Don't Cry for Me Colombia

It was a sad day leaving Colombia and I was pushing my time to the maximum.

Seconds and minutes were passing and I was shopping or talking to someone or taking my sweet time at breakfast.  I said bye to all the staff as my usual routine. The front desk was the most difficult to leave and the breakfast staff-just adored them. The taxi had come on time as I was prepared to miss my flight. If I did, would it be so bad?  I guess staying at a fantastic hotel helps anyone's interpretation of a city, but this city is spectacular: great shopping, great nightlife , fun and good looking people, great energy, great dancing, excellent food. It's a country that I knew I would love in a continent that ranks in my heart as one of the best. It's a place to visit again and again and enjoy yourself and immerse in the culture.




So happy to make this trip for my 30th birthday.

Eating sushi, Peruvian food, and typical food for breakfast-I did not get a chance to eat at the pricey Mondongo's. It's basically a pricier version of local food you can have half price. The waiters I made friends with were waiting for me, but I just ran out of time. Literally I was going around the hotel saying bye to all the staff- making my usual runs. Going around so fast that I misplaced my Colombia gold leaf necklace I bought in the gift shop- quite expensive. I left on a positive note and was thankful for spending my 30th birthday in Medellin. 

God bless Medellin, Colombia! Te amo!!!

 

God bless Medellin, Colombia! Te amo!!!

 

And so the Story Goes...

My Viva Colombia flight left on time and was headed on a 45 minute flight back to Panama City. On the plane, I met a lovely Colombian couple who were traveling to Panama City for 5 days to stay at the Hardrock Hotel-what a coincidence.  We waited in the long customs ride and I sat there absolutely terrified with my two friends.

"What if they ask for my card again? "
"What if I say the wrong thing?"

My two buddies were reassuring me that "everything will be okay." It was difficult to believe after my first border crossing into Panama. Apparently, the border is very different from the airport. 
"Next. Hi, how long is your stay in Panama?"
"I have a flight this evening at 12."
"Do you have anything to declare?"
"No, I don't."
The whole time I am holding my rosary hoping they will let me through.
He says, "Okay, have a nice flight."

"Pheww I felt like a criminal who was bringing in some illegal package. This is how much anxiety I had after my traumatic border crossing. My friends were waiting for me and said, "I told you so."
The customs man was fair and nice-justice was received and retribution. Now, it was time to get a taxi to get to the center. The Israel guy, a super typical backpacker who smelled of alcohol, was headed with his girlfriend on a shuttle van. I talked to him a bit and told him to wait up. The shuttle took me back by the Don Bosco church where I had planned to make a stop......

Missionary to Missionary

At last my friends have come along

My lonely days are over

And life is like a song

When I was on the cable car to the ‘looking over the slums, I was tuned out to the others inside. I was consumed in poverty. How does this happen where one side is so rich and the other is so poor? I sit and ponder these things while others talk about face book and what they want to eat for lunch. I can’t really focus on that when I am looking at what’s below me.

Fortunately, there was a long way to go and we ended up three different cable cars to get to the top. The third cable car entered into complete natural beauty and I could refocus myself.

For an icebreaker (yes therapists use icebreakers too), I asked the four in the car if they would like a picture.  It was all downhill from there as we immediately clicked. Oh come on Priscilla how do you just click with strangers? I make jokes to make them laugh and we get to know one another. 

By the time we were off the cable car at the top of this amazing forest, they asked me to join them.  They brought their “lunch” and I brought myself because I planned to buy food at the top. I found some nice chocolate covered strawberries (need those) and a whole bunch of meat (not very appetizing). 

On our way past the local food, there was a man selling a gooey white substance. It was suppose to be a dessert. My new friend walks over to buy one and hands it to me. While I love sugar, this is not something I want I try. I taste and it taste like something gooey  with coconut. "Mmm" I smile. I walked around with it having small bites and acting like I like it. 

This was a National Park with 

many trails, hikes, waterfalls, ziplining, kayaking, bird watching, and more. My focus was on the activity and not so much on the eating. The Colombians make me lose my appetite with those bodies (yikes).

We had such a wonderful time taking a long hike to the park where you can kayak and zipline. We stopped at a couple waterfalls and made  silly jokes.

Along the way, they were eating their lunch. I stopped to eat their “lunch.” They said they brought a picnic lunch. An average person would think sandwiches, cheeses, and some fruit. Their lunch consisted of cans of soda, Cheetos, mini brownies, chocolates, and something like fritos. They kept offering it to me and I was thinking, “How do you all eat this junk and stay skinny?” It’s a metabolism thing I just never quite understand.

Nevertheless, it was cute watching these adorable Colombians chomp on Cheetos and walk like turtles. 

The guy, Christian, was quite a guy. He shared with me his story that he was a missionary and he preaches all over. He recently finished a trip walking from Panama City to Colombia through the jungle. This was hard to believe, but his friends all confirmed it. This kid was amazing and intriguing to have such commitment to the Lord to walk through a jungle hundreds of miles-maybe 1,000? When he explained his reasoning it involved doing something greater than what is asked for by the Lord. It involved service and it involved spreading the message of the Lord-powerful.

