Colombia in NY Part 2

As I mentioned in my last post, I spent the better part of Friday night driving around New York in La Chiva -- the Colombian Party bus. It was a fun time. (That's me in the middle with my man, James, and best friends, Zofie and Raffy -- don't we look HAPPY?) I think four hours on a bus may have been a bit much, though, even with a DJ and drinks.

My friend Kristin and me taking a break

After the trip, I got curious about this Colombian tradition and did some research. A little background: Chiva buses are old buses modified by artisans and used for regular transportation in rural Colombia. Here's the real deal...

More recently, the Chivas have been used as "party buses," for touring areas like Bogata and Cartagena, Bolivar. A few sights you might see along the way on a typical Chiva...

Mountains surrounding Monseratte, Bogata [photo by lornapips/flickr]

Smiling Tucan in Cartagena [Photo by LUZA lack of inspiration/flickr]

Cartagena, Bolivar [Photo by LUZA lack of inspiration/flickr]

Cartagena, Bolivar [Photo by LUZA lack of inspiration/flickr]

Makes me wanna head to Colombia ASAP!