2005 Drinks to date:..75.....Miles: 68
 | Turns out I won't miss the start of the new Survivor season after all...my brother gets CBS here. I'm quite relieved. I did however miss the Westminster Dog Show, which I'm very fond of and have actually finagled my way into 4 or 5 times. Next year... We hired a guide yesterday to do the museuming thing in the older part of Bogota. The theory was that we would be safer with a local to show us the ropes and he could translate for us, but considering the level of his English proficiency, I think the main point of his existance was to funnel us into souvenir and emerald shops owned by people he knows. |
Nonetheless, Mauricio was charming and pleasant to look at, so we didn't mind that much. And after I looked at Macys' jewelry website this morning, I'm convinced that we didn't really get so terribly fleeced on our emerald purchases after all, but like, I really needed emerald earrings? Regardless, we hired him again today to drive up to Zipaquiera, a town about an hour north of Bogota that features a giant underground Cathedral carved into an old salt mine. |  |
The town of Zipaquiera itself was really beautiful and charming, but unfortunately I think I'll be inclined to remember it more for the pictures I did not take there, than by the ones that I did. I don't really think it was a safety issue, but I wasn't really able to do any of the wandering that I like to do when I travel.
A quaint little town, blue skies with puffy, white clouds and tons of charismatic children running around...I should have been in photo heaven. Instead, I was mostly on the inside of a minivan with my mother and Mauricio, catching fleeting glimpses of the priceless shots that I usually use to relive my travels after they're done. One in particular of a little boy sitting in the window of his colonial building, his arms wrapped around his dog, both of them just gazing out at the traffic...will really stay with me. I'm so kicking myself for not just saying, "Mom, Mauricio...enjoy the view. I'll be back in five minutes."
I know that there are sensible precautions to be taken while traveling here and I understand that there is a certain risk in walking around in public with an expensive camera. But what is the point of traveling if you're not going to take the time to really SEE your surroundings and why bother having a stupid, expensive camera if you're afraid to take pictures with it?
And...not that I should be even thinking about work right now. But it seems that this National Guard Document mess is just not going away for my poor network.
