Back in Business

My jaunt back to the States ended well at the tropical extravegenza that was that Clarkson/Sweat wedding in Florida. The reunification of family and friends there stirred up a little nolstalgia of what I am missing back home. Although, I am pretty sure my performance at the reception may have put me on the blacklist of future weddings. Makers Mark and microphones is a terrible combination.
The logistics of my cheap flight back to Bogota found me traveling from Naples to Miami Airport. Once inside with about 14 hours to spare before my flight, I went on the hunt for a good nook to crash. After previously consulting the backpacker website Sleepinginairports.com, I set out in search of the chapel area due to its tauted characteristics of being quiet and devoid of people. I never quite it made it to that part of the terminal as I stumbled across the Ritz-Carlton of aiport sleeping areas. A totally secluded expanded hallway with no foot traffic, no other people or annoying announcements, and the kicker--dimmable lights. Having anticipated the tactic used by airports to keep the likes of me from sleeping there--super air-conditioning, I came prepared with about seven layers of clothes. Even with this, I was not prepared for the artic blast that hammered me all night and kept me from catching more than an hour of sleep at a time. After waking up and checking my bath towel wrapped feet for frostbite, I started on my succession of flights that would produce me back to South America. I spent a quick hour layover at Costa Rica´s airport on almost exactly the 4 year anniversary of me sleeping at that airport during my Central American excursion. Just enough time there to contemplate exactly how far I had come with my life.....
Prior to my flight back, I received two good sets of news within about 5 minutes of each other. The first being that my persuasive efforts at getting friends to quit their jobs and normal lives took its first victory--friend Joe Clifford has signed on for the Amazon expedition. This development is surely going to make the trip far more exciting and mentally plausible for me. He is in the process of wrapping up his life back in KC, burning his drivers license and is due in Ecuador June 17th. Should be an adventure.

The second big news was that friend and long-time KC neighbor Amy Smith has also decided that she wants a part in the Colombian adventure and is meeting up with me for a weeks worth of travel on the caribean coast starting June 7th. Should also be an adventure.
So, you see, there is two good examples of people making wise decisions in their lives--have you made one today?

Just to give you taste what these two have in store for them, here is some selected reading for all you cubicle travelers:

The Huaorani tribe Joe and I will be living with

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/05/0521_030521_amazonhuaorani.html

http://www.bctravelwriters.com/geary/paddle/

Colombia´s Coast

http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/05/25/travel/25hours.html?ex=1212206400&en=ee32ecc26bc0c090&ei=5070&emc=eta1


And so, I am currently back in Bogota and after a day of wandering around the city, I have decided that I may try my hand at finding a job in business here. Because, after a day´s observation, I have concluded that a Colombian businessman´s daily activity
soley includes putting on a suit and strolling around the downtown area. Never in my life I have seen such aimless strolling by seemingly most of the upper-class "workforce."
As much as I want to hang out and watch this non-production, I think I am going to follow my own advice about "when in doubt, get rural" and head to a northern town tomorrow.

Buying a tie,
BQ