Sat 9th 1501 back at hostel, got up 930ish and was about about 1040ish. Wandered round, did some web searching before leaving, Dimeli is shown permanently closed on GM, Onda's is on GM and OM but I couldn't find it (tho it always did feel a bit elusive even 4 y ago - I may see if there are proofs of it continuing to exist on web)
Had tintos and snacks in bakery opp Floresta Metro, wandered, had some more tintos and fiddled with meetup and found a 5-630ish lang exch down bottom of Carrera 70 - about 30m walk away - and signed up for it. Had lunch in small restaurant just off calle 44 (which incidentally seems to be the "motorcycle shop" district), v decent steak with rice, undressed salad, small juice and rather nice frijol soup for 13k+2k tip. Walked up to aquatic complex in park by Estadio, the rules for use are insane (if I read right you must have a certain type of lycra costume, not cotton, swimming cap required, you must hand your belongings over to the storage area in a clear plastic bag, you must present the original of your id document) and I also couldn't see anywhere to actually pay/sign up. i do think there was an adult swimming lesson in progress in one of the school pools.
I also wandered over to a pool near St Lucia metro before coming back. It opens 8am and tho it is operated by same council-looking org and prob has same silly rules it does at least have an "entrance" where I could go and pay and I may see if I can go there one morning and wing it/plead ignorance/rely on the stupid rules not actually being enforced. Shuts 2pm at weekend (!) so not that i wanted to swim but the ticket office etc was not open, shuts iirc 6pm during week. It is open air so would want to go early or late, tho arguably if I waved my bandanna at them as a bathing cap that might ameliorate some (but not all - bearing in mind you'e not supposed to swim w sunblock etc on) sun risk.
Quite pleasant wandering round, it's overcast and warm verging on mildly too hot. Feeling a bit more upbeat generally. See what happens tonight, if there are drink possibilities afterwards that's great and if not no huge deal. I have played with uber website a little more and it may work but reluctant to trust it (eg I'm desperate and then my ccard company decides they need to text me a 2FA code to SIM back at hostel which i don't want to take out with me).
Wore same clothes as yday today (I didn't sweat much what with being on bus with ac most of day) but plan is to shower and change here (even if it's a bit early really) before heaving out 4-415ish to walk over to exchange.
Hotel Imperio 70 is still there. The bar (fonda la colombianita?) near estadio metro seems to be gone. Elefun is still there but no noticeboard of any kind outside so if they do have a lang exch I don't know about it.
1853 Back at hostel. No one turned up for lang exch. There were hints of it being a ghost event but four or six or so ppl had shown as attending. While I was a whiny fuck rushing over (left 1615) with phone failing to GPS lock, I was surprisingly chilled about it not really being on - staff at small place it was supposed to be at were unhelpful, I posted on chat and had couple of pints at (not that night) small Bogota Beer Co pub right next door (barmaid kept hiding in corner and I was never sure what language I was speaking, eg "witbier" and "bitter" - how do you pronounce those *in Spanish* when you have a foreign accent and the barmaid maybe but you don't know speaks English?) then walked back via 70 and road between Estadio and Floresta (went out via 80 and 44 and a traversal). Got snacks and soft drink at supermarket near Floresta and gonna have now which is a bit lardy but otoh could have had more beer either out or at home.
But I kind of already had some solo drinking recently with rum+coke in room in Monteria, nice occasionally but not always. And fun is a bit random, I am sure I might meet ppl in another hostel some random night but just cos it is Saturday doesn't mean I can or need to go out with ppl.
Vaguely intend to go to bed earlyish and be up earlyish and have a try at swimming.
I just may try another hostel for say 3 nights in Medellin, but we'll see how it goes. Need to do some thinking about where I want to go in my remaining time first and don't need to decide for a day or two.
At least I tried is my attitude with LE, I could have sat around alone in room but I did go out and while I feel surprisingly drunk and they weren't orgasmically satisfying I did have a couple of pints and saw eg carrera 70 at night (ish) again etc.
Oh, I said "ee pay ah" to the barmaid ordering my first pint of "IPA" (as written on menu) and she came back with "eye pee ay" english style. No idea what to make of this. Is that how it's pronounced even in Spanish given it's an English abbrev? Was she being awkward and/or helpful as she could tell I was a foreigner?
Meh.
Sun 10th 0021 Up too late really. Quiet night in - bit of a shame, but I can't create "fun" on demand, and also given the relative excesses of late a couple of quiet nights not a bad thing. While vaguely dreading it I do hope to be up 730ish to see about a swim tomorrow morning. (I think but am not sure opening time was 8am on Sunday too, guess I'll just have to see.)
