Whew.....so many things so few days

We are in Colombia!!!!!!!  After a emotional and stressful travel day, a brief rest with the in-laws in Bogota, a beautiful yet exhausting 9 hour bus trip to Manizales, and one very long, tiring, but still exciting day apartment shopping in Manizales I am filled with so many emotions I don't even know which ones to write!

TRAVEL DAY

I woke up on Thursday after a night of random late night packing, I woke up only to have to fix the weight in my bags and hurry out to the car without any sentimental feelings (better that way) and with a lot of help from dad with all my bags.  When we pulled into the airport garage, we immediately saw Colleen and Sara who came to see me off and be my personal pack horses until then.  Lol! 

However, laughs were quickly gone when I realized the booking website that I used was a piece of $%!#...and the two airlines that I would be using do not communicate with one another.  Therefore, I learned I would have to get my bags in Orlando and recheck them in to get my ticket to Bogota.....after I had gone to Chicago.  I have to say when the Santo's pull together we can do just about anything.  I had one sister writing down my itenarary, one on the phone with JetBlue, my dad and Colleen on the phone with CheapOAir.com, and the others (Michelle Greg and Mom) trying to keep me from freaking out.  After exhausting all efforts, I realized I would just have to suck it up and have an awesome work out trying to cart around my 4 suitcases and computer bag and purse in the Orlando airport by myself.  So with many tears from I think just about everyone, I went on my way hoping that both my suitcases and myself could make it to Bogota.

After taking off an hour late from Chicago, I arrived to Orlando sprinting to get my bags, put them on the cart and sprint to the JetBlue Check-in where I was the last person allowed to check-in for my flight.  Due to the graciousness of the check-in guy for United I only had to pay the extra baggage fees once.  By the time I had made it to the gate I had time for quick phone calls to say I will make it to Bogota and scarf down a McDonalds plain double cheeseburger.

BOGOTA

Once I made it to Bogota, I met my wonderful husband in the customs line who waited for me there in case I had any problems.  It took 2 cars to get all of our stuff and persons back to his parents house for a couple days rest.  I have to say that while be separated from Diego was very difficult at times, I completely forgot about all that when we were together again.  It felt like it was completely normal- a good sign if I say so myself!

TRIP TO MANIZALES

Anyway, we got our things together for the most incredible bus trip. I was excited to see what buses are like in Colombia after all my trips in Mexico and I have to say the are comparable.  I watched The Shooter in dubbed Spanish and understood most of it, except for those key couple lines that let you understand a major plot twist.  Everything is practice.  

Anyway, I have to say the paisaje... Give me a minute.  What is it in English? I have to look it up.  Aha!!!! Landscape!  The landscape of Colombia is just incredible.  Everything is so green and alive here.  There were tropical looking plants high in the mountain and waterfalls along the side of the road.  And when the sunsets (including in Manizales) it is absolutely incredible.  The sun peaks over the mountains to highlight the terrain and the organized chaos of all the buildings and roads.  

We stopped for lunch (a few hours after we exepected due to traffic....although our bus driver did everything he could to pass many trucks (in a 2 lane road) going around hair pin turns.  I think there is a system of honking to help out....but they could mean something completely different.  Anyway, our lunch consisted of a huge bowl of soup, a huge filled plate of food and a drink for a whopping total of $3.  And this was good food!!!  I love that part about Colombia.  After lunch the trip went pretty quick and we arrived in Manizales at about 7:30-8pm (we left at 10:30am).

MANIZALES

 We went to the same boarding house that Diego stayed at before with a woman named Isobel.  She was so nice (which is something I can say about everyone here in Manizales) and had us stay in her daughters room, because her other rooms were filled.  The picture to the left is the view from her window at night.  Need I say more?

I have to say it was sweet/funny how much Diego was loved by everyone is that house.  Isobel was excited and even the older, very sick senora was happy to see him.  Isobel's helper, Cesy, I think has a crush on Diego because she kept giving me strange, appraising looks.  They all joked around a lot which I am noticing is the hole that I am missing.  I can't really understand most jokes and telling them is just as difficult.

We moved to Luz Marina's house the next day (Isobel's sister) and her house is HUGE!  She has probably about 8 rooms of tennants.  I think it's a good business in Manizales since all the universities are here.  The house is nice with meals and laundry included, but I have issues sleeping because out room faces the very busy road.  I have decided to go to sleep every night with my IPod as my savior.

So after spending a whopping 12 hours in Manizales we start apartment shopping.  I can honestly say that in that first day on Monday we went down 6 floors to see the gates of hell, but we also went up 6 floors to see heaven.  Hell was moldy, dark, no air, and just plain scary.  Heaven was perfect except it was a studio apartment with no separate bedroom (apparently studios can have a separate bedroom here).  Another interesting thing is that because the terrain here, you can enter the building and have your apartment on the first floor, but on the other side of the building there are 4 aparments below you that have large open windows to the street on the other side.  So it's difficult to judge what you will see when it says you are on the 3rd floor...that could mean you have to go down three floors.

After seeing many more places over 2 days (including a house) Diego and I decided to go to a company for help.  Diego works from 6-5 with 1.5 hours of lunch and the sun sets about 6:30 so it just doesn't leave us a lot of time to walk around, call the owners, get the keys to check it out.

I think I will end this post (it's already too long) and talk more about the city on the next one!  Love you all and wish you could see this with us!