Ian Priestley
Before I embark in the world of full-time work, I have come to Colombia to live for a few months with my girlfriend Rochy.En Colombia sin tiquete de regreso
While ostensibly here to work as an English teacher and use my Spanish, I am here to be with Rochy once again. This time, on her soil!
Sun, loud music, extroverts and other assorted characters, bright colours, exotic fruits and a lack of punctuality - welcome to my world in Barranquilla!
Travel Blog Posts
February 10th 2007
1. English first 2. Español abajo I am now in London, about to start my new job, therefore this is the final blog on my Colombian experience. Here are the final reflections of a young British guy who went to live with his girlfriend in her tropical native land…. The photos I have chosen for this blog epitomise the effervescent nature of life in Barranquilla. Since I returned home to Scotland last month, some differences between the UK and Colombia have really dawned on me. I once spent a day at Notting Hill Carnival, which is probably Britain’s biggest and most-renowned street party. I remember thinking it was very colourful and lively. That was before I’d seen any of the pre-carnival parties in Barranquilla, which surpassed it in terms of excitement, verve and sheer happiness. ... read more
February 4th 2007
1. English first 2. Español abajo This is the way my girlfriend's country looks from the inside! This entry’s photos are mainly from the Carnaval de Antaño, a colourful prelude to the actual Barranquilla Carnival, which begins in just over two weeks. Although I am going to miss the Carnivals here this year, Rochy and I have tasted some of the colourful, chaotic experience. You can see this in the surrounding photos! Apart from that, here are some of my thoughts on life in Colombia… Muchachas Most middle-class families here have a ‘muchacha de servicio’, who is effectively a maid. She cooks, cleans, irons and washes clothes. In many cases, but not all, the muchacha actually lives in the house too. When I first lived in Colombia in 2002 I found this a strange concept, as ... read more
January 21st 2007
1. English first 2. Español abajo Welcome! It’s been an interesting start to 2007, exemplified by some pretty varied photos this time. Check out some more images from our holiday in Cartagena, the Barranquilla Zoo, a trip to El Rodadero near Santa Marta, and some shots of local food. An eye-opening experience In spite of my generally ‘lazy bugger’ lifestyle here (my words, not yours!), I have managed to make a small, but meaningful, contribution to the people here in Barranquilla. Recently I found out about a project being run by some Christian missionaries from the US and Canada. I am not at all religious, but when I heard about this project I decided this was for me… A group of almost one hundred ophthalmologists and optometrists have come here for two weeks to run ... read more
January 1st 2007
1. English first 2. Español abajo Enjoy a whole bunch of photos from December: Xmas, Rochy's uncle's farm, a trip to Cartagena, and my birthday night out ;o) Happy new year from Barranquilla! “Winter in Barranquilla” is an alien concept for someone like me. Nonetheless, locals here revel in the (relatively) cooler, breezier months of December and January. It’s still around 25-30 degrees almost all day long, but the wind makes it bearable. In fact, it’s wonderful. You can walk ten metres without breaking a sweat. Like in Florida at this time of year, some locals allude to the ‘cold’ and wrap up in a jacket or jumper at night. For me, this weather is perfect. It’s Papa Noel! Or is it? It has been a strange experience to be away from Scotland and far ... read more
December 16th 2006
1. English first 2. Español abajo I have now reached the two-month mark of my stay here in Colombia. I though that by now, having no job and few responsibilities, I would be bored and eager to go out and do something…. But I am far from bored. Spending 100% of my time in this culture has slowly but surely brought out a new Ian…. a lazy Ian! Believe me - this is an apt culture (Colombia’s) and climate (Barranquilla’s) in which to take it easy. Despite my lack of a job and Rochy’s prolonged ‘sabbatical’, we are quite content to take in the local culture and keep ourselves (kind of) busy sorting out things for our future in the UK. Bizarre customs A couple weeks back we celebrated the ‘night of candles’ (Noche de ... read more
November 27th 2006
1. English first 2. Español abajo Hola from Barranquilla Welcome to my first update from Colombia. For those of you who haven’t heard from me and are probably thinking “weren’t you in Asia??”, I have been living in Barranquilla, Colombia, for the last month and a half. I hadn’t seen my girlfriend Rochy since she finished her job in Leeds last June, so coming here to be with her was my first priority after getting back from my travels around Asia with Indie. Besides, I am not starting work til March, so why not chill out in the tropics for a couple months? My experience here so far has brought me to meet a wide range of Rochy’s family and friends, ranging from the much-anticipated ‘Meet the Parents’ scenario to going out drinking and dancing ... read more
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