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So I arrived and quickly went through customs around 7:30 last night. I have to say that the first thing I noticed at the airport was the women. They were, in general, ridiculously good looking and many obviously had surgical enhancements. I wouldn´t even mention this, but I feel like it would be a lie by omission if I didn´t admit that this was the first thing that caught my attention in Colombia. So anyway, I told myself to stop looking at fake boobs and get my gameface on because my Spanish is rusty to say the least and my first challenge was to get myself on a collectivo to the centro and then find way to a hostel in El Poblado (upscale safe district). Dude that drives the minivan tells me right away that my board will not fit and I´m out of luck. I figure I can just pay for a taxi all the way but this will be expensive because the airport is 30 minutes from the area I´m heading. I want to reason with the guy so the Spanish wheels start slowly turning in my head. Before I can open my mouth a girl steps in and
politely but firmly tells the guy that my board will easily fit if he puts one seat down, then he can just charge me for two seats (7x2=$14). Problem solved.
Anna chats me up on the ride into the city. She´s been in Costa Rica for 4 days for work; she´s an environmental engineer. She gives me a few recommendations on places to visit in Medellin and throughout Colombia. As we near centro, she calls her mom and insists that I let them drive me to a hostel. Her mom is the absolute sweetest lady I´ve ever met. Anna points out a second story dance studio where we can see a salsa class is being held, "que riiiiiiiico,¨ her mom says as if she´s never seen such a thing in all of her years in the city. I tell her I plan on taking a lesson. We find a hostel and Anna gives me her number so I can give her an update and maybe her and some friends can show me around this weekend. I´ve heard the people in Colombia are nice, but I didn´t expect to meet such warm people so quickly...quite the entrance.
The hostel
itself is okay. They recently expanded by building up and all the rooms on the upper floors are amazing while those on the bottom floor are old and smell like a high school football locker room. I´m on the bottom floor (I keep telling myself it´s just a place to sleep).
Today I walked the streets and luckily found an office for the domestic airline company that I had read flies to the Pacific Coast. I bought a ticket leaving Medellin on the 13th and returning the 25th. So I´m set on my surf exploration.
This afternoon I cruised down to the Metro and went north to the Jardin Botanico and Parque Explora. The garden was free and cool. The Parque Explora was basically a Colombian version of the Fleet Science Museum in San Diego, only 3 times bigger and way cooler (not that the Fleet Museum isn´t cool). It also had an aquarium, explaining all the fish pictures. So I got my scientist stuff out of the way.
I caught up on sleep last night but I´m pretty tired from all the walking today. We´ll see if I can rally and go out for my first
night on the town. Hasta Luego
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CESanchez
non-member comment
cool!
Love it, Kevin! I wish I would have thought of that. I will be looking forward to your postings. I feel like Im getting to know you better and you make me laugh. Keep having fun!