Papaya: Eat It, Don’t Do It

If you’re like me, you probably grew up feeling relatively safe and a bit careless. Where I grew up, no one thinks twice about wearing a fancy watch, expensive chains, jewelry, or clipping the newest blackberry to the side of your belt.

But some places are different, Latin America included. In Colombia, there’s a saying that goes something like this: “No de Papaya” which translates into “Don’t give Papaya.” That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t share your papaya with anyone. It’s a saying in Colombia that basically means “Don’t be careless and attract unnecessary attention to yourself or get taken advantage of.” Basically it means to have your wits about you, and have some street smarts. Don’t get taken advantage of by women, thieves, sales people, taxi drivers etc.

I’ll give you a couple of examples of giving papaya.

Example 1: You’re in a club and you have your phone on you. You leave your phone on the table and go to the bathroom. If you were at the table alone, you’re really giving papaya, but even if you’re with a group, leaving it there would be a bit careless, it’s still giving a bit of papaya, especially if it’s an expensive phone.

Example 2: You’re paying for a taxi and you take out a wad of cash in front of the taxi driver or when you step outside to pay for the taxi. Your giving papaya because anyone passing by will see you reach into your pocket and pull out a nice big chunk of cash, and you’re attracting unneeded and unwanted attention. Chances are nothing will happen, but you’re still giving papaya.

Example 3: It’s your first night in Cali, Colombia and you don’t know the city well. You get all dressed up and wear a nice shiny, expensive gold chain. You’re going out alone you call a taxi service (not giving papaya), but you fail to take a cautionary step and leave the fancy stuff at home, because first you need to get a feel for the city and the places you’re going to frequent. Not leaving the chain at home is giving papaya. You’re compromising your chain, money, and maybe even your safety.

So what happens when you give Papaya:
Eventually if do it enough times, you’ll run into someone who’ll want to take advantage of you. Leave your cell phone on the table and someone will snatch it when no one is looking. The taxi driver that sees your wad of cash might say he doesn’t have change to give you because now he’s seen you have a lot of money. Your gold chain attracted the attention of the wrong person and as you walk from Club A to Club B a young kid runs by and snatches it, or worse threatens to attack you if you don’t give it up.

Moral of the story: Don’t give Papaya

Five Things Ecuador is Famous For

Ecuador is a larger less explored, cheaper version of Costa Rica. Many people tout Costa Rica for the proximity of it’s different ecological landscapes. You can be on the coast, in the jungle, and high up at the volcano peek in just a matter of hours. The same can be said for Ecuador although it’s a bit larger. Ecuador has a great coast, a tropical amazon region, and mountainous region which offers a diverse ecological landscape in a relatively small geographic region. Apart from that Ecuador is probably 1/3 or at least 1/2 as affordable as Costa Rica. Ecuador is very often ranked as one the of the cheapest countries in Latin America. As far as the women, Costa Rica probably has more attractive women per capita, but Ecuador does have it’s fair share of attractive women. Ecuadorian women tend to be more reserved, faithful and old fashioned then just about any other women in Latin America… Onto the top 5 things:

#1. Natural Rejection in the Galapagos Islands. As you peer out of your cabin you wouldn’t expect that the neon seas and coral shores mark not the peripheries of paradise, but of hell solidified – a savage wasteland of ash cliffs, petrified lava lakes and angry volcanoes. Despite all of this, you will be surprised to learn that nature and life abounds amongst it’s scarred landscape, albeit curious lifeforms, the result of many generations of adaptation to an uncomfortable dwelling. A marine iguana flashes you a mischievous smile before scuttling into the sea to feed – very unlike it’s ancestor’s on the continent. Nearby, yet another one-of-a-kind perches atop the rocks to dry it’s now useless wing stumps – a flightless cormorant which abandoned its aerial abilities for nautical ones years ago. Every island uncovers more animal oddities from giant tortoises to Darwin’s finches – each one a participant in the world’s most famed works of evolution.

