Exiled

The hotel we were all staying in is now home to just me. I have been moved to a room with a strange pink bathroom.  The sink is inch's away from the toilet which requires a person to do the limbo to get by either one to access the shower or sink. The word "shower" maybe generous there is no shower head just a 100 mph stream of either scalding hot or arctic cold water coming out. Trying to get out of my as of late illness I used said shower and felt better. The staff here which consists of 2 ladys that work 15 hours a day 6 days a week for 10 dollars a day. Knocked on my door today for help with there impending wedding preperation.  It seems they were having trouble hooking up a hose to a pressure washer. They were using a metal fastner that was american style fractions and trying to hook up to a metric plastic connection on the pressure washer. Thier plan was to use plastic wrap around the fitting to make up the difference. I tried in vain to explain that this course of action would not work and that they needed the right connector. They insisted I put it on. I then watched in horror as Doris the night staff opened the valve and the hose exploded off the pressure washer and sprayed me with muddy water. I did get to prctice my limbo a second time on the way to the shower.  The hotel is now alive with people resembling worker bees preparing for the wedding tonight,which Im told will go from 8PM to 3AM. after my second shower Iwas asked to help a 85pound weakling and nearest I can tell Doris's boyfriend help unload 80 pound boxes of plates and glasses. Im now considering a third shower.

more photos

I need spanish lessons quick

 Today I found out that we may not have all of the paperwork that we needed from the orphanage to travel. Very frustrating as I explained to the rep in Bogota that it would be helpful if our guide to all of the legal matters spoke 1 word in English like they promised us. To add to the frustration they won't let Tatiana come with to any of these kind of matters. Last night We all had a couple of beers and talked to one of the women that work in the hotel,(I thought I was holding my own in spanish) I think now I may be taking her kids shopping on Sunday. I thought I was talking about the weather. Oh well if I can make some poorer people happy while Im here all the better.

Bad news and good news

 First the bad news,because of some idiotic paperwork mistake at the courthouse are court date has been delayed. The only good news is we have a date of next wednsday so we are free to leave prison until then. I think of it as out on parole. Next stop BOGOTA

Another day another near death experience

Yesterday was pretty fun we knew we had to stay out of the hotel because they were having a business conference, we also knew that our guide/lunitic was picking us up at 6:30 to see the lights. So we went to a mall here in medellin that has rides. The problem was of course the odd couple Maria and Logan. Logan being the tallest 8 year old in the history of Colombia and Marie being the shortest we could only go on a few rides as Logan sat there frustrated watching the 14 year olds go by him on to the fun rides. He did however get to do something I have always wanted to do, ride a mechanical bull. He was a little scared mind you when his parents had to sign a waiver form in spanish. Then the guide came to pick us up to see these lights that Medellin sets up. Which by the way are amazing they set up about a 2 mile stretch of lights. They span a tarp like structure over the river about every 50 feet or so and pump water onto these pinwheel like lights which spin and throw the lighted water into the air. Im almost positive a MN electrical inspector would not approve. And the peridodly they have huge scenes like santas workshop and his house and giant nativity scenes. The problem was that our guide told us she would be parking and walking and told Tatiana once we were in the car that we couldn't park we would have to drive.(Tatiana neglected to tell us this until we missed half the lights to take pictures. She was oblivious also to the near death experience we were about to have. I neglected to mention all five of us were in the back seat of her Chevy Aveo to make room for her friend from colarodo that may have been the tallest woman i have ever seen outside of a basketball game. As the guide talked with her friend she drove into on coming traffic and only Karens gutteral scream saved us from certain death. Tatian none the wisere still wants to drive with the guide as she is somehow more scared of taxis. More to come tomorrow if I survive tonights driving experience.

a few misc picture

pictures from the cable-car ride up the mountain