On the subject of coming back to reality.

This is Haley, sitting on the floor outside of Jetblue's baggage claim area. Because of the nature of our flight, we had to wait outside the terminal on the floor for six hours before we could get our bags checked. Were we to have more money, we might have upgraded our flight or something. But alas, we are too poor.

It took nearly two full days of travel, but we made it back in one piece. The flight from Cartagena to JFK was only 5 hours long, but then we had a 12 hour layover before we could get on our next flight, one that went to Las Vegas. From Las Vegas it was on to Long Beach California, before finally arriving home at about 6 last night.

We had an awesome trip. We thought you might enjoy a quick look at the good, the bad, and the downright bizarre from our three weeks in Colombia. I've let Haley write this little section, since she had more of an outsider's view than I did.

THE GOOD

First to mention are the people. I have never met people living in such humble circumstances but yet were so kind and loving at the same time. Every person that we met and visited offered us some type of gift, whether that was a drink or meal, a place to stay, a ride to wherever we needed to go, clothes, gifts, etc. It was absolutely amazing. When someone comes to visit me, my first reaction is not to offer them something from my home. I want to be a better person because of their examples.

Next, I absolutely loved the sights. Colombia is such a beautiful country. We went from thick, green jungles to long, perfect beaches, then to rolling mountains and sprawling cities. It was quite amazing. Many of the people we talked to said that we'd seen more of Colombia than they had, and they'd lived there their whole lives! Americans don't think of going to Colombia when they think of top vacation spots. I would recommend this as a destination vacation to anyone. I definitely want to go back!

THE BAD

As we've mentioned before, the worst part of our trip was having my phone stolen. I never once felt like we were in danger when we were in Colombia. I did, however, sense that people were always watching us. We were so careful with our phones, which is why it was so frustrating that we were hustled in the way that we were.

Another bad thing was being sick from the food. Konner really played it down in his early posts, but I actually was pretty sick on our hike. I don't know if it was the food, water, intense hiking, or a perfect combination of all three, but either way, it was not so fun.

THE DOWNRIGHT BIZARRE

The most shocking part of Colombia for me were definitely the roads. The drivers are crazy! They don't stay in their lanes, they drive like maniacs, they have a constant hand on their horns, and they're just overall terrifying. As we were driving down the main highways, we saw things I never thought I'd ever see on a highway! I was absolutely stunned to see small children walking down the roads, inches away from the speeding cars, trucks, and motorcycles. I couldn't believe it when there were cows, horses, and chickens wandering freely without cages, fences, or ropes. Totally insane!

My personal favorite bizarre thing came from our first city, Santa Marta. As we were driving down the main highway again, I saw a man riding a bike, and strapped to his chest was a small bird cage with a little yellow bird inside! I couldn't believe what I was seeing! Sadly, Konner missed it.



Thank you all for following us on our vacation. Colombia is a special place for both of us, and it's absolutely awesome. It is a bit of an adventure, but if you've ever considered a more rugged vacation we highly recommend it. It's still untouched, still fresh, still new.

We want to thank our families for their help, as well as our friends and neighbors for doing the little things like collecting our mail. And a huge thank you goes out to the individual families in Colombia who made time for us and (literally) offered us their homes. We love you!

As for the blog, we hope to update it periodically with the latest adventures from the Glick clan. We hope that you'll come back, and we hope that you're all able to enjoy your own awesome adventures.

-Konner & Haley

On the subject of getting robbed, visiting castles, and being angry.

This is me on top of an old Spanish castle in the heart of Cartagena Colombia. Behind me is what is known as "Boca Grande," the really ritzy, modern, touristy part of Cartagena. We didn't stay there. We are too poor. Instead we're staying in the historical district, which has its charms. But we're a little jaded.

Yesterday started out in Bogota. We made a quick trip to the west side of the city, in a suburb called Engativa. Engativa is a little ugly and dangerous, but I lived in this very neighborhood for 6 months on my mission.

There we met up with yet another family that treated me like gold, along with a few of my other friends.

We then went to the airport to catch our flight back to Cartagena. It's a 12-hour bus ride, but only an hour-long flight. We went from 9,000 feet in elevation to sea level, and 60 degrees to 95 with 90% humidity.

It was there that we had our problems. We caught a cab from the airport to our hotel, and as is typical we put one of our bags in the front seat, since there wasn't enough trunk space. Unfortunately we let our guard down for a half second while we took in the beautiful scenery, and the man got into our bag and stole Haley's cell phone. Haley realized as soon as we got into our hotel, but by then the guy was long gone. We're grateful that it wasn't anything truly important (and I've made a habit of backing up our pictures every night just in case), but we still feel violated and frustrated. It was almost like going from the best of people to the worst.

