Sunday 8th

I will write about today as I go along. I just have two full days now before I go back to Spain on Tuesday evening. Today I'm off to meet Nini's mum for lunch because she is alone at home. This morning was just relaxing at home. I did think for a mad moment to delay my return to Spain by a week but, although the change fee is 120 euros, seats at my tariff are sold-out so a change would be prohibitively expensive. Anyway, after almost 5 weeks, I am ready to return to chilly Europe.

Even more chilly, I have arranged to visit Marina in Ukraine at the end of January. We often text chat on Skype and we have arranged to go skiing in Kharkiv where she lives. I thought she was joking this morning, skiing in Kharkiv because I remember seeing the landscape arond the city from the big wheel in Gorky Park and it is flat for miles around - maybe all the way to Russia because it is only 50km away. Now that I have got into the swing of writing in this blog, I'll write about Kharkiv as well.

At about 12 mid-day, I left for the home of Nini and her mum. When I arrived I found Luisa and her daughter Estephanie there and Nini was on the point of leaving to go to work. They were having lunch and Omaira prepared some food for me. I had been trying to come to some kind of agreement with Nini about helping them buy a house, currently they rent one. But talking about money with Nini is not easy so I talked with Omaira instead. She talked for ages, mostly stating things which were already agreed. But we will find some way I am sure.

On the way, I had another highly entertaining conversation with a taxi driver! He said my Spanish was very good. I am so chuffed! He turned to shake my hand, asked my name, told me his. We joked about the new US President. They are absolutely great here, almost without exception. Less so in Medellín.

I just arrived back home - this time by no 39 bus which arrived just as I reached the top of Omaira's road - and I'm going to have a beer now.

I am getting near to the point where I say goodbye to my friends and to this beautiful country of Colombia. It was all I expected... and more. The people are so open and friendly. When they ask what I think about their country, they say it with pride. I will be back for sure!

My friends want to say goodbye at the airport, I am not sure if I can bear that.