The wind sliced through their clothing when they exited the terminal. The mountain air swirled about them, sending pieces of litter in loop-the-loops, and the sun had moved from its zenith on its westerly descent, stretching shadows across the asphalt, while taxi drivers honked their horns and called out to customers.

Nadia sniffed. Exhaust fumes and something she couldn't pinpoint wafted on the breeze. She pulled a lollipop wrapper out of her hair and let Khai pull her toward the shuttle bus station. From there they were to take the Trans Milenio service to La Candelaria in the heart of Bogota.

An hour later, tired, sore and sweaty, she pressed her nose against the grubby bus window and stared out, mesmerised. The sloping streets were paved in red and grey, and lined by colonial buildings painted in a rainbow of colours and topped with clay shingles. They angled up towards the dark-green mountains, thick with foliage and dusted with clouds. Despite the elevation and cold climate, the peaks could have belonged in the tropics.

When the bus stopped, Khai ushered her off and began talking to the driver in Spanish. The sense of strangeness intensified. Not only did he look, feel and smell different, now he spoke a new language. Could six months make such a change, or was it just her insecurity and the first stages of culture shock?

She took in the exotic world about her. A radio played rumba in the background, and a few metres away, under the shade of a giant, multicoloured umbrella, a man sat by a cart of assorted snacks.

She walked over and inspected the items: homemade chips, sweets, soft drinks and slices of green mango in plastic cups. Nadia furrowed her forehead as she considered the latter.

"They're bloody beautiful," said Khai, approaching from behind. "Want to try them?"

Nadia grimaced a little at the idea of unripe fruit, but her body craved sugar. "Sure, why not?"

Khai asked the price, muttered something as he dug into his pockets, and handed over the money with a sigh. The man squeezed lime over the stalks, sprinkled salt and handed her the treat.

She wrinkled her nose, then remembered her manners. "Um — gracias." She held up one dripping stick and tilted her head to the side. This is just weird.

Crunching absently on the strips of salty, sour fruit as she followed Khai, she thought about how mango should be. Ripe, for one. Soft and sweet, dribbling down your chin and leaving a mess of sticky fingers.

It didn't take long for the altitude to kick in as they zig-zagged uphill. A wet patch grew at the top of Khai's shirt as his stocky form walked steadily ahead of her. She scrambled to keep pace, a pile of bricks on her back, and a rivulet of sweat trickling down her spine. Despite this, she continued to peer about her, entranced by the beauty and eccentricity of the neighbourhood. La Candelaria was one of the trendier districts in Bogota, with hipsters dotting the streets.

A cute man caught her gaze, smiled and nodded. She reddened and smiled back, surprised at how she appreciated the attention, and glad Khai was oblivious to it.

Their destination was a two-storey building on a side street. A small sign identified it as a hostel. Nadia stared up at the white stucco, purple lintels and cornice mouldings surrounding polished-wood doors and window shutters. It was striking. A fun and quirky fusion of the city's bohemian history.

The building was poky and a little run down, but clean and full of character. The ground floor centred around an atrium, and above she saw the first-floor patio with views of the city and mountains.

Her feet itched to run upstairs and check out the view, and she almost gave in to them, but two young locals waved and called out. The man strode over, took her bags and disappeared — so gentlemen still exist — and the woman poured a short, black drink she called 'tinto'.

Nadia, never a coffee fan, exchanged the tiny espresso cup for her now-empty one. Well, she thought, if I liked the green mango, maybe I'll like this. She lifted the drink, sipped and raised her eyebrows at the smooth flavour.

Her host nodded in a way that implied, 'I told you so,' then said, "Va" — go.

"Gracias," she said and followed Khai's voice. She found him in an upstairs corridor, talking animatedly with a young, strawberry blonde with bright-red lipstick.

"Last night was crazy! How'd you guys pull — uh ... Hey, Nadia. This is Jade. Jade, Nadia."

