In this blog, I am going to try to tell you a different story. I am bringing on board my experience in taking a small charter plane to the mountains. So, here we are, preparing for a flight from Medellin to Manizales.

I continue with my daily vlogs at my YouTube channel (do stay tuned) and continue with blog posts on the topic. I hope that my experience can be something that you may learn from. Or to have fun with!

The day started at a small coffee shop just downstairs from my place. If you like to start your day with a good cup of coffee then you know why I need this. After that, straight to the airport to confirm my ticket. And then – mountains, here I come!

At the Airport

If you thought that everything comes so easy for me – this is a classic implementation of Murphy laws!

People at the airport did not confirm my number. They wouldn’t take my credit card online. Now I need to find somebody to talk to out here and I reckon that it will not be an easy thing to do. To make a long story short, I found someone and I got information that I should only come two hours earlier TOMORROW and pay in cash. So, I should be at the airport at 10 AM. Fine with me.

I wandered around and just across the street found a mall. Not a mall, more like a mall/bus terminal. Medellin is the south terminal, so if you’re going to Bogota by bus, which I highly don’t recommend, you should know it is 10 hours drive. And that is why I’m flying. So, this terminal would be a place to buy your ticket and see how long will you travel by bus.

And that is what I will do – to talk to the people at the terminal and see how long is this drive to Manizales. They say 6 hours, but that is not what I’ve heard from people. I would take a bus if it was that many hours, but I doubt it. And I already have a ticket, so I’ll fly. But at least I have a backup now.

I know that I keep underlining prices here in Colombia, but I think it’s fair to do so. I am not promoting local cafes and restaurants. You may see on my YouTube channel all the local food and drinks that I try, the size of the portions, and my satisfaction. Price is there to stress out disbalance between the food quality and pricing. Here, you get your money’s worth.

So, I’ve had a coffee for $1,25 and it is not just a coffee, it is a nice handmade cappuccino. I’ve had lunch, a hot fish soup, few vegetables, a vitamin C juice, some salsa, a lot of salsa, then pescado thai style – a whole fish. And all of this is $2 or $3 with the drink.

Look From My Flat

Having a flat in the middle of the town makes it easier to get around. I have a great look at Venezuelan Consulate. And there are so many cars in the streets just parked there for a long, long time. I think that people just keep them that way and I figure that they run just fine.

This place, La Setenta, is a town of wide streets, loads of trees, and greenery in general, a lineup of two to three-floor houses cut by a skyscraper of architecture from the future. Amazing, I can tell you.

Close to my apartment, there’s a park where you can work out and an amazing and big pool with side stairs that I use for running up and down for recreation.

At this time of the year you can have a couple of just beautiful days and then a great deal of rain. But the reward comes in a sight of a double rainbow. I feel lucky to have one dry afternoon! But it is time to say goodbye to this whole place.

Flying to Manizales and Nighttime Walk Experiment

The plane is like a little turbo turboprop plane. The view from the air is just stunning! I believe that I am heading on a real adventure!

We’re in Montez now and I am walking about the place. I am in the hills and I’ve never smelled air this clean! Walking about the place brings up one strange feeling and that is that I’ve never felt like I was part of the environment, truly being here, a respectful member of the community. And it’s crazy!

I took a nighttime experiment, and I’m not sure how smart it is to walk the city all alone, definitely not blending in. Being out feels so great that I feel good about walking the place. And no wonder it is so, since I am at the foothills of the Andes mountains, at almost 7,000 feet! So that is that – the start of a new chapter.

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