The travels through Colombia continue. In the last two weeks, I have traveled to the Colombian cities of Jerico, Jardin, Salento, Cali, and Popayan over the course of a couple weeks. I’ve danced salsa in the salsa capital of the world, hiked in the Colombia Andes, observed the world’s tallest palm trees and seen a waterfall in a cave.

However, the most interesting day might have been yesterday. I was riding in a minibus from Popayan to San Agustin (my next destination) when suddenly we came upon a huge traffic jam in the middle of nowhere (but technically inside the boundaries of a national park). We soon discovered that an early morning landslide completely blocked the road.

I ended up talking with some of the drivers at the scene of the landslide who said they had been stuck there since 6:00 am (we arrived at the scene around 2:30 pm). Rain started to come down a bit. We were high up in the mountains so the weather was chilly and the visibility was low due to the fog.

We weren’t really sure when the road was going to be clear. I noticed that some people, from other minibuses that left hours before us, were removing their luggage from the back and walking across the mud to the other side of the landslide to catch a ride to their destination. I wanted to do the same thing but we couldn’t find our driver.

We decided to stay put on the bus. I eventually went outside again to check on the status of the road and discovered the road was partially cleared with cars, buses and trucks starting to move across. I quickly rushed back to my bus and we were on our way to San Agustin (after a 2.5-3 hours delay).

I guess this is a good as time as ever to open the floor and share your stories of times where rare natural events (landslides, earthquakes, tornadoes, etc.) delayed your travel plans. Anyways onto Flakes...

Frosted Flakes

Nebrasketball: Washington State Preseason Preview | Basketball | Corn Nation

Entering his 1st season after Ernie Kent—Bill Moos’ truly mind-boggling hire—finally got the long deserved pink slip in Pullman. Kent Smith begins with the Cougars after coaching 3 seasons at San Francisco and 6 seasons at Columbia before that. Coach Smith has a respectable resume with only two losing seasons and an overall record of 164-122.

Nebraska Football Practice Report: August 14 | Football | Corn Nation

Quarterback Adrian Martinez and offensive coordinator Troy Walters spoke to the media. Bonus: a tweetcap from the open portion of practice.

Mailbag: Would Who Be Nebraska’s Best New Rival? | Sports | Hail Varsity

Hail Varsity staff members Mike Babcock, Jacob Padilla, Greg Smith, Erin Sorensen and Brandon Vogel tackle your questions about the latest news in Husker Nation.

Midway through competitive camp, QB Martinez excited by Husker defense’s progress | Football | Lincoln Journal Star

“They’ve been good. We’re starting to bounce back a little bit as an offensive unit the past couple days with the scrimmage, but the D-Line’s been great, the DBs have a ton of confidence,” Martinez said.

Huskers Running Back Ronald Thompkins Returns to the Football Field | Football | Hail Varsity

When the Nebraska running backs gathered for a team meeting on Monday, a new face was among them. Ronald Thompkins, the 4-star running back from Grayson High School in Loganville, Georgia, had joined the fold after not starting the fall on the 110-man roster.

Behind ‘missile’ Mills, Huskers RB room showing preseason progress | Football | Lincoln Journal Star

“Every day he comes out there and he’s ready to go. He’s got a smile on his face,” Held said Wednesday after NU’s 11th camp practice. “I mean, you’re not tackling that guy with one arm, I can tell you that. He is a missile hitting that thing...”

McCaffrey strives to make strong grasp of offense pay off in form of gains on practice field | Football | Lincoln Journal Star

McCaffrey benefits from having spring practice under his belt. He said he came out of spring needing to improve his throwing technique while continuing to achieve a better understanding of the offense and its nuances. He said he feels ready for a game, in part because of Verduzco’s fun-but-demanding style.

A Sense of Urgency from the Huskers Wide Receivers | Football | Hail Varsity

“We’ve got veteran guys who contributed last year who have made huge strides, we’ve got young guys that came in the spring and even here in the last few months that are strides ahead of where they were and where we were last year,” said third-year quarterback Noah Vedral.

Austin says young O-linemen Will Farniok and Trent Hixson working hard to nail down jobs | Football | Lincoln Journal Star

“Certainly, you want to continue to raise the bar. But they’re managing those spots right now. Managing. That’s the right word for it. We’re continuing to manage those spots and see what we can do to make those guys play better at those spots, as is the case with everybody.”

