Sanyu's World

SanyuFish

Time is flying for me but in a good way. Yet another week of dive master training down and I'm set to finish in record time! My last exam was a week ago Friday which made partying the whole weekend a requirement. I headed down to Garage, the only real bar/club here in Taganga, with Ken's wife and danced for a bit before a live band came on stage and proceeded to yell their lyrics at an ear splitting level. Time to head home which was a good thing as I needed to be at the dive shop at the completely uncivilized hour of 6am the next day. Thank heaven for cheap fresh juices here. I swear, watermelon juice is a the only thing that puts me right in the morning.

Why did we have to get up so early? Sunday was the Fiesta del Virgin de Carmen which is a great excuse to decorate their boats and drive them around drunk for most of the afternoon. My dive center was sending a boat and I was invited to join in the festivities. After out morning dives I jumped in and out of the shower and ran back down to the boat and we sped off to catch up. I hadn't been sitting more than a few seconds before my first beer was passed to me by Nene and Nelson, two boat captains from our shop. One of our instructors, Lily was also on the boat and she felt inclined to initiate me in the festival rites by dumping a gallon of water on my head. Don't worry, I got her back! Nene drove like a maniac rocking us from side to side. It was all I could do to keep hold of my beer. Taganga is a tiny place so people on each boat are constantly waving to friends and relatives and trying to splash them with as much water as possible.

We sped off ahead of most of the boats and ran smack into four policemen on a boat who were very interested in our beer. We gave them each one and were on our way back to where all the boats were hanging out. When we got closer we could see that someone's boat had turned over in the water. Lots of guys jumped in to try and turn it back around but it was pretty hopeless. Nelson jumped in to help secure the boat and we towed it back to shore. There was a policeman on the beach asking questions but everyone kept their mouths shut. Enough excitement. We headed back towards Taganga and stopped briefly at a tall sand dune that poured into the beach. We all jumped out of the boat and ran up to the top and then rolled down to the bottom. Great fun but I am still finding small bits of sand attached to me.

Back on the boat we were joined by a young guy and 4 young girls all of whom I found out are related to Nelson. Instead of all of us heading back to Taganga directly, Nene dropped us off at the beach on the next bay where we ate and drank more and more beer. Max kept calling to find out when the boat would be back but for some reason we kept having a terrible connection;) After about an hour we sucked it up and headed back. It was so great while it lasted to see everyone from the shop letting their hair down. A dive master from another shop was introduced to me and started following me around like a puppy. Apparently I'd met him briefly before but he had such a a non-descript face that I don't think I could ever pick him out in a crowd. He's a bit of a geek, OK, well a huge geek. We walked around the beach front where parties were just warming up and I put up with him for as long as I could but in the end I feigned tiredness and headed home.   

Monday was a rough day for everyone. I've been really lucky because they are getting close to low season but the shop has been crazy busy for the past few weeks with at least one boat going out every morning and afternoon. Nina, Max's wife and an instructor, now calls me SanyuFish because I went on five dives in one day. Not exactly in line with the PADI Recreational Dive planner but it's what dive professionals have to do all the time. While I haven't had to study at night I've been too exhausted to do anything else because we've spent this week not just diving and also completing our practical exams. The 400m swim almost killed me. Between the diving, swimming and carrying air tanks around, my wetsuit is starting to fall off me. Looks like I should have all my requirements done in just under three weeks. Pretty impressive! And then of course there is the final test to pass: Drinking a bottle of rum through a snorkel. Don't worry mom, I'm planning to fail that one.

Taganga

So no, I haven't be kidnapped by Guerrillas in Columbia. I've arrived in Taganga, a small hamlet on the Caribbean coast about 10km from Santa Marta. It's absolutely beautiful here but I haven't had much time to enjoy it. Before I even settled on a place to stay, I headed straight down to the only PADI affiliated dive center to talk to them about starting a dive master class/internship. I liked what I saw immediately. It's run by a fully tattooed German guy named Max and the place runs like clockwork. I headed away from the beach along the road that passes the football field to find my hostel. It's a 5 minute walk but much cheaper than staying at Casa Blanca on the beach. It also has everything a backpacker could want, a clean kitchen, communal TV, Internet access (although its never free) and lots of tables, chairs and hammocks for lounging. Considering I'm planning on being here for a month, I couldn't ask for a better setup.

