Casinos Online Colombia - Casinos Legales (2020)

[M] given that all nations involved have joined the Polisul project, I believe I should be able to do this without a prior diplo post. The nations who will know about our efforts will be all governments in Polisul, not just Brazil. [/M]
Drug cartels in South America have unprecedented power, with their trades being worth tens of billions of dollars, and even going so far to have done cocaine coups in the late 70's and early 80's. Allegations of corruption linked to illegal drugs in South America also exist; these cartels are unbelievably powerful. However, their size means that it is impossible for their activities to go unnoticed. As such, Polisul will begin their investigations of Mexican and Colombian drug cartels and right-wing paramilitaries (which do often overlap), hopefully giving us channels to cripple their activities.
Drug cartels need to do a few things to keep their values useful; weaponry, drugs and money. The third part is not just getting money – they do that enough through selling drugs – but also through making the money usable via money laundering. After all, most legitimate businesses wouldn't accept dirty money that's clearly come from drug cartels. This route of attacking drug cartels has not been prevalent before now, so Polisul's focus on disrupting cartels' access to money laundering should lead to the Mexican and Colombian governments being able to crack down on drug consumption more easily. The goal will be to reduce cartels' access to launder cash to use it legally, via shutting down all potential shell companies they create, for example, as well as investigating casinos where suspected drug gang members have visited, and offshore accounts suspected to be tied to drug cartel leaders. Other potential sources of money laundering will also be investigated, especially ones tied to cryptocurrency.
Meanwhile, we will also reduce cartels' access to weaponry. The main way for Mexican drug cartels to get weaponry is through illegal import from the United States, although after America's collapse this is most likely very low. Polisul will infiltrate such gun-running groups along the Mexican-American border, as well as groups along the Mexican-Guatemalan border, to find their identities and hand them over to Mexican and Guatemalan authorities so their domestic police force can arrest them.
Colombian paramilitary groups mainly get their arms from overseas as well, with the vast majority coming from other Polisul members ([M] read from page 28 mainly [/M]. As a the majority of Colombian weaponry comes from land, this means that Polisul recommends greater policing of Polisul borders with Colombia, particularly the ones between Panama and Colombia, and Ecuador from Colombia, with the above two being the main sources of small arms and explosives respectively. The main routes for illegal arms and explosives written in the UN report will be encouraged to be policed more by the Brazilian government, and Polisul members will attempt to infiltrate gunrunning groups to give their names. to local authorities. Our border with Ecuador will be policed more heavily, with more metal detectors in airports in the north to detect guns on air routes, as well as sending the following river patrol vessels to key smuggling river points along the Brazilian-Colombian border:

Ship class	Ship name	displacement
Piratina class	NPa Pampeiro	105 tonnes
Piratina class	NPa Penedo	105 tonnes
Piratina class	NPa Penedo	104 tonnes
Piratina class	NPa Potí	105 tonnes
Roraima class	NPaFlu Rondônia	340 tonnes
Roriama class	NPaFlu Amapá	340 tonnes

While of course this won't be enough to dethrone the drug cartels and paramilitary groups, it should. help weaken them and force them to reduce in size and capabilities. This would also make a second stage to attack the cartels more directly possible. We believe it should take three years to fully begin our campaign against violent crime in Latin America.
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Brazil encourages the nations of Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Colombia and Ecuador to police their borders more heavily, as well as arresting anybody who Polisul finds guilty of drug trafficking, money laundering, illegal sale or acquisition of firearms or any other charges we may find. If our investigations are successful, we could undo decades of damage done to South America within our lifetimes.

Shakira with her Latin Grammys for Best Female Pop Performance AND Best Female Rock Performance
In September of 1998, MTV’s Total Request Live made its debut and the Video Music Awards celebrated their 15th edition, the same month that Hole’s Celebrity Skin, Marilyn Manson’s Mechanical Animals and Jay-Z’s Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life made their splash in the Billboard 200, all while Aerosmith’s I Don’t Want to Miss A Thing debuted at number one in the Hot 100 (and remained for the entire month) and Rush Hour ruled the box office in its way to become a sleeper hit and a classic. Of course all of this was in the United States, all while thousands of miles below another pop culture phenomenon was taking place, I’m talking of course about the release of Shakira’s forth studio album and her magnum opus: Donde Están Los Ladrones? (Where Are the Thieves?), which turns 20 this week.
Long before Ladrones, Shakira debuted at the tender age of 13 with the low budget 1991’s Magia (Magic), a collection of songs she wrote between the ages of 8 and 12 and some other tracks written by her producers. Two years later, Peligro (Danger) followed with even less input from the singer and songwriter. The experience of making those two albums was frustrating for Shakira, as she didn’t have any choice when it comes to production or sequencing of the tracks, and as a result the albums received a very tepid critical response and bombed, selling around 1000 copies each, with the latter being barely promoted at Shakira’s request, as she moved into a bigger label and started working on her second debut album: Pies Descalzos (Bare Feet), released in 1995. The song ¿Dónde Estás, Corazón? (Where Are You Love?) was a hit when it was released as a single for a compilation album earlier in that year, which allowed Shakira to have the creative control she always wanted. The resulting album sold over five million copies worldwide (including over 500,000 in the US) and was praised by critics, who finally perceived that she fullfilled her potential as a performer and writer. After a successful international tour and a string of hits like Estoy Aquí (I’m Here) and Antología (Anthology), Shak was ready to move forward and conquer the world… however she need to find someone that could help her break into new markets.
Cue to Emilio Estefan.
The ICONIC album cover
Emilio wasn’t just the husband of Gloria, but also the hottest producer of the Hispanic market at the time and the man responsible of launching the career of Enrique Iglesias and Thalía (and also Gloria, of course), and as such he was the most capable person to move Shakira into the next phase of her blossoming career: Worldwide domination. Shakira caught Emilio’s attention and immediately offered himself to work on her next album, but Shakira only agreed to if she was given full creative control of the record, conditions that Emilio accepted.
The title of the record was inspired by one of Shakira's trips to the capital of her native country Colombia. At the El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, after finishing her Tour Pies Descalzos, part of her luggage was stolen, including a briefcase that contained all the lyrics Shakira had been working on for the album, which forced her to work from scratch, not before she suffered from writer’s block, resulting from the impotence of the robbery itself: “I came to the conclusion that there are all types of thieves. A thief is not just a person who takes a physical object that doesn't belong to him or her. There are thieves who steal feelings, space, time, dreams, and rights”.
The album cover, a picture of her with dirty hands and messy, colorful Medusa-esque braids, was inspired by the two interpretations of the album’s title: the literal “Who are they? What are they looking for? Where are they?” about the thieves and the more figurative one about how no one is free of guilt: “from that point of view, we all have stolen at one time or another, myself included. The dirty hands represent the shared guilt. No one is completely clean, in the end we are all accomplices”.
Ladrones is mostly a Pop record, with Rock en Español (an umbrella term to refer to several kinds of rock music made in Latin America from the 80s onwards) influences and elements of Disco, Mariachi and Middle Eastern music spread through the record. Sonically, it has been compared to her contemporaries of the time like Alanis Morissette and Meredith Brooks, with the only similarities being the fact that all of these singers weren’t exactly traditional pop stars and they played guitar-tinted pop songs.
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The tracklist
This is more apparent in the opening track and lead single Ciega Sordomuda (Blind, Deaf-Mute), which starts with Mariachi instrumentals before introducing a more standard dance loop and guitars as its background sounds, all while Shakira sings the iconic opening lines:

