I don’t know about you guys, but for me February seemed to come and go in the blink of an eye. How on Earth do two absent days feel so significant?
I’m inching ever-closer to my departure from Medellín, so perhaps that’s part of the reason I’m so bewildered to see February come to a close already.
Anywho, I’m “on the road” at the moment in a small town called Guatapé where I’m a little bit time and WiFi poor, so I’ll try to keep this post as brief as the month itself!
In February, 2015…
I was paid a visit by a very good friend.
The start of the month brought with it the arrival of my good friend Alex, whom I’d met on my very first day in Colombia in August of 2013. Along with a few other girls including his twin sister, we’d formed a little traveling family and subsequently spent five weeks exploring the country together. We hadn’t seen each other since that time, so our reunion was highly anticipated.
He was the best house guest I could have asked for–low-maintenance and generous, with a propensity for cooking elaborate meals for me while I slaved away behind my laptop day after day. He made the last-minute decision to accompany me to Barranquilla for Carnival, and we eagerly awaited our departure (just not the 13-hour overnight bus ride).
I was tragically forced to leave my gorgeous Envigado apartment.
Alright, so forced is a bit strong, but the unexpected relocation was unpleasant nonetheless. Just before Alex arrived, I learned that I would have to move out of my apartment–and soon. As it turns out, I had been a mere subletter in my apartment on Avenida Las Vegas, so when the real owner sold the property and gave the primary renter next-to-nothing for notice, us subletters (myself, two Colombians and a German) were left with even less notice that we had to vacate…about a week, to be exact.
Upon learning the news, I was devastated. I had grown so comfortable in that apartment and more than a little attached to my incredible view and on-site gym since moving in at the end of December. To make matters worse, I was leaving for Carnaval de Barranquilla the following week and had no time to come up with a plan for accommodation upon my return. To say that the week was stressful would be the understatement of the century month.
As they always do, though, things managed to work themselves out. I followed a few of my blogger friends, Andrew and Emily of Along Dusty Roads, to the quaint hostel they’d discovered in the neighborhood of Floresta named Yellow House. I stayed in this homey little establishment for a week before heading to Guatapé, where I find myself currently. It was a perfect place to get some work done and I enjoyed getting to know a new area of town, so I can’t really complain. And I’ve finally secured a more affordable long-term accommodation solution for my final weeks in Colombia…but more on that in a minute.
I partied my face off at Carnaval de Barranquilla.
Attending the second largest Carnival in the world in Barranquilla was high on my list of priorities, and despite the financial pinch I felt from the exorbitantly priced…well…everything, I have not one single ounce of regret. The celebrations were exciting, eye-opening, and generally outrageous, and if I found myself in Colombia during February in the future, I would absolutely attend again.
Perhaps the best part of Carnival was the opportunity to meet even more fellow travel bloggers in person. With a healthy dose of determination and a little elbow grease, I was able to get together with the trio of Jeremy (a real travelFREAK) Hilary (The Nomad Grad) and Dani (Going Nomadic). We danced, we found ourselves in the middle of epic foam and cornflour wars, we ate no fewer than four whole chickens, and we drank our fair share of Aguardiente and then some. It was an absolute blast–full scoop coming soon!
I had a serendipitous encounter.
When I first arrived back in Medellin after Carnival, I headed straight for Black Sheep Hostel in El Poblado, as it was conveniently close to my old apartment where most of my things were still stored. I couldn’t stay long, though–the hostel was at capacity, rendering the WiFi connection completely useless and leaving me with no way to catch up on work.
After just one night, I fled to meet up with my friends at Yellow House. On my way out the door, I recognized the red polo shirt and white sun hat of the tour guide I’d had on my Real City Tours walking tour of downtown Medellín (an excellent tour that I highly recommend, by the way) several weeks earlier. I stopped to say hello and the conversation quickly turned to my desperate need to find a place to stay for the month of March. Not only did she know of plenty of friends who had rooms available (CompartoApto.com was coming up short), but it just so happened that she had a room in her house as well.
Fast-forward one week and I was en route to the neighborhood of Robledo to visit the historic mansion and art museum that once belonged to her sculptor grandfather, beyond excited by the prospect of having such a unique opportunity. I can’t wait to spend a few weeks in such a beautiful property with a Colombian family, far away from the distractions (read: restaurants and nightlife) of El Poblado. If all goes according to plan, I’ll be moving into this eclectic property–affectionately nicknamed Sal Si Puedes (leave if you can)–on March 2nd.
I finally found my way back to Guatapé.
I’m currently writing from Guatapé, a picturesque little town situated roughly two hours from Medellín on the edge of a man-made reservoir. The setting is calming and relaxing, and though I haven’t been able to get as much work done as hoped with poor WiFi connections being the norm, I’ve loved getting to know the town and the kooky cast of locals who live here. People are exceptionally friendly and, in contrast to the big cities of Colombia, I feel safe wandering through town regardless of the hour.
The last order of business is to pay a visit to La Piedra, the giant monolith that rewards those willing to climb its 600-something steps to the top with astonishing views of the reservoir below. Then it’s back to Medellín with just over three weeks left in Colombia! WHERE DOES THE TIME GO!?
That’s all for February! Can’t wait to see what March has in store!
