“Part of the trick of traveling is to remain helpful abroad. Mooching for months on end does detrimental things to a man’s mind.” – Old Sean
Quiet Realms
After a few days of visiting Bogotá, I moved on to the main location where I’ll be staying in South America. Specifically, I’ll be living with my host family in Restrepo, a small town just north of Villavicencio.
I took a bus to the town hidden in the green forests of a mountain slope. My bus ride was haltingly slow with a vast amount of traffic funneled through a hardy mountain tunnel. I had a chance to watch an entire move in Spanish about an Army K9 dog being re-adopted by a family after his handler perished in a Middle East conflict.
And with that, I solidified my knowledge of the word “Perro.” Too bad I can’t roll my “r’s” yet.
Life in Restrepo
While visiting Restrepo, I’ve mostly completed my regular online work. My mornings are spent handling paperwork and appraising classes for a couple of companies. My evenings are usually spent with my host family, joining them for game nights, making food and exploring the tiny community.
While here, I’ve also gotten to hike through Rio Caney with my host family, ride a motorcycle into the mountains (Parque Nacional Natural Chingaza) and help a local household complete some mango harvesting.
Additionally, I’ve assisted in the shopping of mother’s day’s gifts, eaten fruits which I can’t pronounce the names of and visited a few shopping malls. My host family is largely busy, and I’m behind on my planning, so our jaunts are a little scarce, but it’s been extremely enjoyable so far.
Amongst the Mountains
Like most quiet places in the world, Restrepo has its own unique and fantastic charms.
It’s absolutely beautiful here. During brushes of breeze, the air always smells of slight earthiness. Everything is an unyielding green and the scattering of flowering plants are sharp and fresh. Rivers and creeks pattern virtually every gully. Additionally, the houses I’ve seen, while patchy, are splashed bright pastel colors.
On the horizon from my balcony, there exists a unique set of perfectly green mountains shouldering a crown of clouds. The lazy blimps of varying darkness are constantly dipping off their peaks and pelting the land with every type of rain imaginable, nearly daily.
My host family, has been splendid. They’ve done more for me that I thought possible. Nearly every meal is already on the stove when I walk downstairs and I’m constantly included in small family jaunts. I’ve been to malls, up riverbeds, out to family dinners and to a local school.
I’m a bit ashamed at how little there is for me to do. A bit mortified, actually. I’ve made every home meal for myself since opting out for the dining hall pass during my freshman year of university. So this has been a bit of adjustment. Fortunately, there are three cats and two dogs here, all sitting on my balcony, so I’ve got someone to take care of in my spare time.
In any event, my first week is nearly complete. I’ll be heading back to Bogotá with a friend to do some more much-needed exploration of the city. 3-hour-bus-ride, here I come.
Until then,
Best regards and excellent trails,
Old Sean
Written May 13th 2019
Read more about visiting Restrepo and seeing the world by checking out the Leftfade Trails Destination Info
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