I run out of arguments and of methodology every time that in front of me your anatomy appears

A sarcastic and humorous track about the consequences of falling in love, Ciega was a huge hit when it was released, reaching number one in basically all of Latin America charts and the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks (a first for Shakira), aided by its surreal music video; and was also a critical success, considered one of the best Latin songs of the 90s and one of her signature songs. And with the iconic opening and the mariachi/rap bridge it’s easy to forget how iconic the chorus itself is:

Stupid, blind, deaf-mute, clumsy, useless and strong headed
It’s all I have been because of you I have became
A thing that doesn’t do anything else but loving you
I think of you night and day and I don’t know how to forget you

As a curiosity, a full mariachi version was recorded as part of her Unplugged album just two years later.
The second track is the rockier and angrier Si Te Vas (If You’re Gone), about how Shakira feels that her lover is planning to leave her for a “witch, ugly piece of leather” and she warns him what might wait for him if she decides to leave him:

A new broom always sweeps clean then you will see the worn bristles
When wrinkles cut her skin and cellulite invades her legs
You will return from your hell with the tail between your horns imploring one more time
But by then I will be a million nights far away from this huge city, far away from you

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Lyrics from the second and third track of the album
The bipolarity continues with the third track and fifth single overall Moscas en la Casa (Flies in the House), a video-less tender acoustic-guitar-and-handdrum-driven ballad about the Shakira’s sadness suffered after her relationship fell apart and how she has to let herself go, while she continues to wait for him to come back. Inspired by her troubled relationship with Puerto Rican actor Osvaldo Ríos, 16 years her senior, the heartbreaking yet simple lyrics details how are her days without her lover:

My days without you do not have any nights
If any of them appears it is useless to sleep
My days without you are a waste, the hours have no beginning or end
So short of breath
So full of nothing
Unusable scrap
Trash on the floor
Flies in the house

Shakira light up the mood a little bit with the forth track and single No Creo (I Don’t Believe) in which the dance loop, the unusual instrument (in this case an harmonica) and the rap bridge returns, as she sings about how she believes in nothing and nobody except her lover… ok, this one is a basically a reprise of Ciega Sordomuda, and it doesn’t help that the video shares footage with Ciega’s one (maybe both were shot back-to-back, who knows), but it still slaps:

I don’t believe in Venus or Mars
I don’t believe in Karl Marx
I don’t believe in Jean-Paul Sartre
I don’t believe in Brian Weiss
I only believe in your blue smile
In your crystal look, in the kisses that you give me
And no matter what they say
Only you know well who I am and that's why my heart is yours
Only you bend my reason and that's why wherever you want I go

Another global hit for Shakira, the song also became the first single from her Unplugged album just one year after its release as a single from Ladrones.
Inevitable is the fifth track and third single overall, a song which had always remind me, musically speaking, to a The Bends-era Radiohead track. The songs showcases Shakira exposing herself as an imperfect lover who might have cheated before, who doesn’t shower on Sundays and cries at least once a month (especially when it’s cold) and yet she still loves her guy so much that it’s willing to change everything and fix herself, everything just for him to come back:

I have always known that it’s best when it’s time to talk about two to start with oneself
You probably know the situation
Here everything is getting worse
But at least I’m still breathing
You don’t have to say it
You won’t come back
I know you so well
I will think about what to do with you later

Inevitable, which was used alongside scenes of its music video for a Pepsi campaign, is more famous for being Shakira’s first foray into English singing, as a rewritten version was performed in the Rosie O’Donnell show (followed by an interview hosted by Gloria Estefan) and the ALMA Awards as a duet with Melissa Etheridge. The songs was another top 5 hit of the album and have been performed in every tour ever since, albeit with a small alteration since 2011: The lyric “and I don’t know nothing about football (soccer)” is now “and now I know about football (soccer)” as a tongue-in-cheek reference to her relationship with Gerard Piqué.
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More lyrics!
Even through it was only a radio single in a limited number of countries, the sixth track entered Shakira’s canon as her most controversial track: Octavo Día (Eight Day) is also the first track on the album that doesn’t deal with the subject of love, instead it revolves around the idea of God leaving us behind and what would happen with humanity afterwards. In some ways, it can be compared to Joan Osborne’s sole hit One of Us, however the song’s social commentary leaves behind any comparison it can be made to the theme song to Joan of Arcadia.
The song begins with God creating Earth in six days and taking a break from everything in the eight day by going “for a walk in outer space” just to come back and “find everything in a hellish mess” which leads Him to became just “another unemployed of the rate that is growing non-stop annually”, since then “there are those who have seen him walking alone in the streets” while “waiting patiently for someone with whom at least calm he can converse”. In the second verse, God “in the absence of occupation or excessive loneliness” leaves us behind as He went to another place, and left us with no other choice than to “worship Michael Jackson, Bill Clinton or Tarzan” as Shakira laments how our poor God “does not appear in magazines, that he is not a model, or an artist or from a royal family”. The chorus delves into social critique as Shak casually mentions how, in the meantime of this godly mess, “this world just keep spinning unable to being stopped; and here below, a few play us like chess pieces” while she’s “not the kind of idiot that lets herself convince” from stuff that even a blind men can see.
The rock track, winner of the Latin Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, gained more notoriety during the Tour of the Mongoose (2002-2003), in which a very controversial background video played during the performance which showed Saddam Hussein and George W. Bush playing chess (with some of the musicians using Fidel Castro and Richard Nixon masks) just for players to later substitute the chess pieces for nuclear weapons, all while the Grim Reaper is controlling them like puppets… surprisingly she didn’t received the Dixie Chicks treatment and her career survived barely unscratched. In a later statement Shakira mentioned her reasoning for such a controversial performance:

