Don't cry for me South America....
Trip Start
Mar 01, 2006
1
541
551
Trip End
Dec 01, 2007
Bogota, Colombia
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Catalina had proposed me to stay at her grandma's place, not far from her own home, but in the end I decided Í'd rather be near the center, and in a hostel, for my last days.
I had lots of things planned, between shopping and visits, and I ended up jut not doing them!
I was in a new hostel, with large communal spaces, where I immediately met a number of interesting people. My first evening there ended up with a short night from 7 to 10 in he morning, time at which I got up as I could hear three frenchies speaking in the lounge and I wanted to join them, and thereafter I was very tired and useless of course, trying to organize to see Catalina in the afternoon... that took the whole afternoon, I saw her in the evening, came back to the hostel for more chating and social drinking (you know me, I never abuse, haha). In the whole, not sleeping much but not being productive either, the weekend went by. In that whole trip, such inactivity had been scarce, if not inexistent, but it felt the right thing to do. While doing nothing, I had time to think, about that journey, about the one that was to take me home days later, about how it would be to see my good friends and then my familly, and even starting to seriously wonder, althought I was trying to control it: what to do with my life? Haw haw haw!
My last day, monday, was back to a small productivity. I had to confirm my flight (for the same afternoon): after much efforts, I found out that I could not communicate with Iberia before 1pm, and my flight was at 6pm... oh well!
I went up Montserate, a mountain that dominates Bogota, with english Laura, not too complicated as the teleferico was hundreds of meters away from the hostel.
Up there was a church, some tourists, and beautiful views over the city. Clouds were drifting across the sky, moving pouches of light over the city. Of course the sky was clear before we went and after we came back, what can you do about that?
Back to the hostel, Iberia confirmed the flight was maintained (don't laugh, last time I had called LAN just hours before my La Paz-Lima flight to find out that it did not exist anymore...), so I went out to get money to pay the hostel, buy a bottle of the excellent local spirit. It was almost time to go, so I started packing, that was quite fast given that I had to wrap cuban cigars and bottles of rum...
Upon leaving, waiting for the taxi, chatting with the lady running the place, she asked me if I had had a Colombian girlfriend... No I said... Of course she said, otherwise I would not be leaving... no joke!
At the airport I did my best to be nice and smile and be relaxed, but I still got a full luggage check. They did trust me though, it was the nicest luggage check I had had. They opened the wrapping of the bottles and shook them to see if I had drugs in them(?), but they accepted to not open the boxes of cigars (???). All along I had in hand the knife of one of the policemen, that he had lended me so that I could help them open the wrappings... Coke and guns, I tell you, short of which nobody takes you seriously here...
