Day 5: Weather in Medellin, First Run Through, COVID

Time is moving! Yesterday was my first run thru a normal 'work' day and it was chaotic.

First day of class at Total Spanish. Sat in a room with 5 other students, room was about as big as a small bathroom. SO one girl from the middle east was traveling through Peru; a German kid was playing football back at home and got on a plane and here he is; a guy from Ireland took a 12h bus ride from MX and arrived an hour prior to class; and then there was an Asian American who has been here for a minute and takes every class under the sun. And there I sit saying to myself: HEY COVID, I'VE MISSED YOU. LOL.

It's not funny. I'm not scared of COVID, just of how it can put a stent in my plans. And then being in a 3rd world country. Anyways, I'm unvaccinated! Yet, I caught COVID from two fully (4x) vaccinated people.... yeah interesting. One thing I know with my Master's in Infectious Diseases, if a virus wants you, you can't evade it - that's their purpose in life!

Anyways, chaos ensued in my very organized schedule. Classes ended at 1pm. The girl wanted to hang with me for lunch so we went and got arepas and cat litter at a cat vet. She

found out her CC shut off so was broke, technically, for the moment. Her hanging out with me did put a stent in what my plans were, but hey, meet someone new. Anyways, went to my piano classes - didn't really understood hardly anything, but by the end of the class, I finally got Twinkle Twinkle little Star- that made me happy!

So here is where it went all wrong. On Saturday, the professor told me NOT to walk to boxing - not due to safety reasons, but I really didn't know why not. But I do me, I'm like it's only a 15m walk - I'll do it.

And I was wrong!

Turned the corner from the piano school and another sharp turn, and saw a good 4-5 flights of stairs up a hill. OK - I can survive. Took another sharp turn and, ok, another big ass hill. This was the point I was between turning back around or just do it. Of course I continued. You know, just so interested kidnappers wouldn't see my dilemma and weakness, I did it with PASSION! And I reached the top! Yes! Finally....

To only have to cross a 4 lane highway with no stop signs or street crosses. Running, I made it alive and saw the building that the boxing center sits in front of - looked around, nope, no hidden entrance. So I'll walk around.

And yet and still, another steep hill!!!! Dude, by the time I got to the front desk of 101 boxing, I was dripping in sweat, half naked and out of breath. Told them, I'm signing up, but I won't be starting today!!!!

Hell nah!

Walked back (down is easy), ate at Mondongos, and changed up my schedule asap!!

That was some bullshit!

So Medellin is pretty much built in the valley of the Andes mountains and is the second largest mix of population in Colombia. The temperature here is humid but cool, so pants are a big thing here although foreigners see this as hella hot (like me). So if you love soft fabric pants with a flow-y appeal, come here to buy! It's not like the Cuban appeal you see taking over Miami, but close. The most Millennials come out with short tight skirts and bralettes later in the day. Men are pretty typical, regular jeans and a light jacket, maybe a T shirt in the afternoon. But there are sex stores and wearable lingerie stores on Calle 10, so yeah, they have an interesting fashion somewhere.

There are no mosquitos (from what I see and am told) ! I am a blood type that mosquitos love and seek out AND I am pretty allergic so I swell up. Nothing so far. Did some research and nope, the best answer I got was from TripAdvisor where someone said "I saw one, but it seemed lost".

It rains on and off all day, so (1) wear sneakers, you'd look funny in sandals unless going out anyways. And (2) carry an umbrella. I learned this first in Zurich and then again in Munich. I arrived in Zurich on a Sunday in the rain and EVERYTHING was closed. It was a ghost town. And I had a throw I used because I'd be damned if I was going to be kept inside that one day layover because of some rain. I came back to the airport humid and misty, but experienced and another country checked off the list!!!!