Thewesternprovinceblog

Hola otra vez todos! Well my short stay in Ibagué was quite the weird one and one that left me both mentally exhausted and rather pissed off. So what happened then?

Firstly we are out of Bogotá in good order, head to terminal sur and get on a bus nice and easy. It’s about a 4 hour ride down. Journey was quite uneventful save more mental mountain roads. We end up getting there about an hour ahead of time. So usual story get an Uber down to the new gaff. 

Now this was a little weird. I had booked to stay in this apartment hostel which upon getting to the address we get there and can’t find it. The driver shouts at one of the neighbours and they have a quick convo which is hard to follow. Eventually I tell the driver let me out here I’ll figure it out. It’s not late in the day and can go somewhere else if it’s non existent or it’s sketchy.

This neighbour bloke walks me 2 streets behind and there is the hostel. Outside the father and son were doing some work and the son comes up to me welcomes me in and shows me the place. I go upstairs and it is as it was in the pictures and I have a brief chat with the son. He was a cool guy and worked as a Mountain guide. Hostal was a family project and only recently got listed on booking.com We soon shake hands he hands me the room key and all seems good. He offers to take me in his car for a look round town later in the evening once I’m settled in. I say okay since logically if your trying to get more business here your not going to put your guests in a bad situation are you? I can’t help but feel a weird gut feeling about this situation. I don’t feel unsafe but something feels a little off and can’t put my finger on it.

Before the evening excursion I try to go put some laundry in at a lavandería nearby but they refuse to take my clothes so I go back with my bag and the old man in this place offers to take and wash my clothes for me I say okay since there’s no options nearby and I’m quite hungry want to go get something to eat. He then offers to show me a good restaurant 5 minutes walk away. I say sure and off we go. We get there I have some lunch while he just has a soda and chats with me all in Spanish of course. We’re getting on fine and cracking some jokes about my Cartagena experience. It’s all cool but again don’t quite know what to make of all this attention I’m getting.

After this and a brief siesta the son takes me for a little drive up to the city centre. We have a bit of a look round he shows me some of the main attractions here such as the cathedral and this Alcatraz style prison which Bolivar used to lock up his political opponents back in the day when he turned dictator. We then have a beer and some empanadas in this place the lad recommended then on the way back to the house we stopped for some more food, some burgers. I paid for his for driving me round and giving me a mini walking tour.  After this It was pretty much day 1 here done.

So Day 2 starts a bit weird. After I get up I head downstairs and the old man is there saying where do I want to go? What do I want to do. Nothing thanks I just want to go out for a coffee. Have my morning brew have a walk round but it is very hot and muggy here and I couldn’t be assed to walk round too much so back to the gaff it was.

 I’m just chilling writing up the blogs for the Manizales leg and the door knocks. The old man says do I want to go anywhere later I’ll take you. I mention this mirador that looks pretty and he says yes we’ll go there for sunset. He also then says do I want to have lunch with him and his family on the rooftop? Okay so up we go. I get introduced to the wife and about 11 relatives like I’m his newly adopted son or something. East this rice and chicken dish but pass on el sopa as it looked a little cold with meat in there – not chancing another holy trinity today gracias! They are curious why I didn’t eat the soup but tell them I had a big breakfast and am full which was a lie but it’s rude to refuse hospitality if your a guest in someone’s house here.

Lunch was over and I’m back to blogging then 5pm we hop into the car and head up to this mirador. It’s about a 20 minute ride up there and then a short walk up a hill. We sit there and have some tea and another bun thing while we watch the sun go down. I pay for this then we drive back towards the house and he asks me if I’m hungry I say yes, he recommends this Peruvian restaurant. We go there and have this mixed meat and rice dish and again I get this one in. In short I’ve bought him about 10 quid in food and drinks and this keep him happy. 

At this point I’m feeling quite tired and want my own space so ask can we go back to the house. Yes sure. I then find a small bar near the house have a gentle few beers then turn in. All this attention had weirded me out so I decided to move on to Salento tomorrow, a small little town in the mountains both the son here and my good cousin and friend Owen back home recommend me it. 

Next morning I check out and go to settle the bill and per usual the old man is there waiting. I have the money for the room (£58 for two nights) plus some more money as my daily spending ‘allowance’. I also owed him for doing my laundry, which he wanted £10 for. Again this no real issue as while about 4 quid more then the typical price there was no other places I could go in town for this without taking a taxi and spending that and laundry is one of those things that you need to do it when you need to do it. Fair enough.

Up to here was fine but then here comes the piss take, he asks me for £20 for fuel noting I paid for him and his son both nights they took me round. The distances we went were about £10 gas max. Internally i am screaming you cheeky C**t though he looks at me and says “¿no me entendiste?” I’m not thinking clearly and mumble something under my breath. I can’t think of anything and just play dumb I give him 10 quid and say something along the lines of that’s all I got and turn and leave. He sort of follows me out the door offering to have a mate give me a ride to the bus station and I just say no I’m getting an Uber thank you. Good grief glad to be out of there. He tells me please leave a review on booking.com should I? I’ll be telling it as it is if do.

I get out to the bus station and am soon on way to Armenia. On the bus I do some maths and fuel is priced at 3 quid a gallon. So basically asking for £20 was well above what that was worth. He was trying to get me to brim his tank for him!! 

So yes I went away rather miffed after this stupid little detour. As for the son if you read this nothing against you we got on fine but you need to get your dad to stop trying to charge guests making it look like he’s generally happy to show them round. Or at very least be very upfront about it if your going to offer this as a service and make sure the price is transparent and agreed up front before anything is done. 

Another big entry for the log this one. 

Here endeth the lesson!!!