0027 Anyway, bed.
Had tintos and snacks in bakery opp Floresta Metro, wandered, had some more tintos and fiddled with meetup and found a 5-630ish lang exch down bottom of Carrera 70 - about 30m walk away - and signed up for it. Had lunch in small restaurant just off calle 44 (which incidentally seems to be the "motorcycle shop" district), v decent steak with rice, undressed salad, small juice and rather nice frijol soup for 13k+2k tip. Walked up to aquatic complex in park by Estadio, the rules for use are insane (if I read right you must have a certain type of lycra costume, not cotton, swimming cap required, you must hand your belongings over to the storage area in a clear plastic bag, you must present the original of your id document) and I also couldn't see anywhere to actually pay/sign up. i do think there was an adult swimming lesson in progress in one of the school pools.
I also wandered over to a pool near St Lucia metro before coming back. It opens 8am and tho it is operated by same council-looking org and prob has same silly rules it does at least have an "entrance" where I could go and pay and I may see if I can go there one morning and wing it/plead ignorance/rely on the stupid rules not actually being enforced. Shuts 2pm at weekend (!) so not that i wanted to swim but the ticket office etc was not open, shuts iirc 6pm during week. It is open air so would want to go early or late, tho arguably if I waved my bandanna at them as a bathing cap that might ameliorate some (but not all - bearing in mind you'e not supposed to swim w sunblock etc on) sun risk.
Quite pleasant wandering round, it's overcast and warm verging on mildly too hot. Feeling a bit more upbeat generally. See what happens tonight, if there are drink possibilities afterwards that's great and if not no huge deal. I have played with uber website a little more and it may work but reluctant to trust it (eg I'm desperate and then my ccard company decides they need to text me a 2FA code to SIM back at hostel which i don't want to take out with me).
Wore same clothes as yday today (I didn't sweat much what with being on bus with ac most of day) but plan is to shower and change here (even if it's a bit early really) before heaving out 4-415ish to walk over to exchange.
Hotel Imperio 70 is still there. The bar (fonda la colombianita?) near estadio metro seems to be gone. Elefun is still there but no noticeboard of any kind outside so if they do have a lang exch I don't know about it.
1853 Back at hostel. No one turned up for lang exch. There were hints of it being a ghost event but four or six or so ppl had shown as attending. While I was a whiny fuck rushing over (left 1615) with phone failing to GPS lock, I was surprisingly chilled about it not really being on - staff at small place it was supposed to be at were unhelpful, I posted on chat and had couple of pints at (not that night) small Bogota Beer Co pub right next door (barmaid kept hiding in corner and I was never sure what language I was speaking, eg "witbier" and "bitter" - how do you pronounce those *in Spanish* when you have a foreign accent and the barmaid maybe but you don't know speaks English?) then walked back via 70 and road between Estadio and Floresta (went out via 80 and 44 and a traversal). Got snacks and soft drink at supermarket near Floresta and gonna have now which is a bit lardy but otoh could have had more beer either out or at home.
But I kind of already had some solo drinking recently with rum+coke in room in Monteria, nice occasionally but not always. And fun is a bit random, I am sure I might meet ppl in another hostel some random night but just cos it is Saturday doesn't mean I can or need to go out with ppl.
Vaguely intend to go to bed earlyish and be up earlyish and have a try at swimming.
I just may try another hostel for say 3 nights in Medellin, but we'll see how it goes. Need to do some thinking about where I want to go in my remaining time first and don't need to decide for a day or two.
At least I tried is my attitude with LE, I could have sat around alone in room but I did go out and while I feel surprisingly drunk and they weren't orgasmically satisfying I did have a couple of pints and saw eg carrera 70 at night (ish) again etc.
Oh, I said "ee pay ah" to the barmaid ordering my first pint of "IPA" (as written on menu) and she came back with "eye pee ay" english style. No idea what to make of this. Is that how it's pronounced even in Spanish given it's an English abbrev? Was she being awkward and/or helpful as she could tell I was a foreigner?
Meh.
Sun 10th 0021 Up too late really. Quiet night in - bit of a shame, but I can't create "fun" on demand, and also given the relative excesses of late a couple of quiet nights not a bad thing. While vaguely dreading it I do hope to be up 730ish to see about a swim tomorrow morning. (I think but am not sure opening time was 8am on Sunday too, guess I'll just have to see.)
0027 Anyway, bed.
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