As I briefly look through the window seeing how the clouds melt into infinity, I realize that it's been two hours since I left from Medellin. We just went through a huge tunnel and into Santafe de Antioquia. Last night was quite peaceful, the bed was great and breakfast was excellent, thanks a lot, Marta.
I can now see the Cauca river in the distance. The GPS says that I've already crossed it, meaning that I missed the crossing in my sleep... What a shame.
This bus is much smaller than the luxurious one that took me to Medellin, and the badass music is still as bad and loud as before. I guess they fine these buses if they don't have loud music on, or else I can't find any other reasons for this madness. However, bad, loud music and all, and even with a baby crying in the next seat, this trip is much calmer and nicer than yesterday's.
I realize that it's nice to travel alone, my mind has been quite creative these past few hours, and even though I haven't been able to focus on anything in particular, I guess that it's great to actually rest my mind in a state where any thought is okay. I definitely have to do this more often.
It's now three hours after we took off from Medellin, and we're now crossing Buritica, which is not even on my GPS. We're steadily climbing, and we're now at 2100m, but I do have to accept that since the GPS marked 1600m, it's been quite foggy. I hope it's not dangerous, but it's kinda cool to see that stuff below 3000m. I've also seen some military presence on the road, which is good, I guess. My cell phone is obviously out of range at this time.
Five hours into the trip, after several hours of the most magnificent nothingness, we cross through Dadeiba, a town much larger than I'd have expected on a road like this. I'm worried however, that this trip may take much more time than expected, because judging from linear distance to Turbo, we're not even close to being halfway there. I guess that once we get down frorm this mountain, it might be a lot faster.
In the meantime, my mind is starting to play with me. This means that even though I'm having a wide assortment of thoughts, my limerence is finally free to creep my mind most of the time. Not that I mind about it though, that kind of thoughts are always nice to have, I guess. I think this may be a side passenger for me from now on, now that I have more free mind-time.
Seven hours into the trip. We just crossed Mutata, and it seems like we're finally in the flatland. GPS bets 103 linear Km to Turbo, and a road sign bets for a more conservative 131. I estimate it will take between 2.5 and 3 hours to get there. I also have a new answer to the question "how hard can it be to urinate inside thw bowl?" many girls seem to ask: well, it is pretty damn tough when you try to aim at the bowl in the bus toilet, when the bus riding at 25Km/h on an unpaved slanted turn, when all available lighting is the little lamp I'm holding in my teeth, because there was no bulb in that room. Instead of practicing your mobile aim, you're thinking "this would be a nice place to have a handle!" ^^;;
Wow, deja vu! Just for a second, I was sure I'd been on that exact spot some time in the past, but considering how similar things are aroung here, it may have been anywhere, and it'd still give me deja vu...
Huh? I just crossed a sign that read "Pantano de Vargas"... Where am I going to, again? ^^
Eight hours, I'm about to lose my mind. Just passed through Carepa, and the end of the trip finally seems close. GPS says 37Km to destination. So close I can almost smell the sea from here.
Eight hours, ten minutes. I was wrong, that was not the sea, it was most likely the street market in Carepa. I've found a new hobby: finding broken spanish. You know how much I love engrish, so it's only natural for me to find this stuff. Here's what I've found so far: "Recidencias", "Cerrageria" and "Pezquera".
So far, this has been the most beautiful segment on this trip. From vast mountains to endless banana plantations. This segment contains sights I doubt I may see on another place. It makes you feel so glad and honored to have been born on this beautiful country. This is what I came for.
I finally arrived in Turbo! I guess this town is okay, but this is not my destination. The bus driver recommended a chicken restaurant that was excellent, and a $12000 (about USD 7) hotel, that I guess was so popular that had no free rooms. I tried several other "hotels", until I finally found a real one, for $62000 (like USD 35). It may be a little bit on the expensive sice, but I guess It's better to be safe than sorry. I also asked baout the trip to Capurgana. They start selling tickets at 6 AM tomorrow morning.
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