This is a little friend of mine that I came across yesterday on the reef. I will go to dive the Blue Hole tomorrow and stop on the way back at Half Moon Caye. There's good diving there but the best is that the Caye is a nesting island for some pretty spectacular birds.
I've found a place for massages and we're going to a New Years Eve party at Holiday Hotel tomorrow night. The Brits on the Island are having one at 6p.m. tomorrow evening. I'll post lots of shots soon but have to by on the pier in front at 5:30 a.m. So I'll say good night. Bob is already asleep.

We're finally settled in and ready to get on with fun in paradise. I haven't posted anything until now because we've both been sick. Bob's came on down here but mine began the night before we left. I tried to look very well after not being allowed on the plane in Bogata last summer. But that was dential surgery so it was easier to hide a very bad stomach than a swollen face. So is the world of traveling. Bob is much better and even went for a walk to the dive shop today.
The economy is bad here and everyone is saying it is worse than last year, which was bad. For me, the diver, that means that the really great trips are harder to put together. They need eight divers for a trip. I'm glad I have the time to get in on two of the best dives around. One is a three dive trip to Turneffe reef, a wall dive that is an all day affair. The other is the Blue Hole dive with some great diving on the way back. I'll also visit a nesting island on that trip. It's a great trip, I've made it before. I will post pics soon and as they come in.

We are going to Holiday Hotel for New Years Eve. Last year we spent New Years Eve in Tobago with a bunch of ex-pat Brits and a drunken German couple. This one will be just as interesting I'm sure.
I'll sign off now and go take some pictures so I can show you the beautiful blue water.

Getting ready

This is the time that I make sure all things are in order so we can leave on our trip knowing that someone will be here while we're gone. Chester, our Frenchie is at least a little happy. Actually he will be really overjoyed when he sees Dee, his favorite friend. They have a good time while we're away. Thanks Dee.
I will tend to other things the rest of the week and we'll be on our way to the sunny south.

On the way to Belize soon.

On my way to Houston to ordination of American monk

I'm finally back in Lake Charles and sailing the Seagypsy II at least everyday. Just joking. I've been tied up with work and that means school. I have somemore pics that I will post of the trip but I can truly said it was worth all the effort to get to Columbia. I would like to hear from any of you who have questions that I can answer for you about traveling to South American countries. Bye the way, the Seagypsy is a 27' Westerly Centair and is a great sailboat. She isn't new but is sound and built for cruising. I haven't been able to cruise lately but am always holding out hope for a someday sail. I'm happy to be home but already looking for the next place to go.

Saturday, Hot and sleepy

My sister was quick to point out that I misspelled Chaplin yesterday. I have posted some underwater pictures which I took with my new housing. They are absolutely amazing. The visibility wasn't that good, but the dive was interesting. The first was on a couple of wrecks and the second was on a peak that is covered with coral and has many fish. I got a picture of a grouper and had to work for it. I don't think anything is protected here so the fishermen eat anything that's of any size. The grouper that you see in the picture is small and cute I might add. I am putting a picture of the carving we bought up for you to see. Also I've included some pictures from the central part of the city when the Colombians celebrated their independence day. The square is Christopher Columbus square where in (the book), the crazy woman comes to dance and meets the hero.

We will eat in the city tonight. We will be home on Tuesday morning. I had a dream last night that a bear ate my dog Chester. I will call this evening and talk to him, I miss him.

Hotel and city

Friday evening in the tropics

We've decided to eat at the hotel tonight. We are finding more and more strange and sometimes questionable residences live here in this sprawled out hacienda. There are some eighty rooms snaking around through huge trees and many patios with three fourths filled with permanent residences. We just had tea with an artist who lives in the tower and has lived there for the last 20 years. He's from the States and has a beautiful black wife and two very interesting children. We bought a piece of wood sculpture from another artist from France who we discovered while walking around to see what we could see. A violinist also lives here who teaches small small children and composes in the evenings. She's really good.

While I was diving today,which by the way was great, Bob happened back to the carver to look at the piece and watch him pack it, he was introduced to a woman who was visiting the carver. She is the daughter of Charlie Chapman. Bob says she's talky like me so I'm going to call her tomorrow and ask her to dinner. Someone should write a book about this hotel.

We did some touring yesterday. Saw many places where scenes from the book Love in the Time of the Cholora, was written in. I mean they are in the book. I have included some photos at the top but must stop now to eat my fish as the breeze blows in from the ocean.

More pics from Bogota

Last pics from Bogota

Finally in Cartagena

These are the final pictures from Bogota. We arrived in Cartagena this afternoon and are staying at the beach. It's very windy and lots of people. We're going into the cenral old part tomorrow so I'm pretty excited about that. I haen't been posting because the internet was out at the hotel in Bogota. I could have gone to the hostel around the corner and used theirs but I had some dental surgery and it hurts like hell. I had an implant and they also built up bone in the space where Dr. Fisher pulled my tooth and was supposed to have graphed bone. There were four dentists and surgeons looking for the bone and all I heard one whole day was "NO BONE-NO BONE-NO-BONE" Well, I've got bone now, about twelve visible stitches. And it hurts like hell, did I say that before. We were supposed to fly up here four days ago but they wouldn't let me on the plane. I've been putting ice for two days and hot for two days and the swelling is going down. If you have dental work done here, bring your own pain pills. The dentists believe some really un American thing like letting the patient work out the pain as part of the healing process. I finally got some meds after the third visit and acting very whimpy with the surgeon.

