Schrimpff Residence, Bogota - Monday, January 13th

Fernando, Laura’s father had very kindly prepared me breakfast in the absence of Maria. A sumptuous combo of bread butter, jam, bananas, coffee and hot dogs. It went down an absolute treat.

Having endured a day getting around Bogotá on the Transmilenio (Bogota’s only form of public transoort-a bus system which is dressed up to look like a metro), it was time for a quiet day.

Having experienced around 10 new fruit and veg since arriving I figured I’d get ahead of the game. Maria offered to take me to the local market.

En route we discussed Colombia’s healthcare system. Despite having a GDP per capita five times smaller than the US, the poorest people in the country still had free healthcare. It wasn’t exactly the best care in the world but it was at least something. Being presented with a $2500 bill for what was essentially a 20 minute taxi (one way), some blood tests and a bed for three hours had sharpened my focus on the healthcare debate somewhat.

The walk also gave me a chance to reflect on just how wonderfully welcoming the people have been here. From the moment I’ve arrived Daniel, Kat, Laura and her parents had practically moved mountains to make sure my stay had been as pleasant as possible. Since my arrival I had not found myself wanting for company or comfort. I hoped to return the favour one day.

The Hernandez family were not the exception. Everyone I had encountered with them had been very warm and full of kindness. It was a sad moment when I bade farewell to Laura and José. Although I did notice a palpable sense of relief in José when it was clear that I was just going to hug him goodbye.

As most of the museums were closed I met Kat at the botanical gardens for a leisurely stroll. She had lived in the Amazon rainforest for 4 months and for much of the walk she told the story of Kapax, the Colombian Tarzan. In his mid thirties Kapax had decided that his job as a nulear physicist wasn’t quite up to scratch. Neither were his wife and three children it seems as he abandoned all of the above to live alone in the rainforest and does so to this day. She had encountered him while living there and he was the most enlightened man she had ever met. Fleetingly, I pondered the notion but realised that Nexflix probably wouldn’t work there. Although I heard rumours that Dominoes have a few outlets.

Despite repeated attempts to convince Ms Hernandez that I could take a taxi she insisted that she take me to my next port of call. Again I was sad to say goodbye to another Colombian companion. Sadly my writing about how happy they have made my first 2 days barely does justice to how great they have been.

My final stay in Bogota would be with Marianne, a relative of Ali’s family friend in Gloucestershire. So many people had approached her for advice and lodging in Colombia recently that she had lost track of who was staying when. Thankfully she seemed to recognise me when the door opened.

We were joined for dinner be her two sons and their partners. Having spent the last three days speaking a kind of idiom free blandglish it was a strange release to sit with native English speakers. By the end of dinner I had forgotten I was in Bogotá.

One day left. My sights were now firmly set on Medellin and its legendary nightlife.