Goodbyes

I'm going to be honest, I began this country wanting more of a cultural experience than anything. Anne and I were reflecting the other day on the last three plus weeks here and have decided that it has definitely been more of a natural one, which in my book, is fine. I will be coming back to Colombia to get more of the cultural aspect that I was looking for.

Don't get me wrong, I've been speaking with Colombians and learning as much as I can, but the gloriousness of the landscapes has won me over on this trip. The beaches and mountains, volcanos and farmlands, have captivated me and my camera. This country is a little piece of every kind of heaven. I seem to have been traveling with a group of fifty or so people, experiencing it in different ways in each area. The people I have met from all over the planet and the memories that I have made will be with me for the rest of my life.

My week stuck in Colombia waiting for my yellow fever vaccination to set in has been a fantastic one. Before our thirteen hour bus ride down to Medellin, Anne and I went to El Totumo, a mud volcano about 70 kilometers outside of Cartagena. This volcano stands only 15 meters tall and contains the strangest consistancy of mud I have ever encountered. We arrived by bus and were quickly told to strip down to our bikinis. We climbed the steps and glanced into this pit of grayish gook with about twenty people already inside. It's best not to think of what you are stepping into as they lead you down the ladder to join the others. We got into the bottomless hole and were promptly massaged by the three men working inside. After our therapy, we were slid to the side with the rest of the folks where we floated around for 20 minutes or so before being helped out. I would say the experience brought us tourists to a new level of closeness, one I wasn't expecting, but it was all in good fun. After a few too many pictures, we were helped up the ladder and down the street into a swamp, where some women awaited to wash away this sticky substance. Sitting there in the light of day having a woman wipe me down in some mucky water as 20 people stood by will not be forgotten anytime soon. In my travels, I have learned that modesty just isn't possible.

After our mud bath and wash, we went to the beach for a fresh fish lunch and our last dip in the Carribean for a while. It was no Tayrona or Playa Blanca, but it did the trip on a hot Colombian afternoon. We made our way back to Cartagena where I was finally able to repack my incredibly full bag (what exactly I've bought to fill it so much is beyond me) before heading to the bus station for another night bus through the countryside. The ride down was great...cold, but great. Somehow I've always been able to get a decent night's sleep on these things. I woke up as we soared into Medellin and was ready to go when we got to the hostel. We arrived to find a lot of the same people we've beening seeing throughout Colombia and immediately felt at home.

As for the stay in Medellin, I can't report too much. Basically, the hostal we were in was a compound complete with pool, computers, kitchen, bar, basketball courts, hammocks and a tv room with couches you just melt into. We were there four nights, and other than hitting up the discotecas and going out for meals, we really didn't do anything. There was really no touring to be done, and if there was, we couldn't be bothered with it. We just hung out with a great group of people for a few days and relaxed.

Laziness had really started to set in, so Anne and I made the plan to go down to Manizales, about 4 hours south in the heart of the coffee zone. The views from the bus winding up and down green, tropical mountains would make Bob Ross roll over in his grave. Words cannot describe how beautiful this was! Coffee plantations and green, lush valleys full of palm trees were spotted with these houses that just have so much character! They're so colorful with their clay tiled roofs and perfectly landscaped yards...and the Christmas lights...so many of them, and all the blinky kind. It's getting very, very festive in Colombia.

We arrived in Manizales to find a pretty big university city with hills that put San Francisco to shame. There is a gorgeous cathedral on mountainside surrounded by rows and rows of houses that basically look like the sunset district of SF. It was pretty interesting, I felt really comfortable there.

Our first day in the area was spent at Hacienda Guayabal, a coffee plantation about an hour away. We took a two hour tour and learned the coffee making process from start to finish. Is anyone out there aware that the cup of coffee you drink every morning took more than five years to get there? And that coffee beans, before they're peeled, taste like grapes? I was a bit amazed to learn this myself. Being a coffee drinker, it absolutely made me think a bit more about what I'm sipping on each morning. At the end of our tour we were able to sample some of the finished product while sitting in a garden in the middle of the farm....breathtaking!

There was plenty more that could have been done in and around Manizales, but my travels with Anne were coming to a close. She has to be in the north of Peru by next week, and my flight to Panama was scheduled to take off today. So our last day together, we did what we do best...went to the local park and laid by the pool. We walked around the city a little first of course, but it was hot and being near water sounded nice. We relaxed most of the afternoon and reminsced about the past three weeks, got some last minute photos and then headed for a substitute of our favorite restaurant, Crepes and Waffles.

Our last night was bittersweet. We went out with a group from the hostal and had drinks. We praised ourselves for traveling so well together and had a great time, but each time we thought about the fact that it was almost over, we just got sad. I keep saying that meeting these people really make my adventures, but these goodbyes are just so hard and I don't think they'll ever get easier. The next morning, we made our way to the bus station where she went south and I headed north. It was a shock to my system to be alone again, and it felt like the end of an era.

After that goodbye, I had to face the possibility of saying adios to this country that I've fallen in love with as well. I took the bus back to Medellin and then caught a flight up to Cartagena where I would have one night and then head off to Panama. I met some people when I arrived at the hostal last night and did my last night up right by learning to salsa. I'm not very good, but who knew it could be so much fun?! I ended up staying out pretty late trying to work on my moves and when I woke up this morning, a flight to Panama just didn't feel right. So my first action this morning was calling the airline...I'm staying in Colombia for just a few days more.

I had big dreams of seeing more of Panama on this trip and I've slowly crushed them all...and I'm fine with that. I've already got the idea of a Central American adventure in my head, I'll be back and I'll see it then. Five days in Panama was just not enough time to do some of the things I wanted...and I wanted beach....good beach. So after changing my flight and packing my bags again, I hopped on another bus and have come back to one of my favorite places in Colombia, Taganga. I got here this evening and the place is packed with people, but I think I can manage. It's hard to be back without Anne as I know it just won't be the same. But seeing as I have until next Tuesday, I'm considering getting my scuba certificate while I'm here. I've always been scared of that sort of thing, but everyone just keeps telling me to give it a go. It does sound pretty amazing, and I'd hate for my fear to stop me from doing things, so we'll see. I'm going to get up early tomorrow and check that out. Even if I don't do that, there are numerous beaches I can kayak to from here and there is plenty of sun to soak up. I'm ending my South American adventure exactly where I want to be.