I headed into Santa Marta, the big city, by bus the next day to pick up groceries and take out money for the course so i could receive all my supplies. A manual, a workbook, a diver's encyclopedia and a few manuals, charts and other thingamajigs to get me started. Great. I headed back to the hostel and dove right into the manual which I finished studying 24 hours later so I could take my first quiz. Max was so impressed by all my work that he gave me the quizzes to take home a finish and he apent his time giving me a full on tour of the dive shop, helping me pick out the equipment I'd be using and scheduling me to dive the next day! I spent the night chatting with Yoomi and her boyfriend, Alex, who are both also doing dive master training in Taganga before hitting the sack. The next five days were pretty much the same. Up at 6:45, throw on my bathing suit and some clothes and grab an oatmeal drink out of the fridge to drink on my 5  minute walk to the dive center. Put my gear together and and hang around the shop helping them loadthe boat with tanks and greeting the customers as they stroll in between 8 and 8:30am. We head out to the reef amd I watch and help Max or Gerd with their training of newbies for 2 dive sessions before heading back and then help clear all the equipment. I run home to make lunch before I faint from hunger and then hit the books for a few hours until I have to head back down to the shop to check in on what's going on the next day. Back home for more food, studying and finally bed. Exciting I know!

I decided to change things up and track down a Spanish tutor (like I need more stuff to do). I left a message for a girl visiting from Cali and she got in touch with me the next day and we organized a time to meet. She's really nice and patient and costs less than $2 an hour. She given me a lot of good tips on how to use the language that differs from what I read in my books which is excellent. She offered to take me into Santa Marta the next day which was fun. She pointed out buildings and monuments as we drove through the city on our the bus and then we walked around a big new shopping mall as she pumped more vocabulary into my brain. I thought she was heading back to Cali on Thursday but I just saw her and found out her little brother was shot dead last night. She wanted to go on with the lesson but there was just no way. I mean, I couldn't stand it. I can't even imaging how she's feeling.  So I'm off to do more studying. Sorry to be so boring but I hate stuff like that hanging over my head so I'd rather just plow through while I have the energy. Only two more exams to go. I've done six already. Then I've got other practical requirement to meet but at least I don't have to study for them. Wish me luck.

Boys in Bogota

Back in Bogota and the Platypus Hostel feels great except for the crappy weather here. It's not exactly cold but it's definitely not warm and the sky looks gray and stormy most days. I ran around town my first day back getting the lay of the land and trying to discern just how dangerous it is here. All the travelers at the hostel say not to bring my camera or much money when I go out but I felt quite safe walking the streets of Candelaria down to the gorgeous open Plaza Bolivar. I'm staying in Bogota for a week so I bought a load of groceries before heading back to the hostel to watch the game. South America is out of the World Cup but my hostel is filled with Europeans so this is going to be fun.

Yet another day of gray overcast weather but my plan for the day was to hit a few museums so the weather was the least of my worries. Walking through the gold museum was a lot of fun especially the the third floor where they locked me in a small dark room for a five minutes for a small light show displaying thousands of gold pieces. Next stop was the Botero museum, a free exhibit where they showcase many of his more famous paintings. I'd seen his style of painting all over South America but had no idea how famous he was. Back to the hostel to watch the game, of course, and then more wandering the streets. Pretty much everyone in the hostel makes their own meals which is fun and I finally figured out why the social dynamics here are a bit off. The hostel is about 70% male. I guess not too many single woman travelers head through Columbia which is a shame. This means game days and very important and there are always dirty dishes in the communal kitchen sink.