The hotel reception was helpful and kind, and they immediately pulled up security footage, got the licence plate number, and called the police. A pair of Colombian police officers, a man and a woman, came and took a report, but really couldn't do much else other than radio the plate number in and put out a BOLO (although we suppose there is still a smidgen of hope). Haley talked me out of any vigilante justice--I was ready to head back to the airport with my pocket knife and her pepper spray.

Today we've been feeling a little better, but it's been hard to really enjoy Cartagena for what it is. Colombia has been so good to us, but the two really bad experiences that we've had (this and nearly getting kidnapped the first day by a cab driver who asked for a hundred dollars) have both happened here. The culture feels different here--we're constantly getting hawked in the streets, we've seen more public urination than anywhere else, and people seem short and rude. Worst of all, the place is flooded with tourists, making us feel less like locals and more like sheep. Again, realize that we're pretty jaded right now, and we'll probably talk about how great Cartagena was in the near future (in fact, I know some really great people from Cartagena). Nevertheless, it was Haley who said it best when she commented that the people here, at least the ones we've been in contact with, "don't feel like Colombians." This was uttered while drinking bagged orange juice.

Anyways, the historic center is pretty cool. Cartagena was repeatedly sacked by pirates, so the Spanish decided to wall off the whole city and build large fortifications. The center is filled with restored houses, walls, and ramparts--many of which offer incredible views of the ocean.

There are a bevy of monuments, including this one of a native girl who was kidnapped by the Spanish at fourteen, only to return as an interpreter who managed to bring relative peace to the area. I did my best to offer up a more modest representation.

 The most impressive site is the castle of San Felipe de Barajas. Constructed in the 1700's, the enormous castle boasted nearly a hundred large canons and miles of underground passageways.

We're back in the hotel right now, taking refuge from the brutal midday sun here on the coast. Tonight we'll be back out in the streets, taking in everything that Cartagena has to offer. Tomorrow will probably be our final blog post from Colombia, so be sure to check back soon!

On the subject of gold (lots and lots of it!), blackberries, and Montserrate.

This is an imperfect picture taken inside Bogota's Gold Museum. This particular object (made entirely of gold) depicts a floating raft that carries a Muisca chieftain and his crew. It was found at the bottom of a lake, as it was cast in the water hundreds of years ago as part of a religious ritual. This single item is probably worth more than everything we own, seeing as we are too poor.

We arose early today, eager to go eat breakfast with our friend Maria Angelica and her awesome family. We enjoyed some scrambled eggs, sausage, and cornmeal arepas, then spent the next couple of hours catching up. Like nearly every Colombian family, this family treated me and my mission companions extremely well, and a lot of incredible memories were made here.

Today was no different! Not only did they feed us and give us little gifts, the "abuelita," the family's elderly mother, insisted on picking a bunch of fresh blackberries for us before we left. Note the clear jealously in the little girl's glare.

Afterwards we caught a taxi to the Gold Museum. The museum itself is huge, and the entire building is secured like a bank. Every room that we entered we passed through huge safe doors at least a foot thick. Apparently there is so much gold here that Colombia counts it as part of their treasury (think USA and Fort Knox). The gold here comes from various tribes all over Colombia, and much of it is fashioned into really remarkable objects. What is more remarkable is that most of this gold was sacrificed into lakes, or buried with important individuals. Just look at this room--all this gold was recovered from one or two Colombian lakes, and the picture only shows a quarter of just one room. This is a four story museum!

After the Gold Museum we headed to Montserrate, a Catholic sanctuary that is built high in the mountains that border Bogota. Just to get to the top we had to take a five minute cable car ride up to nearly 10,000 feet in elevation. The views were spectacular--you can see the entire city from up there.

Of course, this being both a sacred place and a tourist destination, the sanctuary boasted an enormous, loud bazaar:

As well as more bathrooms that wanted to charge you to do your business.

We finished off the day at one of two gourmet restaurants. We were lucky enough to be seated right by a corner window, so our ajiaco, steak, and desserts came with a view.

Did I mention that it was cold? It couldn't have been more than fifty degrees Fahrenheit. That didn't bother us too much, however, since we're heading back to the beach tomorrow! A quick morning flight and we'll be back in Cartagena, where we'll spend a few days before our trip comes to a close. We'll be coming at you from there tomorrow!

On the subject of pigeons, fat people, and thieves.

This is me in front of the Mona Lisa. Obviously it is not the real Mona Lisa--we are too poor. No, this is the Mona Lisa as painted by Fernando Botero, Colombia's most famous artist. He has a particular...shall we say, style? And by that I mean that he paints and carves fat people and things.

Today was full of visits as well as a quick trip around Bogota's historic center. After sleeping in for a while we met up for lunch with Maria Angelica and her grand-daughter. I had the chance to teach them during my mission, and they're doing really well. She's become the 1st counselor in the stake Relief Society! We'll be having breakfast with them tomorrow, so more (better) pictures will be coming. 

