Medellin

 I’ve spent the last few days in Medellin, Colombia, and I can see why it’s a popular spot for the digital nomad crowd. It’s very active and there are a number of western stores, as well as being very cheap.

Tomorrow I am heading to Santa Marta for the jungle hike. This will be another find-your-limit activity. It’s regarded as one of the most difficult of the popular hikes in South America. The difficulty is the extreme heat and humidity in the jungle, combined with the rain and flooded rivers of the rainy season.

It’s 5 full days of hiking, expect no updates from me for that time (not that I’ve been particularly good at posting regularly at the moment).

A couple of extra nights I wasn’t planning

Last night at 3am they said it won’t be till 4pm that they will get it fixed, so they bussed us off to a hotel — the Marriot, and nice rooms — but it wasn’t until 6am I got to bed. So. Many. Lines. We. Had. To. Wait. In. Lines for elevators, immigration, the busses, the hotel checkin.

Today I’m waiting to board, attempt 2, to go to Bogotá. The flight will not get in until after the last flight to Costa Rica. But fortunately it’s all on one ticket, so the airline will have to put me up in a hotel in Bogotá and fly me the next morning.

Of course, that assumes everything goes to plan — it has so far, right?

Delays delays

The flight from Madrid to Bogotá was delayed… it’s still delayed… it feels like it’s hour 235 of delays.

Because the flight is originating from the EU, every passenger will get compensation for the delay — someone said it will be around 600EUR. That’s like half the price of the ticket. 

My connection in Bogotá to San Jose is looking a little tight, but again because I brought it as a connecting flight, originating from Europe, they have to put me on the next flight and give a bunch of other compensation or something.

In the meantime I wait… and wait… I’ve been pacing up and down the concourse and since midnight walked 5,200 steps… waiting…