Friday, October 19th

Morning at Merecumbe, left to Santa Marta then Santa Marta to Medellin!
Day 1 at Rango Hostel, Medellin

Dear Obiwan,
I had such a great night sleep! I was supposed to get 4 roommates around 830pm, at 1145pm they came in and woke me up, and then left and never returned. They ended up going to another dorm, so I had the room to myself! I naturally woke up at 6 am and wrote a little while sitting on the beach. I then had breakfast with the Panama crew and it was lovely.

I then got the bus to Santa Marta, you just stand on the same side of the road (THIS REALLY CONFUSED ME) as you do to get to Tayrona, just look for the “white and green bus” and eventually it came and you just hope on!

The ride was beautiful and smoothe. Got back to Santa Marta, the bus took me to the RIGHT SPOT. Unlike last time. Got my stuff, saw some old friends at La Brisa Loca! Said my goodbyes then went to the airport and had a super easy time at the airport.

Will miss you and always keep you in my heart La Brisa Loca:

Well the airport was easy except for starting to get sick, I had a runny nose, was sneezing, and a low fever. And due to Ana telling us while we were hiking in Tayrona, okay ready Obi? Ana told us that she didn’t stay at the hostel she planned to stay at in Palomino due to her finding out that 4 hostel volunteers had got DENGUE FEVER. I’m sorry, correction, 3 got Dengue Fever and 1 got ZIKA VIRUS. FROM MOSQUITOS. She said there was a lot of sitting water there or something? But told me and Javier that she was told Dengue is really bad right now and so is Zika, in the Colombian region we were actively standing in or (just was)! The travel doctor back in thr states I saw spoke about Malaria for 45 fricking minutes and I got a ton of Malaria pills that I ended up never taking due to fear of the awful side effects and people telling me not to worry about Malaria.

In summary Obi, your slightly hypochondriacal mother has Dengue Fever, I have flu like symptoms…this must be the beginning, right?!

Well besides having Dengue, here is a photo of all plantains, you past SO MANY while driving:

After the airport I got a 50 minute taxi ride for 70,000 (23 USD) to my Medellin hostel- Rango Hostel.

I went to the corner drug store and asked the pharmacist if I could still go out after taking these meds and he said ‘si fiesta si!’

After I got to my hostel I needed food immediately. I asked the incredibly friend and warm receptionist Miguel and he asked if I liked pizza, PSH MAN would I kill for a pizza at that moment, and there was a place next door!

I head next door to this very cool pizza, Cafe hang out place. And I’m staring at the menu, flapping it back and forth almost in a panic and I ask the waitress, “perdon, yo quiero carne? Pepperoni o jamon? Esta bien?” (Excuse me, I want meat. Pepperoni or ham, is that okay?) Then she makes an odd expression and tells me THE PLACE IS VEGETARIAN.

OBI WHO HAS A VEGETARIAN ONLY PIZZA PLACE. Okay, sorry, I actually understand and respect it, but I moreso think that when someone suggests a PIZZA place, they must explicitly tell you that there is no meat!

Any who. I still eat there. And as I am mid sneezing and blowing my nose and looking traveled and miserable, I look up and see CEASAR AND TROY(American guys from Palomino)! Just staring at me laughing.

I knew they were in Medellin but we didn’t plan for this! They had walked 20 minutes from their hostel for pizza, to here!

After this slightly embarrassing reunion, I broke the bad news about no meat, and they UNDERSTOOD Obi. They understood that pizza and meat goes together like you and q-tips! And they actually left! They weren’t having it.

After eating I become a human, aka showered and changed and got ready to go out for my first night in Medellin!

I walked over to Cesar and Troy’s hostel and met this huge group of hostel people. We all went to go out. Eventually ended up a small group of us hopping from club to club. Eventually found a club we all enjoyed! Finally went to bed incredibly late after a great night.

Goodnight my lamb,
Carly