These Rivers of Suggestion Are Driving Me Away

I’m a geek, and as such each post title from South America is a reference to something, usually a quote or a song lyric. For the terminally bored, here’s a list of all the references.

I Like to Party

Song lyric from the song “Make Luv” by Room 5. Classic modern disco cheese. It was a good leaving party.
http://youtu.be/t4ZgnU5m27o

Parting is such sweet sorrow

William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene 2, line 184. I was leaving my friends.
http://www.enotes.com/romeo-and-juliet-text/act-ii-scene-ii?start=2#rom-2-2-184

Tonight We Fly

One of my favourite songs of all time from The Divine Comedy. I was taking a flight in the night, but of course this song is about life itself, in particular the amazing final verse. Fittingly, this link to a live performance has subtitles in Spanish. Esta noche volamos!
http://youtu.be/93-pZYeiRRA

Arrival

Obvious why I used this, but where’s it from? Well it could be the title of the first episode of The Prisoner, though that would be a bit to dark. I link to think it’s from the Abba album.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrival_%28ABBA_album%29

World in Motion

A day of football titled by the title of the best football song ever, and of course it also references the amount of travelling I did that day.
http://youtu.be/FhSZFrII40Y

I Don’t Want to Go out, I Just Want to Stay in.

Didn’t do much this day, so this misheard lyric from Modern Love by David Bowie seemed to be appropriate. Kinda summed up my whole trip, strangely. Here he is in all his 80’s glory:
http://youtu.be/vF3SBrLrgmE

Let the Good Times Roll

Not sure where the original reference came from, but for cool points let’s go with the BB King album.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let_the_Good_Times_Roll_%28album%29

It Takes Two to Tango

Important reference to Argentina, sex and the number two in this reference from common English idiomatic usage. I like the word "idiomatic", it’s one of my favourites.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takes_two_to_tango_%28idiom%29

Three’s a Crowd

Another idiomatic phrase used as a sequential increase on the previous post, but with a negative connotation given the difference with the previous two nights.
http://www.goenglish.com/TwosCompanyThreesaCrowd.asp

How Wonderful Life Is

From Elton John’s Your Song. About youthful, innocent love. Used to reflect how happy I was that day. Was later to become one of the songs of the trip, specifically Colombia, in the hands of Le Lambadour.
http://youtu.be/mTa8U0Wa0q8

Homage to Patagonia

Obvious why I used this, the title of a Lemon Jelly song from their .ky album. It is itself a reference to “A Homage to Catalonia” by George Orwell.
http://youtu.be/U5xo9xVHEWU

I Walked down to the Beach

A reference to my lakeside visit, from a lyric from New Order’s Blue Monday. Here’s the ’84 remix:
http://youtu.be/ftJZomwDhxQ

Take a Walk, Take a Rest

A lyric from Karmacoma from Massive Attack. Referring to my walk up Cerro Catedral. Here’s a crazy video for it filmed in County Hall.
http://youtu.be/MGwcz_DzyyI

Red Hot Peppers (and other similar puns)

For once it’s not a quote. But the missing word from the popular rock/fund band’s name is, of course, Chilli. Which sounds a lot like Chile. Geddit?!?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Hot_Chili_Peppers

Running up That Hill

From the Kate Bush song title. Reference to finding my camera on top of the hill of Puerto Varas. Here’s the video in all its original kook-fest-y glory.
http://youtu.be/GuLlwUaEyr0

Ring of Fire

From the Johnny Cash song about eating curry. Reference to the volcano that I walked up, itself part of the Pacific Ring of Fire.
http://youtu.be/gRlj5vjp3Ko

Return to Patagonia

From the other Lemon Jelly song about Patagonia, this time from the Lost Horizons album.
http://youtu.be/eyqAAWDUY0o

Perfect Dorm

An oblique reference to the hostel I was staying in, which was one of the nicest that I had been to, mainly for its view over the lake. A misquote taken from the book and rather average film Perfect Storm.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Perfect_Storm

What’s new, Buenos Aires?