“I think that we see war as a virtual thing and we even get to believe that bombs fall on top of cardboard cutouts and stuff like that, they don't. They kill real people, real children, real mothers and millions of innocent people. I come from Colombia, which is a country that has been under the whip of violence for more than four decades, so I've seen the consequences of war and I've seen the psychological damage that it does in a society.
And I think that we're never ready for war. I just feel that there are always pacifist solutions, and I think that the leaders know the exit to the conflict, it's just that sometimes they don't want to use them, they just want to continue playing their little game of power. And I feel that us people have the responsibility and also the obligation to demand to our leaders to give us the pacifist solutions. […] I might be sounding like an old fashioned hippie, but I believe in pacifist revolutions and I think that we have to look for those solutions, otherwise there's no way to survive in this world. In the First World War, 13 million people were killed. In the Second World War, 40 million people were killed. I think that if a third war takes place, nothing is going to be left on the face of earth […] Not always do the governments represent their people. Not always do the governments make the right decisions, because the governments are controlled by just a few, and those few do not always represent faithfully the ideals of the people.”

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Shakira performing Octavo Día at her MTV Unplugged concert
In the seventh track, Que Vuelvas (To Come Back), Shakira let us breathe after such a heavy track as a pulsating and pounding bass line, another dance loop and a guitar accompaniment guides us through a journey in which Ms. Piqué wonders what would happen to her now that her lover, Ríos once again, left her. It’s very straightforward, sure, and kind of unambitious, but there’s a small element that elevates this deep cut above your average filler: the structure.

VERSE 1: It established the basics of the track right away.
PRE-CHORUS: It builds up to some anthemic chorus.
VERSE 2: Shakira blueballs us as another verse kicks instead, which shows us another perspective of the elements established in the first verse.
PRE-CHORUS: It’s here once again.
CHORUS: It finally appears and it kicks harder thanks to the buildup.
VERSE 3: The history of the previous verses continues to move forward.
CHORUS: Instead of just reprising the chorus, Shakira give us a surprise and changes the last bar to connect directly to the bridge.
BRIDGE: This short interlude is used by the narrator for catharsis, with some tension being liberated after so much angst.
CHORUS: Now the chorus comes back followed by a fade out which makes us wonder what’s going to happen next with our narrator… will she move forward? Will he come back to her arms?

Of course this reading might be too extra to some people, especially because the songs sounds suspiciously similar to Estoy Aqui, but I can’t really stand the fact that this songs its ‘this’ close to be filler, especially given its placement in the album.
The following track is Tú (You) is Shak’s signature ballad and one of her most emotional and vocally demanding tracks. Although it begins as a declaration of unconditional love, it suddenly turns into another track begging her lover to not leave her again:

I give you my waist and my lips for when you want to kiss
I give you my madness and the few neurons that are left
My faded shoes, the diary in which I write
I give you my sighs, but don’t leave me again
Because you are my sunshine, the faith with which I live, the power of my voice, the feet that I use to walk
My love, you are my desire to laugh
I will not know how to say goodbye
Because I can never live without you

The self-penned track, issued as the second single of the album, reached number one in the Billboard Latin charts and several other Latin countries. Because of the difficulty of singing this track live, Shakira retired the full version after the Tour of the Mongoose; but brought it back for her set in Rock in Rio and the El Dorado World Tour, albeit without the second verse.
The title track's lyrics
The title track, Dónde Están los Ladrones? (Where Are the Thieves?), is second non-love song on the album. The harmonica comes back in the guitar-driven song which criticizes the politic and social reality in South American nations at the time of the album's release:

They have seen them out there, seen them on the rooftops, walking by Paris, condemning in the courts
With dusty nose, wearing a tie or blue jeans, you've seen them all on the covers, with nothing more to say

However, in a plot twist, Shakira points to finger toward herself in the chorus:

Where is the murderer?
Maybe there, rolling around the neighbor’s courtyard
and what will happen if it’s them?
And what will happen if it’s me
The one who plays this guitar or the one who is singing this song

Going by the song’s verses, everyone who had benefitted of the social inequity is part of the problem, it’s not enough to just point fingers. While 9 of the 11 tracks in the album are about love, the small glimpses we get from the Woke Shakira in this 2 sole tracks shows us that she’s far from being another average man-hater indie rock girl of the 90s like some of her peers… it’s not just the looks or the music, it’s how she portraits this sensibilities from different perspectives that makes her one of the greatest of the decade.
Unfortunately for us, we reached the closest this album has to a filler track: Sombra de Ti (Your Shadow), a subdued mid-tempo ballad in which Shakira feels how a previous relationship keeps haunting her. Lyrically speaking, this track is amazing, featuring some of the greatest metaphors and lyrics in the album (“You must know that there are pieces of your mouth spread out all over this place and that I stumble every day with another old memory and a new gray story”) and the best opening bars in any heartache song ever (“I'm going to let my guitar say everything I do not know how to say myself, or maybe I should wait for this jeering clock to finish planning my ending”) but… the sing-talking in the verses and the way she sings the chorus sort of takes me away from the track… I mean, any other Latin pop girl would murder for this song as her first single in any given album, but in this particular album and surrounded by so many amazing tracks it just falls somewhat flat for me.
The album closer: Ojos Así
Fortunately, Shak decided to close the album with one of the greatest tracks of her career: Ojos Así (Eyes Like These), a middle eastern bop, which was released as the fifth single of the album. In the song, Shakira songs about how she has seen some amazing (“a heaven without Sun”, “a river made of salt”), unique (“a Saint in prison”, “an abandoned ship in the desert”) and weird (“a woman passing under her camel”) stuff, and yet, she still hasn’t seen anything as striking as her man’s black eyes:

