Medellin

About an hour before boarding, one of the flight attendants addresses everyone at gate B17, looking for 2 people that are willing to accept responsibility in case of an emergency and sit in the emergency seats.  I thought that the extra leg room would be great, but also looked at some of the people sitting around me and thought "if this Boeing 737 goes down, I don't believe that they could truly take on the task of opening the emergency exit." If there's anything I've learned from Will Smith, it's that you can make a badass face at something, say a cheesy line, and all will work out.  Of course, when I get to the counter and offer to change seats, he repeats that he is looking for 2 people, thanks but no thanks.  It turns out they oversold tickets and can't simply move one person. Oh well.

I get to Medellin and get through customs pretty easily.  I grab my luggage and walk to the roulette wheel of searching people.  I've seen this in Mexico before - you push a big red button, then wait nervously for the machine to light up either green or red.  Kinda fun, until you get the red light and they tear your bag apart.  I hit it, get the green light, everyone's all smiles and I'm on my way.  I meet up with Yolima, the secretary of Pipeline Colombia, who directs me to her husband Gonzalo's car, which is marginally bigger than my suitcase.  Their daughter is sitting inside too, so I feel like an asshole since Yolima, her daughter and my suitcase cram in the backseat, and I sit comfortably up front.

All of the roads here are hilly and curvy, which is a fun ride...when not in Colombia.  These people drive like animals, with the lines on the road only indicating which way the road will turn, so everyone just veers all over the place, no signals.  It's kinda fun and exciting, until we're approaching a 90 degree turn and there is no braking in sight.  Halfway through the turn, the car starts sliding slightly towards the outside, so Gonzalo starts applying brake pressure. We survive the turn, and do the same thing for the next hundred or so turns.  I guess you get used to it at one point.  I have a feeling that Gonzalo will be one of my favourite characters here.  I think partially because the name reminds me of the Muppet Gonzo, and partially because he seems like a wild man.  More on him later.

Driving into Medellin, coming down the mountain side there are lights peppering the area - it's really nice to see.  We get to the hotel and I meet up with Wes, my co-worker from Canada.  He gives me a big hug, which is awkward because we don't really know each other that well, but since I'm the only person he's seen that he recognizes for 3 and a half weeks, I go along with it.  Definitely awkward.

Gonzalo asks me if I like beer. Ha ha.  I tell him that right now, I not only like beer, but I need one. He runs out to the car and grabs a couple and gives them to me, so that I can enjoy them in my room.

I check into my room and Wes briefs me on the teaching and life in general here in Colombia.  I finally get to bed after being awake for 22 hours, but still feeling pretty good overall.