There is very little smoking that I have seen so far in Colombia. A bit more in the city but probably less than 1 in 100 people, and in the country less than that.
However all the major food chains have made their way to the cities: Mc Donald’s, KFC, Subway, and Dunkin Donuts. Everywhere sells coke (cocola), and a local fizzy drink called Postobon, which is really sweet fizzy drink. Mostly the locals are slim but the obesity epidemic is starting to appear.
Interesting fact: 70% of the world’s species of birds live in South America. Out of the city you see birds of all sizes and colours. There are also huge brightly colored butterflies – bright blue and crimson and multi colored, flying around.
The toilet situation is variable from outhouse, to toilets with no seats and hoses for washing, to systems that look like the ones at home. However despite where you are, you don’t put toilet paper in the toilet – you put it into a rubbish bin next to it which takes some getting used to.
Beside all the toilets are small containers to put the toilet paper into it. Some are closed lids with foot levers, but others like this are open. It takes quite a bit of getting used to.
Correction: Regardless of what I say on my blog, when I say feet I mean metres, sorry, so we have been climbing 2,000 metres not feet (Editor’s note: I have now gone back and corrected any references to distances in feet that I could find, but if you find any please let me know).
Graffiti is everywhere, same as in Santiago
Making full use of the space in the car (In Bogota)
Side view of the same car
The man sells dog clothes – note the boots on the dog
Caption from Kaye: “Picture of a building in Bolivar square in the historical part of the city, don’t know what it is called”
Name of the church in the next picture
The church
Tim and Rhonda who are leaving the tour here in Bogota
Editors Note: Below are photos that I’ve just found from Kaye, that I hadn’t posted earlier. Oops, sorry bout that:
Dad and daughters on a bike in San Marcos
Tyres for sale at local supermarket in San Marcos
Car in San Marcos
Our equivalent to Telecom: Movistar technicians in San Marcos
Tour staff buying 5 trolleys of food to keep us going to the next rest day in San Marcos
My lunch date in San Marcos
Washing on roof of Art hotel in Medellin
View of Medellin from roof of Art hotel
View from roof of Art hotel Medellin the building in the foreground has King Kong painted on it
OMG – have just caught up on a few days worth of reading your blog – I’m exhausted, I need a rest day!!! Geez that bloody tyre, the altitude sickness, the mud, the all night parties, the bloody tyre, the heat, the dogs, the language barrier, the thirst, the bloody tyre!!!!! But then there’s the scenery, the birds, the culture, the fine dining, the hot showers, the soft beds. I guess it all balances out. The weather here is crap but tomorrow I have the day off and I’m getting my nails done, having a facial and getting my eyelashes tinted YAY!!! Look forward to reading more. Oh yeah and there is rugby on this weekend, 1st Bledisloe Cup match, Yea Boy!!!!