I ask Heaven only one thing, that in your eyes I can live
I have wandered around the entire world and I have come to tell you just one thing
I travelled from Bahrein to Beirut, I went from the North to the South Pole
and I never found eyes like those, like those that you have

The most impressive aspect of the track is the fact that Shakira actually sings in Arabic in several portions of the track, sometimes aided by an all-male chorus of course:

ربُ السماء , فيك رجائي (rb alsama' , fik rajayiy) (Lord of heaven, in you my hope)
في عينيها أرى حياتي (fi eayniha ‘araa hayati) (In his eyes I see my life)
آت ِ إليك من هذا الكون (at 'iilayk mn hdha alkun) (Coming to you from this universe
*)*أرجوك ربي .. لبي ندائي ('urjuk rabiy .. labi nidayiyun) (Please, My Lord)

The Latin Grammy nominated, MTV VMA winning music video aided the song into becoming a huge hit in Latin America and arguably her signature 90s song. The track, which also won the Latin Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, actually has an (inferior) English version called Eyes Like Yours, with an unreleased video and everything, featured as the last track in 2002’s Laundry Service. This English version helped the song to become a moderate hit in Europe and a smashing hit in Romania of all places.
The album Dónde Están los Ladrones? was a huge critical hit when released in 1998: Rolling Stone declared that it was ‘hard to imagine a singer barely into her 20s having written and recorded such an inventive set of songs’, MTV declared that Shakira ‘represents the kind of eventuality for which Alanis Morissette, Bob Dylan and Beck are all precedents’, Sputnikmusic called the album ‘the gem of Shakira's discography, and one of the best Spanish pop releases of the past decade’ and the NPR put it above Taylor’s Fearless, Mariah’s Daydream, No Doubt’s Tragic Kingdom and Fiona Apple’s Tidal, among others, in their list of 150 Best Albums Made by Women. Ladrones was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album category, gave Shakira a Songwriter of the Year award in the BMI Latin Awards, a World's Best Selling Latin Female Artist at the World Music Awards and 5 awards out of 8 nominations at the Premios Lo Nuestro between 1999 and 2001 including Pop Album and Pop Female Artist.
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Shakira with an ACTUAL Grammy
After its release, Ladrones was an immediate success in Latin America selling over a million copies a month after its release, however that success didn’t immediately translated elsewhere: in the United States it debuted at #141 in its second week of release (it didn’t sell enough to chart at first) and next week peaked at #131, although it spend a total of 11 weeks atop the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart; in Europe the album was a commercial disappointment and only reached above the top 75 in the Spain charts. Ladrones is Shakira’s second best-selling album worldwide with over 10 million copies sold (below Laundry Service’s 15 millions), including around one million copies in the US (being certified Platinum), which makes it the 9th best-selling Latin album in the country, one position below Shakira’s own Fijación Oral Vol. 1.
In order to promote the album, Shakira performed across the world in different events and TV shows: Miss Colombia 1999 in her native Colombia, Con T de Tarde in Spain, Laura in Peru, Domingo Legal and Domingão do Faustão in Brazil and Premios Lo Nuestro and Latin Grammys in the United States, among others, all in a one year period as she prepared her next release: Her MTV Unplugged album.
Recorded in the Grand Ballroom in New York just ten months after the release of Ladrones, Unplugged was her first live album and basically served as an extension and complement of the Ladrones era as 10 of the 11 tracks in the live release were from the Ladrones album with Si Te Vas being substituted with early single Estoy Aquí. Unplugged was a huge hit (selling over a million copies worldwide) and was a critical success in English-speaking markets, winning an actual Grammy, not a Latin Grammy, but a real Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album, the third Unplugged release to win a Grammy after Eric Clapton and Nirvana’s albums.
Her first of many live albums: MTV Unplugged
After the release of Unplugged in February 2000, Shakira embarked in her second international tour, Tour Anfibio (Amphibious Tour) to promote both the live album and Ladrones. In The Tour Anfibio she performed for a two-month period (between March and May) a total of 21 concerts in 12 countries, including four dates in Argentine’s Luna Park (playing for almost 40,000 people), 3 dates in the United States (in San Diego’s Valley View Casino Center, Anaheim’s Honda Center and Miami’s Miami Arena, all with capacities for over 10,000 people) and a sole date in Colombia. Despite the short duration of the tour (it had less than one third of the dates of her previous tour), it was a commercial success.
After the inicial success of Ladrones, Gloria Estefan tried to convince Shakira of releasing a English translated version of the album, offering to translate herself Ojos Así to show it could be done (hence she was credited as a writer in the English version released later), which made Shakira start doing it herself… that was until she decided to better start anew and give herself some time to study the language, subsequently the sessions that were supposed to start in January of 1999 were cancelled and Shakira wouldn’t start working in the Ladrones follow-up until the next year, writing English tracks with a "dictionary in one hand and a thesaurus in the other"; the resulting album was Laundry Service and we all know how that turned out and what happened afterward.
Shakira during her Anfibio Tour
Donde Estan Los Ladrones? Is a fantastic listening from beginning to end, with every track offering something unique: either an iconic lyric, a moment of musical brilliance or a shocking combination of both, with the sudden realization that she was just 21 when the album was unleashed to the world; Ladrones is very obviously a 90s album, but that’s not a detriment to how enjoyable and relatable it is up to this day, and how well and tightly produced it is. Despite lacking thematic cohesion, it doesn’t need it (not every album has to be The Wall) to shock and awe with its sonically delicious palette of Latin rock pop sounds and poetic lyrics. Each track (with an obvious exception, a 7/10 for me) is at least a 9/10 with several tens in the middle.
As much as I love Shakira, I’ve always though it was a shame that this was her creative peak… not that she isn’t still great but none of her later albums have reached the same heights, although several of her subsequent tracks are obviously deserving of their acclaim and even some albums have come somewhat close of Ladrones.

