Facing difficult times can never be totally pleasant, especially when it’s so heavily charged emotionally. That being said, I believe (I hope) we managed to handle this reasonably well, although my mind has been a roller-coaster since then.

Knowing oneself helps to take the right actions. In my case, knowing I was going to be down way more than I’d like to be, I took on me to exercise more. That included making cardio exercises, which incidently, could also help for the hikes I would like to do in Colombia and Peru, respectively La Ciudad Perida and the Incas trail to Machu Pichu.

The cardio really only consisted in climbing to Monserrate twice a week and sweating like hell while working on producing endorphins. It works well for a while, I have to say. :)

These are the times I did between the gate at the bottom of the trail and the porch of the church:

1. ±60’ on the 21st of February: I took a few photos on the way; it also both felt necessary to rest a bit from time to time, and enjoy the very nice surroundings.

2. 46’36” on the 23rd of February without stopping.

3. 45’28” on the 28th of February without stopping: I met Alfredo on the way back. We discussed about our respective ordeals and I got invited to eat with his family.

4. 43’46” on the 3rd of March without stopping.

The 28th was particularly interesting because of this encounter with Alfredo, 56, photographer who went to France in 1998 to shoot the FIFA World Cup. He also happened to have climbed this trail in 33 minutes when he was 33. Much more exercise for me! :)

He and his wife invited me several times to have a chat, and I accompanied them at the mass on the Sunday before leaving Bogotá. It was quite incredible to be part of this, in a very tiny church on the outskirts of the city. All of this kindness was really good and somehow suspicious at some point, considering all the nasty stories you can hear about Colombia…

Another exercise I didn’t practice for a long long time was climbing outdoor. We first met with Hsuan in Zipaquirá, had a walk around the city, wandering within its truly beautiful cathedral where the structure made of visible brick is amazing. We then had a long conversation and moved to Suesca the next morning.

I found the day we spent with Rock Climbing Suesca both refreshing and reassuring, going back to climb rock instead of indoor walls with such a great group of people. :) The days were both challenging, relaxing and educational, as Dani and Oscar was really keen on motivating and teaching basics, along with hosting us for the night.

The week after was difficult, but busy in a way. One of my excursions led me to the botanical garden of Bogotá. I am not much of a botanist but I wanted to wander visiting a location that would not be crowded and refreshing in the city. The garden allows for a few hours’ walk, with a variety of atmospheres and way too many plants i could remember the story of. The only downside could be the planes flying over to land in the nearby airport, but even this can be somehow interesting, lost in a urban jungle, looking up for a trace of civilization.

I also went to Cine Tonala after Laura, one of the lovely staff at El Yarumo, recommended me to go. It was both a visually and culinary beautiful and delicious experience, and funny too thanks to Ana, met that night, with whom I shared a useless walk, a delicious vegetarian burger, a lot of stories (maybe too much for my brain that night :) ), and Only lovers left alive in one of the coolest rooms I’ve had the pleasure to watch a movie in so far. :)

Talking about the lovely staff of Yarumo… Staying there for a few weeks allowed for really different encounters and bonding, including the staff. Cesar, Herman, Laura, Lina, Stephanie and Alcira were all welcoming, attentive, funny and supportive. Leaving was quite tough as they really helped in many more ways that would be expected from a hostel staff. I could write way more things about them, including the mixtape I received as a parting gift, but I also feel being more verbose about their kindness will never give them enough credits in the end. I love these guys and will surely visit again.

I roamed the streets of Bogotá a bit, albeit a lot less than my usual self, but the Graffiti tour was worth paying for, as you learn about styles, history of Colombia and Bogotá as well. I also had the opportunity during the tour to see the Alliance Française which presence I find impressive considering all the cities I’ve been to so far, with a representation in most of them.

The rest was spent on cleaning, coding, writing, calling and planning the rest of the trip, which is now.

But that’s for another time… ;)