Monkeys and Keyboards?

The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore-- While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. "'Tis some visiter," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door-- Only this and nothing more." Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December, And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor. Eagerly I wished the morrow;--vainly I had sought to borrow From my books surcease of sorrow--sorrow for the lost Lenore-- For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore-- Nameless here for evermore. And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain Thrilled me--filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before; So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating "'Tis some visiter entreating entranc

Ummmm been a bit slack here I see, with well over two months since the last entry it's more than a bit slack I think! The here and now is Cusco. I am thinking about heading off via a less trodden no rip off back road to Machu Picchu tomorrow. (Bus to Santa Maria- Collectivo to Santa Teresa- 5 hour walk to Aguas Calientes, 1 hour walk to Machu Picchu, and aparrently if you get there before 5am ish there is no-one to buy a shamefully overpriced ticket from...) I am thinking to take three of four days over the whole thing then off to La Paz in Bolivia via Copacabana on the Bolivian side of lake Titicaca. Here Cusco itself is indeed a beautiful tourist trap. It hasn't lost it's charm for being so either, and there is still a real Peruvian feel to it. You can even find tucked away if you have a sharp eye, cheap almuerzos (Lunch of Soup followed by rice with a salad, some beany lentily goodness and some meat) at a dollar as opposed to the gringo caffs with prices six or seven tim

"This is a magical place, because the primary material of life is born"

We saw one of these fellows in the trees right above our headds as we were walking down from the mopuntains to the city. The shaping of their tails they aparently do thenselves, picking their feathers into that interesting shape.

altavista.babelfish.com if you want a translation...

Here they live in an enclosure of about half an acre.

These fellas need about 10000 hectares of Andean jungle each to feed themselves in the wild.

Clarita and Chocho, the two Andean, or Spectacled Bears, at the reserve. They were bred in Captivity, and hopefully one day will produce cubs themselves for release.

The Orchid house. Unfortunately they aren't in flower at this time of year.

Humming bird sanctuary. I took a video too if you want me to send it to you drop me an email.

Dozens of different species of Culibri came to feed here.

They are tiny... the smallest not more than an inch.

Humming birds buzzed round these feeding pots, filled with sugar water in clouds at teh reserve of Rio Blanco.

Pert of the system supplying water to the whole town of Manizales, four hundred and something odd litres per second.

Old furniture in the works of being restored...

Check out the old band saw in the background... Nelson, and his apprentice were really nice, they didnt even charge for the 4 wooden mankeyfist poi making balls that they turned for me.

Staff making equipment and old truck in the workshop ridden part of town...

Had to take the lift down the mountain. Felt really wierd.

Yes this is a pert of the Metropolitan transit network.... cool huh, but where�s the ski rack?

Medellin from above on the gondola section of the Metro System

"Because they see the Beard, and the hair and the old pipe, they say that I am a poet." Le�n de Greiff.

In the heights of Otramina,

Medellin.... the famous Parque Berrio, with all the Fat folk of Mr Boteros making, then the famous metrolinea in the background, a blessing after all the traffic jams of Bogot�

Jig a dog making jewellry as a gift to the lovely lady who saved us from a night in the park 2 hours from our hotel when there were no more taxis, and the bus of course we couldnt ask to swing by the door of the hostel so we could pick up money to pay.... long complicated story, but you get the idea.

Now the Fairies are dancing round the tower at the top

There it is, you can just pick out the stars up the side of good ole "El Pe�ol"

The sides of the rock are encrusted with air plants, the sort that you see on every surface in the jungle.

Stair no 674.

"The Lake district?"

ummm, no comment.

Just cant help snapping away.

Stepping stones to the sky.

To infinity and beyond...

They say don't look down, but why not?

Hmmmm peace.

Silver seas...

You wouldn't be smiling if you knew just how many steps you were about to climb.

Them flying rats get everywhere.

Ice cream in honour of Colombia's "Robin Hood"

Really he's not buried here, but living out his days in Argentina

Techno colombian style.... it was a bit of a strange party, as the crowd was really young and rich... I was the grandad 'gomelo'

I was wondering in the district of all the timber millers when I saw this old chap cleaning his car. He was more than happy to chat when I asked if I could take a picture. He said hes going to sell it for 3 million pesos when its restored. Thats less than 750 pounds.

The square infront of the municipat Library Here in Medellin.

As for the "Retrospective Exposition or Mr C�rdenas. I laughed outloud infront of some peices. I particularly liked one where he had painted an image of the back of a canvas on the front....

Francisco Antonio Cano, really enjoyed his work too.

Carlos Correra, water colour 1954

Woof.

Fat horsey....

Big fat doggies in Medellin.

Clau and Sra Geraldina, who put me up while I was in Bucaramanga.