Colombia, una vida breve — Tevin Williams Music

I was 30 minutes from deciding to cancel the whole thing…

But my strong-willed ego prevailed, despite some concerning health.

I had my wisdom teeth removed the day after Christmas and about three weeks before my departure. The procedure went flawless and I was left with dismal swelling and no dry sockets (shout out to Dr. Gayed)! But the holly-jolly hit a wall when my cookie-inflamed body had been reintroduced to narcotics and antibiotics. If you know anything about Amoxicillin or other antibiotics in the penicillin clan, then you’re probably aware of its impact on gut health. I’ll spare the details because that could be graphic and this isn’t a health blog - It was ugly and I was not my best. So I made a few trips to my doctor, urgent care, and praised health guru of 25 years, mom, addressing a larger dilemma: WHAT DO I DO TO GET RID OF THIS, I’M GOING TO ANOTHER COUNTRY IN 4 DAYS??????

I drank a lot water to replenish what I’d lost and was faced with a reality that my trip might be cancelled. But what about all that money I’d already spent? Pro tip - cheap tickets are usually non-refundable. So I took a bet on time. The very night before my flight, I was asked to join my friends, members of The Greeting Committee, on stage with tambourine in hand at their sold out show. What you don’t know is that I’m also plagued with the condition of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), a perfect pairing to what I was already medically dealing with. So…I said yes, even though I was instructed to rest. The concert was perfect and they really smashed it (check them out here). Pictured below is my critically ill state.

The show wrapped and I went home to consider a changed course. Upon leaving for the airport, my brother asked me if I felt okay enough to go. I darted back with an exclamatory “,YES!” I was 30 minutes from deciding to cancel the whole thing…but my strong-willed ego prevailed despite some concerning health. I just needed to get on the plane as quickly as possible so that my escape plan would be foiled. When I got to the airport, I was GREETED by a nice surprise! One of the members, compositional and guitar Wizard Brandon, of the very same band I’d joined on stage from the night before was waiting at the gate. Wearing a similar expression of exhaustion, we learned that we were both on the same flight. Coinci-freaking-dence? I think absolutely. Turns out that Wizard B and his lovely lady were en route to a much needed break in Mexico City, which happened to be where I had a layover. I had planned to not have a plan during what could have been 12 insufferable hours. The two kindly offered up their gorgeous rental for me to crash. I did. Beforehand, I got to do some roaming in a new city with two familiar faces! This trip was already turning to the upside.

After a light introduction to a Spanish speaking world, I boarded my next flight to Bogotà. The sight from inside the plane was one to remember. We were greeted by cascading mountains painted by ripened fields that enclosed a proud skyline. Leaving the airport prepared me for the first lesson to learn in Colombia: find a taxi or they will find you. Uber is illegal, here, by the way, so if you plan to travel anywhere in Colombia then use whatever you use with discretion. I ended up paying a considerably high fare for a relatively inexpensive country ~ $40 USD for a 25 min ride. Will, the tenant at the hostel, greeted me with absolute kindness. We had gotten to know each other for the brief bit that I was in Bogotà, through stories of dance, family-past, and language barriers. This is the treasure of travel. While I was in the city for a good day and a half, I opted into a bike tour, market visit, a game of Tejo, and a hike up a mountain with my quickly befriended Aussie hostel-mate, Talaria, up to Santuario de Monserrate. The trek was humbling but the view was unlike anything I’ve seen. From atop the church side is a vantage point of wonder: who in their right mind chose THIS as an acceptable altitude to build? I won’t nag but a brother was matched with fatigue. Along with an impeccable shot of the city, I spent time learning about Talaria’s story - a firefighter from Sydney who’d been exploring this country and some for months. Oh, the tales of other vacation policies, abroad. We shared the next two hours sweating in all of our glory, reflecting on how we’ve grown to become exactly who we are. We got so caught up that I missed my flight. Oops! To the sheer kindness that embodies Colombians, the airline attendant put me on a flight departing two hours later at no charge! Sure, the fare for a one way to Medellìn cost about $35 USD, but who am I to complain a complementary “We-know-that-you-suck-but-we-look-past-it” gift? It left at sunset which made for a better view, anyway.

