Xmas & New Year´s Eve

I knew that the decision to spend Xmas and New Year´s Eve in Colombia for sure would also result in celebrating these days in a for me unusual way. But I did not expect this vacations to be like they were and to be that great:
My initial plan to spend Christmas in Santa Martha did not work out, but fortunately Carol invited me to her home in Socorro.
So first I went to Bucaramanga in the night of the 20th December to visit Pipe and Diego Silva and their family and chill a little bit with them. (The man next to me snored horribly and when he once finished snoring his baby started shouting - great - anyway I got some sleep) So I arrived at the 21th in the early morning to Floridablanca, Bucaramanga

and went to the house of the Silvas. We relaxed that day, played XBox and in the night some rounds of Poker. The next day in the morning I played golf for the first time in my life. Or lets better say I did not really play, more watched and hit the ball sometimes.


The rest of the day I was cruising around with Diego to visit some family members and friends. At the evening we first went to a reunion of his college (with beer and whiskey) and then to a kind of "high-society"-club with Pipe and some friends of his, Juliana and her sister Mari, played bowling there (had more beers) and just talked. The 23rd in the morning the Silvas left to Santa Martha, but I could stay a little while more in their home and then in the evening I met Daniel (my apartment mate). We went to pick up some other friends of ours and then partied into Christmas in a discotheque disco called Mr.Babilla in Bucaramanga with Salsa, Merengueand electronic music until the early hours of the 24th. Because it was already 6:30 in the morning and we did not want to wake up Daniel´s aunt, we decided to sleep in the car for 2 hours. After that unbelievably recreating sleep we then had Flautas for breakfast and Daniel drove me to the bus terminal so I could take the bus to Socorro (This time no crying babies or snoring adults - or I just did not realize it because I was fucking tired).


Arriving in Socorro I was welcomed by Carol and two of her (millions of) cousins, Kati and Laura. We had lunch and yet were on the way to Carol´s aunt´s and uncle´s finca to celebrate Xmas with her family and have a great dinner (buffet).
After midnight then we went to the Tercena, a Bar/Disco to party with some other friends. Generally in the evenings we went to the Tercena or other pubs to enjoy ourselves ;).


I don't remember how long we were there the 24th, but I remember really good the next day: at the early afternoon we went to the sports point in Socorro to do rafting. Unfortunately I have no photos of that, but the people from the sports point are going to send me some the next days I will then put into the gallery. But it was really great to feel the power of the water in strong tides and to be shaken around.

The next day we drove in two cars (Carol+cousins+uncles+aunts+me) to the Parque Nacional de Chicamocha, which is more or less a viewpoint in the canyon south of Bucaramanga. From there one really has a great view!


On the 27th we went to the river where we also did the Rafting, to bath in the sun, swim a little and jump off some rocks into the water. And of course ... to eat ... a lot. For the information of my German friends, the people here eat as much as we do during the days of Christmas and New Year´s Eve ;)


For the next day some more action was planned again ;) Carol, Lili, Daniel and me were going to do Rappel (or better, we three without Carol were doing it and Carol was our adorable company). Rappel is about roping down from a big height, in this case from about 80 meters off a cascade, and I can say its really fun, but also scaring at the beginning when you are hanging there in the height of 80 meters at the edge ...


And again, we could not get enough of the action ;) The 29th Juliana and Mari arrived and again we went to the river, but this time to do a kind of bungee jumping from a bridge. Again an exciting experience (only I felt the Guarrapo I had to chug before while swinging around). When I stood at the edge of the bridge I thought, you're crazy jumping off from here. But when the instructor tells you he is now counting to 3 and then you jump, you just do it ... but see yourself (Unfortunately there are existing only photos of my jump and no video, so this is the video of Carol):



That evening we went to San Gil, the next town to go out, but it was a bit weird, because half of the town was without power and we did not really find a nice place to stay. So afterwards we went to a friend´s apartment with bottle of Aguardiente and the evening had a really nice ending. We slept long, were really lazy that day, ate lunch, hung around in the park and in the evening this time I got to bed really early, at least I want to be recovered for New Year´s Eve ;)


The 31th we walked a little bit through the town, but it was really hot so we spent a lot of the time in the house, played grass, and for sure ate a lot. In the evening from about 10 to midnight. The new year then started with a Colombian custom: We took some baggage, money and ran around the block. This shall signify luck with money and a lot of traveling in the just beginning year.
After the run Carol and me made the way to the Tercena, to meet other friends, talk, party and dance:


After relaxing on the first day in the new year, including a visit at the finca, on the 2nd Carol, Lili and me went to Curití to do paragliding. Or better I did it and had a great company, but see yourself:



This was the first time I have done this, but again like the other sports we did, it was really great. And when I flew it is really relaxing, I could enjoy the nature, the view, the wind and of course, the flying.
But unfortunately I had to leave yesterday in the morning with the bus to Bogotá (This times two babies crying, shouting and vomiting ...). I will always remember this great vacations because of the great time I had, the nice new people I met and my great friends! And big THX to Carol that she invited me!!!