Of course, we are never alone. There are friends waiting to be met, and animal and insect friends buzzing in our ears, and of course there are the old friends who will never be far away when you call and who you know you can always just pick up right where you left off, and then there are the friends that just pop into your life for a split second to teach you something and leave like a bird, the call of their song stuck in your head for you to mull over then learn by heart. And there is no way we can forget our younger friends that teach us so much joy, and our elder friends, who hold the roots of our tree with their wisdom, while we go climb the branches, and eventually end up back home with them, there are the romantic pleasurable friends, and then there are the friends who know you better than anyone, and will say it like it is, knowing when you need a little swift kick, and then too, there is family, who might as well be friends with a little blood to boot. Luckily, gratefully, I feel very much surrounded by those I love- my world community, I am not alone here.
But I like to be alone sometimes, or at least feel alone. It is healthy and beautiful and of course my social butterfly self can't help but meeting others along the trail, so it is usually a short lived solitude, yet intentional (most times). Recently, I did some solo hiking in some surrounding natural areas- the Cloud Rainforest - Parque Chicaque, on a 9.5 hour hike (some 60 k) from Bogotá to Ubaque and my first solo camping trip since senior year in HS, when we went out and did 24 hrs alone in the woods of Northern MI. The feeling of solitude of course can't be put into words, but below are a few photos of my luscious time alone in the woods or rainforest or mountains.
Of note: I was safe and let all know where/when I was going, etc. On the long hike, I was surrounded by 8 thousand others doing the same hike on that day, including 4 colombian men who happened to be hiking the same pace as me. The only negative of the hike (depending on how you view it of course, taking out the lessons learned, and the stillness created by my injury) was when I took a break to jump into the river an hour out of the end of the trail- (city called Ubaque), and accidentally jumped into a rock under the water. My ankle bone fractured in 3 places. I am in a cast for 6 weeks and currently can't put any weight on it, trying to embrace Bogotá on crutches and getting ready to start teaching with a broken ankle. There are worst places to be. And in case you are wondering, as most have asked, the after hours bone specialist clinic that I went to here in Bogotá was great, in and out in an hour with xrays, cast, etc, and for much less than it costs in the states. And I got out of the mountain by a mix of one guy carrying me on his back, then a motorcycle, then a bus back to Bog, and finally my girlfriend picking me up and driving me to the clinic 5 mins. before the closed. Once again, I am not alone. Healing: hope to be back at least doing yoga soon.
Photos from Parque Chicaque and Caminata (hike) from Bogotá to Ubaque. With loving solitude. C
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