TravBuddy.com: RolyRobertson's South America - Colombia to Argentina solo for 5 months travel blog Copyright 2005 TravBuddy LLC http://www.travbuddy.com/blogs/26416 Hi all My name is Mark Robertson, 27 years old from Wellington, New Zealand. I'm off to Bogota, Colombia on 4 March 2008 from Auckland New Zealand, via Buenos Aires. Spending 1 month in Colombia attending a Colombian friend's wedding before backpacking my way from Colombia to Argentina, via Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia over the following 5 months. en-us Tue, 20 May 2008 10:18:19 PST Lima http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26416/Lima-Lima-32 Tue, 20 May 2008 10:18:19 PST Lima Lima, Peru, May 20, 2008

]]> Cuzco http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26416/Cuzco-Cusco-33 Tue, 20 May 2008 10:19:54 PST Cuzco Cusco, Peru, May 20, 2008

]]> Huaraz http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26416/Huaraz-Huaraz-31 Thu, 15 May 2008 10:16:50 PST Huaraz Huaraz, Peru, May 15, 2008

]]> Trujillo http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26416/Trujillo-Trujillo-29 Wed, 14 May 2008 10:15:08 PST Trujillo Trujillo, Peru, May 14, 2008

]]> Huanchaco http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26416/Huanchaco-Huanchaco-30 Wed, 14 May 2008 10:16:04 PST Huanchaco Huanchaco, Peru, May 14, 2008

]]> Piura, Peru http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26416/Piura-Peru-Piura-28 Wed, 14 May 2008 10:12:03 PST Piura, Peru Piura, Peru, May 14, 2008

]]> Vilcabamba http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26416/Vilcabamba-Vilcabamba-27 Mon, 12 May 2008 10:10:41 PST Vilcabamba Vilcabamba, Ecuador, May 12, 2008

]]> Loja http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26416/Loja-Loja-26 Sun, 11 May 2008 10:07:19 PST Loja Loja, Ecuador, May 11, 2008

]]> Cuenca http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26416/Cuenca-Cuenca-25 Sat, 10 May 2008 10:06:02 PST Cuenca Cuenca, Ecuador, May 10, 2008

]]> Riombamba Train http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26416/Riombamba-Train-Riobamba-24 Fri, 09 May 2008 10:02:47 PST Riombamba Train Riobamba, Ecuador, May 09, 2008

]]> Leaving Quito and Puente 3. http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26416/Leaving-Quito-and-Puente-3-Quito-21 Fri, 02 May 2008 09:34:38 PST Leaving Quito and Puente 3. Quito, Ecuador, May 02, 2008

Today I leave Puente 3.  The people here, Mariana, Frank, Maria Jose and Jean Pierre  are very nice and have looked after me well.  ...

]]> Quilotoa Loop ' Chichulan ' Banos http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26416/Quilotoa-Loop-Chichulan-Banos-Quilotoa-22 Fri, 02 May 2008 09:58:41 PST Quilotoa Loop ' Chichulan ' Banos Quilotoa, Ecuador, May 02, 2008

6 May 2008   Today I am staying in a very pleasant hostel in Banos called Plantas y Blanco.  We have a fun group of people here.  ...

]]> Banos http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26416/Banos-Banos-23 Fri, 02 May 2008 10:00:19 PST Banos Banos, Ecuador, May 02, 2008

]]> Back from the Galapagos http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26416/Back-from-the-Galapagos-Puerto-Ayora-20 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:24:22 PST Back from the Galapagos Puerto Ayora, Ecuador, Apr 23, 2008

I am now back in Puene 3 staying at Marianas.  I am still suffering from an infected throat which makes me cough violently without warning.&nb...

]]> Mindo http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26416/Mindo-Mindo-17 Sat, 12 Apr 2008 07:17:54 PST Mindo Mindo, Ecuador, Apr 12, 2008

Mindo was a nice warm town in the cloud forest region. The highlight here was ‘Canopy Cables’, which are like long flying foxes in and ov...

]]> Otavalo http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26416/Otavalo-Otavalo-16 Sat, 12 Apr 2008 07:16:59 PST Otavalo Otavalo, Ecuador, Apr 12, 2008

Last weekend I had a pleasant weekend in Otavalo and Mindo, just north of Quito city. It was great to get out of Puente 3 (Bridge 3) and ...

]]> Back in Quito, ill and waiting for Galapagos http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26416/Back-in-Quito-ill-and-waiting-for-Galapagos-Quito-18 Sat, 12 Apr 2008 07:19:15 PST Back in Quito, ill and waiting for Galapagos Quito, Ecuador, Apr 12, 2008

Life at Mariana’s has been quiet and I have been trying to recover from numerous illnesses.  I took a $70 trip to the doctor at the ho...

]]> The Galapagos! http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26416/The-Galapagos-Galapagos-Islands-19 Sat, 12 Apr 2008 07:29:40 PST The Galapagos! Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, Apr 12, 2008

I am now on the boat ‘Friendship’ at the Galapagos Islands with 16 other young people from all over the world. (Switzerland, France, H...

