Transportation

I thought you might be interested in the various means

of transport we've seen here

in Columbia. I'd like to add a caption for

each picture, but it has taken me hours just to get to here. Someone needs to teach me to up load pics.

School Days

We are moving south into the mountains of Columbia.  Our leader Norm decided to obtain permission to visit the local school. grades k-8.  It was break time and there was lots of activity in the school yard.  These small towns are poor.  The schools are free and most wear uniforms.  We were introduced to the head teacher who had a few words of English and was very proud of her school.  We toured all the rooms surrounded by laughing, touching kids.  I would take their picture and show it to them and they would giggle and want me to take a picture of their buddy.  We met several teachers and you shake hands and tell them your name.  The children surrounded us at all times, crowding in but always polite.  The  kndergarden teacher set Bill in the back and got out her ruler.  They loved that.  One little boy pointed at my eyes and said "blue" "Bonita" which means beautiful.  They don't see blue eyes here. 

The teacher was very proud of her computer room.  There were 4 very old computers but they were learning. 
What an experience!!
I wanted to do something for them .  It's hard to explain how they welcomed us.  There were times when we were so surrounded we could not move.

If you look closely you can pick out Bill's face among the boys surrounding him---giving him a thumbs up.  When we had to leave they all cheered and applauded.

The sports director was so happy with the soccer ball we gave him.  We have balls donated by our grandsons and their friends .
This was a good time to give one to the school.

What a wonderful adventure !!!

Gerry and Bill

Santa Marta Columbia

We Finally got our motorhome after hours of going here and there for this paper to be signed and that person to inspect and many fees to be paid.  Took several days.  But all was in order.  We really enjoyed the vibrant city of Cartagena.  It is veery European with a Caribbean influence.  The fort is 15th century called Fort Fellipe.  The traffic in the city was aggressive with busses everywhere.  We have now moved north east to the coastal city of Santa Marta.  Our motorhome is backed up to the Caribbean and the view is like a postcard.  The Columbian military is here and gives us a smiling thumbs up.  We even had a police escort when we were kinda lost in a big city.  We are quite a curiosity.  The only motorhomes people have seen here are on T.V.  They come close to investigate our signs and some ask to look inside. 
One lady spoke some english and wanted to make sure we knew that "This is Columbia!!" not what you read about.
Stay cool
Bill and Gerry

The Money Saga

Our ship has not come in so we will be in Cartagena longer than expected.  One must not plan on the expected.  But that's O.K.  The people we have met have been most welcoming and helpful.  I will give you an example.  We went in serch of a Bank yesterday to exchange money.  The money here is a bit confusing.  10,000pesos equal $5.62.  We found a bank but it was closed for lunch till 2P.M.  Bill visits ATM machine and draws out thousands of pesos and we decide to go to lunch .  The menu was all in Spanish so our meal was a SURPRISE and a good one.  Very few people speak english.  We enjoyed our meal and then came time to pay.  Our thousands were not enough.  Turns out it takes 3,000 to buy a bottle of water..  So we try credit cards and none of them will work.  By that time it is almost2PM so I leave Bill as a hostage and go to the Bank to exchange dollars.  There were about 20 people waiting for the bank to open and when it FINALLY did the guard says No Money--No Exchange.  A nice lady told me you have to exchange money at a money exchange place.  So I go back to the restrurant expecting Bill to be washing dishes.  Instead they had felt sorry for him and he was eating a free dessert.  Then the food part.  The owner came in and he could speak english.  He was very interested in how we were traveling and where we were going.  He took our dollars for payment apologizing all the whle about giving us a bad exchange rate.  Turned out to be a good experience.  Later on we went with Norman who found a money changer in an internet cafe and we are now multi-millionaires. 
So we live and learn and that's what travel is all about.
Gerry
Bill

We Made It!!!!

Greetings from South America!!!
We arrived in Cartagena, Columbia last night after a short flight from Panama City and are staying in a small hotel in the heart of the city.  Our motor home was shipped and should be here tonight and we will pick it up tomorrow.  Hotels are fine but there's nothing like our home away from home with all of your stuff.
This is a port city with ancient walls and fort and beautiful beaches,  We plan on a tour of the city this afternoon.  As usual all the people we meet are happy to help and try to communicate with us and we are getting better with our spanish. Our stay in Panama was a pleasant one.  We left our funky B&B and moved to a small hotel in the heart of the city.  We could walk and explore.  We found our best meal yet in a Peruvian style restrurant == Sea Bass stuffed with shrimp.  Hmmmm so Good..  The city is huge and growing with too many skyscrapers to count and more on the way.  Donald Trump Towers have just opened.  Lots of money(Canal) around.   Exiting Panama was not a problem except they took m y sissors at the airport.
The weather is  Hot and Muggy with rain anytime.  We are 4000 miles from Paducah Kentucky and seems like a longer way with all the cultural changes.  Some things remain the same.  The young women are beautiful in their tight jeans and 5 inch heels and glossy black hair.  The men donot wear shorts.  Everyone is talking on cell phones.
We are excited about new places and faces to come
Take care
Gerry and Bill

Panama City

We are staying in a funky little bed and breakfast in an area of Panama city called Balboa.  It was the America sector before the change over.  We are in a hurry-up and wait mode and have been here several days getting this paper signed and that paper done for shipping the motorhome.  Yesterday was an extremely tiring day.  We drove to the port city of Colon for more red tape.  The dogs sniffed, the custom inspectors did their thing and we finally said "see you later" as our home on wheels was driven to a big   lot awaiting it's ship to Columbia.  this will probably be next week.  In the meantime we will schedule flight to Cartagena, Columbia. We are looking forward to seeing this historic city and finally being in South America.
Weather here is hot and HUMID. 
Bill and Gerry

Panama

Greetings from Panama,
This is the first internet we have had for a while so there's been border crossings and a few miles under our belt.  We are in a campground a bit north of Panama City.  We stayed here in 2010 and became acquainted with the American owner and his school kids that he sponsers.  We will leave the dental supplies some of you donated and some soccer balls.  They will find a most welcome home.  We have been staying in small towns with lots of interaction with the local folks.  The signs Don put on our motorhome creates interest and people come from across the street to check it out.  Our Spanish has improved-Thanks to our leader.  Bill has learned Como su Llama which means What is your Name? and opens a new world with smiles and pleasure.  We have also stayed in National Parks is the shadow of volcanas.  The policeman "Gabriel" in the pictures was our private guide.  That evening he and his fellow policemen were playing soccer-or football as they say here- with a ball that was made of string.  Bill threw out one of the balls that our grandsons and friends had donated and he was a HERO.  There are many sights to see with everything so green but the people with their big waves and smiles are what stick with you.  Maria loved her new tops(donated by Katie) and the boys were just as pleased with shirts that John had sent.  The fresh fish as been wonderful and you can see the size of the catch on one of the fishing piers.  We stayed on the shores of Lake Nicaragua and these women were washing clothes in the lake .  They were washing other people's clothes and worked for about 3 hours.
So all is going well.  We have a tenative shipping date to Columbia on the 16th.  There will be lots of red tape to do before than. 
Take care because we do,
Bill and  Gerry