#2. Retail Therapy at Otavalo Craft’s Market. At some point in your travels, you will be hit with panic – realizing your nearest and dearest are at home awaiting your offerings of exquisite gifts from a faraway land. If you happen to be in Ecuador count yourselves lucky – one of the largest craft fairs on the continent is Otavalo, brimming with crafts handmade by indigenous artisans. You can hover wide-eyed around stalls selling an astounding range of jewelery, musical instruments, carvings, paintings, textiles and a whole lot more. The phrase ‘Something for Everyone’ is an understatement – deciding who should have the locally made poncho and who back home will appreciate that two meter rain-stick is all part of the fun.

#3. Watching the Sun Rise from Volcano Cotopaxi. At 5897meters high – Volcano Cotopaxi is one of the highest and glorious active volcanoes on Earth. Starting your eight hour trek to it’s summit during the evening will mean most of the climb will be done under starry speckled skies. The payback of a grueling climb in the dark is reaching the top just in time to watch in awe one of the most spectacular sunrises our world has to offer. Cotopaxi’s yawning crater, the great peaks of the Andes and a distant Quito sleeping below the clouds are sights not to be missed.

#4. Standing On the Equator. Just half an hours drive away from Ecuador’s capital city is the middle of the earth – the equator. Don’t leave your camera behind as you will want to show the evidence of having one foot either side of the equator – marked by a simply painted red line. Just a little further is a rival museum which states that it sits directly on the ‘true’ equator line. On visiting the second location, expect to watch the wonderment of magnetic forces at work. Watch how a sink is filled with water and on pulling the plug, instead of whirling – water at the equator runs straight down the plughole. Genius. Amaze friend by balancing an egg atop a nail, performed with ease due to low gravitational pull at the middle of the earth.

#5. Fishing for Piranha in the Jungle. Trekking through the Amazon you will come in to contact with many notorious predators from the pesky Mosquito, the less than friendly Piranha and even those menacing missionaries! Your guide will try to give you the fear if you haven’t yet felt it – tales of piranha’s frenzied attacks and their flesh ripping teeth will put a stone in your throat. If you want a daring challenge – take the plunge and head out in a canoe to the murky waters of Piranha territory. Expect nothing more than a rather primitive set of tackle and bait – a long stick with a piece of twine and an extremely large metal hook carrying a lump of chicken. A mixture of panic and exhilaration will be something of the feelings you experience while tracking and catching your first Piranha.

Is Venezuela Too Dangerous?

Being so close to Venezuela, here in Barranquilla Colombia, I’ve thought about traveling to one of the Venezuelan cities that’s closest to the Colombian boarder. The one that made the most sense for me was Maracaibo Venezuela. From Barranquilla, Maracaibo is only about an 8 hour bus ride, but the entire time I’ve remained undecided because of safety concerns.

There are a few reasons to travel to Venezuela right now. First of all it would be a new adventure. I’ve never been to Maracaibo, and I enjoy exploring new cities and countries. The second would be the high inflation that venezuela experience (25% in 2009), which means the Venezuela is currently at a very steep discount for foreigners with foreign currencies. Finally, I can’t deny that one of the top reasons to go to Venezuela is because of the Venezuelan women.

The last time I was in Venezuela was about 3 years ago. I remember when I went to Caracas that some people had told me it was a dangerous city. I took the normal safety precautions when I traveled there, but it didn’t seem anymore dangerous than other Latin American cities I had already visited.

Since then I know for a fact the Economic situation in Venezuela has declined immensely. In 2009, the official inflation rate in Venezuela was 25 percent — the highest official inflation rate in Latin America. The economic hardship in the country has increased the crime and violence across the Capital city of Caracas, but also across other parts of the country.

One of the benefits of being here in Barranquilla is that there are a lot of people here in Barranquilla who have family in Venezuela, or who have traveled or lived in Venezuela themselves. There are also many Venezuelan people who live in Barranquilla. Anytime I come across someone with ties to Venezuela I ask them if it’s dangerous, and about 60% of the time I’ve gotten reports that it is dangerous.

However, you have to take into consideration that the majority of the Colombians who move to Venezuela move in order to find work. Most of the these Colombians are working class people, who tend to live in the poorer sections of town. These poorer sections of town are undoubtedly the more dangerous sections, but are not sections of any city which I would consider staying in.