OK, so bear with me because I'm not the greatest with formatting. But I'll try my best!
As the title suggests, I posted some photos of the first week and a bit of a 6 month solo road trip I am currently undertaking around the USA and parts of Canada. They were received relatively well, and some people asked if I could do some updates along the way. So here's the first one and hopefully it can inspire some people to do similar!
Why?
Firstly, some background on the trip. Around about 4-5 years ago I had a pretty shitty bout with anxiety and depression. This isn't a sob story so don't feel bad for me, I'm actually quite good now. But anyway, after a few trips to a Psychologist, we both decided that it would be a good idea to set a goal that would actually get me through the days. As a university student coming to the end of my degree, starting work didn't really excite me.
So after some deliberation it was decided the only thing that excited me was travel, and no matter what type of work I got upon graduation, I would do it for about 2-3 years and save everything to put towards a 6 month road trip across North America. I actually studied American History at uni, so obviously that's what drew me here. More topical to current events, I actually took a lot of inspiration from Anthony Bourdain. Sounds made up now, but RIP.
Where?
I started planning this trip as soon as the decision was made. So if you're wondering why things are so detailed, that's probably why. Originally a lot was focussed around things with historical significance, like American Revolutionary sites, or Civil War Memorial, etc. But I've also always had a love for nature and hiking so that's where the National/State/Regional Parks come into play.
Then the love of food travel shows started to seep in. Anthony Bourdain being the main one, then a bit sillier shows like Man Vs. Food, and yes, even Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives played a role, for as much shit that Guy Fieri (deservedly) cops here. This drew me to certain cities.
I had already done a 5 week trip to the USA in 2013/14 for Christmas and NYE where I hit the main touristy spots like NYC, Vegas, LA, etc. So this trip was to focus more on the small towns, national parks, and open road.
When?
My previous trip was over Winter, so this trip had to be warmer weathegreener pastures. Originally planning to start in June, it just so happened that a sale popped up around January for return flights from Melbourne to LAX for AU$850 leaving in May and returning in November. Too good not to pass up and not that far from what I had planned anyway. Only problem is I cut it a little short because my cousin is getting married on November 10th and I couldn't miss it, so I arrive back in Melbourne the morning of... Cutting it fine, I know.
Itinerary
Now to the stuff that people will probably actually care about. My general direction that I'm heading in is a loop from LA, back to LA. That was the best looking map I could make out, but it gives you the idea. The good thing is I only have things booked about a week in advance at this stage, so it's more a 'rough' itinerary than anything.
I arrived in the country on May 20th and have a ticket home on November 8th. It was best to have a return ticket because otherwise those border guards will be on your back and you put yourself at risk of getting turned back at the airport.
May 20th - June 8th
So now to the actual good stuff, with pictures and all! Going through each place I've been, what I enjoyed there and recommendations. This will probably be the way each subsequent post will be set out, if I commit to doing them (which I have a tendency to be terrible with commitment).
Los Angeles, CA. 20/05 - 21/05:
OK, now when I say Los Angeles, I didn't actually spend any time in LA outside of the Airport. I got my car and took it straight to a place called Santa Paula, CA. I've been to LA before, spent about a week there, did everything touristy, and didn't particularly enjoy it. Not to say others wouldn't find it enjoyable, just not for me. Santa Paula itself isn't much to write about, but the drive from Santa Paul to Fresno had some cool parts.

• Took the coastal route to Santa Barbara, up to San Luis Obispo, and on to Fresno
• Santa Barbara is a pretty expensive beach town with million dollar houses in the hills looking over the coast. I didn't spend long here but I did take a stroll through Paseo Nuevo, an outdoor mall which has a pretty cool Spanish vibe to it. Bought some US$150 Ray Bans here and then subsequently left them on a tram in San Francisco days later... nice

Fresno, CA. 21/05 - 23/05:
Now I know what you're thinking, "Who the hell would go to Fresno?" I say this, because basically everyone I encountered in Fresno asked me that question. I went because it was a good base to explore the Sierra National Forest. Can't say much about Fresno, though. Also, a little side note, I'm not that proud of my photos early on. Everything is shot with my iPhone and it's taking me a little time to figure out how to get the best shot. Still in the process.

• Driving from Fresno to Lakeshore, my first stop was at Shaver Lake. Not sure if the depleted water levels are from the drought, but wouldn't be surprised. The drive through pine forest was pretty good to this point, but got better as you got further into the forest.
• A short hike to Rancheria Fall was definitely the highlight of the day. It started raining on me whilst walking to the falls, but by the time I was there it was hard to tell if it was rain or spray from the falls.
• On the way back I stopped in Shaver Lake Village for a veggie burger at Shaver Coffee & Deli. Friendly service and a good burger, can't complain

Santa Cruz, CA. 23/05 - 26/05:
Originally, I wanted to stay in Monterey for this portion. However, everything was either way too expensive or booked out, so I settled for Santa Cruz. Or more specifically, Felton, which is out the back of Santa Cruz. I was happy with the decision.

• I was staying right near Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, which had 100+ year old Redwoods everywhere and also a cool floor of clovers Funny story about the park, its namesake was actually an industrialist who cut down the majority of the original redwoods for profit. After he died the govt wanted to buy the land to preserve the forest, so the family agreed on condition it was named after him. A preservation park named after a guy who did the complete opposite
• Big Sur is where it's at. The coast drive is phenomenal. I believe there were landslides recently so I could only really make it to Pfeiffer-Big Sur State Park, but that was enough
• Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park backed up what Big Sur started. Just walking along the river was an experience in itself. And yes, the water was that cleablue.
• Monterey was mostly on the list for the Monterey Bay Aquarium. More specifically, the otters. My photos/videos are terrible, but they are freaking adorable

Sausalito/San Francisco, CA. 26/05 - 29/05:
I stayed in a hostel across the Golden Gate Bridge which I believe fell under Sausalito, but was in the Marin Headlands. I'd been to San Francisco previously so didn't feel the need to spend all my time in the city. I would park on the outskirts and catch the BART to downtown.

