walking you through the last 24 or so hours...

So it's 6pm friday night and I'm out of taganga back to the Santa Marta Bus terminal. Took one long last look at the caribbean, i'll miss it. The taxi was a lot longer than i thought, at least 15km or so. Shared it with the nicest/relaxed/most open minded Israeli traveller I've ever met.

I'd booked directish bus from Santa Marta to Medellín the day before. It cost more than i thought it would - yet it was comparative to all the other prices to other destinations. I think prices have gone up here in the last couple of years. I was told there's a way you can get last minute discounts on these fares but I'm sure it involves speaking a lot of fluent spanish and I'm not really there. Infact last night i could baerly manage english, throbbing headache, runny nose and generall achey everywhereness. I tried not to spread my germs throughout the bus terminal.

The bus company was Rapido Ochoa. Very secure setup. Lots of checking/verification getting on the bus and one during the trip. Plenty of spare seats on the bus so I could stretch out. We left at 7pm, on time. Air conditioning was set to antarctic levels. It could not have been more than 10 degrees. I'd be warned about this sort of thing, prepared, and put on an extra 2 layers of clothes, and still shivered. Definatley the coldest id been on this trip

I must have slept on the bus but I don't remember it, I have no idea how I could have. It was ment to get in at 9am but at this time we were still ascending through the mountains, a fair way out of medillin. My rule of thumb with colombian busses - however long you're told the journey is going to take - for every 4 hours, you should add an extra hour. We arrived in at midday.

Potttered around the bus terminal for a couple of hours. Actually felt better than the night before. Medellín looks fucking spectacular - mountains on all sides, houses built right into the side, the valley in the middle. Blue skies all around, very happy people. Reminded me a little of Kathmandu - exept a lot more dramatic with the mountains close in. Maybe I just arrived on a good day but it felt great and I'm glad I'm coming back later.

Took a local bus to the airport which actually didnt end up going there, intead to the nearby town of Rio Negro. Which was nice as well. Cute enough to walk around, and then get lost for a little while. But it was not intimidating, and I had plenty of time to spare for the flight. Evetually spotted a girl in an Avianica uniform and followed/stalked her to a point just past the main square where I spooted the place where shared taxis leave to go the airport.

At the airport I noticed (and was particularly thankful) that my flu-like symptoms seem to have cleared up. But then - this was the first border crossing on the trip where there was not much as an emphasis on that. But definatley on other things. Checking of outbound luggage was very tight. Every item in my checked baggage was checked by hand and also by the sniffer dogs after. And it wasnt just me, it was everyone. The baggage handles went through the same treatment as they were loading goods onto the plane.

LAN Peru Airbus a319 flying to Quito, Ecuador. This was a 200usd return flight i'd booked a month ago. Shared the plane with a Medellin Univserity womens athletic team (fricken giants!!). LAN are a decent I guess. They did the bare basics and nothing more. Actually the landing was one of the more unnerving I've ever had - there was a lot of unnanounced turbulence, and the for the 5 minutes until landing the plane rolled and shiffted in the wind, no sort of method to any of it. touchdown was flawless howver. Quito airport very small and undermanned for the amount of trafic it handles. We waited over 40 minutes to clear customs, flu checks and immigration.

Quito is noticebly colder than anywhere else ive been to on this trip. The showers need to be warm. Locals are wearing hoodies. It was a bit of a shock for the first few minutes. Saterday night in the new town is a bit of a party/club area. I've just had some bad fast food, to tired to look for anything else. wrecked. time for bed.