 People do incredible things and they do them with God whether they are aware of this or not.  PRIS

 

This was interesting because it turns out they were all Christians and they met through the local church. Two girls and two boys in their early 20s and committed to Jesus-beautiful.

Instead of taking the cable cars back down, it was recommended to take the bus. Oh my goodness, I love the bus, but this was like zig zag and zig zag all the way down. It was completely nauseating and I needed a break.  They weren’t up for kayaking and ziplining because they wanted to catch the bus down. They had church to attend-wonderful Christian new friends yaay.

They left me all by myself to zipline and kayak-oh so sad. The ziplining was quick and just went right across the lake.







 





The kayaking was a rather large boat with a paddle. This was not a kayak. It’s made for 2-4 people, but I wanted to give it a try with one person.  The guy said I could go and try and out since they were closing and he didn’t think I would be out long with 1 person and 1 paddle. 

Well, I even surprised myself and the Colombian family in the water. I started off switching off my rowing. Something I was doing was unsuccessful because I stayed in one place. This caused laughing from the people across from me. 

I decided to move my body forward and this helped me have a better grip. Off I went into the sunset and around the bay area, people were still watching as I was switching sides at a fast pace. When I took a break, I looked up and stared into the sky. This day was meant to just be spent alone, but I met some beautiful believers and they made the day so much better. 

God sends the right people my way when traveling and I am forever grateful. 

Dinner with Carlos

Peruvian Dinner with My Friend Carlos who I met from Couchsurfing. He is a CEO of a medical company and he has a true passion for traveling. His work sends him all over Colombia and all over the world. His Colombian spirit is infectious and I wish we had more time to get to know one another. It's hard to make time when you have such a busy job. This is clear for people like me who have way more flexibility with schedule. One day I will get there and day by day, I take steps in the right direction to my own masterpiece. 

 

Market and Church

Without someone telling me, I stumbled upon one of the best markets. However, the sad part is that they were closing in 20 minutes. It was clearly an old Antique market full of souvenirs. Anything you wanted they had it and they were friendly rather than pushy and sarcastic. Initially, I met a woman selling t-shirts for $10, but she didn't have the color I wanted.
  

Next, I met a beautiful Colombian girl. The long hair, nice body, and pretty smile-yep that's her! She had the best display in her shop with all the colors shining bright in your face. Colombians sure do love colors! This shop had the Mayan belts, backpacks, jewelry, coin purses, all kind of rocks and jewels from the Mountains, instruments, artwork, etc. The tribal patterns looked similar to Guatemala, but the prices were a bit higher(different product quality).

  

She kept saying I was pretty and I said she was pretty and I started with my Colombian female interview.

"Why are Colombian girls so pretty?"

 

Answer: "We like to take care of ourselves, our hair, our make up, or nails. It's part of the culture for women."

"Do they work out?"

Answer:  Some do light running or walking or the gym. I run about once a week."

"Hmm ok I see.

Do you eat food?"

Answer: She is laughing.

"Of course. I eat a lot of food."

 

"Like what kinds of food?"

Answer: I don't eat fast food, but I eat everything else. 

Basically she was telling me she eats a lot of food. The conversation with me shaking my head and her laughing. Oh these Colombian girls.

I ended up buying a Dream catcher, a bracelet from her, and a couple key chains. She was pleased and asked me to come back tomorrow for lunch. That was my departure day Of Course.

         

             

                         

We had to part and I had to head to the 7pm service at San Antonio. I must have asked 5 people how to get there and finally I made it, but late. The pastor was speaking about having faith in ourselves and in our communities. How do we have this faith when things feel hopeless? We have to lift our hands up and praise the lord, praise he lord, praise the lord. Only he can restore our faith and make us feel peace and excitement. 

          

                    

Chillaxing

Monday was a wonderful day. The breakfast buffet was excellent-especially the Stuffed French toast, smoked salmon with Brie and Figs, excellent Café leche, 

I had the hotel all to myself except for a few people. It was time to take advantage of the pool, hot tub, and sauna. 

Touch down! Best ceviche of the trip!

Swimming with my new ten year old Colombian friend. His brother and him are both from Medellin (where I am going). They are staying with their nun who is the babysitter. Another nun on an Iphone playing scrabble.  It’s funny seeing a nun in the Hard Rock pool, but again they are just people too.

The Colombian girls and I were dancing near the pool and being silly.  They had no one there so it was okay to let loose and have some fun.  They all invited me to Cartagena(where they are from) and I said, “Okay after Medellin I will stop there.” Oh boy, if I could I would-trust me!

After my swimming, I spent sometime exploring different areas of the hotel. They have some fantastic lounges where you can just get lost reading and relaxing. So that is what I did. I also went up to the Bling bar area to sit on the balcony.  

Finally, dinner at the steakhouse with impeccable décor and a Halibut to die for and a chocolate soufflé to write home about. It was my birthday time on overdrive.   