Nadia stepped forward. "Hey."

"Heya," said the woman in a lilting Welsh accent without taking her eyes from Khai. "We're heading out again tonight. You should come." She paused, waiting for a response. When none came, she darted her eyes to Nadia, ran her gaze up and down, then added, as if on an afterthought, "Both of you, if you want."

Khai pleaded with his eyes, and Nadia resisted the urge to roll hers. She'd barely slept and didn't know how she could stay awake much longer, let alone into the night. She shrugged and smiled wanly. "I'll have to see how I go. I didn't get much shut-eye on the plane."

A quick mental calculation told her it was ten thirty in the morning in Adelaide. No wonder she felt nauseous and confused. Sleep deprivation was a killer.

Khai opened his mouth, looking ready to argue the point.

A vice-like sensation pressed against her temples. She fisted her hands. This was their first night together in six months, they had more urgent needs to see to before checking out the sights. She bit the inside of her cheek and shoved down an underhand dig about red lipstick. After all, they had both come to Bogota to experience the city. It was only natural for Khai to want to go out.

Remember, you're an easy-going girlfriend, Nadia.

"How about I have a shower and take a quick nap? You can wake me." She forced a cheery smile. "If you can't, I suppose there's no need for you to stay here — it's not like I'll be missing out on anything if I'm passed out."

Khai gave her a bear-hug. "You're fantabulous!" He kissed her brow and pointed out the way to their room. "Number ten." As she skulked towards it with drooping shoulders, she heard him tell Jade he'd find her later to organise the night out.

The sight of a private room put a spring back in her step — this was a splurge for Khai. A good sign. Heat pooled low in her body as she thought about what it meant.

Her bag had been placed next to his open one. She skipped over to it and within moments had her toiletry case and towel in her hands. At the sound of approaching footsteps, she turned from the entrance of the bathroom.

Khai entered. "Sorry 'bout that, babe. You don't mind, do you?"

"So long as I have you to myself a while," she said, and winked, running a finger along the edge of the door frame and biting her lower lip, letting it slowly unfold. "You don't mind waiting a few minutes longer?"

He grinned, wiggling his eyebrows. "Not at all." His words came out in a growl, and she gulped. Then he stepped back into the corridor. "I'll be right back, K?" The door clicked shut.

"Okay ..."

The shower pushed Nadia into exhaustion. She resisted it. But after half an hour or so laying on the bed in her one set of lacy underwear, she gave in and closed her red, heavy eyes — just to rest them for a sec.

She immediately fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Nadia woke with her heart pounding and her mind racing. How long did she have to get ready? She sat up and wrapped her arms around her waist. The room was freezing. With relief, she saw rays of light streaking through the window. A white sun hovered in the east, hanging low in the sky. Strange. She must have her bearings wrong.

A snore made her jump. Turning, she saw Khai was lying next to her, half-covered by the duvet. He'd changed into jeans, a button-up shirt — and just one shoe. Her eyes narrowed. The scent of stale beer seeped from the pores of his skin, and her temper flared. Then her heart froze. A bright-red mark sat on his cheek, taunting her. She reached out a trembling hand and touched it. Red stained the tip of her index finger.

The fucker! Did he think he could get away with blue murder? A ball of energy built up in her chest. She was going to kill him. She was going to —

Snap out of it, Nadia. Her hands clenched the covers and squeezed hard as she breathed in deep. You're a relaxed, easy-going girlfriend. A relaxed ... easy going ...

Inside she screamed. Outside she settled for flopping heavily onto her back and pounding her fists on the mattress. Khai snorted, groaned and grumbled something about needing to sleep.

Nadia gritted her teeth. Best frickin' start to a holiday, ever.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Gracias — Thanks

Tinto —  A thick, black coffee served in a small glass. Often available on street corners in a large thermos and costing about 10-20 cents.

Va — Go

Photo by Michael Barón on Unsplash.