Last year in a flea market, but more literally called a garbage market, in Budapest, Hungary, I bought a bunch of soccer stickers/cards from the 1990 World Cup.   I brought all my Colombian ones with me and randomly gave one to Sam, the hostel owner here.   It happened to be of Antony de Avila, a childhood hero of Sam’s.   He was pleased.

I have Orlando Cabrera baseball cards to give away if i make it to the north coast, and I have so many Andres Galarraga baseball cards it is the main impetus to go to Venezuela.

Andrew in fine form

Sam’s VIP Hostel–if the website ever gets finished–is a great hostel, one of the best ever.   As an American girl told me, it is nicer than any home she has ever lived in her life.

Today Sam reluctantly put up a board with business cards since he didn’t want his place to look like a hostel.   He has a pleasant, well-stocked kitchen (an extreme rarity), a little rooftop pool, clean rooms, homey furniture, cable TV and the location is directly on the main square.

There’s also a great group of travelers here, most of whom migrated from the hostel in Villa de Leyva.   I have been telling everyone about my website ideas, and some people are nervous I am going to mention them by name or put a certain photo of them on my blog, as if I have billions of page views a day and am so devious.   Besides, they should be more worried that I will out them on their washing habits.   Lots of travelers seem to wear the same clothes everyday and I know there is a lot of infrequent showering. I find myself falling in the same trap, so I should’t crow.

It turned out that this isn’t the first time all of us have met. Kyle, a UCSB alum, realized he had met Melissa in Oregon.   Small world.