A misquote of the name of the website What’s Up Buenos Aires, that I used a bit while I was there. Pleasingly abbreviates to WUBA. For my first return to BA.
http://whatsupbuenosaires.com/

There and Back Again

The subtitle to the book by JRR Tolkein known as The Hobbit. A reference to my fleeting visit to Uruguay. The first of two. So not only did I go there and back again, I also went from there and back again.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hobbit

Heading up Paraná Way

Again not a quote. This is a mixture of the line from Love Shack by the B52’s: “I’m heading down the Atlanta highway,” and the reference to Paraguay in the famous capoeira song Paraná Ê, which to English ears sounds like Paraná Way. Paraná is the name for Paraguay as well as the name of the river that runs through Brazil, Argentina and the Iguaçu Falls. It’s also a state in Brazil.

http://youtu.be/leohcvmf8kM
http://www.capoeira-connection.com/main/content/view/195/73/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paran%C3%A1_River

Many Rare and Precious Things I Have Tried to Call Mine

A lyric quote from the Divine Comedy song Lost Property. Used as a reference to my phone that was lost or stolen.
http://youtu.be/RnlLhq1kW10

She’ll Carry on through It All

The first of three waterfall-based quotes for Iguaçu, this first one from the Stone Roses song Waterfall.
http://youtu.be/dQUxCQxu9og

Don’t Go Chasing Waterfalls

Another waterfall reference, from the TLC song Waterfalls.
http://youtu.be/m-n-jZJhpT4

She’s a Waterfall

The money shot, as it were, from the Stone Roses.
http://www.lyricsfreak.com/s/stone+roses/waterfall_20132494.html

Fly to El Salvador, I Don’t Know Why and I Don’t Know What for

A quote with the word Salvador in it, in reference to the town, from the song El Salvador by Athlete.
http://youtu.be/1kpAxKm8wSs

I Like to Party, Everybody Does

A bit of a faux pas here as I use the same reference for the second time. Still, S Club 7 were wrong, there ain’t no party like a Salvador carnival party. Quite literally.
http://youtu.be/UGRgaBjvks0

The Long Dark Night of the Soul

A reference to the poem by St. John of the Cross, of course, by way of Douglas Adams’ Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul, originally mentioned in Life, the Universe and Everything as a term to describe Sunday afternoons. Used here as a reference to having to go out and party with a bad hangover. I also like the fact that it is used in episode five thousand, three hundred and seventy-one of The Bold and the Beautiful, a programme I first saw when Alain's grandmother was watching it while I staying at his house in Sydney.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Night_of_the_Soul

Everybody Dance Now

Reference to more partying and also to the sample used in the Bob Sinclair song Rock this Party. Mr. Sinclair was in the house, or more correctly on a lorry or a bus, that night. The sample is from Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) by C&C Music Factory.
http://youtu.be/ifZ0U2Osavc

Her Name is Rio and She Dances on the Sand

Yes we’re in Rio, and the only song you can reference is of course by Duran Duran. Ironically of course, in Rio, there is no river. Just a bay. That’s what this song is actually about.
http://youtu.be/E5c0NeG-8ZI

Christ!

A reference to Christ the Redeemer taken from a quote from one of the great lost indie songs, Time for the Rest of Your Life by Strangelove.
http://youtu.be/F9c9XLL5T_I

Put on Your Dancing Shoes, You Saucy Little Swine

A night of clubbing is celebrated by this modern classic from the Arctic Monkeys. Why haven’t you talked to her yet? Hmm?
http://youtu.be/5H1sqXNZkbE

A Simple Prop, to Occupy My Time

The key lyric from the often misunderstood R.E.M. song The One I Love. Superimposed fireworks have never looked better.
http://youtu.be/8AKycxKtHLo

The Road to Nowhere

The famous Talking Heads song title is used as a reference that I booked a hostel that I thought was in Rio, and while technically that was the case, it was actually miles away from anywhere.
http://youtu.be/AWtCittJyr0

It Took Me Years to Write, Will You Take a Look?

A reference to writing taken from the Beatles song Paperback Writer. Always thought this was a Lennon song. Turns out it’s a McCartney. Awesome bassline in this song.
http://youtu.be/Pwap79uy1G8

Gotta Get a Message to You

The lyric from the Bee Gees song Message to You (about someone on Death Row) is used in reference to me trying to contact the Brazilian girl.
http://youtu.be/EmI4Qh03IKM

On the Beach

The apocalyptic Nevil Shute novel title serves as a reference to the place where I was stuck.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Beach_%28novel%29

We Accept American Dollars

A reference to the currency of Ecuador, taken from the title of the song by post-rockers Billy Mahonie. Remarkably, it’s on youtube.
http://youtu.be/yBosqHOyiDk

Higher than the Sun

The Primal Scream song title is used as a reference to the effects of altitude on me.
http://youtu.be/sPYUM27QWMw

Take My Breath Away

Altitude sickness and a mugging provide an excuse to reference this classic piece of 80s cheese. What a synth-bassline! Dum-dum-dum-de-dum!
http://youtu.be/NEOem7U2LPE

