My next stop in Colombia was Medellin. I had just read up on some problems in Bogota and decided that skipping it was in the best interest of time and safety. I took the overnight from Cali to Medellin. The bus got in a bit early so I did my typical "hang out in the terminal until the sun rises". Sitting there, I started talking to this guy who was waiting on his sister and nephew to get in. We decided we all can split the taxi to the center of town. Her bus got in and he came over and informed me "there's another one like me" on his sisters bus and asked if I'd like to meet her. I think, "another one like me"? I informed him that I was ok and would just continue on to the center by taxi as planned and then next thing I know we were standing in front of this poor Israeli girl and I'm explaining this necessary introduction. We end up hunting down a hostel together. Bar, that's her name, and I trotted through Medellin together. We admired the artwork of famous Fernando Botero, saw the plazas, the parks, the markets, and of course, ate the food. We discovered we both were off to Cartagena and decided it best to make the trek together. I spent my last day in Medellin eating at some local places, walking around, and hanging out in this awesome park listening to live salsa. We met up in the evening and made the 13 hour bus to Cartagena together.
Cartagena is hott! It's hot and man is it humid. Cartagena is where I would meet up with Lindsey Boumgarden, who's been there teaching. I basically spent my 3 or 4 days there hanging out between Lindsey's pool and the beach. It was nice to catch up with her and see the incredible view of the city from her apartment. To be honest, I wasn't too fond of Cartagena and couldn't see the hype about it. It was super hot and humid, the beach wasn't very nice and was crowded with venders, and it was fairly expensive for around these parts. But, when I saw the view from Lindsey's apartment, I got a whole different perspective. It was cool. And the old center at night was quite a scene with its stone roads, horse drawn carriages, salsa and break dancing, and pretty darn good food. Needless to say, I enjoyed my time there. The next stop for me was in continuance with my presbyterian roots. I headed to Barranquilla to check out a seminary I had heard about a few years back. Unfortunately I was unable to make contact with anyone before hand, but I managed to hunt down an address. I took the bus then got off and walked some odd 10 blocks. I got to the address to discover the building had been torn down. I asked the guy working there if they had relocated and he gave me an address 40 blocks away. I start walking, hoping I'm not just being sent across town for nothing. About 20 blocks later, I grab a bus and eventually end up at what is the "Colegio Americano". I ask about the seminary and at first get nothing. Then someone takes me to an office where I meet the staff and a lovely woman named Linda who takes me for a "tinto", a coffee, to explain to me about their work down here. I learn a lot about the Accompaniment Program and about the struggles that still exist here. I ask about attending class and she, unsure of why I'd like to sit through a class during my travels, informs me of her 5 o'clock Old Testament that I could go to. I also am invited to spend the night at the Presbyterian Church's main office. Which was relocated to this beautiful apartment. I gladly accepted and enjoyed spending the evening with her conversing. The following afternoon I made my way to Santa Marta.
Santa Marta has been gorgeous. My hostel is lively and I'm running into travelers I met a little while back. Theres a pool, a bar, a restaurant, a kitchen, hammocks, a pool table, etc.. I spent the first day here at the market and the beach. The beach is much nicer than the one in Cartagena and I am able to enjoy the sunset before making my way back to the hostel to hang out for the night. My second day here I headed to Tayrona National Park. The hike into the beach was nice. I was with a few Swedish guys and we saw some monkeys, snakes, and lizards. Then we hung out that day hunting for crabs, swimming in the Caribbean, walking the beach, and meeting other travelers. We crashed in some hammocks and the following day we continued through the park to the next beach stop. This beach was gorgeous, but the camp site was expensive. I decided I would hike the hour back to the other beach to sleep, but when I had gone up to the little house where the hammocks were hung, I had no choice but to stay. I laid on the beach all day, surviving off of fresh mangos we would pick from the trees and spent the night listening to the wind howl. In the afternoon of the third day there, we hiked back and returned to Santa Marta. I woke up early the following day to pack and make my way to Venezuela, but in the end decided it best to wait and head out the following day. So I spent all day yesterday walking around the markets, hanging at the beach, and then spent the evening at the hostel relaxing in the pool, and playing some pool as well. Now here I am today, awaiting my bus to Maracaibo, Venezuela where I'll spend tonight and tomorrow; then fly out early morning Tuesday to Chicago.
I am amazed at how this trip is closing. People say time flies when you're having fun. I like to think of it as a nice tempo. Time and I have been trotting along here together without a sense of pace for awhile now, and it seems that we have cruised a bit fast. People keep asking me if I'm ready to come home. I don't know. There is no ready. I will always have a wanderlust. The reality is that I have witnessed some quite beautiful aspects of life. I have come to know some incredible travelers. I have stood before some of the most breathtaking scenery. I have pushed my body, my mind, and my spirit in ways I did not foresee. I have seen how truly beautiful life is. Now I sit here in my hostel, a place called The Dreamer. A quote from The Alchemist greets me each day I enter, "When a person really desires something, the whole universe conspires to help that person to realize his dream." Many of you ask me how I manage to do this and the questions rage from funding to confidence to fearlessness to insanity. I would love to take credit for getting me here, and yes I've worked hard, but many of you have conspired to help me to realize my dreams. Thank you. I only hope that whatever you desire in your heart can be achieved by all of us conspiring to help you realize that your dream can become a reality. And your dream doesn't have to be a one shot deal. My life isn't centered around this trip, or even travel. This isn't my first dream; it won't be my last; its not measured or compared. It's just a dream achieved. I love living by achieving dreams big and small each day and by seeing anything I desire as possible. Something changes about the beauty of this life when you start living in the ways of your dreams. Right now it's difficult to say how this trip will impact me overall and what weight it will bear, but I do know that it taught me a lot about vulnerability, about friendship, about how we live each day, about Spanish, and about how delicious beans and rice will always be. I walk on from this trip with an affirmation that the most beautiful way to live is by love and from love will branch out peace, patience, gentleness, humbleness, kindness, self control, and honesty which will bear the fruit of friends and family in every curve of the earth. "Let love be your highest goal".
I look forward to seeing you soon!
Dream. Explore. Discover.