]]> Yaay for food poisoning. http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26416/Yaay-for-food-poisoning-Quito-15 Wed, 02 Apr 2008 10:26:24 PST Yaay for food poisoning. Quito, Ecuador, Apr 02, 2008

Last night I had my first dose of food poisoning.  It came rapidly, ravaged me for 6 hours, and equally rapidly, departed.  I have...

]]> Living in Quito http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26416/Living-in-Quito-Quito-14 Sat, 29 Mar 2008 10:25:05 PST Living in Quito Quito, Ecuador, Mar 29, 2008

It´s been three days since I arrived at Mariana and Fran´s home at a place called, Armenia or ´Puente 3´ just out of Quito city.   ...

]]> Arrival in Ecuador http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26416/Arrival-in-Ecuador-Quito-13 Wed, 26 Mar 2008 15:04:14 PST Arrival in Ecuador Quito, Ecuador, Mar 26, 2008

26 March 2008   Yesterday was uneventful and was spent mostly at the airport in Bogota. Samuel flew back to NZ and I am now on my...

]]> 14 March - 24 March - Carribean Coast, Colombia http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26416/14-March-24-March-Carribean-Coast-Colombia-Santa-Marta-12 Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:02:41 PST 14 March - 24 March - Carribean Coast, Colombia Santa Marta, Colombia, Mar 24, 2008

14 March -24 March 2008   It has been 10 days since I last wrote and I will try to recount some of the events of these last days....

]]> Guayabo tourist activities in the coffee lands http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26416/Guayabo-tourist-activities-in-the-coffee-lands-Armenia-11 Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:00:06 PST Guayabo tourist activities in the coffee lands Armenia, Colombia, Mar 13, 2008

´Guayabo´ - to be hungover.  But today I am not.  Jared left last night and we had a few shots of aguadiente for the road, which ...

]]> The Coffee Lands http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26416/The-Coffee-Lands-Armenia-10 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 00:00:01 PST The Coffee Lands Armenia, Colombia, Mar 10, 2008

We caught a long overnight bus at about 8:00pm from Bogota to the coffeelands last night.  Whilst we were waiting for the bus Sam Angry and I ...

]]> Puente de Piedra http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26416/Puente-de-Piedra-Bogota-8 Sat, 08 Mar 2008 19:13:21 PST Puente de Piedra Bogota, Colombia, Mar 08, 2008

Puente de Piedra is a really really small farming town which consists of one street with a number of houses and other businesses along its edge.&nb...

]]> The wedding http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26416/Puente-de-Piedra-Bogota-8 Sat, 08 Mar 2008 18:34:32 PST The wedding Bogota, Colombia, Mar 08, 2008

Yesterday afternoon and night was the wedding.  The venue was gorgeous.  The gardens were bright with colours, the red roses in full bl...

]]> Bogota, Puerto de Peidra, Villa de Layba Subochoque and the wedding http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26416/Bogota-Puerto-de-Peidra-Villa-de-Layba-Subochoque-and-the-wedding-Bogota-7 Fri, 07 Mar 2008 18:03:58 PST Bogota, Puerto de Peidra, Villa de Layba Subochoque and the wedding Bogota, Colombia, Mar 07, 2008

It is mid morning in Colombia the sun warms my back.  Where should I begin describing the last two days? Colombia is a beautiful country.&nbs...

]]> Arrrived in Bogota http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26416/Arrrived-in-Bogota-Bogota-6 Tue, 04 Mar 2008 15:14:15 PST Arrrived in Bogota Bogota, Colombia, Mar 04, 2008

]]> Buenos Aires http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26416/Buenos-Aires-Buenos-Aires-4 Tue, 04 Mar 2008 15:09:20 PST Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, Argentina, Mar 04, 2008

Arrived in Buenos Aires EZE airport.  Aerolineas Argentinas is shambolic. The Argentinians are resigned to this fact.  Upon landing they ...

]]> Flying to South America http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26416/Flying-to-South-America-Auckland-3 Tue, 04 Mar 2008 15:07:55 PST Flying to South America Auckland, New Zealand, Mar 04, 2008

I left home this morning. I am currently sitting on the aeroplane between Wellington and Auckland. As always, I cant help but think how stunningly...

]]> Transit through Caracus http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26416/Transit-through-Caracus-Caracas-5 Tue, 04 Mar 2008 15:12:48 PST Transit through Caracus Caracas, Venezuela, Mar 04, 2008

Currently in transit at Caracus airport.  The city looked nice from the air at night.  Never mind the dicatator who runs the show. Aero...

]]> All packed and ready to go. http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26416/All-packed-and-ready-to-go-Raumati-Beach-2 Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:06:50 PST All packed and ready to go. Raumati Beach, New Zealand, Mar 03, 2008

This morning I received the following news: "Chavez Warns of War With Colombia CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela and Ecuador ordered troops t...

]]> Packing up from St John St http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26416/Packing-up-from-St-John-St-Wellington-1 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 13:32:25 PST Packing up from St John St Wellington, New Zealand, Mar 01, 2008

I had my last day at work yesterday.  It was sad to go after 3.5 years. Nevertheless, I recall a passing moment of wisdom where I thought, 'Yo...

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