You Come to Me with Excuses

A lyric quote from R.E.M.’s classic Country Feedback provides a reference to me trying to explain why I wasn’t hitting the bars.
http://youtu.be/u9ceVz5I3vw

Turn Left

Catherine Tate’s best moment in Doctor Who and probably the best episode in Series 4 is used as a reference to Fiona’s similarity to the same actress.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turn_Left_%28Doctor_Who%29

Wave of Mutilation

There are only two song titles you can use as a reference to Tsunamis that I am aware of. The first is the rather obvious Tsunami by Manic Street Preachers. The other is this song by The Pixies, used here.
http://youtu.be/BihjWa47WuM

Our Time is Running Out

Dying camera batteries are a reason to reference the main lyric from this Muse song.
http://youtu.be/pzpGk44UXKQ

When Tomorrow Comes

This classic Eurythmics song – and one of their best – is used as a reference to the fact that I never knew what was going to happen next.
http://youtu.be/QFZKnjrzVcY

Money, That’s What I Want

Classic r’n’b blues song, covered by the Beatles but most imaginatively by the Flying Lizards. I needed cash.
http://youtu.be/3_iQZiVD_zA

We Are Your Friends

One of my favourite songs ever – what a bassline – used as a reference to the friends I’d made on Isabella.
http://youtu.be/6zo1-XlazvY

You Will Be Upgraded

My first ever airline upgrade is referenced by this slogan from the new series' Cybermen.
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Cybermen#Common_Phrases

Oh No, Not Again

My camera batteries ran out, again. So I used this reference from Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OhNoNotAgain

I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking for

Trying to find the right bus to Canoa proved difficult. So I used the title from one of U2’s most boring songs. So here’s a literal video version which is much more hilarious.
http://bit.ly/bCH7ax

Avalanche

Surprisingly I only had one bus journey in the whole of South America disrupted by natural forces. In this case a mud slide. So I referenced this awesome New Order instrumental.
http://youtu.be/gPRw-_jOhFA

Waiting for the Sun

I was waiting for the sun, so I used this Doors album title. I don’t know the actual album.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waiting_for_the_Sun

My Future’s So Bright

The full lyric is “My future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades,” which is a reference to the fact that I bought new sunglasses this day. Here’s the original 80s cheese-fest and a totally awesome video.
http://youtu.be/wvIAyxpjEuc

There’s Always the Sun

Here comes the sun would have been too obvious. So instead I referenced this late-period Stranglers tune.
http://youtu.be/jwP9kTMRM88

Go to the Cash Machine

I went into the cash machine in San Vincente today, which is why I quoted this Hard-Fi song lyric.
http://youtu.be/5z7JgJedjRc

I’m Miles from Where You Are

Missing home really badly this day, so this lyric from a suitably depressing Snow Patrol song seemed to do the trick.
http://youtu.be/bfa9yxCpWoA

And I Might as Well Just Grin and Bear It

My favourite Blur song about hangovers provides the title to this post about a day spent hungover.
http://youtu.be/I1bx3GqSx3Y

I’m Lazy as a Man Can Be

Didn’t do loads this day, hence this quote from the X-Press 2 featuring David Byrne song Lazy. What a great lyric.
http://youtu.be/G3lJwyQ_2Qg

Roll up!

For the Magical Mystery Tour from Canoa to Montañita.
http://youtu.be/I2qLjQbRv3w

Ghost Town

There was no one around. So this song about Coventry seemed to be appropriate.
http://youtu.be/RZ2oXzrnti4

There’s a Starman...

A conversation about astrology inspired this quote from the David Bowie song Starman. So here’s the song in Brazilian Portuguese to link with South America, from the excellent film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.
http://youtu.be/ykghg4E9nzw

Jump in the Pool

A nightclub with a swimming pool. This Friendly Fires song seemed appropriate.
http://youtu.be/ofRCldHb7X0

Don’t Cut off Your Dreadlocks

A reggae band with dreadlocks? This song title from ancient reggae artist Linval Thompson seems appropriate. Remarkably, there’s footage of it on YouTube. Who would have thought?
http://youtu.be/4qN_CJrq2pk

Dances on the Sand

A club on a beach? This quote from Rio seems suitable, despite it not taking place in Rio itself.
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/duranduran/rio.html

The Hangover

I was hungover. The film is awesome.
http://youtu.be/vhFVZsk3XEs

The End of the Road

My last day in Montañita before my cross continental trek to Florianopolis. This crappy Boys 2 Men song seemed appropriate for my last proper day on the Ecuadorean coast.
http://youtu.be/-oqgTA6N-iw