I wanted to get out of Candelaria for a while so I headed up north to Zona Rosa where all the ritzy daytime shops and all the hot nighttime bars are located.  I had to get on the Transmileno bus again but this time it was super simple because the people working at my hostel told me exactly which bus to take both there and back. The change in weather was astonishing. It was warm and sunny with a beautiful blue sky. I should be staying here but it's a bit more expensive in these parts. There are a few cobblestone streets lined with patios which called out to me. I'd been dreaming for months about having a drink out on a patio and I finally got my wish. My glass of wine was Colombian, expensive and terrible but the whole atmosphere was, for me, worth it. I arrived back at the hostel late in the afternoon and found some people jonesing as much as me to go out on the town.  We checked out a few small  local bars  before heading  back up to Zona Rosa  where we danced the night away.

I woke up pretty early considering how late I'd gotten in the night before. I walked around the east side of the city to check out some more museums, parks and the planetarium. I stopped for a while in a nearby park to watch a small military fiesta and by the time I arrived at the  National museum at about 1pm I found a line snaking down the hill almost to the road. I was in no mood for a line so I carefully hopped a Transmileno up to Zona Rosa to watch a movie at one of the big cinemas up there. I had some roast pig with rice on the way home before hitting the sack for a quick nap. I met up with an American girl named Melissa at her new home-stay. It was a huge family and all of them were really nice and patient with my Spanish. We all headed out for a few drinks and dancing at a real neighborhood joint. Fun, fun, fun.

I wrenched my self out of bed at 8am to try and make it to the National Museum before the the lines got too intense. I was lucky and only had to wait 45 minutes to see the Chinese Warrior exhibit. the exhibit of actual warriors was small but they had a really great interactive piece to the exhibit with tactile puzzles and short films. On my way back I wandered by some ceviche place which got me really excited. I sat down and ordered a shrimp ceviche with medium large shrimp. I was almost horrified but what happened next. The waiter poured onions and shrimp into a tall glass and then squirted some vinegar and  heaps of thousand island dressing on top.  It did taste very good but not what I was expecting. Back to the hostel just in time for the game. With the whole hostel wanting Germany to win i decided to place a bet on Portugal to win 2 - 1. $1 down the drain. I went with a few people to check out some nearby bars in the night but I was dead tired and bailed out early.

Sunday was the World Cup Finals. I'm so glad this thing will finally be over and then I can get back to focusing more on traveling than on who's playing on any given day. I headed out to take some pictures of the beautiful colored houses all over Candelaria and then headed out to the Sunday Flea market with some guys from the hostel. The market wasn't too exciting except for how eclectic the tables of goods for sale were. We crossed the street and headed up the Colpatria Tower to see a view of sprawling Bogota. We ducked into a a small shop to check something out when I spied on the screen that the game had already started. We thought we had another hour. We started running to find a cab and made it back in record time but not in time to see the first goal. So now it's over and I've decided on a plan of attack for the rest of my trip. As much as I want to see everything, with time ticking down I've decided to prioritize. I'm heading tonight to Taganga to hopefully start my Divemaster course for the next month. I'm really looking forward to some nice hot weather and to staying in one place for a long time. Getting my Divemaster is just a bonus. I'll also be concentrating on Spanish improvement so that you all don't laugh at me when I get back!

Maya's Birthday

I really didn't feel like doing much of anything my first full day in Bogota but when I returned from breakfast with an American girl in my dorm an activity dropped into my lap. Two Danish girls had had their cameras stolen at knife point the day before and wanted to go a shady part of town to try and buy it back. Count me in. It was the two girls, a huge Australian guy (brought for sheer intimidation purposes) and me. We wandered down to Carrera 10 and started browsing all the camera stalls. We asked one of the store owners if we were in the right place and he sent us on a wild goose chase halfway across town which was secretly fun for me because it was more like an extended walking tour.

