Locationless Living

I made a quick decision the following day. I was going to bus it to Manizales and see Marcela one last time before leaving for Argentina. She really got me excited and thinking of her when she almost came to Bogotá for my birthday. There was no way I wanted to leave for half a year without seeing her another time.

It just so happened that Monica was going back to Manizales so the two of us took a taxi to the bus terminal and spent the next 9 hours on a night bus.

I had no plans on arrival. Upon exiting the bus terminal I caught another bus to the city center while keeping my eyes out the window for a hotel. The first hotel I saw was a bit pricey but it was not long before I found a different hotel for $40,000 pesos (negotiated down from $70,000).

I slept the next however many hours and was awoken by Marcela calling to tell me her classes had finished and that we should meet at Juan Valdez cafe.

I felt a sudden burst of excitement when I spotted her outside the cafe and was all smiles for the rest of the day. We caught up, and it was as if no time had passed. I would tease her about having messy hair and we could call me Gordito like always Always joking around just the way I like it.

After some coffee, i grabbed her hand and we walked along the main avenue until we walked past a casino.

“Have you ever gambled before?”
“No….”

Of course, I dragged her inside and we lost $.50 cents in a slot machine.

We got on a bus to the city center where I wanted her help getting some new shoes. My brown shoes (formerly white) needed to be replaced and I wanted her help.

It turns out after just a little while of looking at all the shoes being sold were counterfeigt.

The main plaza was only a few blocks away so we got some juice and sat around watching rhe old men till it got dark.

The rest of the night was spent in my hotel watching TV and talking.

Here she is resisting another picture

But like always, I manage to win!

I am sooooo glad that I decided to visit her, even if only for a day. I do not know what will happen in the future, but I do wish that circumstances allow us to pick up where we left off the next time I am in Colombia.

I woke up early the next morning and continued my little mini-vacation by taking a bus to Peirera, another big city in the coffee region. An hour later I arrived, again with no plans. After some great Afro-Colombian seafood I wandered around a bit. I hopped on a bus hoping it would go to the city center but instead took me down to the slums (dirt roads, very small basic houses, etc.)

After I rode the bus back to where I started I figured it was pretty dumb to wander around and get myself into a potentially dangerous situation.

I went back to the bus station and caught the next bus back to Bogota.

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