Travel and More

World’s Best Airlines for Customer Service | Travel | Travel and Leisure

Readers ranked airlines on their cabin comfort, in-flight service, food, value, and customer service. Even on a flight with more than 400 passengers, the top 20 international and domestic airlines on this list have excelled by treating every individual like the only person onboard.

Iceland’s Tourism Numbers Are Dropping — And WOW Air Is To Blame | Travel | Conde Nast Traveler

Recent statistics out of Reykjavik’s airport show arrivals dramatically dropping for this year’s peak summer season. Scheduled flights are down 27.4 percent through the rest of 2019, and the number of scheduled airplane seats—a key industry metric—is down 27.5 percent.

United Airlines in Cracking Down on the Hidden-City Ticket Trick | Travel | Conde Nast Traveler

A hidden-city ticket means a customer books a flight with a layover, but stops traveling after the first leg. These tickets are often significantly cheaper than a non-stop flight to the passenger’s final destination—which is what attracts a growing number of travelers to book them—but they are against most airlines’ policies.

You Could Be Fined $450 for Sitting on Rome’s Spanish Steps | Travel | Conde Nast Traveler

Rome announced that visitors can now be fined €400 ($450) for sitting on the city’s historic Spanish Steps, which for decades have served as a crowded picnic, drinking, and resting spot for hordes of travelers looking for a free place to lounge after sightseeing. Officials also approved an even greater fine of $500 for anyone who attempts to swim in the Trevi Fountain.

Ryugyong Hotel: The Story of North Korea’s ‘Hotel of Doom’ | Travel | CNN

The hotel has since been clad in metal and glass, and was later fitted with LED lights to turn it into a colorful nighttime spectacle. Construction work has started and stopped many times, fueling constant speculation over whether it will ever open to guests. Still closed to this day, the Ryugyong Hotel is the world’s tallest unoccupied building.

Chinese money transformed a sleepy beach town in Cambodia. Then came disaster! | Travel | Los Angeles Times

A decade ago, the only foreigners in the city were Western backpackers seeking bamboo huts, $1 meals and cheap marijuana on empty stretches of sand. Now Sihanoukville is a construction site where jackhammers thunder from nearly every corner.

Inside the Search for Amelia Earhart’s Airplane | Aviation | National Geographic

Many attempts have been made to discover the famed aviators fate, but never with the technological tools at Robert Ballard’s disposal.

Space Explorer Natalie Panek’s Impossible Job | Space | Outside Online

Panek grew up backpacking and camping most weekends with her family in Canada and has been laser-focused on becoming an astronaut since she was a kid.

NASA’s First Water-Powered Spacecraft Successfully Orbits Earth | Space | Mashable

The fuel tanks of both the spacecrafts were filled with water and during this propulsive maneuver, the water was converted into steam by the thrusters to propel the spacecraft.

Human-size ‘monster’ penguin species discovered in New Zealand | Science | NBC News

The newly found species, Crossvallia waiparensis, is from the Paleocene Epoch — between 56 and 66 million years ago, making it one of the world’s oldest known penguin species.

8 Lessons Learned From Moving 14 Times in 12 Years | Business | Business Insider

I moved 14 times in 12 years, including three international moves (from China to Great Britain, from Great Britain to Switzerland, and then Switzerland to the United States) and one cross-country move from the San Francisco Bay Area to New York City.

How Woodstock Changed The Little Town of Bethel, New York | History | NPR

Fifty years ago, the tiny town of Bethel, N.Y., was transformed into a teeming city of more than 400,000 people brought together by peace, love and music. Today, the site of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, as it was officially called, is on the National Register of Historic Places. For some who were there, it’s a place of pilgrimage, memories and the site of a museum full of memorabilia.

Woodstock home to variety of events on 50th anniversary weekend | History | Poughkeepsie Journal

By the 1960s, the Town of Woodstock had already established a reputation as an arts community, Town Supervisor Bill McKenna said. It attracted “great musicians,” he said, through “the creative energy in the community.” Then, in August 1969, a music festival bearing the town’s name and inspired by the town’s spirit was held 60 miles away from the town.

Woodstock at 50: Photos of 1969 | History | The Atlantic

Fifty years ago, more than 400,000 people descended on Bethel, New York, headed to a dairy farm owned by Max and Miriam Yasgur, where the Woodstock Music & Art Fair was being held. Planners had told the Yasgurs and town officials that they expected no more than 50,000 attendees, and were overwhelmed by the huge crowds.

And last but not least...

They look so fluffy and soft.

Have you ever been hypnotized?

50 years ago today, the Woodstock Festival began on a 600-acre dairy farm in Bethel, New York.