Day 3: Exploration of Calle 10, Learning another language

It's been a relaxing weekend. Ready for the hours of Spanish classes starting tomorrow. If you have never gone to an immersion class, you wouldn't expect how draining it is to speak/learn another language for 4+ hours. I only recommend morning sessions to breathe a little and digest it in the morning, because it really forms a headache and then you start thinking that you are dumber than you started :)

I met an elementary school principal last night at Alambique (btw, I walked by this small alley-like doorway when I was getting an arepa, and lo and behold, that alley opens to a garden oasis bookstore restaurant!). Anyways, he was expressing the same mental chaos of learning Spanish. He came over from Bogota for the day and just checking out Medellin - he follows my same logic: if you are already overseas, go to as many places within a 3h radius as you can. It's cheaper and pulls out more of the excitement!

There is really too much to do here.

And it is all PET FRIENDLY! The mall, the restaurants, even the Marriot!

I happened to take the risk of walking down a small street off of Calle El Poblado (there was no one out there, it's still Colombia and I'm still a single black female roaming) - and finding that there were no breakfast spots, turned to the main street and, come to find out, Medellin is one of the cities in the world (Bogota apparently started it), where they block off a main street until noon to allow cyclists, dog walkers and runners to have at it!! It's called CICLOVIA. So next Sunday, I'm on it!!! Let me get my pathetic 3 miles in (if I am here). The other benefit of this event is to reduce the congestive population and to give the locals a breather from all the traffic, in general.

Here I sit in Crepes and Waffles, a very well known place for, get ready... crepes and waffles! I got to tell you, in contrast to the European style of 'frozen cafe drinks' which is not what you expect, Colombia is very similar to Americanized versions. Their frozen cappuccino is amazing and

yesterday at Pergomino, I had a cold brew with lavender essence. BUT I had the waffles here and they were undercooked and salty. The eggs and bacon were salty too.

SO now the day is left to study some Spanish (I needed to get immersed first to get back in the flow, I took my interview test last week and I was pretty pathetic) and I looked up Guatape trips. Then back out to explore Calle 10, the other main street in El Poblado - almost all expat and tourist stuff is on or off that street. All so much shopping - I might do some damage! Luckily I packed super light, as always (30 days, but maybe only 8 shirts, 3 shorts and 2 dresses). Nobody cares what I am wearing here or if I wear it again next week! I've shaken off that need to please when overseas, it makes you stick out like a tourist and you end up carrying so much baggage anyways!