Personal Guide

When I tell people that I'm taking a trip to Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia, the general reaction seems to be strikingly similar:

"Costa Rica! That's sweet! My friend just got back from there and he said it was amazing!"
"Panama? I've heard that parts of Panama are really nice."
"Colombia?!?! Are you fucking nuts? Do you want to come back alive?"

Whether or not the stereotypes are justified, the truth is that Colombia was the one part of my trip that worried me the most. Until I met Henry, that is.

A little over a month ago, when I first broke the news to my father and step mother, we were having dinner at an Italian restaurant called Rosie's up near Morristown, New Jersey. As we ate our salads, I told them all about my proposed itinerary. Then I hid under the table awaiting their reaction.

My father's response? "Oh. I think our waiter, Henry, is from Colombia. Let's call him over." So my father flagged him down and told him my plans.

"What parts of Colombia will you be visiting?" he asked.

"Well, I really don't have any set plans," I said. "I was planning on spending about two weeks in Colombia, and I'd definitely like to see the three major cities, Medellin, Cali, and Bogota."

"Hmmm. How old are you?" he asked.

"Twenty-seven."

"Well," Henry said, in his remarkable yet still Colombian-infused English, "I will tell you. My nephew is twenty-three, and he lives in Medellin. He has a great group of friends. You can go there, and stay with him, and he will take you around the city. I will tell you that my family owns a coffee farm between Medellin and Cali. So you can go to my hometown and stay there. Then, I will tell you that my sister lives in Cali. My brother-in-law will pick you up and take you there. You can stay with them. And, I will tell you that my close family friends live in Bogota. So you can stay with them, too."

At first it seemed a bit surreal to me that Henry would so readily offer up the help of his friends and family without running it by them. But Henry was dead serious. He gave me his email address and phone number, and said that he would put me in touch with his family as the trip neared.

Fast forward to last night.

My father, stepmother, and I decided that for our last meal together in the States, we would return to Rosie's and touch base with Henry, once again. As we walked through the door, there was Henry standing by the bar. With a big smile, he greeted my stepmother, and then my father. Then he looked at me. "We have to talk..."

He paused.

"...I am going to be there!"

Henry explained that he has just planned a three-week trip to Colombia with his wife. They are going to stay in Cali with his family, and he invited me to stay there with them. They are also planning a five-day trip to a beach resort town called Santa Marta, located on Colombia's Atlantic Coast. He invited me there, as well.

The dates don't match perfectly with my original plans but, then again, I didn't really have any plans to begin with. So, it looks like I'll probably wind up chopping a few days off of my stays in Costa Rica and Panama, and adding them to the Colombian leg.

I'd be a fool not to take advantage of my own personal tour guide!