I never would have believed it, though a close friend of mine said this would happen, but one of the most memorable things on my trip thus far has been on a 20 hour bus ride. Alone, frozen from overnight ac exposure, and hungry, I unknowingly immersed myself into true Colombian culture. It was about 8 am or 10 hours into the trip when i sat down for breakfast (our first stop) with a 13 yr old boy Traveling solo and a 30 yr old active Colombian military patron.
I butchered Spanish with these two for the remaining trip. With a dictionary in hand, i tried to engrain the importance of "suenos" or dreams to the boy. That he could be anything he wanted, do it all, and he just needed to pursue his dreams relentlessly. He was well dressed, better spoken than most, and obviously a bright educated kid. He was feeling sick from the mountainous voyage, so i gave him a dose of dramamine. It worked well and was apparently worth a big hug from his mother after having arrived safely. Such an appreciative culture. Sebastian has lots of potential. I told him to keep that smile!
Pastor, the soldier, was actively teaching me Spanish, describing the local villages as we passed, and was so patient. He was very well educated, though i taught him a thing or two about cheap stays at hostel. "es muy barrato" he said. I laughed as he tried to download my electronic south American guide book for my ipad.
Stuck on a bus and now stuck in my mind, these two Colombians shared with me a true piece of culture and i respect them immensely for giving me their time.
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