"The Only Risk is Wanting to Stay"

I'm 100% criolla, that is, I'm 100% Colombian. I live in in Colombia, lived here all my life in fact, and my family is of Spanish descent, and yes, they have been here since the first Spanish conquistadors came into this land. But making the story more interesting, I want to let you know some of the best places you can visit in my country. You may think that all the Latin countries are pretty much the same, but you'd be surprised to see that although there is much in common, there is a very big difference not only form country to country but from region to region. Colombia is a very good example of this. Now, the country is composed of five main regions: Amzonia, Orinoquia, Andina, Caribe, and Pacifico. The Spanish names might not help for anything if you have absolutely no idea of what the country's geography is like. So, basically the five regions are, the Amazon jungle, the Caribbean coast, the Andean mountain range, the Pacific coast, and the eastern plains which border with the Orinoco river. All these regions vary in climates, vegetation, cultures, and accents and they each offer very unique types of travel and tourism.

To begin, let me tell you about the Amazon. I've been very lucky because I've been 3 times in the Amazon rain forest and these visits have allowed me to become more familiar with the jungle and appreciate it even more. This region has very hard access. The dense jungle makes it hard to build roads (not that it's necessary because that would completely destroy the wildlife and plants) and also, the infamous Colombian terrorist groups take advantage of the inaccessibility of the jungle to keep their hostages and plan their next assault. Regardless, Colombia is very diverse and it's full of rare creatures that only inhabit the Amazon rain forest. So, if you have plans on visiting this magical place, I recommend you fly straight to Leticia. The capital of the departamento del Amazonas, Leticia is a small town-like city with just over 15,000 people. However, its full of warm loving people coming from all over the country (and indigenous descendants) that will make your stay much more pleasant. The Amazon has many places you can visit and Leticia happens to be right in the middle of it. Bordering both Brazil and Peru, you get a little of the three countries in a perimeter of a few blocks. The Amazon region has many national parks made to conserve nature and there's one in particular that I liked the most: Amacayacu. You won't regret having visited Amacayacu. Complete with a cabins for visitors and many options of outdoor adventure like the canopy or canoeing, you won't get bored. Also, you can ask for any guided walks across the jungle in which, if you're lucky might even get to see monkeys or birds in their natural habitat. Finally, you might even get to swim with dolphins or see them come close to you from a boat or a kayak. So, there are many things to do while you visit the Amazon, and trust me, it's safe and you will be glad you went there.

The next region, the Orinoquia is one of the mos beautiful regions of Colombia. The region, also known as the Llanos Orientales, is complete with birds and mammals such as the capibara. It has a very nice climate and a lovely scenery. The Orinoquia is made up of some of the most beautiful ----------

The Truth About Traveling

• You always forget your toothbrush.
• There is no way you will actually get to see the whole place you visit.
• Airplanes are ALWAYS uncomfortable
• People smell.
• Babies puke on you.
• Your bags will somehow be misplaced. In Africa or something.

Cheeseburger in Paradise

So, the title of this post makes reference to the famous Jimmy Buffet song, Cheeseburger in Paradise. If you haven't guessed already, I'm including Buffet's song with the funny lyrics because I just got back from my spring break in Key West, FL and it so happens that for some reason I'm still trying to find out, he has something to do with this small island. I am sorry for not posting in such a long time, but I suppose you already have an idea as to why I stopped posting for some time. Yet here I am and I'm telling you about the trip I just got back from hours ago.

As usual, my parents (my dad) are the ones who finance my trips and given that I'm still under their care, there's very little things where I have the final decision, if any at all. This time, though it was a little different. It all began months ago when my brother had a sudden Beatles obsession. He has almost every single Beatles original record, which is not that surprising. Anyways, so all of my family (including myself) got infected with the Beatles fever and my mom asked me to look for any Paul McCartney concerts, that way, if we had the chance to, we could attend one. I signed up for any upcoming where Paul McCartney would be playing. To my surprise, there were more events than I had imagined (I thought the guy was thinking about retirement, not starting a tour). I got an e-mail that he would be playing in Miami on April 3 (this was a month ago) and I send it to my mom just like any other random e-mail. The next thing I knew, we were going to Miami during spring break to watch Paul McCartney in concert. The concert part was fun, but not staying in Miami an entire week. Some people reading this might disagree but an afternoon for shopping is more than enough for me and after more than a day, hanging out at the beach gets old.

