A Tour of Fulano

Tuesday September 17, 2013

The next few days of our story actually take us back in time to Mancora Peru.  Back to those amazing meals we found with a drink, starter, and entree, only for 10 soles (just over $3).  The same meals that Matt would turn his nose up at me, because every time I order the while fish ceviche for my starter.  “That’s going to make you sick, they probably don’t even cook that fish”.  “Of course they don’t cook the fish!”, I replied, “It’s ceviche!”.  He’d still send disgusted looks my way as he ate his fresh salad instead.  The same salads that, coincidentally, made him sick.  Who’s laughing now?  Unfortunately, not either of us.  Because this sickness of his has rendered him helpless and unable to leave the hostel for two days now.

It didn’t hit him until yesterday morning, at which point we both thought it was the after effects of our night out on Sunday.  Those stayed with me for awhile too.  I remember barely having the energy to get myself out of bed.  Literally.  My knees were weak and my hands were shaking as I made my way the one block over to the grocery store to get us some breakfast, the first food we’d eaten in about 24 hours.  By the time lunch rolled around Matt was still not feeling better, and I made my second solo trip back to the grocery store for some tummy friendly foods and of course, a big 2 liter of pop.  Around this time he was also realizing that it was more than just a hangover and had me scouring the OTC medicines for anything close to Pepto, but with everything being written in Spanish I was lost and came back empty handed on that search.

In the late afternoon we retired to the movie room at the hostel and did not leave it until it was time for bed.  Because of Matt’s stomach we had to cancel dinner with Nick and Diana, which we had both really been looking forward to.  I was ready to walk to one of the nearby restaurants to pick up some take-out, or even make a fourth trip that day to the grocery store, but my paranoid husband would not let me out alone after dark.  Not even to walk one block.  In the safest neighborhood in Bogota.  We ended up having one of the guys at the hostel make a call for us to have Domino’s delivered.  Which, while placing the call, kept giving me sideways glances and asking “Are you sure this is what you want for dinner?  I know a great Italian place around the corner”.  Knock them if you want, but their pizza has gotten much better over the past few years.

Today there has been no improvement in Matt’s health, so once again we haven’t left the hostel.  Unless you count me running back and forth to the grocery store.  I finally Googled the Spanish words for certain symptoms that go along with food poisoning, and presented it to the woman behind the pharmacy counter whom in return gave me some tablets for Matt to take every few hours.  Apparently they taste like s#*t, but with any luck they’ll have us back on the streets of Bogota tomorrow.

Until then though, I have to say that we have found the best hostel ever to be stuck in.  Fulano Backpackers is new, just opened a few months ago, modernly designed, and just a cool place to hang out.  Although we’ve been spending a majority of our time in the movie room, it has a nice bar and billiards area, a lounge area, and great facilities.  Plus the guys who run it are amazingly nice and helpful.  So this is my little promotion of Fulano Backpackers.  If you ever find yourself in Bogota, please stay here, you won’t regret it.  Just check out the reviews on Trip Advisor.  You would be doing yourself a great service to stay here.

 The dorm rooms that we’re staying in.

The kitchen, where I even made a meal of pasta tonight instead of ordering out.

The outdoor eating area where we liked to hang out with our computers.

 And the movie room, which we got to know very very well.

(All photos courtesy of Fulano Backpakers Facebook Page)