sebanddee

Dee's Colombian Vaccination

COLOMBIA | Thursday, 19 June 2008 | Views [727] | Comments [2]

As i am not as avid a writer as Seb, my entries will be short, concise and to the point.

After a Spanish lesson in Bogota last week I received what the local Colombians describe as a "Colombian Vaccination". For those of you who are much like Sebastian and I (unsuspecting tourists) this is what happens....

While standing at a crowded set of traffic lights, waiting to cross the road, a man on my left spat a large lugie/spit which landed as perfectly as bird poo would on the left side of my neck. I raised my hand to my neck to feel what the wetness was. I looked down at my fingers which now had spit dripping from them. I thought to myself, this is really strange and VERY disgusting and alerted Seb to my findings. (I also share information with him that, "I'm suspicious that something is about to happen"). Next I feel a hand in the right side of my jacket pocket.

AH Ha! Just as I suspected, something was about to happen! Although all of this felt like super slow motion!!!!! I slapped the intruding hand and yelled an almighty "HEY!". As this all occurred Seb managed to get a sure view of the man and woman involved in my "vaccination" and managed to grab them while i was furiously washing the spit from my neck and fingers in a nearby bathroom.

He held the woman by her arm and somehow, in very broken Spanish said that he had seen what she was trying to do. He took her to the closest policeman, who called on several other policeman. All of a sudden we were surrounded by a large crowd of people, many of whom witnessed the event and were explaining in Spanish to the Police on our behalf. They were almost all local students from the nearby universities. The Policeman was very apologetic and explained that Colombia is a good country and not to leave because of this event.

The woman continued to deny the allegations and the Police took her in for further questioning. We walked away a little shaky with an immediate onset of decreased appetite! Adrenaline is amazing!

When we arrived back at the hostel and shared the story with the hostel owner Herman, (who is Colombian) he described this as being my Colombian vaccination!

DEE

Comments

1

Hi Dee! I have finally got your blog details from Kynan. That is a nasty story, I am pleased I gave the columbian vaccination a miss!
Have you guys been in South America long? Or, more importantly, do you have long to go? What are your plans?
I still have details from my trip, it was a couple of years ago now though some of the hostels I stayed in may not still be running but if you email me some ideas of where you are thinking of heading and I can see if I have been there and if I can pass on any useful info.
Hope you two are having an awesome trip, looking forward to seeing you when you get home.
Ciao Bella e Bello!
Hasta Luego.
Kristy x

Kristy Jul 4, 2008 9:22 PM

2

Hey my intrepid little amigos!
Feel bad for not writing but this would be the reason why I never have and never will join a chat room.
Still VERY jealous of your trip. Have gotten extremely itchy feet reading of your magical mystery tour. I can almost smell the aromas of travelling in less than well off countries - ahh the sweat, rubbish and sewerage, I miss it a lot... no really I do.
You guys seem to be having a great time, vaccinations and all. Glad to hear that you were well accepted by Sebs peers and family Dee, as if they could dislike you hey? I miss you HEAPS and only wish your trip were a little shorter so you both can hurry up and finish your studies in QLD and come back to sunny KTown aka The Big Smoke. Hard to get up to any mischief on my own but I sure am trying!
Cant wait to hear where you are both off to next, I admit I am living a little vicariously through you so make sure you live it up and get well off the beaten tracks and experience as much as you can so I can hear all about it.
Have fun, and take care, love the photos
Fiona (and Shane if he knew I was even on the computer writing on his behalf)

Fiona Jul 17, 2008 12:56 AM