Overall, I do think things have probably gotten more dangerous then before in Venezuela, as far as crime goes. However, looking for information on the Internet, I’ve seen that there are still many foreign travelers who venture into Venezuela without a problem. I would only consider traveling to Venezuela if you’re fluent in spanish, and are a veteran traveler. Even still, I think a trip to Venezuela should be taken with extra safety precautions and good planning and research. I still plan on doing some more research including making various online contacts before I make my final decision on traveling to Maracaibo.

What To Eat In Medellin

In most parts of Colombia, including Medellin, you’ll find two kinds of food, “comida rapida” meaning “fast food” like hot dogs (perros), and shish kebabs (chuzos). You also have the regular restaurants offering all types of local foods as well as international foods.

Whenever traveling you should follow my guidelines on how to eat and not get sick when traveling.

In Parque Lleras you’ll find all sorts of international food including sushi, mexican, and local food. Usually the vendors of fast food are small places, or food carts found on various street corners.

The food in Medellin is based on some core ingredients including beens, eggs, beef or pork, potatoes, plantains, and the famous “arepa”, a corn based bread similar to the Mexican tortilla.

Some of the most well known typical plates that you may want to try include the following:

Bandeja Paisa: Traditional Antioquia dish with beans, ground beef, egg, rice, plantain, chorizo sausage, pork cracklings, arepa and hogao (a sauce based on tomatoes and onions).:

Ajiaco (Soup): Ajiaco is a Colombian Potato soup. It typically contains pieces of chicken, large chunks of corn on the cob, two or three kinds of native potatoes, and guasca (Galinsoga parviflora), a weedy, aromatic herb that lends the dish part of its distinctive flavour.
The soup is typically served with heavy cream, capers and avocado, all mixed in just before eating in the proportions each individual prefers.:

Sancocho (Soup): Sancocho is probably the most famous of all Colombian soups and is a soup based on chicken, potatoes, and plantains. However many places offer sancocho de res (sancocho made with beef):

Mondongo (Soup): In Colombia sopa de mondongo is often eaten as the soup course of a traditional almuerzo. The soup in Colombia, is often made with chicken or beef stock, with a lot of cilantro. Many vegetables such as peas, carrots and onion are used to flavor the chicken or beef stock. Salt and pepper, along with corn, are also thrown into the soup for extra flavoring. The tripe used for this soup is varied. The most typical kind of tripe is beef tripe, but in several other regions across the nation, pork tripe and chicken or turkey tripes are also used in the soup:

Five Things the Dominican Republic is Famous For

The Dominican Republic is located on the island of Hispaniola, which is part of the beautiful Caribbean region. The island of Hispaniola is unique in that it is home to two nations: Haiti and the República Dominicana. The Dominican Republic is the second largest Caribbean nation besides Cuba. The nation has over 48,000 km of land and has an estimated population of 10 million people. While the Dominican Republic is known for producing top notch athletes such as Manny Ramirez and Pedro Martinez, the island offers much more than baseball. The Dominican Republic is famous for their hospitality and friendliness, baseball, beautiful beaches and weather, carnavals, as well as music and dance.

Hospitality and Friendliness
The citizens of the Dominican Republic are very friendly and personable. Whether you are ordering a meal, asking for directions, or conversing with locals, the people are always looking for good conversation. The country opens its doors to millions of tourists each year with their arms wide open. Their hospitable nature extends beyond the beaches and results, even in the busy capital of Santo Domingo, which houses one-fifth of the population.

Baseball
Baseball is a way of life for those in the Dominican Republic, which produces some of the best MLB players in history. The Dominican Republic has several players in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, including Juan Marichal, who retired with the legacy that is called the San Francisco Giants. Record-breaking Dominicans include San Pedro de Macoris and Albert Pujols. Overall, the Dominicans have 1,521 players signed to either minor or major league teams in the MLB. Many American teams, including the Cubs and Athletics, have baseball camps in the Dominican Republic.

