This Must Be a Sign...

I followed my friend Betty into the Hospice Haven to see if I could find a transistor or portable radio for someone in Barichara. No luck. But while I was waiting for her to finish paying for some little treasure she found, I overheard a young woman making a comment about Colombia.

My ears went on red alert and I immediately, without any thought of the consequence of eavesdropping, listened to her conversation. But it was the end part that made me just shiver.... "and I cannot wait to get back to Bogota!"

Friends know me to be very approachable and I also do a lot of "approaching," perhaps because of all the years in the newspaper and other media businesses I was in. "Excuse me, senora, I couldn't help overhearing you speaking about Colombia... and I am leaving for there in a short time..."She moved over to speak to me and interrupted, "When, when are you going?"

A path from the village of Barichara to the overlook to try and see
if we could see the Rio Suarez from there.

I told her I was aiming for the first week in December and heading to the north in the country, to Santander and Barichara. Her eyes got all misty and when I told her I loved her country, she turned to her friend and said, "See, here is someone who can tell you how beautiful my country is since you don't believe me."

I have invited her to come to this blog to read about my travels and see pictures of her beloved land... and as I was leaving I was pondering the little miracle of finding a Colombiana in a small town in Florida - do you think it was a sign?