Leave Them All Behind

And so the journey begins. This Ride song serves as a reference to those I had met, and its imagery of travel is relevant too.
http://youtu.be/RRCVlaNTN2Y

Return to Sender

I was back in Quito, where I had started by Ecuadorean journey. Elvis described it well. I never loved Elvis. Except for Suspicious Minds.
http://youtu.be/Z54-QHEZN6E

The Moment Has Been Prepared for

The Fourth Doctor’s last words “It’s the end, but the moment has been prepared for,” echoed my feelings towards the sad news I received today.
http://youtu.be/8x5x7HnBEO0

The One Where They're Going to Party

The title is from a Friends episode, which is relevant here as of course it refers both to my friends Alain and Ryan, and partying, which is what we did.
http://www.tv.com/friends/the-one-where-theyre-going-to-party!/episode/426/summary.html

I Can’t Remember

Lack of memory prompts this quote from the Therapy? song happily titled Die Laughing. It’s a tune.
http://youtu.be/q1XGGCFsU2Y

Performance

Another stage appearance by me means this famous Mick Jagger film gets a post title. Or is it the Pet Shop Boys live video?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Performance_%28film%29
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pet-Shop-Boys-Performance-DVD/dp/B0002TTTJM

Walking on the Beaches

The Stranglers get a quote again. This time “Walking on the beaches, looking at the peaches,” from the song Peaches, references the flesh on display in Florianopolis. Undoubtedly the best on the continent, and that’s saying something.
http://youtu.be/8aI9k06dGpg

And When the Night Falls

A night of dancing within a particular style begs this reference to the Whitney Houston hit I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me). Nothing more 80s than this video. Look at the colours!
http://youtu.be/RzVWUJucOCo

All the Boys Think She’s a Spy

Another 80s classic as Ryan’s love for Kim Carnes’ hit Bette Davis Eyes came to the fore on this day. The 80s was a big decade for rhythmical slapping of people’s faces (cf. New Order, True Faith).
http://youtu.be/_-RdAzkKlXY

Surfin’ Safari

You safari in deserts, right? They have sand, yeah? And surfin’ is what we did. So let’s reference the Beach Boys. Yay! Thxbye!
http://youtu.be/FS7SUFz36lg

Waiting for My Man

Lou Reed’s song about unreliable drug dealers doubles in this case for our dealings with estate agents that are on holiday.
http://youtu.be/MOmZimH00oo

Hey Mr. Cab Driver

Cab drivers trying to rip you off? This song by Lenny Kravitz covers off the same feelings.
http://youtu.be/PZ8V-FktUNk

He is Risen

Doctor Who as Jesus? RTD tried to make him a god. But now the Grand Moff’s in charge and we have a different take.
http://dai.ly/axbj58

They Say It’s Your Birthday

Well Happy Birthday to you! The Beatles song is the reference for Justin’s birthday.
http://youtu.be/m_Nz9B1XFio

Somehow a Final Connection Is Made

Trying to connect a laptop or an iPod to a TV in a foreign country isn’t easy. Elastica’s song Connection provides the, er, link.
http://youtu.be/jbvkwiFg3Yw?hd=1

I Know a Lot about Art, but I Don’t Know What I Like

This was an ironic mis-quote or, if you will, “joke,” from, I think, Stephen Fry. I can’t find a clip of it so instead have this clip of their best ever sketch. We went to an art gallery on this day, and I wrote a treatise about my current appreciation of art.
http://youtu.be/uiV4F7HWHRk

Another Day in Paradise

The Phil Collins song is used as a reference to the joy of Buenos Aires.
http://youtu.be/U66rzHtW2qQ

Lovecats

I found out today that “cats” (gattos) is Spanish or Argentinean slag for easy women, so this Cure song title seemed right.
http://dai.ly/d4BggU

You’ve Got a Friend in Me

The last night in BA with my friends deserves this camaraderie-inspired song from the Toy Story soundtrack.
http://youtu.be/zB2gPZRsz0Q

Shaking Through

Another hangover reference comes from this R.E.M. song.
http://youtu.be/rnqUf5HTbVM

Sail Away

A boat party in Guanabara Bay is an excuse to reference the Enya hit. Doesn’t she look grumpy in the video. Lighten up love! The Orinoco is, of course, in South America. And the name of a Womble.
http://youtu.be/xfVJ11GXzXQ

Crosstown Traffic

The Hendrix classic serves at the title for this post about traffic jams in Rio. “So hard to get through to you,” – so true.
http://youtu.be/YUCNsZXCd58

