Six months ago I was very skeptical we would get back here, but I kept a super positive attitude. Melanie and I continued to plan. We worked through health issues. We went to the gym five to six days a week. We purchased plane tickets when the prices dipped and saved a bunch of money. Then on August 2nd, we boarded our flight to Medellin, Colombia. It’s Friday, and we are here.
We spent the weekend chilling and Melanie picked up a cold. No worries! We were going to spend the week here getting the paperwork ready. We were preparing to go on our little VStrom 650, which has 149,000K on the speedometer. This week is also Medellin’s annual flower festival, or Feria de las Flores. Colombia is world-famous for its blooms. Every year, in the heart of the coffee district, a giant festival is held in Medellin. This festival celebrates Colombian flowers and those who grow them. In August, Medellín blooms in all its splendor. It is known as the “city of eternal spring.” The much-celebrated Medellin Flower Festival begins. Balconies, terraces, and gardens are flooded with flowers. This feast of color and joy is called Feria de las Flores in Spanish. It takes place at the start of the month. It is a kaleidoscope of pride and celebration. It lasts for ten days with a packed calendar of activities.
The flights here were as expected, delayed. We use a credit card throughout the year to pay for flights with points. We use American Airlines for that. So, for our flight to Colombia, we kept checking. We found a fare for 10,000 miles with only $5 in fees. SOLD!! The flight from Orlando started on time, yea, but the fun began when landing in Miami. Approach lined up, check. Landing gear down, check. Full power and straight up, back to 12,000 feet and headed to the Atlantic! That wasn’t expected. Everyone was freaked out and not a word from the cabin flight deck. A 20-minute fly around for another approach and a normal landing, except for the emergency breaking after landing. So glad to be off this flight. As I was leaving I see three bars on the shoulder coming from the flight deck. A “Nice flying, Mario” from me elicited a grin from our Captain. Next was the two and a half hour delay in Miami, getting us into Medellin again around midnight. Sometimes you just can’t win. But our luggage arrived with us so we will treat this as another win.
Saturday and Sunday found us just wandering around. It’s so nice and cool, the people are so friendly and we were ready to walk. We stayed at a place we had stayed before, the Poblado Guest House. We had a double room with a balcony over the street (noisy at night). It had an ensuite bathroom and a shared common area and kitchen. Plus, a great breakfast was included. Just a few steps from the front door is also secure parking for my bike, only US$20 for a week. It gets it off the street. It’s just off a very nice area with coffee shops, bars and restaurants. It is within walking distance to a great entertainment area. Plenty to do. Monday was the day I would get my bike. All the necessary maintenance had already been done and it only needed the RUNT, a complete road worthiness motorcycle inspection. All vehicles must pass this mandatory annual inspection or face heavy fines and vehicle impoundment. After some of the crap I see on the roads in the US, it sounds like a great idea.
By Monday night all was done and I stored the bike across the street in the secure parking area. Tuesday morning I bought the bike over to our apartment and started adding the necessary accessories for our trip south. Thanks to Michnus Oliver, I had just received a new set of HippoHips Hybrid soft-sided panniers (saddlebags). They were from Turkana Gear. I wanted to use this new set on my US bike. So, I bought my older set of HippoHips throw over the seat panniers for this trip. If you’ve never used or seen this gear, give it a look. Turkana Gear is made in South Africa and is made to handle difficult overland travel. Michnus and Elsibe have definitely put their gear through its paces to see just what it can handle. A few wiring tweaks and the bike was pretty much ready. By Wednesday all was finished and we relax and enjoy Medellin and the flower festival.
On Thursday night we walked up the hill to the party area of Poblado. We found a group of tables on a street blocked off for just walkers. We sat and bought a couple alcoholic beverages. Melanie’s was great. Mine? This drink was considered a beer, at 12% alcohol content. As I take part in the app UNTAPPED, I always try new beers, always! I took one sip and realized this one was a HUGE mistake. It must have been a punch flavored malt beverage. Possible the worst beverage I’ve ever drank. Oh well, I drank it anyway.
We sat for a bit and watched people. Then, we saw a woman slowly walking toward the group of tables where we were sitting. She was dressed in a long, well-worn dress. On her head, a frayed straw hat. In her bony hand, an old cane. Her other hand held a basket. In her other hand she clutched a basket of wicker. In the basket were lollypops, candy and crackers. She was selling these for 1000 Colombian pesos, about US$0.25. Our eyes clouded as we tried to imagine our mothers walking the streets selling wares. She slowly approached our table and I knew what we would do. She showed Melanie the basket and Melanie chose a small packet of crackers. “Cuanto cuesta?”, we asked. After she told us the price I handed her a large bill. Still not much to us. As she started to sort for change I told her to keep it. The expression on her wrinkled face changed. Tears clouded her eyes. It was almost too much for me. Her voice cracked as she offered a heartfelt thank you. She dug under all the wares on the top of the pile. She came up with a prized treat, a chocolate bar. She presented it to Melanie with her hand on her heart. As she hobbled slowly away we felt it had meant more to us than her.
Soon after a couple guys were walking down the street, one with a Sturgis shirt on. I made a comment to them, and they joined us. They were from the Homosassa area of Florida. We had a good time chatting and soon after parted ways. Maybe we will see them again in Florida.
Cheers,
2WANDRRs
2WANDRRs 
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