I arrived into Medellìn around 8:00p and bee-lined it straight to the bathroom. You’ll note that my…faculties…were still under reconstruction so I was absolutely in NO position to miss my moment. So much so that I forgot my phone in the stall but had it rushed to me from a sweet, sweet custodial worker. Colombians, man. After the ~$10 USD bus ride into the city - do this or pay $40 USD for a cab - I checked into my hostel located in the heart of the city of Eternal Spring. I was very hungry and went out to get something to eat to no feat given the overload of restaurants in Poblado. And as it is true for the coffee capital of the world, the food in Colombia is insanely delicious and insanely cheap. I ate like a king with a plebeian pocket. And to my surprise, the variety was extraordinarily spread. Halal, cheese and chicken fries, seafood, you name it, all within a short walk in perfectly tempered streets. I spent the first day walking around, as I do with every first visit, getting to know my surroundings. If I can offer any tip about traveling, then it is this. It will come in handy on less than sober nights or if you’re ever forced to walk it out. I was also introduced to my new friend, Zaky. We bonded over our curly fro situation and then immediately saw our way to a few drinks with locals.

If I had another tip, then it’s to stay in (reviewed) hostels! Here, you can sharpen your people skills and score a few compadres for adventuring. If you take the solo route, then that’s cool too. Zaky, a Swiss living, French-Spanish-Moroccan, studly man, had been in Colombia for only a few weeks but had spoken Spanish as though he were a local. Apparently, he picked it up in 3 weeks while working at a resort in the Dominican Republic. As they do. We spent that night ingesting ourselves with falafel and savory conversations about mental health, work culture as brown men, and life in general. Following dinner, we saw ourselves to meet up with Nesa, who would show us to the local Salsa club. A COLOMBIAN SALSA CLUB. I’m talking live music, fiery footwork, and loud exclamations from the band. I ended up pairing with a student, Maria, from Mexico City, who had been in the city studying for a semester. Through my tried Spanish, I was able to convince her to teach me some moves so I didn’t look too much like a lost Gringo, despite the occasional drop-ins I’ve made at my local salsa club. We laughed, we danced, and we raged. Zaky and I found time salsa, eat, get our bodacious curls washed by some pros, eat, get a tattoo, and eat some more. I owe him for the inspiration behind my impulsive ink.

I woke up early with a mild headache so that I could meet the taxi driver who would take me to try the Parapente, or paragliding. THE RUSH. Like many Colombians, Juan didn’t speak English. So I was forced to do what any visitor in a foreign country should do - TRY. To my own credit, I’d been practicing Portuguese so a lot of the words and phrases were vaguely similar. My pride was checked in at the airport and I agreed that I would stick to Spanish even if I sounded like an nonsensical baby. As if I had the choice? I offered him a humbled apology, explaining that while I didn’t speak Spanish with fluency, I wanted to practice and requested he repeat phrases that I didn’t understand. In exchange, I taught him a few English expressions that he never asked for. We spent a greater deal of the two hours talking about the life he’s lived as a Paisa, someone born in Medellìn. How life in this now incredibly safe-haven used to be riddled with violence and disparity. It was also the birthplace of the infamous Pablo Escobar who was undeniably the leader of the Colombian drug cartel and narcoterrorism. And while my knowledge stemmed only from binges on the Netflix series, Narcos, I found myself corrected by Juan’s personal accounts of what really went down. PS - the show is good for drama and not facts. He had seen it all - the loss of business, the killing of his friend, and the once-lived fear of raising his now college-aged daughter. Along with personal testimonies, Medellìn offers personal and public tours of Comuna 13, the former stomping grounds of the late drug lord. Some of them are free.

The rest of my short visit was bliss, peppered in excitement. Taking a suspended cable car to Comuna 13 via is an experience that everybody should try when visiting Medellìn. PRO TIP: a one way in the metro is $0.50 USD. I’m not kidding. The Botanical Gardens also offers perennial beauty and a snack shop in case you’re craving an ice cream cone. And let’s face it, you’re alway craving an ice cream cone. This city is encased with people wanting to help but doing so from a respectful and understood distance. They know that their home is alluring to its guests and kindly open their doors for us to enjoy. But don’t get cocky or you will get ignored. I lost count at the amount of times someone smiled before I had the chance to do so. Or, when they knew I had probably crash coursed my Spanish speaking upon conversation. What I learned is that this place is inhabited with the most patient of people. A lesson that I take home to practice. If you’re considering a trip here but you’re afraid of the language barrier then grab tools and prepare. We live in a world with access to more resources then we’ve ever had so living under this retired excuse is just lazy :). I suggest Duolingo to start. And if your data plan is limited or you just hate technology, then try it the old fashioned way. Go and figure it out. I promise that if you open yourself, then you will be surprised by how much you can pick up. The world is filled with people who share our stories. Our language shouldn’t be a barrier to hear them. With food as good as it is affordable, and kindness as generous as its views, I know that I will return to Colombia to check out what I didn’t: Cartagena, Silento, Cali, and more. And to the gorgeous people I met along the way, William, Talaria, Caleb, Tyler, Gustavo, Zaky, Nesa, Harry, Lisa, Fransico, and more, I wish you a lifetime of adventure (if you’re reading this)!

Pròxima vez,

Tevin