Living in a Box

Sleeping in a box at least references this 80s pop hit. Tune. We all remember the ballerina in Room in Your Heart…
http://youtu.be/ZHt_GzOgjvA

Ask

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: asking around for where to find things meant I could use this Smiths song title in my post. I’ve started something I couldn’t finish. Panic!
http://youtu.be/CEpAtTe-oJY

We Meet Again, at Last

This is Darth Vader’s first comment to Obi-Wan Kenobi when they meet on the Death Star at the end of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. So I used it here as a reference to meeting the people I met in Sucre.
http://tiny.cc/z3j4y

In Limbo

Nothing much was happening in Uyuni while we waited for our trip to start, so this Radiohead song title seems appropriate.
http://dai.ly/aPIYxU

I’m in a Wide Open Space

The plains of Salar de Uyuni are a great excuse to reference this awesome Mansun song.
http://tiny.cc/6gxs5

Volcano Day

Lots of volcanoes this day, so this phrase from the Doctor Who episode Fires of Pompeii seems right.
http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/The_Fires_of_Pompeii

You Won’t Get Me, I’m Part of the Union

Union disruption was a good reason to use this quote from The Strawbs’ song Part of the Union. Just like Born in the USA or The One I Love, this is one of the great misunderstood songs of all time. It’s criticising the power of the unions, only to be taken up as a rallying call by the unions themselves.
http://youtu.be/KdOCWUgwiWs

City Calling Me out into the Night

An oblique reference to the kinds of things that happen in La Paz. Quote taken from the song Going Under by Rocker’s Hi-Fi, remixed excellently by Kruder & Dorfmeister.
http://youtu.be/admnPVcPDdg

Making Plans

A day of planning so I used this quote from the XTC song Making Plans for Nigel. Another song about the state of the economy in 1970s Britain.
http://youtu.be/0C6bVckO_CM

We Could Be Heroes

Sanji looks vaguely like Mohinder from Heroes, so that’s an excuse to use a reference to one of David Bowie’s most awesomest hits.
http://youtu.be/zQFuNHCMF2Y

Journey to the Centre of the Earth

Cusco was the Inca’s centre of the earth, so my trip to Cusco was much like the title of this Jules Verne novel.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Journey_to_the_Center_of_the_Earth

Take Me by the Hand

The idea behind this title was that the travel agent did all my work for me so I didn’t have to do anything to book my trip to Machu Picchu. But now I’m reviewing it I can’t remember where I took this quote from. Apparently it’s a Peter Frampton song title, so that counts for something I guess.
http://tiny.cc/77hjt

I’m Just Killing Time

Not much to do this day so this quote from the Radiohead song True Love Waits seems right.
http://youtu.be/tKGHVpV7V3k

As I Journeyed through the Valley

One of the most impressive things about the trip to Machu Picchu is the journey through the valley that contains Ollantaytambo. This misquote from Coolio’s Gangsta’s Paradise seemed to fit.
http://youtu.be/WUTJgk0HFqw

Touched by the Hand of God

This is a poetic reference to my take on the city of Machu Picchu. Taken from the great New Order song, with a great video directed by Kathryn Bigelow (Break Point, The Hurt Locker) apparently.
http://youtu.be/dMYBQeukrJk

A Series of Small Walls

A day of archaeology is referenced by this quote from Eddie Izzard about what archaeologists usually find. Here it is!
http://youtu.be/U6y-jn6jGbM

Why Does Everything Have to Be Such a Performance?

Annoying actor bloke reminds me of this quote from Tim Bisley of Spaced fame (i.e. Simon Pegg) in the episode Art (S01E03). Fuck me I just found the whole thing online!
http://www.veoh.com/browse/videos/category/comedy/watch/v18526857skfApQyD

Saying, as He Drowned the Third...

Harry Graham had it down best for annoying kids.
http://www.ruthlessrhymes.com/ruthless_rhymes/s_the_stern_parent.html

A Man, a Plan, a Canal: Panama!

A one-off stop in Panama allowed me to use this famous palindrome.
http://www.fun-with-words.com/palin_first_panama.html

Blame Canada

Sometimes you can be too nice. Something that affects a lot of Canadans. Stone and Parker had it right.
http://youtu.be/LAYMJnO9LBQ

I Like to Watch TV

It’s a quote from many places, I’ll take the Peter Sellers film Being There.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078841/quotes

Wastin' Time

The last line of the chorus from Otis Redding’s famous Sitting on the Dock of the Bay. I was waiting for a bus.
http://youtu.be/UCmUhYSr-e4

Vote Saxon

It’s the election! So I used this Doctor Who reference.
http://www.haroldsaxon.co.uk/

I Was Born to Be a Dancer

Some quality dancing this day, so have some Kaiser Chiefs.
http://youtu.be/-Y_NFbSfdXA

Where Were You While We Were Getting High?