Beaches and Weather
The Dominican Republic offers beautiful and elegant beaches and resorts, offering five star conditions year round. The tropical weather attracts millions of tourists, as the average weather is 77 degrees. Average temperatures range from 64 degrees in higher elevations to 82 degrees at the beaches. January and February are the two coldest months of the season, while August is the hottest time of year. The rainy season, primarily by the coast, lasts from November to January. Everywhere else in the country the wet season lasts from May to November, however; May is the wettest month in most locations.

Carnavals
The Dominican Republic knows how to have a good time, especially during the months of January and February, Carnaval is a festive celebration in which everyone takes to the streets and participates in circus, masque, and street parties. It is not uncommon for people to dress up in costume, which is used to signify a change in daily life. Carnaval Vegano is the most famous carnaval in the country.

Music and Dance
The Dominican Republic is known for its music and dance, most notably the Meringue, Bachata, Perico Ripiao and Reggaeton. The Dominicans invented the Moquegua, which is a mixture of fast paced beats and rhythms between 120 and 160 beats per minute. The Meringue is composed primarily out of drums, bass, and chorded instruments unique to the region. Bachata was invented in rural and country neighborhoods and focuses on romantic subjects.

Taking A Motorcycle Taxi Through Barranquilla For 75 Cents

This is a typical motorcycle taxi ride around the city of Barranquilla Colombia. The ride costs about $0.75 cents. A long ride would probably cost around $1.00 to $1.50 or roughly 3,000 Colombian pesos. They make you wear a vest with the motorcycles license plate number on it, along with a helmet. They don’t have motorcycle taxis in every Colombian city, but they have them in Barranquilla…

Five Things Argentina is Famous For

Argentina is the second largest country in South America, and one of the most populous. Long a center for immigration, this mixture of different peoples and cultures has created a rich and unique Argentinean culture separate from the rest of Latin America. Although often overlooked in the media, Argentina is actually the birthplace of many world-famous cultural icons that many people will recognize. This article will list five unique thing about Argentina that you may not have been previously aware of.

1. Beef

Argentina has tradition of cattle ranches and cowboys (gauchos) much older than the United States. Raising about 55 million head of cattle, Argentina is the third largest exporter of beef in the world. Argentine beef is world-famous for its quality and flavor. Argentines have the largest consumption of red meat in the world.

Whereas many US ranches contain grain-fed cattle raised in feedlots, Argentine ranches are still largely grass-fed, free-range cattle roaming over the vast rolling pastures of the central Pampas and southern Patagonian plains. Many consider grass-fed, free-range cattle to be tastier and healthier, as free-range cattle are less likely to have hormone injections, get more exercise, contain less saturated fast, and more healthy omega 3 fatty acids which reduce cholesterol.

2. Asado

Argentina has its own, world-famous type of barbeque, known as asado. Asado combines the dry heat of grilling with the humid, slow-cooking method of smoking. The result is grilled, barbequed meat that is very tender and juicy. Many foods Americans consider to be Mexican actually originated in Argentina, including chorizo, empanadas, and Dulce de Leche. Finnally, chimichurri sauce (made of olive oil mixed with parsley, oregano, paprika, garlic, onion, pepper, and salt) is actually an Argentine creation, and is traditionally served with an asado barbeque.

3. Wine

Argentinean wine has become increasingly popular worldwide over the last twenty years. Argentina is the fifth largest producer of wine in the world, and has long been the single biggest producer outside of Europe. The province of Mendoza, Argentina’s primary wine producing region, is considered one of the eight wine capitals in the world. Argentinean wine also reflects Argentina’s diverse ethnic background. The grapes cultivated for wine in Argentina come from Spain, France, and Italy, among others places.

Due to the high altitude and low humidity of the prime Argentinean vineyards in the foothills of the Andes mountains, Argentinean grapevines rarely suffer the problems of insects, molds, fungi, and other grape vine diseases. Consequently, Argentinean vintners rarely use pesticides or herbicides, making Argentinean wine naturally organic and flavorful. Argentina is credited with the finest Malbec wine in the world.

