Barranquilla, Colombia

Let the games begin! Me, Nina, Karst, and Stefan were ready to rally and conquer Carnival. We were on a mission. Anny set up the apartment and is meeting us today at 8 a.m. to head to Barranquilla. Originally, we needed 8 people to stay in the apartment for it to be cheaper but we couldn't find the whole 8. We have 4 plus Anny and we all thought it would be no problem to find fellow backpackers to pay and stay at the spot.

8 a.m. came around, we were all packed and ready to go and Anny was no where to be found. I sent her a message on Facebook and no reply. We waited around for half hour and decided to head to the bus station without her. Luckily, I got all of the information on the apartment so we were set. Got in a taxi and headed 45 minutes to the bus station (yes 45 minutes). Got to the bus station, bought tickets and waited. I went to a internet cafe to see if Anny was around. Sent her a message and she said she slept in and will meet us out there. We hoped on the bus and took off!

About 3 hours later we slowly trickled into Barranquilla. All of the cars coming from Barranquilla were covered in white powder and paint. It looked like they came from a battle zone and got destroyed. Awesome! The city was very large and spread out over miles upon miles. The bus dropped us off at the station and had no idea really where to go. We found 2 other backpackers and asked them if they wanted to join our house. They were in. We found 2 taxis and gave them the address and we were off. We drove for 1/2 hour or so trying to find this place. Finally arrived on the side of the road, jumped out and some random lady popped out and asked if we were "Anny". "Yes!". She walked us around this very local neighborhood where everyone was looking at us and wondering how we got there. She opened some gate and we walked inside this small narrow house that looked like a hostel. Definitely not an apartment. Each room had two beds and a small area in front with a table. The family was extremely nice though. Dad, Mom and a little girl. They instantly asked if we were hungry and they started to cook us all lunch! An hour later they came out with huge fish and rice, so good. I later asked if there was any internet around and the little girl took me out on a walk to show me. She was my little body guard for the neighborhood! Got to some random internet cafe that really didn't work, while she watched guard for me.

We all got dressed and started to drink some beers to get ready for the event! We asked where the Carnival was since we couldn't here any music. They said it was half an hour from here! What! I thought we were right on the strip. Nope. Luckily cabs are cheap and it didn't really matter. Still no Anny and all decided to leave for Carnival anyways. I felt really bad but tried to call her a few times and no answer. Jumped in the cab and took off!

Half hour later we arrived to a storm of bright colored costumes and weird antics. Most of the people who wore costumes were in the parade and the majority of people watchers just wore black tees...and then there was us. Tall, white, westerners who were loving life and taking this event by storm. Locals came up to us wanting photos of all of us left and right. It was like we were celebrates. At the same time they were spraying us with this illegal white shaving cream, then pouring white powder all over us. This was war! We bought a ton of this powder and started to throw it at everyone. Stefan was taking photos of all this and someone must have seen this. This older lady started to spray us again while we were laughing and she swiped Stefans camera. Before we knew it she was gone and Stefans camera was stolen within seconds.  His mood changed from happy to angry. We all cheered him up and decided to move along the parade to see more stuff. At this point, everyone is covered in this white powder. Some kids paint there bodies top to bottom. If you take a picture of them they ask for money (pretty standard) and loads of food. We actually got to the parade a bit late and it was ending for the first day.

6 pm. came around and the Carnival event ended...or though we though. We decided to just follow the crowd which led us to a strip of about 30 bars and all playing loud music. We all jumped in and started to dance with randoms, grabbing there hands and salsa dancing, yada yada. It was crazy. Before you knew it, these people would pull out a bottle of liquor and give you shots in celebration, then smash a bunch of shaving cream in your face! haha. Down the assembly line we went, bar to bar, never even going inside since the party was in the streets.

A few hours later, everything just stopped. People disappeared and the streets were empty. Our original plan before we got the apartment/room was to come down for 30 hours straight and not sleep. Take a bus here in the morning and leave the next day at night! Luckily we found a room so we didn't have to do this. We all thought the party wouldn't stop for a week but out of no where everyone was gone. We walked and followed people and found a group of locals to try and figure out where and what we should do. They were also partying and said they would show us the way! We grabbed 3 cabs and heading somewhere. Pulled up to some random grocery store filled with people. All along this normal road by day, turned into "Fast and Furious, Tokyo Drift". Baller street cars had there trunks open blasting music, while a private dance party took place. All of which, anyone could join at anytime. We went into  the grocery store and bought some local Colombian bottle and started to take shots in the street with our new friends. Still do this day, I can't believe what I saw with this party in the street. One parking lot was a furniture store but now covered with drunk kids blasting neon lights and music. Very bizarre but super cool. This is why I travel.

