Finishing the trip in Colombia

This will be the trickiest part of my bus trip. I am not worried about kidnapping or violence by FARC or ELN anymore. FARC laid down its arms and disbanded. ELN wants to do the same and has been bending over backwards to prove to the government that it doesn't want to make trouble any longer.

But there are still...issues. The segment of the Pan-American Highway between Pasto and Popayan is particularly problematic at night with buses getting robbed. And that's when I'll be there. Apparently, the police leads convoys of three to four buses at a time and drive together through that area.

I should arrive in Cali at 5am. This will be the end of my 2.5 day ride on a double decker Cruz del Sur bus from Lima.

At the Cali Terminal, I then immediately hop on a bus for a nine hour ride to Medellin. I am staying at Hotel Dann Carlton, which is a part of an upscale national chain. I am living it up because I need a little bit of luxury after three days on a bus without a shower. Apparently, the provincial beauty pageant was recently held at the hotel.

En los jardines de nuestro hotel anoche se llevó a cabo la velada de elección y coronación de la #SeñoritaAntioquia2017 donde @marialuisabula se alzó con la corona entre las diez finalistas, llevándose el título como nueva reina de los antioqueños y la representación de nuestro departamento en el concurso nacional de la belleza para el próximo año. ¡Felicitaciones! @hoteldanncarltonmedellin @cosmovisionrealsrtaantioquia

A post shared by Hotel Dann Carlton Medellin (@hoteldanncarltonmedellin) on Nov 20, 2017 at 8:41am PST

After a well-deserved night's sleep, I have an entire day free. No buses!

I have made a decision. I will forego any and all tourism related to Pablo Escobar. There is more to Colombia than a 1980s drug dealer who destroyed so many lives. I am going to enjoy what Colombia has to offer, TODAY.

For dinner, I am meeting up with an internet friend. He and his husband are retired and recently moved to Medellin (from Virginia). I'm letting him pick the restaurant.

Early the following morning, like 5am early, I will take my final bus. It is nine hours to Turbo, the end of the Pan-American Highway. Once I get there, I'll find a cab driver and ask him to take a picture of me and then I will ask him to drive me to the Apartado airport 31 km away, where I have a flight to catch to Bogota. By flying rather than riding the bus again, I give myself an extra day to explore Bogota.

In Bogota, I want to visit the Gold Museum:

...and will really splurge and celebrate the end of my decade-long journey with a stay at the Four Seasons. That bed and those sheets will look like heaven.

FIN