4. The Tango

Almost everyone has heard of this slow, sensual ballroom dance, but many don’t realize it originated in Argentina. Specifically, it evolved in the ports, bars and brothels of Buenos Aires (the capital of Argentina) in the late 19th century. Buenos Aires was a city of immigrants at the time, and the Tango, both the dance and the music, was a fusion of musical styles from Spain, Cube, Africa, Italy, Eastern Europe, and indigenous Argentinean folk music.

This slow, sorrowful, and sexual music and dance spread from the working class slums to the rest of Argentinean society by the turn of the 20th century. In the 1920s, it exploded on the international scene and became wildly popular in Europe and the United States. Like Jazz, the Tango craze flourished until displaced by Rock & Roll in the 1950. In 2009, UNESCO declared the Tango to be part of the world’s “intangible cultural heritage.”

Violin, piano, guitar, flute and bandoneon, sometimes guitar and clarinet

5. Evita

For the average person, the first thing they associate with Argentia is the stage and movie musical “Evita,” a rags-to-riches story about Eva Perón. Eva, nicknamed “Evita” by an adoring public, was the wife of the popular Argentinean President Juan Perón, who ruled Argentina in the 1940s and 50s. Evita’s massive popularity among Argentineans came from the charity foundation she set up to assist the poor and working classes. She also advocated women’s right. The story of Evita hit new levels of popularity in the 1990s, when a movie version of the musical was released starring Madonna in the lead role of Eva Perón,

Random Clips of Carnavales Barranquilla Colombia 2010

I spent Carnavales here in Barranquilla Colombia, after having spent 6 weeks in Medellin. This little video is a compilation of some random clips I took during the days of Carnavales in Barranquilla. Hope you like!

Latin American Block Party – Barranquilla Carnavales 2010

I took a small video here in Barranquilla on the second to last day of Carnavales, which was a Monday night. People were partying outside of my apartment until the sun came up. It’s not uncommon to see block parties like this one, not just in Carnavales but for birthdays, holidays like New Years as well as other festive dates. This isn’t exclusive to Colombia. It’s a common to see block parties all over Latin America especially during New Years and Carnaval season.

How To Build A Basic Travel Budget

When you’re thinking about traveling it’s always a good idea to build a budget. First you have to figure out how much you can spend and how much time you want to be away. This is a very simply guide to building a basic budget, and this is what I use most of the time when I plan on traveling to a new location.

You can build a budget in two ways. The first is go build a cost estimate based on where you want to go, then you know how much you need to save up for a certain trip. The second is to build a spending estimate based on how much money you plan to spend, if you already have the money.

Lets start with what I call a spending estimate:

First figure out how much you want to spend or can afford to spend. This will be your “Available Funds”. Divide this by the total time you plan on traveling (in days):

Available Funds / Total Time = Daily Budget

For example, if you currently had $2,000 for a 15 day trip, this would look something like:

$2,000 / 15 days = $133 per day

Once you have your daily budget you can get a better idea of how much you can afford to pay for a hotel every day, as well as how much you’ll have in your pocket for other expenses. The most common things you’ll have to pay for on a daily basis are food, transportation, and lodging. Anything extra like beers, cover charges for bars and clubs will be extra expenses that will vary throughout each week and each day. I like to break down expenses into three different areas:

#1: Lodging.
#2: Food and transportation
#3: Extras (Beers, cover charges, tourism excursions, souvenirs etc.)

Generally speaking I allocated one third of my daily budget to each of these categories. So if we go by the above $133 daily budget, I’d probably be looking for a hotel or hostel that costs $44 or less. If I cut back on the lodging costs then I have more to spend on food, transportation and extras. At the same time, I allocate about $44 per day for food and transportation and another $44 per day for extras.

Once you have a basic budget you have a better idea of how much you can afford to spend each day. Once you get to where your going make sure you at least keep a mental note of sticking to your budget. A budget isn’t any good if you don’t stick to it, and the whole point of making one is to make sure you don’t overspend.

I’ll be making a more detailed budget creation tutorial in the near future but this should give you a better idea of how to budget and estimate costs before you travel.