Le tour de South America: Panic time and Cartagena, Colombia

PANIC#1: I contacted JetBlue 2 days before my flight and they told me "No cardboard boxes on the plane for international flights". I thought I'd be screwed since I don't own any fancy $400 bike bag, but on the last day I went to Performance Bicycle in Carson and got a $50 soft bike bag and some foam from FedEx kinkos. It successfully made the trip from LAX to FLL to CTG.

PANIC#2: I arrived to LAX and was in the line to check the bike bag. The guy at the counter checked my passport and said: "Where is your return ticket? You cannot check this in unless you have a return ticket", I started to feel that nervous blood rush and I really thought I was screwed then. The guy suggested I buy a ticket and then canceled it or some witchcraft but I was completely broke. He then told me I could also show my Colombian passport which I also didn't have with me. Then I remembered I had my Colombian citizenship card I got when I was 18 and he said that would work, BOOM! I got lucky.

I've been in Cartagena since December 30th, 2014 hanging out with my girlfriend and parents. I lived here for 18 years in the past, went to high school and graduated.

Cartagena is definitely the place I call home. Every time I come here I just feel at peace despite of the chaos that this city is in December/January. I'm lying, it's always a shit-show. The citizens don't respect the law, the law doesn't respect the citizens and the government only cares about the money in their pockets. Somehow, I still find beauty in all of this, there is a certain romance about it. I just have some very fond memories in this place.

Sometimes I wish I was in charge here, there would be some SERIOUS change and I would have to be armed 24/7, sleep with a bulletproof vest and roll in an armored truck. I'd make sure every scumbag govt. thief would get what he/she deserves. There is a reason nobody speaks up around here.

I went to get my Colombian passport and let me tell you, the building is one of the worst places you will ever be in, the DMV is a breeze compared to this. ZERO organization, ZERO rules, lines? FUCK IT, it's a free for all! I saw people in crutches getting ran over by stampedes of uncivilized savages trying to get to the windows first. I had to elbow some people to stop them from filtering past me. Some old guy told a lady in charge: "You gonna hit me or what?" because he wouldn't admit fault to something that was obviously his fault...I've never experienced such neglect for rules and organization.

This is once again a Government issue. The building looked like a sketchy restaurant in a shitty part of L.A. Walls cracked, dirty paint, AC that doesn't work (let me remind you, this is Cartagena, the avg temp here is like 89F year round), no information posted, ABSURD waiting times (It took me around 8 hours) and just a general neglect for anything that makes sense.

I'll start pedaling on the 20th from Pasto, Narino.

NOTE: I MAY GET SHOT BECAUSE OF THIS :)

NOTE2: Thanks for the pics babe!