10/25/2010 - Medellín, Colombia: Strange Days

The small things are what make a happy difference when traveling for such a long time. Like a hot shower, an ice cream, a simple human connection, or a extra comfy bed. I've come to enjoy these little perks when I can because usually they're only temporary. Oh, the glamorous life of the dusty traveler.

Here in Colombia, it's quite easy to make these simple random connections. The people here are absurdly friendly. For example you can just be walking down the street, and some skeezy looking bum dude will just ask you where you're from or how you like the county. Then he'll just say 'welcome to Colombia' or 'have a nice trip' and let you be on your way. Totally different then, say, Nicaragua where everyone is after your tourist dollars. Quite a refreshing change. My favorite meeting was on the way out of Cartagena. I forced BJ into stopping for some more of those deep fried cheese sticks because: one, they're fucking tasty, and two, I don't know if I'll ever see them again. So, I'm parked in a motorcycle only parking area eating my cheesy things, and about fifteen guys all start asking me questions about the bike, where I'm from, where I'm headed, and other random things. It was great to joke around and chat with these other fellow motorcyclist about their country. I definitely enjoyed gathering a small crowd around our massive bikes. Then after a delicious breakfast, all my newfound friends said their pleasant goodbyes and I was on my way.

Fellow bikers in Cartagena, Colombia

Even though I didn't do a lot of preparation for this trip, (no insurance, no bike upgrades, no vaccines, no legitimate planning) I can at least speak enough Spanish to truly enjoy something different. A friend, Rodrigo, whom I met in northern Mexico put seeing a country into my favorite analogy. You can talk to a woman, enjoy her beauty and company. Find out a lot about her, but you'll only really know her and cherish her if you're lucky enough to have sex with her. The same is true for traveling. You can travel all over a country, see the sights, and eat the food, but there's still a lot of things you can miss. The only way to be fully emerged is to converse with locals and find what they're all about. It makes the adventure of traveling all the more enriching. Truly a genuine reason of why I travel.

Awesome fattie cat in Medellin, Colombia

A pretty sweet campsite in Guatape, Colombia

BJ and I conquered the giant rock in Guatape, Colombia

Ok, so insight into the mind of a traveler. Check. Strange story, well let's do that next. After a long day of riding, I'm ready to get off the bike and have a beer. So I stop at what appears to be a truckers town. It's right off the highway, and everything is absurdly Colombian. After a bit of rest, BJ and I decide to hit the town. Play some pool, chat with some locals, and have a beer. It's Sunday night so everyone is out and about. I soon find out that we're the only non Colombians in the city. It's apparent that the people here are not slightest bit familiar with happy gringos. A crowd of teenagers develops around our pool table, and while in between gambling on slot machines, some begin to chat with us. Now in some parts of Colombia there is a thick accent. Being new in town and not used to the heavy accent. I politely tell them that I'm learning the language and that you need to speak slowly so I can understand. But as soon as I'm done telling them this, they keep rattling on as fast as ever. It's quite obvious they've never really met anyone where Spanish is their second language. It's all quite entertaining, if not a bit stressful. It's really the first time I've truly felt out of place in a foreign land. It wasn't really in a bad way, but it was definitely strange getting to the real rough and gritty Colombia. It's all in fun, so after I put BJ out of his pool playing misery. I head back to the safety of the cheap hotel. I wonder what I missed out on when I chose safety and sleep, over a unique experience mingling with the locals at the popular local dance club. I'll never know, but hopefully I'll get another chance in this strange and captivating continent.