• I'm a big fan of Sausalito. Something about the town itself has a really nice vibe to it and they have fantastic views back on the city. I had a nice dinner at Poggio Trattoria, which was probably a bit upscale for me but was super nice. Also enjoyed a beer at No Name Bar with a local who had retired and filled in as a bar tender. We watched one of the Golden State finals, good fun.
• Onto the city itself. Most of the things I did were touristy. If you're not into crowds I would stay away from Pier 39. That was in May, remember. I can only imagine what July/August would be like. But it was pretty cool to see the sea lions at the pier.
• I made my way up Coit Tower, which had some pretty amazing views of the city. Again, though, if lines aren't your thing I'd recommend not coming here. Probably waited around 40 mins to get up there for a total of 5 mins. I was fine with it, but can imagine not everyone would be.
• I originally wanted to see a San Francisco Giants Baseball game, however they weren't playing. So I went across to Oakland to see the Athletics play. I don't know much about Baseball, but I'm an A's fan now.
• And of course, how could I forget the good old Golden Gate Bridge?!. It might just be a bridge, but it is pretty incredible close up. Also the little spot that GIF is from is a nice viewing platform away from the crowds.

Lake Tahoe, CA. 29/05 - 31/05:
I didn't know how I was going to like Lake Tahoe, because having Nevada there and casinos around I thought it might be a little much for me. Can confirm, it's a lovely spot that far exceeded expectations.

• The drive in from San Francisco alone was enough to get me excited for Lake Tahoe
• Emerald Bay has to be at the top of your list if you are going to Lake Tahoe. From above or below, you really can't go wrong.
• Driving from Lake Tahoe to Redding I went the scenic route and stopped at Truckee, CA. It allowed me to take the lovely drive along the river out, and then through the rest of Tahoe National Forest as well. In Truckee I ate at Coffee And, which was a classic little diner with a lovely waitress and homestyle food. Exactly what I want in a small American town.
• Also stopped briefly at Lake Spaulding, which was a cute little lake on the way.

Redding, CA. 31/05 - 2/06:
Another baffler for some people who didn't understand why I would go to Redding. This was my gateway into Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Also was an interesting little town with the giant Bethel Church) centred here.

• Would highly recommend doing the Black Butte Trail near Mt Shasta. Has some incredible views of Mt Shasta itself and although a pretty strenuous hike uphill, it involves some cool rock scrambling, if that's your thing. Despite all this, the highlight of basically my life so far was making friends with this guy. He was even nice enough to pose for me.
• On the drive from Redding into Oregon, I passed Mt Shasta again around Dunsmuir and got some nice views along the way

Crater Lake National Park, OR. 2/06 - 5/06:
Based myself about 20 miles outside of Ashland, OR whilst exploring Crater Lake National Park. Stayed with this total hippie family at an Airbnb which turned out to be on a Weed Farm. I'd forgotten that it was legal in Oregon. But they were the best.

• I was surprised to hear from a lot of people local to the area that they hadn't made it to Crater Lake yet. They need to get there, NOW. It's hard to describe or even capture in pictures the beauty of the lake. The deepest lake in the USA, and also has 0 tributaries, meaning that it has just been filled by rain and snow over millions of years. I hiked Garfield Peak, which still had some snow on it and was technically closed, but should open soon.
• The equally as beautiful, but in a different way, Umpqua National Forest neighbours Crater Lake National Park and has some incredible waterfalls to visit. Clearwater Falls, Whitehorse Falls, Watson Falls, and my favourite, Toketee Falls. I missed out on the Umpqua Hot Springs, which are supposed to be cool

Eugene, OR. 5/06 - 7/06:
Back when I was at university, I seriously considered transferring to the University of Oregon for a year. I kinda regret not doing it, especially after being in Eugene and seeing the town/campus. I didn't take a lot of photos, mostly just walked around and took it all in.

• Firstly, I would recommend checking out the University of Oregon campus. I've never seen a place be so passionate about their college, although I think that's a normal thing for a college town. Check out Hayward Field if you get there before they tear it down. An Olympic runner called Steve "Pre" Prefontaine went to the U of O and he's pretty famous around there. They call themselves Tracktown, USA because of their Track & Field program at the university
• Other than going up Skinner Butte, where I got a nice view of the town, I got some beers at Beer Garden. They had a huge selection of different beers/ciders and they also had a beer garden (go figure) that was surrounded by food trucks. Also got pizza at Track Town Pizza, which I would recommend just for the fact that it seemed like the entirety of Hayward Field went there after an NCAA meet during the day

Portland, OR. 7/06 - 9/06:
Currently in Portland and to be honest I haven't actually checked out the city itself at all. I'm planning to on my way out tomorrow, so here's what I've done so far anyway.

• The Colombia River Gorge is an incredible drive only minutes from Portland itself that I would recommend to anybody. Unfortunately for me, the Eagle Creek fire that went through last year is still showing its effects and therefore a lot of the trails I wanted to hike were closed. Despite this, the drive itself and the stops along the way were still beautiful
• The places I stopped at included Vista House, Latourell Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and Multnomah Falls. Multnomah is probably the most popular stop along the way, and I can say that because I tried to go in the morning and the car park was closed because it was full. So I had to come back later in the afternoon
• I spent some time in Hood River, which was a cute little town that had a lot to offer and was a good place to stop and turn back. I had lunch at Double Mountain Brewery, which I'd recommend. There's micro-breweries galore though all across Oregon, so feel free to try the like 3 others just in this small town

Summary
If anyone makes it this far, I bloody salute you. I can say already though that the last 2 and a bit weeks have been amongst the best of my life. From here, I head to Seattle tomorrow, before crossing into Canada and doing the Rockies. I'll try to make these a bit more regularly so it's not a huge chunk of writing that is terribly written and hard to read. If anyone has any questions or wants to know more, please reach out! I want to help in any way I can if you're planning a similar trip or a trip to an area I am going/have been.
Cheers!