We are happy to get where it's hot and there's plenty of water out there to the north of us. The crime isn't as bad here so a think I'll be able to take out my bigger cameras without the fear of having them stolen. Bob was in a bank the other day and a man behind him said for everyone to slowly give him all their money. Everyone got very quiet, you could hear a pin drop, then Bob and other people turned to look at him and he was drunk and holding a metal pipe instead of a gun. The security kicked him out but it was reeeeallllly quiet for a while there.

I"m looking forward to getting a look at the city tomorrow. It's the Colombians independence day. I want to go diving around the end of the week and also go to a volcano. I'm not sure if Bob is having a good time or not. He didn't like Bogota-it was too high and too cold. This will be better I'M sure. I'm putting in a couple of photos of then police museum. There was a French filmmaker doing a doc on Escabar. His motorcycle is in the picture and also some blood in another one. Pretty grouse but you never know what's going to pop up in front of you so I might a well show it to you too. Good night-Carrie

pics I talk about later

I´ve been trying to post these pics and if you read further you´ll see I found the key. Will try later. To bad they are great. haha

Warmer at last

I was glad to hear from you all. It has gotten warmer here so we are happier. I can not find all the keys on this keyboard so some of my writing will not be media style. I bet you have guessed one of the keys I cannot find. Anyway, we had a good day today. There are some really good places to eat near here so we eat out at them any chance we get. We went to the Botero art musium so You will see some pictures from there. Also there was a demonstration against bullfighting. I got lots of good video and will post it later. Tomorrow I have to find a firewire for my video camera since I forgot the one that goes with it. I have become attracted to the dogs and people here. Everyone has one and they seem quite proud of them. I miss Chester.

We are going to Cartihena (?) on Thursday. I want to see the fort where the crock swallowed the stone in the movie "Romancing the Stone." Bob, of course shares my in this quest. We will go to the Gold museum tomorrow. Everyone raves about, saying that it cannot be missed. I am also going to do some video at the beauty shop and I have included some pics of it here also. Bob sends his best to all and me too.

It's Sunday evening

The internet doesn't work today at our hotel. It worked yesterday and will work tomorrow I've been told. Have been to a junk market today and have found that I am photographing lots of dogs and sometimes their owners. The Columbians treat their dogs very well. I'll post some pics tomorrow. We have visited the Bolero museum and I've never seen so many fat women, nuns, birds, soldiers. There is an Andy Warhal exhibit here also so we'll see it before we go north. I found the installation that the beauty shop artists have in a gallery and will post some of those pics tomorrow also. I'm going to get someone to walk with me to the other hotel and sign in tomorrow. Bye for now.

Arrived and been to get manicure

We arrived yesterday and slept until noon then scouted out the area. The hotel, Casa Platapus, is in the section where all the artist hang out. Not to say that there aren't other art centers around here. I found a crazy hair salon yesterday that is right down from the hotel. The women who run it are artists and alternative beauty people. They have art in the salon and have installations at at gallery where we will visit soon. I think I am going to do a video on them. I have included a few pics of them and will include more later. We will look for a phone today and visit a flea market. Bob is waiting outside so I'm going to go. Is Chester OK? and hello to Dee, Carla and Mom and Caralie and everyone else.

It isn't long before we leave.

Time is getting short for the trip to Columbia. I've ordered a new camera and a casing so I can use a digital for underwater shots. Does anyone have suggestions for scuba on the northern coast of Columbia

I having been following the coup in Honduras. I still have friends there. Hope all are doing well.

Columbia, look out, here I come!

I've made reservations for the first week of July. Stay tuned for updates. I'll tell you where we'll be staying and welcome any suggestions you may have about Bogota, our first stop.

Preparations for our next trip have started!!!!!

I attended the Universities graduation today and will be off for the summer. My Faces and Places of India show is still up at Central School in Lake Charles, Louisiana. It will only be up for another week so go see it if you can.

We are starting to look at Columbia for our next trip which will be after the 4th of July. I am still looking for interesting places to see and photograph, so if you have any ideas, please comment to this posting. I will be blogging the trip, so if there is something that you would particularly like to see, let me know. I am developing my web-site (www.carriechrisco.com) with some photo tours of China and Ecuador, so keep an eye on it. I am also looking for markets to sell my photography. Looks like a busy summer for me. I could give some basic sailing lessons over this blog if anyone is interested. I can Carrie You There.

Time for more news

It has been a while since I have posted on this blog but I have been involved in a lot of things. I will post some new pics and some sailing stuff so you can see how nice and warm it is here in Louisiana. We are all watching the economy and hoping that something will be done soon.

First post from phone

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Home in Lake Charles

We are back in Lake Charles and getting ready for school. I will post Tobago pictures soon. The diving was great. I saw turtles and lots of other marine things. We spent New Year's Eve at a party for British ex-pats. Bob actually danced with a drunk German who is living in Spain. The Brits joined hands four hours before our new year hour and brought in their 2009 at Greenwich time. They sang and swayed and remembered the motherland. I'll go sort out pics and post. Glad to be home and looking forward to the new semester.

Back in Trinidad

We just got back from Tobago and beautiful beaches and scuba diving. I wasn't able to pull up the internet around Christmas so I will catch you up on what we have been doing. Christmas Eve (my birthday) and Christmas day were very quiet. We mainly went to the party upstairs and kicked back like the rest of the people here. The 26th of December is Boxing Day here. We went to the horse racing track and then went to a world champainship boxing match that night. A woman from Trinidad won and it was very exciting. I have put in pictures from both so you can get an idea what a big deal both events are for this area. I will put some pictures of the island up after I download them into the computer.