Back at the hostel I met a guy who need to be at the airport the next day at the same time as me. We arranged for a taxi to pick us up at 6am and headed off to bed. Where was I going? Well that was a bit of a secret that I can now let you in on. I was going to Jamaica for my little niece's birthday party. Hey, a girl only turns nine once, right! The taxi arrived right on time but I had just barely enough time to get through the check-in line and customs before hurrying off to my flight. I had gotten to the airport only two hours before my departure time (that's what they told me to do). It was a bit of a crazy rush and I was annoyed with the insanely long lines everywhere but while I was standing in one of them I saw up on the notice board that my friend's flight had been canceled. Things can always be worse was the mantra I had to keep that in mind for the rest of the day. I had a two hour wait in the line for customs in Kingston, Jamaica and when I finally was received at the counter she asked all sorts of probing questions which I deftly answered. Ruth had given me instruction on how to get to Negril and the first leg was a taxi ride from the airport to the Kingston bus park. I was accosted by some taxi drivers but I couldn't bare to get ripped off so badly. I found the bus stop and waited some more. A nice guy walked me from the city center to the main bus park and there I had to wait about an hour before the minibus was full enough for the four hour journey to Savannah del Mar where I changed to a shared taxi for Negril. I walked into the hotel room exhausted at 10pm at night but it was all worth it to see her cute little face.

I snuck out to find some jerk chicken and a Jamaican fruit punch with rum before heading to bed tired and happy but I woke up about an hour later with the worst allergy reaction I'd ever had. I was coughing, totally stuffed up, constantly sneezing and the back of my throat was so super itchy I had to dig my toothbrush out of my bag to give it a good scratch. I woke Ruth up to see if see had any allergy pills but she didn't. I eventually passed out from exhaustion.  I felt better in the morning and we all headed down to the beach. I hadn't been to Negril for three years and I couldn't believe the changes due to the recent hurricanes. The beach is wider with a small dip`at the waterline and there's also a sandbar about 150 meters from the shore that wasn't there before. We swam around for a few hours and then I watched the World Cup game at the beach bar while Maya went of to get her hair braided.  In the afternoon we walked into town to pick up a few things before Maya and Ruth left to go back to Black River. I chilled out in my room for an hour before heading down to Kuyaba, a ritzy little restaurant, for some dinner. Ruth caught up with me there (she'd ditched the child with Grandma) and we had some gorgeous food and drink before getting ready to hit the Alfred's, the local dance club. We drank and danced and laughed at all the hijinks going on and finally had a long overdue very long talk back at the hotel. A very long talk.

Ruth left early the next day. I stayed to hang by the beach a little bit more and to watch England have a melt down against Portugal. I thought the game would end just before check out time but of course they had to go into overtime which meant I had to run back to my room to move my bags out and in the rush, ended up forgetting my bathing suit which was out on the patio drying in the sun. Oh well, I caught a bus to Black River to Ruth's parent's house in time for Maya's birthday party. A bunch of loud kids, patties and cake. Good Lord. We'd had enough by the time all the kids had left so Ruth and I took ourselves to a small nice bar in Black River to decompress. On our last day of fun, we headed out to a local beach called Fontaine Beach with Maya and her two little cousins where there were lots of families and kids splashing around. Ruth and I were sitting chatting with one of the lifeguards when he suddenly took of running towards the water. A young girl was drowning in  few fert of water right next to her mother who was deep in conversation with a friend. Scary stuff. I went out to swim and play with the kids when lifeguard offered to swim with me to the reef since he could see I was a strong swimmer. What a way to get a girl alone to chat her up!

After a few hours the kids were exhausted and we headed back. I tried to find a taxi to take me to Negril to pick up my bathing suit but it was Sunday and there were none so I packed up my bags and sat outside surrounded by Ruth's mom's beautiful flowers and mango trees. Ruth dropped my at the local bus park early in the morning and  I began my day long journey back to Columbia and home. I arrived very late at night I thankfully I'd emailed them my itinerary and had asked them to hold my bed. Most of the same characters were still there in the hostel which was comforting. I'm staying in Bogota for a week to before heading off to traipse around the country. I still haven't decided the last bit of my itinerary yet but I'm close!