Sunday, May 25, 2025

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, got up once at 12:30, then was awakened by a strange sound at 3am. I first thought it was my cellphone. Nope, the fan shifted and was bumping against something on each rotation. I moved it and it was quiet again. I finally woke up at 6am and got up at 6:45.

I dressed in my hiking pants, t-shirt, and brought a jacket.

We had a Didi pick us up at 10:30, pick up MT at her complex and drop us off at Terminal Sur. After asking a few people we ended up at Window 49 purchasing our ticket to Tutucán for 15,000 pesos each. Outside we found our 9-person mini bus at bay 8 and had our choice of seats. The bus left about 11:15 and 10 minutes later stopped at Exposiciones metro station. We waited there about 20 minutes until the bus was full. For some reason in the long tunnel, traffic slowed and the bus stopped and I heard a PA system announcement but soon we were going again but slowly. We made an airport stop where 1 person got out. We arrived just before 1pm and got off on a street. We walked to an entrance to Comfama and Teresa talked to a security guard. I understand there are 2 parks, Comfama and Tutucan. We walked through the former’s parking lot and up a hill to the entrance to the latter. The entry charge was 4,600 pesos per person and they put these paper bracelets on our wrists.

Already I was wishing I had on shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt and I didn’t need the jacket.

We walked up a winding path to the top of the hill where they had a farm petting zoo. The place looked familiar although I hadn’t been here in many years. There was a little eating area and we took bench seats and Teresa ordered patacones with cheese. There were 4 thick ones on a plate and this is what the last one looked like.

I had mine with a Coke and I tried to figure out from Teresa if this was our lunch or just a snack.

We moved down the hill to an open area with a stage and took seats for a show. It was silly and amateurish but then again I didn’t understand a word.

We walked down this street which again looked familiar.

We decided we would go to Candilejas in Rionegro for lunch. We left the park and in the parking lot Teresa talked to a man who gave us a ride to Rionegro for 12mil. We only had to walk one block and Candilejas was on the other side of the church.

From a distance we could see fencing and Teresa stated it was closed but across the narrow street there was this condemned building.

Inside Candilejas the ladies ordered some soup, Ajiaco? Maybe? And I ordered their American breakfast which included a ham omelet, almond croissant, glass of orange juice and a coffee (my latte).

I noticed a television where they played a repeating commercial and learned they have lots of other locations including Sabaneta and Plaza Mayor in Medellin. The total check came to 116,798 pesos ($28).

We left about 5pm and walked down the hill to the bus station and got on the next bus which soon left. It wasn’t full but we picked up a number of people on the way and in the end several were standing in the aisle.

As usual we got off a Exposiciones station and walked across the street and caught a taxi back to Envigado.

It was 7:15 when we arrived and I soon started my pre-sleep routine.

 

SILLY SIGNS