I told my parents that maybe we should go somewhere else, but the tickets were already bought and there wasn't much I could do. I looked at the map and saw that Key West was not that far away from Miami so I suggested it to my parents. They agreed and my mom booked a B&B (Bed and Breakfast, when a couple no longer lives with their kids and are left with an empty house, full of rooms, they offer it to tourists or backpackers and the price normally includes breakfast).

Last week, we finally got on the plane and started towards Miami. Our plan was actually to stay in Miami a night or two so that we could meet my dad's stock broker and then head off towards Key West. Miami wasn't that exciting, I did get some time at the mall and a day at the beach, just enough. My cousin was there with her husband so we spent some time with them and later stopped at Aventura Mall just minutes before they were closing. This was all we did in Miami. The next day we drove almost four hours into Key West. The highway or whatever you want to call it actually went over the sea's surface. It looked like a long bridge that crossed the sea. When we finally got there, we unpacked and went outside for dinner. It wasn't so late so we got to walk around and here is when Jimmy Buffet comes in. If you know anything at all about the man, you know his songs are silly, barely make sense, but are funny and make you feel good. I've kind of grown up listening to Cheeseburger in Paradise and Margaritaville, where he was "wasted" looking for his "lost shaker of salt". Back to this having anything to do with this post, again I don't know what the connection is between him and Key West, but it is obvious he is important there. The guy has his own restaurant on Duval St.(where almost everything happens in Key West) called Maragritaville and a gift shop right next to it. The place feels like a beach party, actually the restaurant has a sign on it that says, Hurricane party. To finish the story, we had dinner there and there was a Cheeseburger in Paradise on the menu. Obviously, that was what I got, my parents ordered margaritas and that's how this very interesting story ends. I do suggest you go there though, as far as I know, there's one Maragritaville in Cancun also,and there may be all over the world. It's an experience and although the food isn't as great as it sounds, the drinks are amazing (I tried the Pina-Colada).

The next day, we saved reserved space on a Katamaran that takes you out at sea and you can go snorkeling. We got our wetsuits but I can't say we saw much. The bottom was pretty much gray and brown. There were some fishes but that was about it. Later, we rented a jet ski that fit three people. I rode it with my dad and my brother (neither of them had any idea of what they were doing) so I took the wheel, I was going very slow but I was being safe, my brother was terribly bored with my pace so I gave him a turn but asked him to take it easy. The next thing I knew we were all in the water and the thing was a few feet away. I got furious with him and so my dad decided he would drive. He has absolutely no idea of how a jet ski works and so all the way back we were zigzagging and in the way of other boats. That was over and I although I didn't have that much fun, if you're into it, you will enjoy it, just make sure you're with someone that actually knows how to drive it.

On the third day, we went to the local museums and the aquarium. All the museums are tiny and you can see them in a few minutes but it's worth it. Some of the places I liked best were Ernest Hemingway's home and the shipwreck museum. Although the Shipwreck one is more exciting for five year-olds, I had a good time. Hemingway's home was very interesting, I can't say it was beautiful or distinctive but I liked it anyways and it was also were he wrote some of his famous works so I guess that gives the place some extra points.

A part form the museums or the water activities, Key West is a very cozy and relaxed place. We rented bikes and that turned out to be a very good way of transportation. We got to see what we wanted to see and eat home-made ice-cream. All in all, Key West exceeded my expectations and I really enjoyed spending time there. From the homey feeling of the B&B to falling off the jet ski, last week was packed with fun things. Key West is definitely a place I would go back to.

I spent the last day of the week driving up to Miami again. We waited until it was time to head to the concert. I still can't believe I saw Paul McCartney live! It's a memory I will never forget. Specially singing Hey Jude or Helter Skelter and just being there is an incredible experience.

For the most part, my trip to Miami exceeded my expectations and I am very tired and I have school tomorrow, so to finish up, I highly recommend Key West and Paul McCartney concerts. Go and enjoy yourselves in the very liberal Key West lifestyle. :)