Colombia Travel Video

 

Colombia: Soaking It All In

"Nobody can discover the world for somebody else. Only when we discover it for ourselves does it become common ground and a common bond and we cease to be alone.” – Wendell Berry

Well, it's now that time; time I head back to my reality with so much learned from my summer travels. My trip validated something I've always felt deep in my heart. I love the Latin culture; warm people, passionate music and dance, plentiful food (I'd add a few more greens), and lush landscapes. I'm going to miss it until next summer...

I spent today soaking my whole experience in and making the most of the day. We spent the better part of the day at the antique car parade, which is part of the festival of flowers.   We got there a little early to try and scope out some shade since the sun was blazing. As all parades seem to do, it started with police and fire trucks and loud music. The antique cars showed up late because the first car broke down at the start and had to be repaired. I was amazed at how fast the vehicles were moving in the parade, especially considering how fond the locals were of darting in front of them to take a selfie. 

Later in the day, we wandered around a festival venue that was full of live music, art markets and food. The vibe was lively but chill at the same time. Everyone was having a great time. At one point, I stopped to take a picture in front of the flowers. A few locals nearby started chanting, "Photo, photo, photo," until I took a picture with them, so that was fun.

To end an already terrific day, we went to a tango restaurant to hear Luis Correa perform. In between the tango song performances, a dancing duet performed a few tango selections. It was all so unlike any musical experience I've had before. It helped me appreciate their culture even more.

Feria de las Flores is the most important festival in Medellín and was a big reason I chose to visit Medellín. Historically, slaves carried sick people sitting in chairs, on their back, up and down the hills to seek medical attention. In more recent times, this event has turned into Silleteros carrying flowers and flower arrangements on their back since Colombia is the 2nd largest exporter of flowers. What started as just a few people parading through town, there are now more than 500 Silleteros from Santa Elena showing off their homegrown flowers. Sadly, I won't be able to view the parade this year due to my flight time, so I'm glad I was able to experience the making of the silleta in Santa Elena earlier this week.

Yesterday, I had a low key day of walking around central Medellín with a few local friends. While I had visited a few of the areas before, visiting them again during the festival was a much more exciting experience. Food, handicrafts and music were everywhere and those that know me, know that I love that kind of thing. 

The song 'Despacito' came on. It's a hit {becoming overplayed} here in South America and apparently just became the most watched video on YouTube. It's also the first Spanish language song to reach the top of the Billboard 100 since 'Macarena.' Check it out, but I'm warning you, it's catchy. 

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/music/2017/aug/04/despacito-becomes-most-viewed-video-in-youtube-history

 

 

 

 

Breakfast- Colombian bacon aka chicharron, arepa, and beans/collards (not pictured)

Homegrown flowers. Details, details, details

 

 

 

 

Delicious snack...Solterita

 

Antique Car parade

 

 

 

 

Festival of Flowers venue. They wanted a photo with the gringo. Lol.

 

 

Rainbow to send me on my way.

 

Colombia: Dirty Arequipe?

“Travel opens your mind as few other things do. It is its own form of hypnotism, and I am forever under its spell.” - Libba Bray

 

 

  

Funny story. Today, as Olivia and I were enjoying the orchids and flowers on display at the Botanical Garden, we came upon a vendor selling homemade Arequipe. For those unfamiliar with this sweet product, think caramel but much creamier and tastier. Olivia and I were discussing ways to enjoy it; such as spread on bread, dip apples in it, and eat it straight out of the container. Chiming right in, the vendor proudly added in English, "On the body." Olivia and I busted out laughing!

Still giggling, we continued on our way to view the rest of the festival exhibits. The orchids and flower arrangements were exquisite. There were so many flowers I'd never seen before and some I had seen but with different colors here. As we walked through the back of the gardens, we came upon gigantic iguanas sun bathing and then one that was on his way back up the tree. They were impressively large and seemingly old. 

I will never forget yesterday's visit to the farm with Iris' family. I was able to meet more of their family and friends, including little Emilio. He's adorable and full of personality. The food, family and views of the countryside were memorable. We ended the gathering by eating a rich dessert with coffee and listening to Luis Correa sing a few songs. He's their friend and also a famous Argentinian singer. His impromptu performance was a perfect ending to a priceless day with my Colombian family.

Loads of rum- getting ready for festival of flowers next week

 

 

 

Iris' family house in countryside

 

 

 

 

Colombia: Small Great Things

“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battuta

'We Are Color. I love that Medellín is full of life and color!

 

 

 

 

When travelers get together, great stories are bound to be told. Last night, I had dinner with a girl from Scotland that I met over the weekend in Salento. She's in the middle of her three month travels over Central and South America. We traded stories, tips and recommendations and generally enjoyed each other's company for a few hours. While traveling with friends comes with many benefits, traveling solo has forced me to get out in ways I didn't know I could, to meet people. If I had been with friends, I would not have taken the opportunity to meet these great people and hear their perspectives on life. I love creating these relationships while traveling the world and this trip has proven to be rich beyond words, in that respect. 

Today, I made extra time to reflect; reflect on my trip and reflect on life. Two things were natural catalysts for my reflection.

The first was my visit to the Memory House Museum which has taken the time to document various perspectives of conflict and war in Colombia, through engaging and interactive exhibits. I've said before, that most interactions I've had with people in the tourism industry here want so bad to move past their treacherous history. As I solemnly walked through this museum, I couldn't help but think how lucky I am. I haven't had to deal with anything as harsh as people here have. I don't have gangs vying for territory or drug cartels passing through. I haven't lost friends or family to war and violence. I'm saddened to think about that reality for many here. 