http://www.elespanol.com/reportajes/20160423/119488222_0.HTML
"Todos los caminos conducen a Panamá. Los papeles del bufete Mossack & Fonseca, que han puesto al descubierto las sociedades offshore del íntimo amigo de Felipe González, Jesús Barderas, y de su actual pareja Mar García Vaquero, colocan de nuevo al ex presidente del Gobierno en el primer plano de la conexión panameña. Hace ahora veinte años, a comienzos de 1996, el entonces inquilino de La Moncloa, ya en la recta final del felipismo, logró zafarse del caso Sarasola y el pelotazo del Metro de Medellín. González esquivó las incisivas preguntas de los grupos de la oposición en el Congreso y de una incómoda investigación judicial en la Audiencia Nacional sobre los oscuros negocios en Panamá de su también intimísimo amigo Enrique Sarasola Lerchundi.
El empresario vasco, conocido popularmente por el sobrenombre de Pichirri, había constituido a través del despacho panameño Arze & Guardia, la sociedad ENSECO para ocultar las millonarias comisiones del proyecto del Metro de Medellín, que echó a rodar en 1983. Sarasola, por su intermediaciónllegó a recaudar 3.500 millones de las antiguas pesetas (al cambio, 21 milones de euros). Y, pronto, se supo que González, que acababa de instalarse en la La Moncloa, había intercedido entre bambalinas por su amigo ante el presidente colombiano, Belisario Betancur.

