[Worley Family Blog] Columbian Adventures, Part 1

[Donna Worley]

Back by popular demand (in reality it was just my mother, but thank you for letting me live in my dream world), I’ve decided to pull the ol’ blog out of moth balls. Seriously, I can’t believe they haven’t deleted my account due to inactivity! Since my photos are on my phone – I will share a link to view them at the end of the week instead of trying to email them to myself right now. I hope you enjoy reading about my adventures and enjoy the pictures when I return home.

Sunday, May 4

Yeserday I arrived in Cartegena, Columbia. I was immediately in love – it’s warm (hot actually), humid, and my hotel room balcony overlooks the Caribbean Sea. To be totally honest, I had been dreading this trip for months. Partly because I wasn’t sure what to expect from it and mostly because it fell on Austin’s 17^th birthday. That’s right – he turned 17 today! It is unbelievable to have a child that age… Roy sure is old. Fortunatley, he is a total trooper and was happy to pick a different day for us to celebrate as a family. In his honor, I scheduled myself a massage today around the same time he was born 17 years ago. J

As it turns out – the event I am attending is invaluable to my job and I’m very glad I came. Working for a non-profit makes travel budgets really tight so when I was extended the opportunity to come to Latin America (all expenses paid) to be shown various destinations where we might can bring an event – I couldn’t really say no. It’s a beautiful country with beautiful people and delicious food and I’m very glad I have the opportunity to experience it!

I proudly packed minimalistically into my rolling laptop bag for this 6 day trip. While I’m still very proud of myself, I am beginning to see the flaw in my genius plan. I have 18 appointments at this event with suppliers from here to Switzerland and all of them have trinkets, gadgets, and goodies galore to send back with me. Good thing I’ve already been given three tote bags!

In addition to the contacts I am making, I am enjoying the culture of Columbia as it is so proudly displayed for myself and the other planners in attendance. Tonight we were taken by an open-air, multi-colored bus (something you would probably never climb aboard on your own) with live music riding along with us to a theatre to view for potential events. When we left the theatre, there were dancers and drummers outside to parade us (literally) to the location of yet another site inspection and evening reception. Along the way, many other tourists and locals also got to enjoy our parade – although some of them may have just been coming out to the street to turn the alarms on their car off after the drumming set it off. One horse who was pulling a carriage was less appreciative… the poor thing fell down in fear and kept trying to stand up but the carriage attachments were preventing it. I was afraid he was going to hurt himself just trying to stand up. His humans finally got him on all fours and gave us a look I will never forget. Aside from seeing the poor horsey struggle, it was quite good fun!

I returned to my room and maid service had been in to turn down the bed and left chocolates along with a little spray bottle that had Spanish print on it. Another hotel I stayed in once, did the same thing – it was a lavender spray to spritze on your pillow for a relaxing nights sleep. So, based on my previous experience, I immediately sprayed… but it was pepperminty smelling. So before I continued to spritze my whole bed, I Google Translated the writings… Forest Foot Sea Spray. Nice… at least I have seven other pillows in the room to choose from.

Good night from Cartagena!

Donna

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Posted By Donna Worley to Worley Family Blog at 5/04/2014 11:14:00 PM