head north again to a few more good spots (Pacasmayo, El Gringo, Lobitos..).


Besides all that, there's nothing else to do here. Here's a few pictures from the last week or so for you all:

Plaza de Armas, main square in Arequipa, Peru, by night.

They had fireworks in the plaza every night for some reason.I saw a few dead people. Aplao, Peru.This is the river I went "rafting" on. This bridge was way cooler than the rafting.Huacachina, Peru. Tiny oasis town (lagoon center) and king of sandboarding. My view before taking the descent on the board.Huanchaco, Peru, close to Trujillo. These reed fishing boats are the "town mascot," for lack of better terms. They sell miniature ones to tourists as keychains and such, and even have them as statues when you enter the city..I visited a local surf shop and shaper... Shaping room.A little sandboarding action in Chicama.Here's some of the pretty good food I ate for super cheap. This chicken sandwich was the best I ever had, for a buck. I ate two.These next two were together in one meal with soup and drink for about a buck, too. Shellfish and full chicken dinner..

I've already been here about 5 weeks, not quite halfway, and I miss you all, but am having a pretty good time. Soon, Ecuador, Columbia, and Venezuela.

Ciao,

Brian