Missed out on a party? This quote from Oasis – Champagne Supernova applies.
http://youtu.be/g3C7DECI0jU

And So the Conversation Turned, As the Sun Went Down

Strangely extensive discussions about politics, economics and religion? This quote from the Human League’s (Keep Feeling) Fascination fits the bill.
http://youtu.be/QqqBs6kkzHE

One Man’s Freedom Fighter

…is another’s terrorist. So it was with Pablo Escobar. The quote is used extensively, but I like it in the song Star by Primal Scream. Nice bassline.
http://youtu.be/ZAANDIe4T7M

You’re Gone from Here and You Will Disappear

A quote from the Keane song Everybody’s Changing denotes movement, yes?
http://youtu.be/Zx4Hjq6KwO0

Here Comes the Sun

Back on the coast, with the heat and the sunshine and the good weather. The Beatles get it this time.
http://youtu.be/U6tV11acSRk

Come, Dowsed in Mud

Mud volcano, mud lyric? Nirvana supply.
http://youtu.be/vabnZ9-ex7o

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing

More travel, more waiting for buses. Jack Johnson provides the song title.
http://youtu.be/B8nHiDL22as

New Sensation

Sensations, the bar meet INXS, the band with a song title. Also: meeting lots of people in a bar randomly, like I was on this continent for four months or something.
http://youtu.be/6jujG5X9iZs

I Was Swimming in the Caribbean

Possibly the greatest Pixies song, Where Is My Mind, used at the end of Fight Club. Contains the line used for this post title. That’s all you need to know.
http://youtu.be/gGXdXcpNsv4

I Fought the Law

…with diplomatic immunity. Still, it worked. This Clash song was the obvious reference. I always thought this was a joke song. I couldn’t take it seriously.
http://youtu.be/MBeT4ptY9sY

Float on

A day spent floating on a lilo allowed me to refer to this classic Modest Mouse tune.
http://youtu.be/qOzphMgOETA

In the Jungle

Surely no explanation needed? Quote taken from The Lion Sleeps Tonight.
http://youtu.be/0cD9cBEaNBc

We’ll Find Our Own Way Home Somehow

Two levels of reference in this quote. Firstly, it refers to the differing ways we as a group returned home. Secondly, the title of the song is Papillon, the nickname of Henri Charrière and title of his autobiography whose path I crossed at this point in Colombia, and I talk about in the post. In this song Editors channel Joy Division something rotten, and the video has lots of people running, and then disappearing. Like you do.
http://youtu.be/Wq4tyDRhU_4

Cocktail Time, a Summer's Tune, a Whole Night's Holiday

The house party was much like this quote. Although the lyrics from the song are pretty crap in places. But don’t worry, you can suntan.
http://youtu.be/AkTRh5YlEVE

I Wake up Just to Go Back to Sleep

A lot of sleeping today. It’s as though I’m … slightly … mad? Crazy? What’s the word? Dizzee, you provided the quote, how would you say it?
http://youtu.be/b94beDQQtWI

The Art of Dining Well Is No Slight Art, the Pleasure not a Slight Pleasure

So said the appropriately French Michel de Montaigne, with this appropriately food-based quote.
http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/33519.html

9 out of 10 Dogs Said That They Preferred…

This is a reference to a famous joke about gang rape and mixed with the famous ad slogan, changed from cats to dogs. Fun times.
http://www.sickipedia.org/joke/view/11077

El Pibe

It means “the kid” and is the nickname for Carlos Valderama. Gotta love his crazy hair.
http://www.sday.gr/Uploads/05_2010/CarlosValderama.jpg

Up in the clouds

This is a quote from the great Radiohead song Where I End and You Begin, used to refer to the ascent from the Colombian Caribbean Coast to the Andes in Bogotá and the change in weather that went with it.
http://youtu.be/vW_9rY6OF3Y

Leave

At the end of a continent… This R.E.M. song title has it quite succinct.
http://youtu.be/SQNDfUvDmvY

The End of the Affair

This Graham Greene novel title is used as a reference to the end of the journey, and my thoughts towards travelling in general.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_End_of_the_Affair

Is It Any Wonder?