As I was visiting the second museum, the Museum of Antioquia, I stopped for a few minutes between each floor to rest and read some from the book that I was nearing the end on. "Small Great Things," by Jodi Picoult was my book of choice for this trip. It's about an African American labor and delivery nurse that was accused of murdering a white baby placed in her care. Throughout the book, written by a white, female author, she uncovers race truths that I haven't had to deal with. Reading the book has brought more awareness to my perceptions. One quote from the book, given by the antagonist, really hit home with me: 'How many exceptions do there have to be before you start to realize that maybe the truths you've been told aren't actually true?'  I wonder this about many things,  such as with politics, educational policy, culture, and race relations. Needless to say, I spent quite a bit of time today finishing this novel-breaks throughout the museum, at a coffee shop and then walked home briskly to finish it. 'Small Great Things' gave me a lot to think about, and again made me think how lucky I am not to have to worry that mall security might follow me for fear that I may steal or that others may walk to other side of the road for fear that I may harm them. I'm a white female; that's not my reality and I hate that it is the reality for many. The title of the book is a reference from a quote from Martin Luther King, Jr., "If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way." I aim to make this my goal moving forward.

 

 

 

 

n 2000, this statue in the park suffered a bombing that killed many people. The city almost removed the damaged statue but the citizens and artist begged that it stay in remembrance.

 

 
 

Colombia: Stuck Between A Rock and A Hard Place

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” - Helen Keller

 

 

You know that moment in a movie when the main characters are riding in a taxi after midnight in a foreign country. Then, all of a sudden, the driver takes an obscure route, pulls over on the side of the street, and gets out of the car to walk to a dark building. He claims he has to "fill out paperwork." As the movie watcher, you just know that something bad is about to happen. Well, except for the "something bad is about to happen," that scenario happened to us Friday night.

A few of us decided to head to Salenta, Colombia for the weekend. Our bus left Medellín at 4:30pm and was set to arrive at 9:30pm. Due to lots of traffic and winding mountain roads, we didn't get to the final station until midnight. Exhausted, we grabbed a taxi after confirming that he knew where we were going- 45 min away. We got in and started on our way and shortly there after, we were confronted with the bad scene in a movie. As the driving is trying to explain he needs paperwork for a possible police check, the three of us are making eyes at each other, wondering what the hell was really going on. We were stuck- we were in a small town with no life around except the two homeless guys wandering by. We were at the mercy of our driver. After about 10 minutes, the driver had his "paperwork", Pascal signed it, and we were again on our way safely. Those were probably the longest 10 minutes of my life. 

Even after the long journey in, we woke up early to hike the Los Nevados National Park. This hike was legit and had all things I love- plush greenery, wild animals, water falls, rickety bridges, passes over rocks and through creeks. It also had the one thing I hate on hikes- mountains. Not hills, mountains! The 7.5 miles were filled with exquisite landscapes. We started in a lush pasture, entered into a cloud forest, walk up a mountain or two, and then ended with their famous valley of tall palm trees. It was all so breathtaking and unlike any other hike I've done.

 

 

 

  During the 45 minute straight up mountain section, I could feel my heart pounding in every part of my body.

 

Me, Pascal and Olivia (both from Switzerland)

 

 

 

 

 

 

First class coffee. 70% of the first class beans are exported to be roasted in other countries. People here typically drink 2nd class coffee, which means the beans have more imperfections.

 

 

Winning at Tejo. Objective is to throw the Tejo (rock ish thing) to the other side. You win one point if you're closest to center. If your Tejo hits the target, an explosion of gun powder occurs and you get 3 points.
 

Trout lunch after game of Tejo

 

Colombia: Paramilitary and Guerrillas

“Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” - Mary Ritter Beard

 

In recent past, Comuna 13 was plagued with incredible violence, death and upheaval. Lots of fighting took place between various armed groups. Controlling this area meant control of the highway leading to the coast and the import/export of illegal goods. Tired of death and turmoil, the citizens and local hip hop artists took a stand for peace. Major projects have been promoted in this area, such as a large escalator system to help in the mobility of residents and the addition of beautiful graffiti. One local hip hop group, using proceeds from tours like I took today, help youth in the area see there are other options for them to choose, rather than violence. It was clear during the tour how important it is to the citizens, that the outside know that they are desperately trying to rehabilitate their image since the days of Pablo Escobar. 

Yesterday, after visiting the Modern Art Museum, I attended a Language Exchange at a local restaurant. Samson attended this when he was in Medellín and recommended I go so that I could meet other people. At the event, I sat with two other Americans, 3 locals, and a guy from Finland. I tried speaking a little Spanish  when I could, but mostly ended up helping the locals practice their English through conversation. I would have never taken part in something like this in the US, but I'm glad that Samson kept insisting I go. Since I did have a positive experience, I'm going to try another one tonight. 

Having been in Medellín for 6 days, the biggest things I notice, in compared to Quito, Ecuador, are that the local people are much more beautiful and diverse, and the city is full of color. The color is coming from tasteful street art and painted buildings, combined with green spaces and trees. The weather is also more amicable since it's sunny and warm. That's why they call Medellín the City of Eternal Spring.

Yummy breakfast (eggs, plantain, cheese, arepa)

 

City Center

 

Botero Plaza

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comuna 13 - Previously very dangerous and controversial area.

 

 

 

 

Bicho, local graffiti artist and some of his work