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30 juin testing the watersback in Cali today... I am proud of myself today for establishing a little independence... starting with venturing out to buy my own milk this morning, while everyone was still sleeping, then made my own breakfast, which is not so much independence as it is trying to get a handle on all the food I keep stuffing myself with. I came downtown with Cindy where Andrea bought us an amazing vegetarian lunch, the best purchased food I have had since I got here.
And at the moment I am at a library across the street on my own, which is part of a big cultural center, and I am loving every second. So buying my own milk and crossing the street by myself don´t sound like any big deal, not when I managed all myself in Costa Rica, but this isn´t Costa Rica, and what´s more, having family around all the time nurtures your comfort zone.
check in later... 26 juin burn, shiver, burnToday started out tough.. Last night was some of a burn... went to Feria again looking to dance but it just wasn´t happening, wasn´t feeling the scene, but we hung out for a while anyway, partly because we paid to get in and also because we wanted to try and stick it out for Eddy Herrera (popular merengue) at 230 a.m.. Didn´t happen (neither did Tito Nieves the night before).
But it was all for the better for today because when my aunt and uncle asked me last night what time I would like to go to Lago Calima, I was hoping that it did not mean before 9 a.m. Who was I kidding, tho. I was awake at 730 and we were out of the house by 9, from Tuluá to Buga, from Buga to Darien by CHIVA for an hour, a chiva being a very fat, open bus with benches that stretch across it and plays music. I thought that I would try to sleep thru most of the ride, but the view just did not allow it. The chiva weaved up a mountain so we got to take all kinds of gorgeous mountain view photos while dust kicked up from the road layered itself all over continuously for most of the ride as a consequence of not really having a barrier on at least one side of the vehicle... also as a consequence I lost a flipflop along the way from the wind that blew it off the floor of the chiva and on the roadside on some nameless mountain... so that when we got to Darien my uncle bought me fashionable new blue flipflops. I guess if there is anything with me that I had to lose, that is far from the worst.
When we got to Darien, we lunched and headed for the lake, which is supposedly an artificial lake, but beautiful regardless (see pics!!!). Today´s views made all the trouble of last night and this morning totally worth it. Once there, we boarded a two story raft with a sound system for an hour tour of the lake to a good mixed soundtrack... sometimes it just doesn´t take a lot to have a good time, but the real highlight of the day was our JET SKI ride, first time ever for both Richard and me. When I lived in Florida I always wanted to do it but it would be just too expensive so it never happened... whereas today mi tia Celina and tio Rafael made it for us (muchisimas gracias!!), an awesome half hour thrill where we took turns driving, sometimes riding along, some times crashing into the small waves, got ourselves soaked head to toe eyeballs included so they burned and while the rest of us shivered our way through some coffees that my aunt brought us over afterward (the temperature wasnt that high today). It was an awesome experience, right there with horseback riding on the beach in Costa Rica...
Needless to say we are both properly burned, but not cooked thank God. There´s nothing that can take it out of you like the sun can. That tan´s coming thru guys I promise.
And I just want to note that if there is one thing Colombians love, it´s pictures. They love taking them, and love having them taken, and equally looking at them... multiple times, practically by mandate, the same day they were taken on however many media they can manage.. camera, tv, computer. Same applies to video... if we film something, count on it that the same day there will be a gathering of sorts around the tv to watch the events of.. not the previous day. The same day. Haha, have to love it tho, no?
Good night burritos and chiquitos, much love!! 24 juin good luck today, better luck next timeThe original plan was to go to the Parque de Cafe in Armenia, about another hour and half north of Tuluá. On arrival we found we were a little short on the cash to get in, so instead we hung out with my cousin and her boyfriend that live there. Taxi driver boyfriend hooked us up with free rides around the city, and that alone made the trip so worth it. Armenia has to be one of the most beautiful cities I´ve seen (altho the truth is I havent seen a lot, when it gets knocked off #1 I will let you know), I have never seen so much green in a city. Situated among hills and surrounding mountains, the views were just amazing. I will definitely be going back to just to amble around for an entire day.. this time more efficiently equipped with batteries for the camera...
Once back to Tuluá, we rested up and got a taxi (thank God, they have been on strike for the past few days) to Feria, a party / festival that every major city in Colombia holds for a week, each at a different time of the year (Cali´s is between Christmas and New Year´s). There was music blasting all over, with motorcycle displays, and kind of like a mini farm show with dogs, rabbits, cows, etc. Tons of little shops were all over with tapestries, trinkets, clothing, art, all things that I would have loved to litter a big house with. In one spot we got to see an Afro Colombian group performing.. ´musica del Pacifico´ says Richard, if there is a more specific name for it we´re a little clueless. Classification is overrated in any case. It was still amazing. Later we piled into an open space with a stage where the main show would be, but we were disapointed to hear the opening band play bad remakes of Spanish rock songs, and then hear that the rest of the evening would be rock en español.. then disappointed again to find no discotecas within the space of the Feria but instead we found one outside that space on the street filled with more, mostly food, vendors and discotecas among them.
I dont get why so many people love ranchera, music made exclusively to drink to, so people sit, sing along at the top of their lungs waving their shots and bottles. I guess if you like to drink a lot it is one thing, and it serves as an in-between for people to take a break from dancing. For my own, I could hang myself to it.
Tonight we´re counting on better luck with the orquestas, the line up looks awesome for tonight and the next couple days. Tito Nieves shows up at 230 a.m. tonight I will be lucky if I can stick it out but I will give it a shot.
Saludos chicos y chicas much love.  22 juin Resurrection from ColombiaSo I´m back again, after resigning to the fact that MSN is just admittedly much more user friendly. I haven´t the patience to handle otherwise.. and because its easier to upload pictures here.
At the moment I am in Colombia, and a little sorry I did not write earlier to keep things updated, as there are so many things to write about any experience abroad. And I´ll be sorry if I dont keep this updated afterward either but at least I am trying at the moment. Also at the moment I just woke up from a nap. Can you imagine having an insect bite on your eyelid? Who would think, not the most optimal place for a blood snack considering, as I recall, that its made of 90% water.
More precisely, I am in Tuluá, about an hour and a half north of Cali (whose proper name I found is actually Santiago de Cali), the birth and growup place of my mom and living place for the majority of my family here. Tuluá is, so far as I see it, a quaint town, a lot smaller than Cali. Now I am about to go about take in some air, report more later (hopefully).
Saludos a todos. |
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