This Keane song title is used as a reference to the explanatory nature of this post. And the lyric “Is it any wonder I’m tired?” which is appropriate given my energy levels during this trip.
http://youtu.be/fVe_KVzBFOo

These Rivers of Suggestion Are Driving Me Away

A quote from the R.E.M. song So. Central Rain (Southern Central Rain) which references oblique references. Much like the titles of the posts on this blog! And "Driving Me Away" has a sense of finality about it...
http://youtu.be/9rLlVWrvO-Q

Is It Any Wonder?

Well, about two and a half months after returning I thought I’d write something about what I felt about the trip, to put it into context and extract any meaning out of it, if there is any.

Probably the most significant thing about this trip, which was evident from before I left, was that I really missed my life and friends in London. It seems strange for me to say that because it’s something that I’ve never felt before. But over the last year, 2009, a lot of things fell into place. And leaving was very hard, mainly because at the time I thought I wouldn’t be seeing three of my best friends when I returned. As it turns out, that wasn’t the case. But still, I found my thoughts frequently wandering back to Hammersmith throughout the trip. I guess it wasn’t so bad, as I knew I was always going home at the end.

Another thing that I realised was that the thing about travelling that is the most enjoyable, which actually has little to with travel at all, is that I’m not working. This is a little worrying as it’s something that I’m going to have to face for the foreseeable future. But working is a chore for me and I enjoy life when I’m not doing it. Perhaps I need to change my job, perhaps I just have to accept it. Who knows? Does it matter?

Fatigue played a large part as well. Things started off well, but I think the simple fact is that I have a constitution that needs a lot of fuel and if there’s one thing that is hard to do when you’re travelling, particularly in a foreign country, is to eat regularly and to eat well. As a result after about the first month I found myself feeling really tired all the time. It’s a bit of a general problem and I’m actually reading a book about that very subject right now.

Perhaps the lowest part of my trip was being in Ecuador without many people to hang out with, when my aunt died. That was tough to take. Ecuador in general was a bit lonely, apart from the Galapagos Islands. Just the way it worked out, I guess. And getting mugged in Quito probably didn’t help.

However looking at these points it seems that I might be a bit negative about the whole thing. There were still some awesome moments. My first week in Buenos Aires stands out pretty well. Cycling in Bariloche. Iguaçu was beautiful. Salvador carnival – the first night at least – was amazing to see. Meeting Alain again and Ryan. Galapagos. Sandboarding in Florianopolis. The amazing landscapes of Salar de Uyuni. The people I met in La Paz and Cusco. The landscape of Machu Picchu. All of Colombia from Medellin to Bogotá. The beauty of the Andes. The heat of the coastline. The people I met. All of it was great.

Having said that, I think this will be last major travelling thingy that I’ll do for the foreseeable future. I’ve seen most of what I wanted to. I can see the patterns, the nature of humanity, how culture develops, the slums, the billions of poor who are barely surviving, the ancient monuments echoing the sound of civilisations long past. I always like seeing the larger perspective and I’ve seen it now. I know how the other half live, and Hammersmith averages out pretty well. It makes me happy to be alive. I can see the sound and the fury as it rushes past, and I smile.

The End of the Affair

Fri 28 May
Madrid – London

After a bit of sleep they server breakfast and then we’re back in Europe. The bit of Madrid airport that I’m in is pretty nice, all modern multicoloured architecture. BA are on strike but they have a charter plane on hire to take us back to London.

I walk through the Iris scanner and I’m first at the carousel. I get my bags and leave the airport to meet up with my parents. I couldn’t imagine anything happier.

I’d like to end with a quote from Travis which kept running through my head and has a certain relevance.

“The grass is always greener on the other side
Baby’s got a new car that you wanna ride
Your time is running out you wanna stay alive
We all live under the same sky
We all will live we all will die
There is no wrong
There is no right
The circle only has one side”

Travis – Side

Still to come – my thoughts on the trip as a whole, and some important references.

Leave

Thu 27 May
Bogota – Madrid

Another rainy and cloudy day in Bogotá, there wasn’t much incentive to go out and do things. I spent most of the day killing time, surfing the net. Joe and Craig hang out with me and watch TV. Then the time comes and I say goodbye. It feels like a big moment, saying goodbye to the last of my friends that I made in South America. This was truly it – the start of my journey home. The end of the longest trip abroad I have ever had. I had lived out of a suitcase for four and a half months. Which goes to show how little we really need.

I take a taxi to the airport. The driver tries to talk to me and I have my last broken English / broken Spanish conversation. I tell him where I’ve been and he seems impressed. It’s been a long old distance.

I arrive at the airport and it appears that my flight has been brought forward by an hour and will be boarding shortly. So it’s just as well I arrived in good time.