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La concesión de la obra, que estaba considerada como el “contrato del siglo en Suramérica” y por la que pujaron importantes grupos internacionales, fue decidida desde las más altas instancias políticas de Colombia y España. Betancur, siguiendo las recomendaciones de Felipe González y de otros miembros del Gobierno español, inclinó la balanza a favor de los intereses representados por Sarasola.
El acuerdo final entre González y Betancur a favor del consorcio hispano-alemán Metromed se cerró en España en octubre de 1983. El presidente suramericano se desplazó a Oviedo para recoger el premio Príncipe de Asturias y aprovechó la ocasión para reunirse con González y ultimar los detalles del contrato del metro de Medellín.
Años después, en una noche de copas, a Enrique Sarasola se le fue la lengua y habló más de la cuenta. El escritor y biógrafo del Rey, José Luis de Vilallonga, desveló que Pichirri había comentado durante una fiesta en su apartamento de París, que el presidente del Gobierno, Felipe González, tenía una “pequeña fortuna” en Colombia, pero luego se retractó. Añadió que la confesión fue hecha a las tres de la madrugada cuando Sarasola “tenía bastantes copas” y "estaba a punto de cantar boleros". Nunca pudo verificarse esa información y quedó como falsa. Pero servía para afianzar la leyenda de las amistades peligrosas de Felipe. Y también para subrayar otras de las conexiones panameñas del felipismo.
Tras la publicación de los datos sobre la sociedad panameña ENSECO, Jesús Cacho desveló que correspondía al acrónimo de “EN(rique) S(arasola) E(s) CO(jonudo). El periodista escribió: “Es la travesura más gloriosa del felipismo, la golfada más luminosa, la coña más perversa”. Sarasola mantenía una estrecha relación con Felipe González desde 1974.
LA AGUAS CARIBEÑAS DEL FELIPISMO
Jesús Barderas es el otro de los amiguísimos de González que se convirtió en millonario tras dirigir sus inversiones a tierras caribeñas. El Consorcio Internacional de Periodismo de Investigación le ha detectado medio centenar de sociedades off shore en el despacho Mossack & Fonseca. A Barderas, con inversiones millonarias en la República Dominicana, y a Felipe Gónzález les une estrecha amistad desde hace 35 años. Ese vínculo fue labrado desde mucho antes de que Barderas trasladara sus negocios de España al Caribe. El empresario, propietario de hoteles y de la empresa que gestiona los aeropuertos de la Republica Dominicana, inició su andadura profesional como jefe de gabinete de Fernandez Ordóñez en el Banco de Alicante.
Esa hermandad entre González y Barderas es la misna que les unía a ambos con Enrique Sarasola Lerchundi. Sarasola, casado con una colombiana perteneciente a una influyente familia, se convirtió en el compañero inseparable de Felipe en sus viajes a Suramérica, antes y después de ganar las elecciones de 1982. Le ayudó a abrir muchas puertas y llegó a ser una especie de embajador extraordinario. El empresario vasco fue quien puso en contacto a González con primeras figuras de la política americana como Omar Torrijos, presidente de Panamá entre 1969 y 1981, o Carlos Andrés Pérez, presidente de Venezuela durante nueve años hasta 1993.
Y aún más, Barderas y Sarasola habían establecido la conexión dominicana con Francisco Peña Gómez, líder del Partido Revolucionario Dominicano y vicepresidente de la Internacional Socialista entre 1983 y 1998, que llegó a ser un generoso anfitrión para los empresarios españoles.
Los amiguísimos de Gonzalez unieron sus fuerzas en 1992 y constituyeron la sociedad Ibérica de Legumbres. Durante años estuvieron ligados a los mismos intereses económicos.
En los pasaportes de González figuran multitud de inscripciones con las entradas y salidas de Panamá. En uno de sus viajes de la mano de Sarasola, el ex presidente conoció a Cyntia Martínez Riter, la secretaria personal del empresario vasco. Tras el flechazo, la panameña Lupe, como la llamaban sus amistades, y González iniciaron una estrecha relación que duró varios años.
UNA 'OFFSHORE' EN CASA
González también se sirvió para llegar a su actual pareja, Mar García Vaquero, de otro de sus grandes amigos millonarios, ya fallecido, Luis García Cereceda. La empresaria madrileña abrió una cuenta en Suiza a nombre de una sociedad constituida por el despacho panameño Mossack & Fonseca en 2004. Así queda demostrado en los papeles de Panamá desvelados por el Consorcio Internacional de Periodistas de Investigación y publicados en España por El Confidencial. Según la empresaria, era para facilitar sus operaciones internacionales en un negocio de fabricación de barcos. Todo ello lo fraguó García Vaquero mucho antes de que conociera a Felipe González.
Los negocios entre Luis García Cereceda, propietario de LUGARCE, y García Vaquero sí se mantuvieron después de que ésta iniciara sus relaciones con González. Empresarios y empresaria figuraban en una sociedad que gestionaba un puerto deportivo de Tarragona. Además a Cereceda y Vaquero les unía la afición por los grandes veleros. El gestor inmobiliario llegó a adquirir en 2014 uno valorado en 13 millones de euros.
Pero la amistad entre Cereceda y González vio la ñuz pública gracias a raíz de otro asunto mucho más nebuloso: la supuesta compra por parte de Piluca Navarro, la jefa de la Secretaría del presidente en La Moncloa, de un piso de lujo en la calle Almagro de Madrid, construido por una de las sociedadees de García Cereceda, Inversiones Urbanas Almagro. La supuesta adquisición se efectuaba en medio de una extraña operación en la que, en principio, se señalaba a Felipe González como el beneficiario de una compra fantasma. La trama se complicó cuando apareció como supuesto intermediario el nombre de otra de las amistades peligrosas de Felipe, un tal Julio Martino, socio de Jesús Gil en varios pelotazos inmobiliarios en Marbella y accionista del Casino Costa Blanca de Alicante. Según fuentes próximas a Martino, éste abría pagado durante meses los gastos de comunidad de la vivienda antes de que fuera escriturada a nombre de Piluca Navarro. Otras fuentes señalaban que el piso era para que lo ocupara González tras abandonar La Moncloa. Todo un enredo inmobiliario que ni Navarro ni González nunca llegaron a aclarar de manera convincente.
PANAMA EN LA CARRERA DE SAN JERÓNIMO
El tsunami de la conexión panameña de Sarasola tras conocerse la existencia de la firma instrumental ENSECO, una sociedad nodriza constituida exclusivamente para cobrar con opacidad las comisiones del contrato del Metro de Medellín, llegó en 1996 hasta la madrileña Carrera de San Jerónimo. Julio Anguita, el coordinador general de Izquierda Unida, solicitó en el Congreso una comisión de investigación parlamentaria sobre el llamado caso Sarasola y Panamá. Felipe González se escudó una vez más en una supuesta “conspiración”. Según él, se buscaba un “nuevo un clima de descalificación y crispación”, durante la campaña electoral.
La gravedad de las denuncias periodísticas sobre el pelotazo de Sarasola llevó tanto al Partido Popular como a Izquierda Unida a pedir una reunión de la Diputación Permanente del Congreso -órgano que ostenta los poderes de la Cámara cuando se disuelven las Cortes- para que compareciera el presidente del Gobierno. Querían saber cómo pensaba asumir sus responsabilidades políticas tanto en el caso GAL como en el caso Sarasola.
Sin embargo, la propuesta no prosperó porque el presidente del Comité de Gobierno de Unió Democrática de Catalunya, Josep Antoni Duran Lleida, se apresuró a anunciar que CiU rechazaría la comparecencia de González.
Félix Pons, presidente de la Diputación Permanente y ex presidente del Congreso, aseguró que en aplicación de la Constitución y del reglamento del Congreso, González no podía comparecer ante la Diputación Permanente para dar explicaciones sobre el caso GAL y el caso Sarasola, porque la Diputación Permanente sólo tenía la facultad de convocar a los otros órganos del Congreso y no podía ejercer por sí misma funciones de órgano de control parlamentario.
Durante las pesquisas periodísticas sí se pudo averiguar que la maquinaria del felipismo había sido engrasada para facilitar a Sarasola el negocio de Panamá y encubrir algunas de las irregularidades. El círculo de Sarasola tuvo la fuerza necesaria para influir en varias instituciones del Estado. El Tribunal de Cuentas, siendo su presidente Pascual Sala, y el Instituto Nacional de Industria (INI), cuando su máximo responsable era Jordi Mercader, ocultaron una partida de 473 millones de pesetas (2,8 millones de euros) que la empresa pública Ateinsa había pagado a Enrique Sarasola Lerchundi, como parte de su comisión por la adjudicación de las obras del metro de Medellín.
El Tribunal de Cuentas, que tiene como competencia fiscalizar la actividad económico-financiera del sector público, había remitido al Congreso de los Diputados, en marzo de 1990, una auditoría realizada a la empresa pública Ateinsa sobre las cuentas de sus ejercicios comprendidos entre 1981 y 1986, ambos inclusive. Pero en dicho informe, firmado por su presidente Pascual Sala, omitió el pago que la empresa del INI reflejaba en sus balances. En el folio 30 del apartado VII, “Conclusiones y recomendaciones”, Pascual Sala afirmaba: “La sociedad ha contabilizado sus operaciones de conformidad en general con el Plan General de Contabilidad y demás normativa legal aplicable y llevó sus registros contables con el rigor exigible, con las excepciones y salvedades que se señalan en este informe”. Pero silenciaba el pago de la comisión.
El diputado del PP, Rafael Hernando, actual portavoz del grupo popular en el Congreso, declaró que quedaba demostrada “la vinculación entre González y Sarasola” y añadió que el empresario era un “testaferro” del presidente. Hernando pidió la intervención del fiscal anticorrupción, Carlos Jiménez Villarejo, sobre todo después de que el Congreso negara “la posibilidad de aclarar este asunto y al Tribunal de Cuentas se le han ocultado estas operaciones”.
El coordinador de la Presidencia de IU, Mariano Santiso, declaró: “Sarasola, de confirmarse las informaciones que se están publicando, actúa como bucanero de Felipe González, con su visto bueno”.
La investigación judicial sobre el pelotazo de Sarasola, que había sido abierta por el juez de la Audiencia Nacional, Ismael Moreno, quedó archivada tras el fallecimiento del amigo de Felipe el 3 de noviembre de 2002. Dos días después, Felipe González le dedicaba un artículo a su amigo en un periódico. Comenzaba así: “Dicen que la amistad no tiene precio, pero para Enrique la que mantuvo conmigo, durante tantos años, tuvo un altísimo coste en sufrimiento humano, en persecución insidiosa”. Y acababa con dureza: “Lo maltrataban los que no lo conocían, los mercenarios de la pluma y la tertulia, los siervos de los intereses bastardos”.
González podía haberse referido también en su artículo a la definición de Solchaga sobre las excelencias de España: “El país en el que es posible enriquecerse más deprisa”. Algunos de los amiguísimos del presidente se sirvieron del felipismo y de la conexión panameña para aumentar sus arcas de caudales. Al final va a ser verdad el aserto de que todos los caminos conducen a Panamá."