Afterwards we headed straight towards La Candelaria, Bogota's historic center. There we walked through colonial streets, including tight alleyways full of shops and restaurants.

We also went to Bolivar Square, the very center of the city. There lies the main cathedral, as well as the Colombian supreme court and congress. Their equivalent of the white house is just a block away. The square was full of pigeons!

We then hit some of the local museums, including the Botero museum that I mentioned earlier. Let's just say that while we tried to be serious art connoisseurs, we found most of his works to be...amusing.

We ended the day visiting with another family that I taught during my mission. Sister Miyriam (spellcheck) and her kids treated me incredibly well, and today was no different. They acted as our tour guides, and made sure that we were well-fed in their home up in Bogota's foothills. They even escorted us all the way back to our hotel!

Unfortunately Luisa, the girl in the picture who is about our age, was pick-pocketed while walking with us to our hotel. While we are selfishly grateful that it wasn't us, it was really aggravating that someone would do something like that. Bogota is a big city, and petty crime is pretty common.

Tomorrow we'll be going to Colombia's gold museum, as well as Montserrat, a monastery that is on top of one of the mountains in Bogota. There we'll have a traditional dinner, as well as some killer views of the city. Be sure to check back tomorrow!

On the subject of Colombian fruits, food, and good friends.

These are guanabanas. Called Soursop in the United States (although I think I've only seen them once), their insides are white, pulpy, and delicious. They make a delicious juice when blended with milk. We did not buy a guanabana today. We are too poor.

One of our favorite things about Colombia is its variety of fruits. We've talked about granadilla, a fruit that you have to suck out like snot. You've also seen pictures of pitaya, a type of dragon fruit that looks like a hand grenade. You've now seen a picture of guanabana. We've also enjoyed lulo juice, passion fruit juice, mango, tree tomatoes, and the like. Now behold, the mighty mangostino (which may not be native to Colombia, but it's still delicious).

Colombian food is hearty and delicious, even if the day-to-day fare can get a little repetitive. Most meals consist of rice, beans, potatoes (or yuca), and some sort of meat. Pasta and breads are common, as are fresh fruit juices. A very common beverage is water with panela, a sugary substance that is produced after molasses but before brown sugar. 

The most common Colombian food is arepas. An arepa is like a cornmeal pancake, and every city in the country has its own variety. They range from white arepas that are very plain, to yellow arepas that are sweet and stuffed with cheese, to fried arepas that have a whole egg inside. They're delicious!

Plantains are also really common here. Sometimes they're served when they are ripe and sweet, other times they are fried while still green, making something called patacones. These taste like potatoes, but have a different texture. 

Then there are regional dishes. In the coast it's common to eat ceviche, a dish made from raw fish and onions that are "cooked" in lime juice. Bucaramanga is famous for serving hot soup for breakfast, as well as for its mute, a soup with corn and intestines. Yum! Bogota is known for its ajiaco, a potato soup made with chicken, corn, and capers. For me the capers are what make it special.  

There are also some good sodas here. Apple soda is popular, as is Colombiana, a cola-type drink that is similar to creme soda. We especially like the grapefruit soda they have here. 

Now that I'm starving again, it's time to talk about today. Today was a day of traveling and visits. We started out from Zipaquira in another crazy bus, although this time we got a good picture of it. Enjoy the lush decorations, as well as the stuffed monkey riding in a mini hammock. 

After about an hour we arrived in the pueblo of Chia. I served in Chia for 3 months, including a time when the entire town was flooded. I recall wading through knee-deep water in a suit in order to get to an appointment, but I digress. Chia is only twenty minutes north of Bogota, and the climate is the same. Mid 60's and frequently rainy. 

In Chia we had the opportunity to visit with some old friends. Carlos Lozano was the ward mission leader in Chia during my time there, and he and his family always treated me really well. He's a painter, and a good one at that as seen by his art behind us. 

We also met up with Irma, a wonderful woman who I baptized during my time here. 

Both Irma and Carlos teamed up to provide us with lunch, and Irma gave Haley some earrings in addition to a little book for me. It was yet another example of the Colombian people being far too kind to us. We constantly have people offering us food, their homes, and help on the street. 

After Chia we headed into Bogota, passing the vast greenhouses that grow Colombian flowers. These flowers, especially roses, are usually shipped to the US. Here, however, you can by a dozen meter-long roses for about 5 bucks. 

And voila! Here we are in the capital city! Tomorrow we'll be seeing some more friends, as well as some of the museums in Bogota's center. Tonight, however, we'll get to enjoy the bathroom in our hotel room that only has glass walls. It's a good thing Haley and I tolerate each other.