Colombia

No this is not what the Colombian's look like.This is on a billboard for a cafe/bar in Medellin Colombia

Colombia a country that has changed so much since the mid 1990. This trip starts in the second largest city in the country with about 3 million people. With Bogota being the largest city in the country. The drug cartel was headquartered in this city and now is not visible at least to me. Seems like a country on the go and building lots of new apartments in Medellin 

Medellin Colombia

Medellin the city of eternal spring.  A city that is very modern and progressive.  The elevation is about 4800 feet above sea level.

They have a very modern transportation system that uses a above ground rail system and connects with the buses. It also has many cable car routes that connect with the rail system.

The mall's in the area I am staying are amazing and the price's are at least what we pay or more in the USA. 
The fuel is around $4.50 a gallon. This city is now a huge banking center. 
It used to be the drug capital of the world not long ago but now that has all changed 

My friend Fernando and me at his apartment in Medellin

My new friends in Medellin 

Here we are at Fernando and his wife Berta Lucio cabin in the mountains close to Medellin.
Good food,good company, and fun times


Cartagena Colombia

I traveled to the north of the country close to Panama on the Caribbean coast where there is a mix of the present and the past. Here is one of the local moving companies at work.

 

There is an old walled part of the city that was built during the slave trade. 

This lady is selling fruit on the streets of Cartagena 

Someone must have had a lot of balconies to use up because they have a ton of them in this city

The modern part of the city looks like Miami Beach to me and it is very expensive here

One of these apartments would run you a few million  US dollars. The exchange rate is 1777 peso's to one dollar at this time so in their money one could be a millionaire for about $600 US dollars 

Santa Marta Colombia

A port city on the Mar Carbe not far from Venezuela  

Once a year there is a big Carnival in this area and the street vendors are busy selling items for that event.

Water front in Santa Marta and sunset

Tayrona National Park

A short bus ride to Tayrona Park where there is hiking, camping and beautiful beaches. 

Also you can arrange a 5 day hike to the lost city and the people consider this lost city as sacred 

The people are very resourceful in using what is available for starting a business

Local shopping

More shopping

Here are some of the tourist taking in Colombia

Time to relax and have a game of pool and drink a few beers

The problem is there is only one good tree around

The only way to travel

Incrediable India

What a country. 

It has it all. The people of the country think of visitors as Kings and Queens due to the Hindu religion They are beyond words and so nice and helpful. So refreshing that it is not about money at all they simply care about you.

 Started off in Mumbai after a ton of hours in an airplane The first few days is still a blur.

Near both the local and international airport are slums where thousands live and hope for work in the city

There are 29,000 people every 1/2 mile in the city and they say 1,000 folks a day moving into the city from the country side looking for work so you can guess how long it take to get around in a city that large

Had a wonderful experience staying with a lovely couple in Mumbai.They showed us around the town and took us to a Hindu wedding and then to the reception in the evening They invite thousands of friends and family to the wedding and reception. 

The people of this country is hard to describe. They are a mix of different religions

The local family in Mumbai. They fixed dinner and they gave a lesson on how to eat with my hand and it was hard to do at first since I had always been told not to eat with my hands. You eat with only your right hand and pass dishes with the left hand but never pick up the food with that hand since it is associated with personal hygiene need I say more. I felt like a king and they shared their home It felt like family and that I had known them for years

Traveled to the northeast after leaving Mumbai to Aurangabad where monks had carved caves hundreds of years ago. Inside were paintings on the walls and very little light once inside the cave since they were protecting the paintings. Schools were bringing kids there to view some of the history of their country



Food was prepared in stainless steel containers and every thing is made fresh. Spices varied between the different locations in the country. It was all good no matter what location
The tea was a real hit with me and I must say  being a coffee drinker most of the time I switched there. I think I had just 5 cups the whole time I was in India.
Their masala tea was the best and I must have drunk gallons of it.They use fresh spices in the food and I got to see the farms where it was grown. I had not seen black pepper before grown and dried in the sun

I was in Kumily and this is the  part of the country that grows spices and is called Haven on Earth. The smells of spices permeates the air and lots of local shops selling all kinds of spices.

Black pepper being dried in the sun in Kumily the spice center of the country. The smells of fresh spices was in the air every where.

Also went into the hill country and a town by the name of Munar where years ago the British would stay in this area to beat the heat in the flat lands. They grow tea over all the place there. Looks like fields of shrubs

Fishing on the south coast at Kochi (Cochen)with chineese fishing nets. Four men working all day for just what is passing buy when they raise the net.

HOLI

Holi in Jaipur. The celebration of spring. They through powered ink and also put it in squrt guns and shoot it on every one. Very lucky to be able to stay with a family in Jaipur during this time and also went to an elephant festival the day before

Two young lads that just came out of a Hindu temple in the back ground .Everyone wants to have their picture taken

These beautiful animals are used in Hindu celebrations and also still around for working. Also camels are used for hauling different items

The beach on the south east coast of the country.
The water was like bath water.This was at Varkala getting close to the bottom of India 

The countries people is about 75% Hindu.

The Hindu religion has over 300 Gods

People and colors like no where else in the world

A tribute to a lady. The Taj Mahal
This is just a small part of the story of this wonderful country
INDIA
a must see for all

Day of the Dead in Mexico
This the time of year for friends and family to honor the soul's of the departed. Here is a little information about this event.

November the first is All Saints Day and November second is All Soul's Day. The 1st of November is when the soul's return as little angels. These are the little children and unmarried folks and they start the return on the eve of the 31st of October. At midnight on November 1st the little angles stop coming and it's time for the elders to come. The families have alters prepared with items the past loved one enjoyed.These could be at the homes of the families or at the cemetery. They also bring food and drink to share plus there is music played. The process for the family and friends is called the "wait" when they are joined together at the home or cemetery. The food is believed to contain the essence of the soul departed. There is more to the story but this will give you an idea of what this is all about. They also make carpets out of saw dust with pictures  of various things and are very well done. These folks are real artisans in a number of ways.

It has a feeling of celebration but still has a solum air about it. There are many flower stalls and food stalls on the way to the cemetery and boy's are there to carry water for the plants purchased. Not sure what the cost's are for the water boy's or what they had to pay the fellows playing the music I would say not much compared to what it would cost in other country's