LOOKING FOR FRIENDS
I am still searching for someone to accompany me on my next trip. When I got back from Germany, after a month apiece in six different countries over the previous 9 months, I was suddenly out of ideas about places to visit. I had had such fun being joined by people or by visiting people whom I liked being with that I seemed to have run out of people to visit or to accompany me. The only people who can reasonably travel with me don’t have a job, don’t have family responsibilities and are completely free to travel.
My dream of going to the Cook Islands fell through, for now, and it appeared that I would be rooted in Asheville for awhile. Until this last week when Tom Nyki invited me to stay with him for awhile in Brindisi, Italy, during this coming year. I had had Bogata, Colombia, in mind for the last two weeks since Becca Nestler had driven me up to visit with Hasmukh and Manda Patel at their son Mihir’s house in Johnson City, Tennessee. She had been with her husband to Bogata for a couple of weeks lately and said she had had a terrific time. It is safe, on the equator but 8600 feet high and cool, there is no jet lag when going there and friends back home are in the same time zone so it is easy to connect back home, the air ticket is cheaper than Europe, Airbnb’s are much cheaper than Europe.
Two days ago I saw a $399 ticket from Asheville to Bogata so I bought it on line an hour later, waited for a day to see if I regretted my choice, didn’t regret it and kept the ticket.
Immediately I began searching for people to brighten my trip by coming to visit me for a week or two. I can pay for the Airbnb since it is only $600 or so. So far I’ve had a nibble or two, but who else beside an 86 year old can decide in ten minutes that they have nothing to do and can suddenly fly off to Bogata? But I am hoping to find someone and if I don’t I will have a good time by myself.
BILLYBABA’S WANDERING 