Goodbye, Salento.

Friday, October 8th, 2010

A demanding farewell. I´ve spent the last time here saying goodbye to this place I´ve come to think of as my second home. I took one day off work to do chores and try a delicious chicken almuerzo at Sosi´s. I met some local guys I´ve got to know, and a stranger just guessed that I was from Scandinavia, which is quite strange since we´re not many. Colombians know way more about Norway than Spanish people do, besides up in the mountain where one of the guys asked me if I drove to Colombia. Later that day I met up with the american guy that knows the sailor. After mailing the guy, I went with him to his hostal: Tralala, to see how it was. The owner had a birthday party, so there was lots of charming music and good food, even for me who crashed the party. I stayed there for a while, as there were many interesting people(and a delicious cake). - Especially old experienced travelers with amazing stories to tell. The owner of La Serrana is now taking over that hostal. Apparently there´s a dispute between that owner, and Tim, the owner of the Plantation house. They inform that they do not give out information about the other hostal... I feel there´s a tension that´s making my hair all electrical and airborn.
I left the party to hang out by the fireplace here, again, and there I got to know a girl who turned out to be from Brattvaagen! She´s a hardcore traveller by my opinion. She joined another girl who was travelling without money in Europe, for three weeks. The other girl was however travelling like that, longterm. Fascinating...

I´ve said my goodbyes to my colombian colleagues, have had lots of blackberries and fruit, and now I´m waiting for the internet to be fixed. I´m going back to Medellin in the morning, and I´m a bit worried for my back that the beds in the Los Nevados screwed up.- I had to lie in foster position on a hard bed to(try to) warm my feet. Not great for a 7 hour busride. Been considering trying out a new hostal in Medellin, even though I have several friends at the Pitstop. My bartending job is taken, and the manager said: "Sorry, but yay! Now we can get drunk together!" I think I must have been the only sober bartender they´ve had working there.
But yeah... My last night... People might ask me what I´ve done here for a that amount of time. I´ve done quite a few things, but there is no better or more simple answer I can give but: "finding peace and being happy". One shouldn´t leave a place when it makes you happy, but there does come a time when it´s time to move on to savour the magic of a place before it gets boring. So my greatest recommendations to you, little town. Just don´t think you´ve got it if you´re staying at a normal hostal for two days.

Writing this comment a few months later: My american friend from Bogota and Taganga; Taylor, went back to South America and followed my recommendations to Salento. He greeted them from me, and they still remember who I am. Those things are strange to hear after a a long time. Life goes on as before in Salento. Only without me...