Chava

It´s clear that we´re in another country. It´s amazing how much a border can change life... food, language (accent, words, formality...), landscape, facial features, height, prices. I do like Colombia a great deal, so it´s fun to be here again. There´s plenty to tell since the last post, but I´ll stick to one tidbit...

Chava

We´re currently in Villa de Leyva, which is a small get-away town north of Bogotá, Colombia. It´s gorgeous! I really could handle summering here every year :) Yesterday while sitting on a bench near the city´s center, a large, chubby, black dog came to sit next to me and try to make friends. His tail wagged and it was like I was an old friend he hadn´t seen in years. Understand that there are stray dogs everywhere, and they generally look for food and flinch away you get too close. They´re not loyal creatures. This black dog, on the other hand, is the most loyal dog I´ve ever met. He faithfully followed Erin and I through the town of Villa de Leyva all day yesterday...into stores, through the line at the supermarket, sitting next to us on the church´s stairs, and he even sat in the doorway of the restaurant where we ate dinner making others walk around him. When we left to horse back ride for a couple hours he quickly found us upon our return. Each time that we manage to lose him, he finds us again with tail wagging. When we finally retired to our hostel last night, he followed us all the way to the entrance while we had to keep him from coming in with our feet. Saddest scene ever... He is no ordinary stray dog. We never gave him food and haven´t even pet him. I keep calling it a he, but we´ve decided that she´s a she...her name is Chava. If you ever come to Villa de Leyva, look for her, but don´t get too close. It´s bound to end in a painful separation...


We´re off to Medellin this evening where we will meet up with friend Myriam who´s in Medellin for the summer and Ali who will fly in Friday evening!

Chao.