The best part about Monday and Tuesday was that everyone cleared out of the hotel. It was truly a time to relax and take advantage of the hotels nice spaces: juice café, Rock n Roll lounge, sushi restaurant, and great coffee café.  Bling Nightclub looked nice, but I did not attend because I can proudly say....It just doesn't hold the importance it used to, but relaxing and enjoying life always will.   

Hard Rock Surpises

It’s my party and it will rain if it wants to....

Rain if it wants to....
 
Rain if it wants to....

You would cry too if it happened to you...

 

Okay nice lyrics, but no one was crying, especially not in the Hard Rock. It was my birthday and I was in my favorite mid-range hotel. I just felt so thankful with Saturday and the beginning of the day. When you add on the luxury, I become so thankful because I worked towards it. People stay in the 4 to 5 star hotels all the time and sometimes don’t leave.  This was not my life and staying just sometimes made it pretty special.
 

When I arrived at the front desk, they were dressed in adorable Michael Jackson uniforms. The front desk agent was a sweet girl from Colombia who lived in Miami. We had our nice little conversation and I was extra nice to her, especially to get the room I wanted. I did mention it was my birthday and I was staying alone(hey good to pull out all the stops-it was the truth). I had just paid for a standard room, but all I really wanted was a great view from the 15 floor or something.


She smiles at me, “Okay I have your room. I hope you like it.” She gives me a wink and I was thinking, “Hmmm.”

I take my heavy, travelers backpack (not common luggage for the Hard rock) and I take a look at my card to check the floor and it says “56.” 

Excitement is coming over me as I rush through the elevator doors. 20, 30, 40, 56. I walk out the elevator doors to the end of the hallway. The door opens and there is a Junior Suite with sofa, kitchen, table, and television. 

The balcony immediately attracted me as it appeared to be pretty big. I couldn’t open the door, probably out of pure excitement. I went in the bedroom to open it there and “Voila.”

It was a Penthouse view that went 360 all around. I felt like Pretty woman and I jumped on the bed like a 10 year old. It was my birthday and I had this spectacular view. It was exactly what I wanted. It was truly mesmorizing and if I lived with that view I would write everyday and all day-amazing.

It sounds sad being alone for your birthday, but I’m never alone with my higher power. Also, with my personality and character, I can always make friends with staff and guests. It happened to be the weekend with all the Colombians visiting-perfectly satisfied with that and met some great Colombians. In this hotel, I was never alone. I spoke with pretty much every staff that worked there-the Colombian staff and a couple of them from Panama.

                      Lychee soda yes please  

Exploring the hotel......

Pre-dinner   Photos

 

When it came to the night, my friend Marco from last night insisted on meeting me for dinner and I accepted. 

There were 5 or 6 restaurants at the Hard Rock and I checked out a few before he came. 

    

When I walked into the beautiful buffet room and saw the selection, I was set on eating there. It felt like all eyes were on me and that’s the way I like it on my birthday. The star attention and compliments-Leo enjoys this very much. I spent some time talking to the adorably cute manager and making friends with the staff. They weren’t aware of my birthday until it slipped out that I turn 30 today. 

As we became more comfortable, I was joking that we can take a full cake from the desert table with a few candles (I would settle for a few). The staff would come around and I would say to him. “What happened did someone took a bite from my cake?”

“Make sure you guard it or bring me a full one.”

Then I would tell the manager that someone ate my cake and he would just smile. "Tell these people to please stay away from my cake." I was definitely interested in making him smile. 

At this point, I am still waiting for my friend, but I am eating and talking so I am content.  Crab, Sea bass, capri mozzarella, roasted potatoes, and all kinds of salads/gourmet cheeses-yeah I’m good. What was a bit annoying was that he kept saying he would "come in five minutes"(this just triggered my Moroccan experience) This expression pretty much sounds like nails on a chalkboard to me...so I focused on the present moment and ignored my phone.

Anyways, he finally did show up an hour late, but he was on the other side of town. I totally forgave him and was thankful he did make the effort to come. He is truly like a teddy bear and his face is so sweet and kind. He makes me laugh and we thoroughly enjoyed our dinner together. 

At the end, they all come up for the cake and “Happy Birthday.” They sing in Spanish and English. It’s a happy moment for me. These people are so wonderful and not just some random people, but people I took the time to get to know a bit.

              

Off we went next to the Rock and Music lounge where they had amazing live music each night. This night was “The Old Times.” The place was filled with Colombians and I was rocking out as if I was one of them. Everyone was typical Latin America singing along with the lyrics, hands up with glasses inside their palms. 

There were two of the Spanish songs I recognized and loved. Marco did not seem very interested, but he said he was just watching the music.  Perhaps, he was watching the girls because these Colombian girls are b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l. They all have this long, straight dark hair that is down to their butt. They wear huge platforms and tight jeans or pants with a dress top. The men are not as attractive, but if this is a taste of Colombia I like it. 
 

The band ended about a half an hour after and we called it a night. With or without my friend Marco, it would have been a great night for me because I loved the people I was around and that’s what matters on a birthday… okay, okay and sometimes the ritz and the glamour.=)