los torrelos

on Tuesday me and Armando took what was went to be a day trip to San Cristobol – to watch some bull fighting.  crossing the Venezuela border was kind of weird.  From Colombia you walk into San Antonio, there is no-one monitoring the actual border.  at first glance it appears to be like the borders in Europe, just an unmanned booth.  Armando explained that immigration office is actually located in the town.  Once we had got our passports stamped and changed our pesos to bolivars we got a ride in some ones car to San Cristobol.  the city build on the slopes of two mountains and was filled with art.  Almost every wall had some sort of mural on it – the majority of them telling you to vote for Chavez.  after talking to a few people we found out that bull fight start in the evening so we would have stpend the night.  so while we were waiting for the bull fight to start we drank. 

I still don´t totally under stand all the rules of a bull fight but here’s what i do get:  there are four stages and each stage is represented by a different piece of music.  the first stage the matador and and his helpers test the bull and then run behind a shield which is build in to the ring.  once the matador is satified then some horses are brought out.  The bull charges them and the riders stab the bull to weaken it and make it tired.  once they are done the matador takes two steaks and  stabs the bull in the neck he does this two or three times then he has the bull charge him some more before he kills it with a sword he stabs throught he neck of bull.

 the madadors i saw weren´t that good it took the six swords to kill the bull when it should only take one two most to kill the beast.

 very interesting sport.  I don´t understand why it not loved by Americans lots of blood lots of beer and the killing of an Innocent animal.

Finally in colombia

when i first got here i spent 5 days in Bogota (Colombia´s capital) i was staying my friend Elsy´s sister.  I was lucky in Bogota because Julian Elsy´s nephew speaks very good English and showed me around Bogota and taught me a little Spanish.  In Bogota i really liked walking around the markets and trying to talk down prices one shop keeper loved that i wouldn´t pay full price for something he told me i will do well in Colombia because nothing costs the first price given.  Downtown Bogota was pretty cool – so many people walking around.  unfortunately i missed the juggling club i wanted to go to but there is always next time.  Julian took took me to Zipaquira a town that has a famous church which is inside a salt mine – it was really amazing.  they have carved out huge halls and giant crosses all out of salt. in Bogota i discovered chorizo -  chorizo is like the best sausage i have ever had.  i gave the chorizo man a Canadian pin and he gave me free chorizo what a trade!!  yesterday i set out to Chinacuta, my buss left at 7 so i was at five – YUK. the distance to Chinacuta is maybe a little further than going to Montreal from Toronto, but it takes 14 hours to get here because of the Andes.  The long trip was well worth it.  I got to see a lot of the country, the would go from high mountain grass lands to tropical little villages in an hour than back up in the mountains again.  Chinacota is a great little town, the people are sooo nice.  every where i go some one is going out of their way to make feel at home, even though my Spanish is horrible and i make very little sense when i talk to people.  I feel like everyone is excited to me and hang out with me.  If i juggle or unicycle here the kids crowd around me and the older peopl give me beer.  the other night i went my first fiesta it was awesome sitting around a bar drinking so much and dancing with Colombian woman – the streets get filled with people dancing and drinking. 

I don´t really have to much more to say but will give an out line of some my plans for the future.  Tomorrow or the next day i´m going to go to Boyaca - the area has lots of little village with tons of Spanish architecture.  Then i´m coming back to Chinacuta and and from there going to San Cristabol (Venezuela)with Armando to watch bull fighting. after that i´m going to Caribbean coast to party, listen to some Colombian music and check out the big mountains.  After that i´m heading back south to Bogota for a wedding and to meet up with my friend Conni (from Toronto) and might go to Cali to see this circus school.

getting ready

mI only have 2 more days in until I take off for Bogota. last night rob and Elsy came over and gave me a book of addresses, filled with names of people who have been kind enough to let me stay with them while i’m in Colombia. Rob was telling about a bull fighting festival in Venezuela, it sounds pretty cool hopefully i’ll make it.

I really don’t know what to expect when i get down there, I’m kind of worried that my lake of Spanish will upset once i get down there – who knows maybe it will bother me so much I’ll actually pick up quickly.

Now i should get back to packing. next time i write something on here i will be some where in Colombia, i imagine having a great time.