Overnight buses arent always terrible

Gearing up for a long bus journey always takes some organization. What can I bring that will be warm? (night buses are nortoriously cold) How much water do I want to carry? (at least a bottle or two) How many times can I go to the bathroom before I am trapped on a bus? (about five times is my average) Can I get a seat towards the front? (I like to look out the windows) How many times will we stop en route? (hopefully a few: bathroom breaks)

Well, I was distraught on the first part of the journey but then super psyched about the second part! I had reserved a seat on a 7:00PM bus to Bucaramanga and then had to switch to another bus to Medellin. I had traveled with this comnpany before, and it was a great experience. Sadly, I was rushed on a minibus for the first 2.5 hours without a trip to the bathroom. Whether I really needed to go or not, I did spend 2.5 hours telling myself I didnt. Shame.

I got to Buca to this huge terminal, only to find out that my company had a VIP lounge I could use. Air conditioning, quite time, free water and coffee. Kind of heavenly. This followed by having Seat 1, right behind the driver. yay. I had packed a fleece and a jacket to keep warm and of course I needed them.

The best news of the trip was that the seats were like Airline business class seats. Not only did they almost lie flat, there were foot rests...I was pretending I was sitting in a recliner and was able to get right to sleep. It was perhaps the most comfortable long bus ride I have ever had. My seat mate was a Colombian guy who wanted to practice English so we talked for a while. Nice guy trying to tell me all the hotspots of Medellin. We stop once in the morning at 4:00 or so, with only four hours left of the trip it was a great ride.

Arrival in Medellin, I find a luggage storage place. It continued to make my day. I grabbed what I would need for a couple of days in my little pack, stored the big bag, and was off and running in the city. While the hostel leaves a bit to be desired, so far, my day has been great.

Medellin is a busy, busy city. I saw a couple of great museums today, had some good coffee, enjoyed the bustle of the city. Not sure of my plans for tomorrow, but I am going to head out tomorrow night on another overnight bus to Cartagena. I can only hope the experience is as positive!