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Old military checkpoint. The highways are now safe all over Colombia as president Uribe has driven the guerillas deep into the jungles and away from the cities and highways. This country is one of the most scenic places on earth and I want to see more of it. So, off we go Natalli, myself our driver and his wife. Our first stop is Periera.

Attendents at the stores Along the highway the girls wanted to stop for sweets (dulces ) and we pulled off the highway into a small center with about 20 stores. As we parked the car and emerged I noticed that in front of each store a girl was sitting on a white plastic chair and when we emerged from our car they all stood up in unison in front of their stores. We went from shop to shop and almost all had the same merchandise which each store attended by a pretty young lady. They all stood in front of their stores at attention for the 15 minutes that we were there and this was quite an experience for me. We were the only customers there at this time and the attention we received was extraordinary to say the least. I was later to discover that all stores are owned by the same person and this is his idea to keep the competition away. After all this is Colombia, and things are different here - maybe thats why I like it so much, every day there are surprises for you - never boring thats for sure.

Medellin from my hotel room! Our next stop is Medellin - regarded by most Colombians as the "best" city in Colombia. Medellin is at the bottom of a valley with a river at the lowest point. As you leave downtown you will always be going up. The temperature at the lowest point is high of 84 and low of 65 farrenheit. As you go higher it is cooler and at the top is high of 75 and low of 60 so you can live anywhere in between where the climate is perfect for you. The drive from the airport to downtown is 45 minutes and the most spectatular road I have ever travelled as you are on the ridge looking down on this beautiful valley - so rich and so green.

Living Room Finca Our Farm in the country side We stayed at my guide's farm (finca), about 25 miles from downtown Medellin several thousand feet above the city. The climate here was cooler and the terrain was spectacular. We stayed here for one week, went horseback riding, took walks in the countryside and made day trips by car exploring all the sites. Night's were often spent in the cozy living room around the fireplace.

Near by water fall and breakfast on the porch

Breakfast with the girls El Penol The following photos are from the El Penol area which is 1 hour 20 minutes from downtown This rock fell from the sky thousands of years ago and is one of the largest rocks on earth.

Lakes Surrounding El Penol Nearby is a series of lakes where the people of Medellin go for the weekend most have small farms or houses here and sometimes a boat to enjoy water sports. There are several larger boats open to the public where you can enjoy a scenic ride and dance to music. Week-ends are fun here and its abandoned on week-ends. As always time flys when you are having fun - and fun we had so now the vacation is over and its time to go back to the real world. Natalia and I returned to Cali on a bus, the ride was 8 hours. The bus was comfortable for me as the chairs are large and roomy. Its fun to travel with your girlfriend on the bus as you can snuggle and touch and you get undivided attention and can catch a cat nap if necessary. Much of the area is mountainous and the scenery is marvelous. Colombia is such a beautiful country and I recommend that you see as much of it as possible.

El Penol (The Rock ) We returned to Luz's house at 8 pm that night and proceeded to stow our belongings in the big bedroom with the A/C unit. There was another gringo there and some girls so we had a little party, drank rum, told them about our vacation, and danced and had fun until about midnight. When we went to go to bed Luz instructed Natalie that she must occupy a separate bedroom so we, of course, complied. Whenever I think about this, even today, I get a good laugh. After all we had just returned from a vacation where we occupied the same bedroom every night and now we are told this is wrong. Well this is Colombia and things are always different here. I next travelled to Bogota where I had some business to tend to- Bogota is 40 minutes from Cali by air. Within days I met a lady here who interested me a lot. She was 31 years old with a gorgeous smile, warm and tender and so much fun. She has a son 8 years old. How can this be ? I am certainly not a "playboy " and this NEVER happened to me in the US. And at such an advanced age how could I be so lucky as to have 2 nice girlfriends ? I think I like her even more than Natalia. We go on 3 or 4 dates and I am crazy about her.

The house on top the rock is 4 stories high. I told my new girlfriend Ana all about Medellin and even showed her the photos and said that I thought this was the nicest place on earth and I wanted to go back and see it again. She said that her son would be staying with his father during the school vacation break in January and she would like to go to Medellin with me. It doesn't get any better than this. Time flys in the US and January is rapidly approaching. I have been staying in touch with Natalia by e-mail but it seems to me that she is only writing when she needs money and I am beginning to wonder if this is only about money ? or does she really care. In either case no one can ever take away the fun and joy I experienced with her or the tremendous boost to my ego. My productivity increased and I was always happy so who cares about the money. She also gained a great deal from our relationship so why worry about the money thing ?

Ana On the other hand Ana wrote me every day and never asked for money although her needs were probably greater than Natalias. I arrive in Bogota and Ana is packed and ready. Again to the bus station for an 8 hour ride to Medellin. We check into the Dann Carlton Hotel in the Poblado area of Medellin. Our room is big and beautiful with a spectacular view of this glorious city. There is a restaurant on the roof that revolves and offers an even better view. The pool is first class with a sauna and steam room and gymnasium. The price is right about $80 per night for the 2 of us. For those of you who don't know in Colombia, as well as most Latin countries a single room might be $55 per night but if you are accompanied by another person there is an additional charge of about $25. Well this is Colombia and things are different here. We spend the next 8 days exploring Medellin and all the sights. We go to my favorite place El Penol which is 1 & 1/2 hours from the city. I show her a house on the very top of the mountain that I would like to buy and live in forever. The owner is my friend and the caretaker and his family quickly become very dear to me. I would like to live here forever with the RIGHT lady. Its so peaceful and quiet and beautiful. The soil is rich and all kinds of fruit trees and a garden that can supply you with most of your needs. Whatever pets you might choose to have would be very happy here and you can raise some livestock also as the lot is almost 2 acres. My big question could I live so far from a city and be isolated from all the benefits that a city offers ? Could I find the right mate to live here with me ? . This project is on hold now for obvious reasons.

El Penol boat ride

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