I’m flying Iberia and unlike the luxury of Alitalia there are no personal TV screens, just one large one at the front of the cabin. It seems to be showing some film of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as a tooth fairy, with Stephen Merchant as some supporting character. What a combination.

They keep the lights on for ages and I have trouble falling asleep. Luckily it doesn’t matter. I don’t need sleep where I’m going.

Up in the Clouds

Wed 26 May
Taganga – Bogotá

Another night, another overnight bus journey. This would be my last. We stopped at some time in the morning and had breakfast at a service station. I had a Frosties and yogurt combination. It seemed to be the safest thing on offer.

Shortly after that we started our ascent into Bogotá. Having been at sea level on the Caribbean coast, I was (again, for the last time) winding my way back up through the Andes, two and a half kilometres high. There was some film on that was boring enough to send me back to sleep. When I woke up again I watched Sherlock Holmes on my laptop, which was pretty good fun. I then listened to Stephen Fry read Harry Potter and promptly fell back into a deep sleep which saw me all the way to the capital, where Joe had to forcefully wake me up.

We have a bit of hassle finding a hostel but get one eventually. I took a private room as it’ll be my last night in South America. We go and wonder around the town to look at a few sights. It’s cloudy, rainy and wet and everything looks a little drab. There are people on the streets selling umbrellas, and so I learn probably my last piece of Spanish vocab: paragua (from para agua: against water).

We go to a cable car which goes up the side of a mountain, much like the ones in Quito and Medellin, but the top of the mountain is covered in cloud and it seems it’s closed anyway, so that’s a no go. Instead we head back to the hostel where completely by chance we meet some people that went to the same school as Craig and Joe. So we hang out with them and end up going to some random club/bar type place and spend the night there. It’s pretty good fun and everyone has a good time.

El Pibe

Tue 25 May
Taganga – Bogotá

We were leaving Taganga today and I wanted to get a picture overlooking the bay, so the first thing I did was to walk up the road to Santa Marta and take a snap. Heading back into town I met the guys and joined them for breakfast. While I was sitting there every now and then there would be a loud noise as something hard hit the ground beside me. They were large, dark brown, peach-stone-sized things. After a while I wondered where they were coming from so stood up to look. Turns out there was a massive lizard – at least a metre long – that was on a branch above the restaurant that was slowly and quietly having a poo from way up there. Luckily none of them hit me!

Anyway Joe, Craig and I were heading to Bogotá but the bus was in the evening and we had a lot of time to kill. So what better way to do that than head into Santa Marta and find the statue of Carlos Valderama, the still-living Colombian international footballer who has a crazy dyed-blonde mop-afro haircut? Nothing is better than that, and that’s a scientific FACT!

We found it and took pictures and then spent ages trying to find somewhere to eat that wasn’t a complete dump. After that we headed back into Taganga to pack and say our goodbyes. We all hugged and said goodbye. Apparently Lambadour was crying – I didn’t notice and it was probably just as well as it would have set me off as well. We took a taxi and set off for Santa Marta bus station. It was an emotional moment.

At the station we bought a bus ticket for about a third of the price that we were expecting, which was nice. Apparently it’s usually cheaper to fly, but not for us. No idea why that happened. Once on our way I fell asleep fairly quickly as usual on these journeys.

9 out of 10 Dogs Said That They Preferred…

Mon 24 May
Tanganga

So time passes and things come and go, and just like Star Trek: The Next Generation, all good things must come to an end. Today was the last full day of travelling proper, and it was the last evening the whole gang would have together. Etienne a.k.a. Le Lambadour, Craig, Joe (who to me always looked like a “Craig”), Millie and Lucy the Kiwi girls, and my good self all had one final dinner.

We were recommended a place in one of the back streets called Pachamama (Mother Earth). We hadn’t been there before so we went to check it out. The place was kitted out very nicely, though when we arrived the most notable thing was that there was a dog-gang-rape going on outside. It seemed that one of the many free-roaming dogs that exist throughout South America was on heat tonight and unluckily for her, every male dog in the local vicinity thought it would have a go. Well at least someone was having a good time.

Anyway despite the typically atrocious service and oppressive heat due to lack of fans in this open air restaurant we had a good meal and much drink, and talked about the fun that we had, or something like that. It’s two and half months later when I’m writing this and I can’t remember what we talked about. It was good fun though. It would be sad to leave this group. As I write it was only last Saturday that I was out at a bar for another leaving do, and I thought about Colombia briefly, and this group and the fun we had, and then I remembered I was in Hammersmith and with another group of people that I loved, and I thought how lucky I was.