Weiter geht's ...

Colombia made me richer in experience without helping me understand the country better. Monday morning, I had breakfast with Karim from my hostel. The forensic scientist had been traveling in the region for several years and was able to share the dark side of the popular travel destination based on his professional experiences in forensic medicine. The Jewish Lebanese man also held explicitly Israel-critical positions, and we delved into a lively conversation.

Latin America was more complex than we could assess from Europe.

After breakfast, I took a city bus to the North Station. A young man in his mid-20s, casually and modernly dressed, boarded the bus with a portable music system. Even though my Spanish was not sufficient to follow his rap, I still felt the emotional power of his music. Words like 'Venezuela', 'Economia', and 'Futura' spoke of deep sorrow, even desperation. I observed the other passengers. An elderly lady repeatedly wiped tears from her face. Instead of avoiding eye contact, there was solidarity reflected on their masked faces. When I gave the street artist some money, he greeted me with a fist bump. A man in his prime, undoubtedly talented, homeless, humiliated himself for spare change.

...

I left Bogota heading north to Villa de Leyva by long-distance bus, following a recommendation from my travel guide. Coincidentally, my seatmate was Ira from my hostel. Ira was from Israel. Karim had caught her attention, but they did not have a conversation.

Everything is interconnected, I thought.

I spent the afternoon in a café while it was pouring rain outside. I read about the Venezuelan economic crisis and the number of refugees, which almost surpassed those from Syria. Abstract reports about the suffering of people in this once prosperous country, known from news programs like 'Weltspiegel' or 'Auslandsjournal,' suddenly became tangible for me.

In the evening, there was the already ritualized exchange of experiences in the common room at the hostel: gangster stories, corona, and travel tips.

Highly recommended reading:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuelan_economic_crisis