The night progressed and we once again went down the assembly line from party to party. We did end up at some club but turned out to be pretty lame and went back into the streets. It went from dance party to beef sticks, back to dance party to more of this disgusting liquor we bought. Nina, Stefan and the other 2 new friends decided to go back to the room while me and Karst decided to keep partying like idiots. A few more hours past and we found new friends and actually ran into some fellow backpackers we knew at the hostel. It was probably about 4 am at this point and decided to call it a night. Some taxi picked us up and drove us at least a half hour to the apartment. Around every single street coming up to the house was a party...still. If it wasn't a dedicated party, then the whole neighborhood block would bus out some sub-speakers and rock out. This went on for 4 days straight!

Day 2 at Carnival

Still no sign of Anny but she sent me a message on Facebook saying she found another place to stay closer to the Carnival. Which was quite strange, since she set the whole thing up in the first place. Today, we got ready faster and heading to the parade faster. This day was a bit different, you had to buy a seat and sit all day to watch the parade rather than move around from spot to spot. This 6 hour parade brought on some serious characters and outfits. Easily the most bizarre costumes to this day and loved it. All of which, I have no documentation of or any photos b/c my camera would have been destroyed or stolen. Anny got a hold of me through a friends cell phone and she was coming to meet up.

Anny showed up with her family and a few friends. She invited me to stay with them tonight. The others were planning on leaving and parting ways. I decided to stay another night. We all jumped in the cab and heading back to the apartment to pack up and say our goodbyes. I've been travelling with Stefan for the past month and was tough to say goodbye. All the way from Costa Rica to Colombia. Rad dude. The others we all travelled from Panama to Colombia so we all had a great connection and all wanted to stick together but there was no way. Karst was heading back home to Holland, and Nina and Stefan were heading to the beach south while I was staying. We said our goodbyes and reminisced about our good times. We paid our bill which involved all meals and 1 night at the hostel...equalling $30, which was an incredible deal.

Me and Anny took off to her cousins house. This is when the real culture shock came in. We were out of this city and pulled up to some random neighborhood. Went inside this house and met the whole family. Everywhere I've travelled the whole family lives together. This includes grandparents, cousins, kids, the whole shabang. This meant I needed to talk with all of them in my broken Spanlish and say hello. Anny took me upstairs to show me my room and we headed outside to meet the community! haha. Kids were playing soccer on the concrete, dogs were running loose and people were throwing powder at each other once again. I decided to participate with the kids and start to sneak attack them with powder as well as sneak attack Anny and her family!

They bought a large bottle of that nasty stuff and we started to drink it! The whole block was here and all decided to head to the bars (where I was the previous night). This is when the real party started.

This time we found a mini-mart and posted up shop there for the whole night. At least 200 people surrounded this mini-mart, never going inside but raging in the parking lot. Tonight was 10 fold more powder and foam. The instant you wipe your face off, someone smashed a whole handfull in your eyes. This went on for the next 5 hours. From here, lots and lots of dancing occurred and lots of fun was to be had.

Woke up the next day. My shirt, hat and pretty much everything else was crusty and kinda ruined...all worth it.

Anny invited me to stay for the week but all of my stuff was in Cartagena and needed to finish work and some deadlines, which was really unfortunate. I asked them to help me find a bus and off I went.

Round 2 for adventure:

We walked out into the street (freeway) and they gave me some instructions on how to get to the bus station and what bus to take. We said our goodbyes while some local bus waited for me to jump on. Since we were out of the city (north) I had to backtrack towards Barranquilla, back into the storm.

Now I'm on this local bus and no gringo to be seen for miles. All I have is my rice bag with some clothes and thats it. About a mile down the bus driver pulls over and he points to me and says "Cartagena". Which meant for me to get off the bus, hike up these stairs over to this overpass freeway where hopefully another bus will take me to Cartagena. All of which were not part of the orders my friends gave me. Regardless, I got off and acted like I knew what I was doing. Might I remind you I'm now walking on a freeway, alone and white. haha. I walk over to these stairs where two ladies were posted up with a small wooden bar preventing people up these stairs unless they pay some money. Americans complain about not having work. These people just post up and become a mafia and make you pay for no reason at all. I complain and wait for someone else to show up (which someone actually did surprisingly). I let her pay and I walk right past these grandmas! Walk up the stairs and head left towards the other side of the freeway where I see about 15 people waiting for random buses. I ask some guy about Cartagena and they all say no buses from here go to Cartagena and I have to go to Barranquilla for such destinations. Great. Now I'm lost and no idea where to go. Luckily I spoke enough Spanish with this guy to have him help me find the right bus. Twenty minutes later some bus pulled up and he hailed it down for me. He said, go on here to Cartagena! We drive back towards Barranquilla, where I actually recognized some buildings and ended up at the exact bus station we got dropped off at the beginning of the trip. I buy a ticket to Cartagena and off I went! Funny how these things always work out. I never get stressed and just act like sheep and follow orders and has never backfired on me to this day.

Carnival, you win and would do it again in a second!