Para - Para - Paradise

In summarizing the past two years (see last post), I realized that such brevity was not becoming of Colombia or the amazing adventure we had. I could probably write an entire novel, but I will try to keep it reasonable as it will likely fall mostly on deaf ears.

As I was saying, I met up with my old friend Mark, a Canadian travel junkie I met in Sweden many years ago. He brought two more Canadians.  And we had a riot, eh.  We met up in Houston and jumped on a redeye flight to Colombia.

Arriving to the capitol of Bogota in wee hours of the morning, deliriously tired, we could not allow the several hour layover to go to waste.  So we gassed up with some Colombian coffee, locked up our bags, braved the cloudy rainy weather and taxied into the city.  A gondola ride to the top of one of the highest mountains for a view of the city and an adrenaline charged run to the bottom!

 

I am not sure if it was from lack of sleep or excitement, but no one seemed to notice that the sun had come out and none of our pasty arses had sunscreen on.  The nap on the lawn in the ghetto drug park probably didn't help matters. A little jaunt around town and back to the airport we went.

Off to Armenia ... nestled deep in the mountains a rather amusing gay couple from New York have set up a modest oasis.  We spent the first couple days just relaxing and soaking in the view ...

A modest tiny little local town ... we ventured out a few times to have some dinner (due to a lack of Spanish, it's possible horse may have been the main course for some) ....

hang out with an army of 18 year olds ...

and breath in some fresh air on a hike through the Valle deCocora.



























Armenia was a world of difference of what would be the party and flash of Cartagena.  After several hours of delay and a Facetime conversation between the airline representative and a friend back home who spoke Spanish, we finally boarded our puddle jumper to Cartagena.  The property manager met us at the private condo around midnight and all four of our mouths dropped as we walked into the three bedroom penthouse condo that would be our home for the next few days!

Cartagena is a gorgeous city rich with colors,
history, and drug money. 

The contrast between the old town surrounded by a concrete fort wall and the tip of the city dotted like an double chocolate chips ahoy with luxury high rise condos was beyond stark.  Old town is everything you picture when you think of old Colombia.  Colorful stucco walls with stained wood terraces and bougainvillea climbing the walls.

 

We ate, we drank, we danced, and we did it all again the next day...

...we danced on the fort wall (at Mark's favorite Club Del Mar) ...

.....we danced at the Havana (Cuban) club ...









.....we danced on the New Years ...

 

 

 

 

Until we could dance no more....

And then the sun came up ...

and I snuck in a little dive trip which was mediocre at best.

And we braved the Volcan Del Totumo ...

 

Not pictured are the women who escort you to the lake to wash off.  Nor the part where unbenounced they pull off your bathing suit to wash it and scrub you down.  Followed by the harassment for endless tips.


















Mark, Jeff, and Cherise had another week of vacation, but alas the American dream required me to return.  Long story that could be a nightmare of a novel in itself ... it turned out I would not be leaving quite so soon.  Four days, many tears, and $1600 later ... I was on a three layover, 20+ hour trip home.  Sweet memories.

Life goes on
It gets so heavy
The wheel breaks the butterfly
Every tear, a waterfall
In the night, the stormy night
She closed her eyes
In the night, the stormy night
Away she'd fly.

And dreamed of para- para- paradise
Para- para- paradise
Para- para- paradise
Whoa-oh-oh oh-oooh oh-oh-oh

So lying underneath those stormy skies.
She said oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh.
I know the sun must set to rise.

 

 

 

 

 

Back From An Extended Hiatus

After an overly long hiatus and at the encouragement of an old friend, it is time to start documenting the world travels of duck once again!

I wrote several draft posts which I never got around to posting.  Odd to read back through these and have an adverse reaction to the emotions I was feeling at the time.  Shows you have fast life can change direction, flip you on your head, chew you up and spit you out.  Needless to say, those posts are now deleted and shall live on only in the world of meta data.

Here is what you missed in the last episode (yes, I have been watching way too many marathons on Netflix recently. Don't hate. There were so many great series I missed over the last couple of years.)...

2010 - What a crazy year... Started full of love and adventure (see previous blog posts). The world was my oyster.  Ended with a lot of stress and hard feelings.  Cracked pearl.  Katy Perry said it best when referring to her ended relationship with John Mayer ... a beautiful mind and a tortured soul.

2011 - A new start....  Back home to San Francisco.  Living the "dream."  Dreams, however, were more than I could have wished for; they require sleep.  I threw myself head first into the "dream" of BigLaw at one of the top IP law firms.  Blessed to work with some of the brightest, coolest people I had ever met, only later to be betrayed by those "cool" people (see 2013).  Working exceptionally long nights and most weekends, I survived the year.  Feeling the need to be me again, international New Years was reinstated.  I met up with an old friend (and some new ones) to spend a week traveling through Colombia (separate post to come). 

Hands down one of the best trips to date!  Coldplay will forever live in the memories of that trip ...

When she was just a girl
She expected the world
But it flew away from her reach
So she ran away in her sleep
Dreamed of para- para- paradise

2012 - Was I conscious? I don't remember much of 2012 other than staring at my computer screen for 14 straight hours a day and taking power naps under my desk at work.  Honestly, as I sit here, the only memorable thing I can recall is my crazy cokehead roommate changing the locks the day before I was supposed to move out and the police being involved at 9 pm on a Friday night. 

2013 - Ok life, you have my attention now ... I am conscious. The start of the 2013 made 2011 look like a cake walk.  Those who know me well will attest to my general lack of trust in the human species; it likely stems from a shitty sibling relationship growing up, confirmed by a shittier relationship in my early 20's.  A warning to all you soon to be lawyers out there that are considering BigLaw ... unless you're willing to be unethical and back stabbing ... stay far away.  It is no place for genuine people.  Used, abused, and then betrayed by my "mentor" and a particular partner that required me to work most nights and weekends .... I went looking for greener pastures and I found them. 

Through a friend I met a phenomenal woman, Jessica Hudak .  I joined her company (www.hudakgroup.com) consulting medical device and biotech start up companies looking to manage and develop their IP strategy.  What a difference it makes to know the work you are doing matters and to like the people you work with.  I thought I was a strong and driven person; she blows me out of the water. 

And just as life felt like it was finally back on the right track ... I got a call out of the blue.  Life sure has a sick sense of humor sometimes, doesn't it?  A company in Miami was looking to hire a new analyst ...