I met Mr. Does Equis, "The most interesting Man in the World"

I stumbled across the Dos Equis man, or better known as the most interesting man in the world. Sitting back, calm and relaxed with narrow intelligent eyes, salt n´ pepper hair, and smooth porclain-like skin, with a simple ordinary name of Brian. With only the bottom of his shirt buttomed and his khaki pants rolled halway up his calfs, this man gave off the aura of a sophisticated Ivy League graduate, the confidence of a gigalo, and the weather-worn secrecy of a retired CIA spy. Somehow this dude was sitting in my hostel, crossing the same space, at the same time. He was amongst a hostel of youngsters, yet he appeared to be 50. He was rapping it up with a local man who owned the place. Slouched back in a chair, slowly nodding his head as he spoke to the owner, he conversed. It was something in his eyes that intrigued me. In them appeared to be reflections of a harsh past not too many war vetrans can compare to. I started conversation with him when I he over herad me speaking to someone about a city, Cartagena, which is quite near Santa Marta. "Cartagena", he looks at me....you want to go there? Ive been there a couple of times he says with confidence. I had been there for maybe 60 seconds top and immediately I was sucked into the layed back, weathered, sophistication this man emitted. I knew he was in a category of people I had never met before. He went on to tell me he made a living making maps. He made maps for GPS systems and he was able to travel the world doing it. He soon began to tell me a number of stories that an ex "blood" from LA would have. Locked in a paddy wagon in Mexico City about to be excecuted for simply being in the wrong part of town at the worst time. Or when his girlfriend tried to stab him. Or when he was kidnapped near Rioacha Colombia and escaped. Or when he became responsible for the largest drug bust of any foreigners in the ancient town of Cartagena. This man was a humanitarian, bulldog for the good cause and had a stream of endless stories that could go on long after the last embers of the camp fire vanished. Or on that day I met him, both of his neighbors were shot point blank in the temple at noon, 10 blocks away.

I am highly interested in teaching some English in exchange for being taught Spanish in the town of Medellin, an artsy, somewhat sophisticated town tucked in the green hills of the northwest of Colombia.

Secondly, I might volunteer in Ecuador, outside of Banos. There are kids. They are poor, malnourished, might need a little help from a white boy from San Diego, and will get some of it if my patience dosent run dry with the little rascals!

written by

kipmaddog on July 24, 2009 from Taganga, Colombia

from the travel blog: adventures from down south

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