fibre amarilla

Yellow fever.  Raise your hand if you've ever had this vaccination.  I imagine that will be quite a few of you with the amount of friends I have who have crept into the Amazon or Sub-Sahara Africa.  Now, raise your hand if you've ever been inside a country that didn't require the vaccination to get in, but required it to get out.  I think I may be the lone girl back in the corner with puppy-dog eyes and a slight frown holding her hand high.  That's me.  I can't leave Colombia.  Last Thursday, I walked unassumingly into the Bogota airport, presented my documentation, and then began the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach when I realized the woman wasn't kidding when she said I couldn't enter Costa Rica without the vaccination.  Okay, so I'm kind of the fool that had no idea, but I'll just get the shot in the convenient store of shots located in the airport, and be gone the next day.  Oh no, the similar smugness entered the shot nurse as it had the airline ticket master of a woman, and I was informed that I would have to be here for ten more days...ten...diez...10.  

Yes, the technicality was indeed frustrating, but the reality could have been scores worse than it was; for instance, Jorge and Andres had already escorted me inside the airport to see me off and they single-handedly worked every supervisor they could find to make sure there was no working around the system, and then they took me back home to Ginny.  I could have been stuck in the middle of nowhere South America without a friend or shelter.  And Britta could have been waiting for me in Costa Rica by herself.  Instead, she had Amanda, Emily, and Chelsea to greet and hang with this entire time I'm on quarantine.  But, that's the one major bummer of this ten day window...I won't see any of these three ladies because they leave the day I will arrive.  Bummer.  

But Colombia is still here and still beautiful.  There is a plethora for me to do in Bogota and in a few towns surrounding, and several things I can still help with in the neighborhood, church, and for Ginny and Jorge.  I spent Friday afternoon and evening downtown going to a few museums that, similar to DC, were free.  Any city with access to art, public transportation, and books is a premium city in my mind.  I bought a beautiful necklace made of seeds from a great guy on the street, told him I was from Canada (for kicks...and as a safety precaution), and helped him out with a little English.  Afterward, I drank a cappuccino while reading A Severe Mercy and watching people.  Perfect evening.  

The next few days are up in the air...my folks and sisters are trying to do a little black market/CIA magic with an old vaccination card I have in the States a la Catch Me If You Can to see if I can leave a bit sooner for my pals in Costa Rica, but if not, I will let you know of my extended adventures in Colombia.

Ciao.