It's the new year and I am way overdue for an update. Basically i've been hanging around in Rio for a good three weeks now, just so i didn't have to travel during the holidays. It can get pretty hectic, specially if you don't speak the local language. I've done some of the touristy things, and my impression of Rio is that it's a little overrated. The beaches are very crowded, noisy and sometimes so dirty i didn't want to swim. It all depends on where you go though, as there are nicer beaches if you want to spend alot of time getting there (i don't, not being a beach person). It's also quite expensive here, specially during the holidays when they jack up the prices. The city itself isn't that bad, it certainly has it's charms here and there. If you have a lot of money to spend, Rio is a nice place. For those who don't, well...tough...

Here's the mandatory jebus pic of the Corcovado statue (Christ the Redeemer). It's huge and it was very crowded on Christmas day.

Here he is again from the back, a little cooler with the sun for a head me thinks:)

Here's Botafogo where i've spent most of my time. The pointy hill is Sugarloaf Hill which has a nice view if you take the cablecar to the top. Imagine it just like this, only from the other side since i'm too lazy to upload more pictures:)

Here's the Rocinha favela (favela means ghetto) in Rio viewed from the top. It has about 200.000 inhabitants, and it's the largest of Rio's (and also Latin America's) 750 favelas. In contrast, the highrises at the bottom is one of the most expensive neighbourhoods in Rio, an apartment there can cost $5m USD. A house in the favela will run you 5.000-50.000USD depending on the standard (yes, they do have standards, even here:)

Life in the favela. I was told this is actually a cousin and his uncle taking a bath. Cousin on the left, apparently uncle gets to bathe first.

While these guys were playing for change, five mean looking guys walked right past us. The first one had an assault rifle, the second was carrying two handguns (in his hands, not holstered). Third came the bling'ed out druglord, fourth another guard with two handguns out, and last another one with an assault rifle. They just nodded at us while they walked by, and i didn't feel threatened at all, but i'm sure that would've changed if i had tried to take their photo. A little further down we came to the "Line of death" which is a wall where the drugrunners usually make their stand against the police. Fun times....

Just another day at the hostel...

Met this british guy in my room at this hostel im staying at in Bogota. Seemed like a normal guy, friendly and all. Well, i pass by him later in the day, around 6pm. He smells of beer and is a bit drunk. Still friendly though. Around 8pm he breaks a beerbottle and stabs himself in the neck. There's blood everywhere, a good amount of screaming (and growling, he actually growled) and it takes two guys to hold him down. The police come and take him away and spend a good amount of time searching our room. Apparently he'd been wacked out on mushrooms (of all things, this is Colombia after all). He's alright though, he was released after a lengthy talk with his consulate and the police. He even slept a few hours in his bed before he left earlier. If he was smart he went home, but i kinda doubt his intelligence after the show he put on...

Complexes much? This manequin must be sponsored by a local plastic surgeon. Unfortunately, this is not a one of a kind, it's just the most extreme i found (from Panama City)

A shot of Cartagena. Get it? Ahahaha..ha...heh...um, yeah...humor this bad is actually a hanging offense in some muslim countries.

I am currently in Santa Marta in Colombia, and in a fit of Christmas spirit i decided to share some of the wonderful decorations around town with you.

It's baby Jebus and his inflatable sheep. The impenetrable fence is there to keep the sheep molesters away. True story.

A bold interpretation of a classic scene. Set against a lovely shipyard in the background.

Yes fight fans, it's that time of year again, and how we have been looking forward to this moment. In the red corner, it's that dastardly devil, the sock displacer, the bringer of pain come straight from hell, Luuuucifeeeeerr!

His opponent in holy yellow in this fight for the light, straight from cloud nine, the Top Dog, the Parter of Puddles, the G to the O to the D, Allah, JWH, the one and only GOD!

We expect a long and drawn out fight here folks, and most certainly some dirty tricks from Big Red. It's gonna be one for the history books.

Lets get ready to RRRRrrrrruuummmblllllllle.

News updates on this fight around mid century. Be sure to tune in for the continuation of this epic saga.

These are all over the place. It's almost enough to make a grown man cry.

Here we see the result of the "No Tree Left Behind" act, closely modelled on a similar american undertaking. It just warms my little heart to see this kind of dedication to christmas decoration.

Although strictly not a Christmas decoration, this is incontrovertible truth that Colombia is a civilized nation.

These two cute girls were dancing on a bench in front of their house, obviously trying to entice passing men. The stippers have to start young to be the best in Nicaragua.












