The quest for Palinuro

Birthplace of Fernando Botero, Medellín is home to many Colombian artists, writers, and intellectuals. When I was in Bogotá, I came across a fantastic book publisher based in Medellín called Tragaluz.

At the time, I bought a limited edition of Viajeros by writer Pablo Montoya, illustrated by José Antonio Suárez Londoño. I told myself, "You have to find a Tragaluz bookshop when you are in Medellín." Well, I am now in Medellín, and although I didn't find a physical Tragaluz storefront, I found Palinuro: a tiny second-hand bookshop lost in the labyrinthine streets of the city.

I had read about Palinuro by chance while picking up a small newspaper called Universo Centro in the restaurant where I had dinner last night. The article was about the 10th anniversary of the bookshop and featured an interview with the owner. I confess I didn't read the whole article, but I took note of the name and address and decided to try to find it today. I left the hostel around 11 AM, had some breakfast, and walked for almost 90 minutes through the streets of Medellín. I lost my way a couple of times and ended up in some pretty rough areas, but not even the heavy rain stopped me from pursuing my quest.

I was greeted with a smile and a warm welcome. Luis Alberto Puerta received me with the kindest manners and asked me politely how he could help me. The bookstore had two floors; its walls were filled with used books, neatly displayed on old, dark wood shelves.

I wasn't really looking for anything specific. I told him in my broken Spanish, "I'm looking for some illustrated travel diaries from South America... something like Chatwin, but with drawings as well... maybe you have something in mind?" He looked at me and smiled, asking where I was from and what I was doing in Colombia. We ended up talking for over two hours about literature, Colombian politics, the economy, and culture. I bought two used books: a collection of plays by García Lorca and a novel by Colombian writer Álvaro Mutis called Ilona llega con la lluvia — the latter recommended by Mr. Puerta. I spent a wonderful afternoon in the company of a most interesting man and his fantastic book collection.