This incredibly peristent girl was selling drinks on the bus to the Costa Rica'n border. After about ten minutes i broke down and bought a bottle of water, the smile on her face was definately worth it:)











Those clever Nica's, always coming up with good solutions to their transportation needs.














Sleeping on the beach in Costa Rica. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon...

This pavement sponsored by Coca Cola. This one and rest of pics from Panama City.

This pavement sponsored by...uhh...the Pink Panther? He's really sunk low, next you know he'll be on one of those reality celebrity has-beens shows...

"For sale : Charming fixer-upper in quaint neighbourhood. Beautifully done in a classic style with french balconies. For sale by owner, serious inquiries only"

The quaint neighbourhood

Who you gonna call? Super Chicken! I feel so much safer knowing he's on the job, fighting crime and keeping everyone safe. Thank you Super Chicken!

Some more pictures

The busdriver who took us to the Pacaya volcano. The shotgun is to scare of the bandits in the area. We walked ahead of the main group, mindless of the danger like the tough guys we are.















A father and son clown act on one of the chicken buses entertained us in spanish. They come on board, do their five minute act and go around collecting money. Then they do the same on the next bus. Could you do this for a living and still smile all day long?











This friendly woman really wanted her picture taken. From Granada in Nicaragua

Whats this? Have i joined the Sandinistas? Nope, im just doing another volcano walk. This time to the Masaya volcano in Nicaragua. It was raining pretty hard earlier, so the crater was spewing alot of smoke and gases. Didnt see much, although standing on the rim of an active volcano and looking down into the smoke was pretty exilarating. Specially since there was no fence and very dark, so you had to guess where the edge was.








This deer lives in the garden of my hostel in Isla de Ometepe in Nicaragua. It really liked to lick the sweat off my arm, i had to go wash off afterwards:)

Honduras

I am now in La Ceiba in Honduras, waiting for the weather to improve so i can go to the Bay Islands. Its been raining here for a while (it is the wet season after all), so i might move on tomorrow if it doesnt improve during the day. No fun being on an island when its raining.

I've actually been moving pretty fast lately, not because i want to but because there hasn't been a whole lot to see or do. If i can't go to the islands, i will most likely leave for Nicaragua soon.

Anyway, here are some pics i took along the way.

A chicken bus in Antigua. Not recommended for people taller than your average garden gnome or if you don't like to have the sweat of your neighbour rub off on you.

Not too easy to see on this picture, but the boat is actually called "Titanic". I wonder if he would name his plane "Hindenburg" if he had one?

The boat actually runs as a ferry between the pueblos on Lake Atitlan.

The slowest man i have ever met. He could race a snail and lose. The road he is on goes down to the beach. With the pace he was going he'd have to turn right around when he got down to be sure to get home before dark. Picture from San Marcos on Atitlan.

One of the volcanoes surrounding Lake Atitlan. It used to be a supervolcano before it blew and left a huge crater which is now the lake itself. I was told a local hotel was trying to start up sportfishing on the lake. So they introduced a new species which promptly ate all the other fish. Now it's the only one left. It's crazy that things like these are still happening today, hundreds of years since the brits fucked up Australia with the same ignorance.

Another pic of Lake Atitlan. It really is a nice lake:)

Remember to eat your vegetables kids, you don't want to make granny mad. Picture from Copan Ruins in Honduras.

Another dark picture taken in the morning in La Ceiba. Two guys are leaning a ladder against some electrical wires, planning to climb up and fix the traffic light. Amazingly, this is not the most suicidal thing i've seen here. Their driving is much more dangerous.

Guatemala

I am now in Guatemala, currently in San Pedro (Atitlan). Since i cant be bothered to write much today, ill just post some pics:)




Sunrise over Tikal. We got up at 2:30 in the morning to listen to the sounds of the monkeys and birds waking up while the sun rose over the ruins.
















A small sized tarantula, could easily fit in your pocket. Why you'd want to put one in your pocket i don't know...

Yes, its another temple. Can you find Waldo?















Damn it, more stairs!

A bunch of cool guys frying eggs on the Pacaya Volcano not too fra from Antigua. I singed a few hairs here and there that evening. From down left to right : Jacob, Alan (who thought of the idea and carried all the stuff..kudo's man:), Me, Mikke, Tatto and Ida.







It's my one month travel anniversary today, it doesn't seem like that long to me. So many places to go and things to see, and only five months left. Guess i better hurry..naah...