Colombia es Pasión

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Oh one week in and where to begin. First of all, let's reflect on the fact that I am not kidnapped and my parents have not received a phone call for ransom. Bogotá is not as dangerous as it used to be. Yes, there are still plenty of muggings that go on and I have already experienced an aggressive beggar that I had to run from, but I haven't felt unsafe at all yet.

First impressions:

1) lot's of construction. It seems that Bogota has made the decision to overhaul the entire city and improve everything at once, which will probably be better in the long run, but right now it's a bit chaotic. And since the city is built over a swamp, reconstruction of the roads is going to be incessant.

2) surprisingly clean and safe water. I did not expect to be able to drink water that was not bottled, but apparently Colombia is way ahead of its fellow Latin American countries on the water filtration from.

3) Bogotá is massive. I did not anticipate the vastness of this city. At night you get to see its true depth when all the city's lights creep out from the valley and up onto the surrounding mountain ranges of Monserrate and Guadalupe.

4) Food is amazing. I have tried so many exotic fruits like chirimolla, mangostinos, guanabana, uchuvas, and so many others that I had never even heard about. The fresh jugos (juices) from all of these are just divine. The arepas are also yummy. They are similar to tortillas but lighter in color and flavor and much more versatile--arepas con mantequilla y quesito, which is with butter and a special type of cheese, has been my favorite but so rich in dairy that I could only take a few bites. The Papas creoles are delicious tiny little potatoes. Fresas con crema where the cream is so rich that it is gold in color. Empanadas are a given. We've eaten so much that I can't even remember it all. It still boggles my mind how much the people eat here and the food is so rich, yet I have not spotted one overweight person. And that leads me to my next point:

5) Bicyclists everywhere. They even have their own section on the sidewalk. Bogotá apparently has the best bicycle network in all of Latin America and the locals definitely take advantage of it. With this lifestyle, I guess it shouldn't be very surprising that no one is really fat.

6) The nightlife is really diverse. I was a bit apprehensive about meeting Fedi's friends since they are part of the elite class in Bogotá, however, I have been pleasantly surprised by how down to earth they are. Throughout the week we've had great conversations at cafés, joked over a beer at Bogotá Beer Company, and danced at crossover clubs. I have really enjoyed their company this past week...except all the smoking. I love how I have my most intellectual conversations when I leave the States and they are usually with people who have the most vices.

On to the adventures...Our first night Fedi welcomed us by taking us by introducing us to his friends and renting a party bus (which parades around as a field trip bus by day) to take us out to a "crossover" venue (which means that it plays all types of music from salsa to electronic) called Andrés de Carne Res. On the ride there we passed around aguardiente, which is like a colombian version of sambuca. But the best part was that is came in a carton. Ridiculous. Andrés was huge and definitely quirky with huge plastic cows inviting you inside and crazy decor. At one point as I was lost on my way to the bathroom I´m pretty sure I saw an antique car dashboard hanging on the wall. The photos can only explain...However, the dancing was so much fun and Simonne and I were both ecstatic to dance salsa on our first night en Suramérica. :D

The next day we drove into the city, because Fedi lives on the mountain in the outskirts of Bogotá. We had dinner in the Usaquén district and got to peruse the high quality flee market and listen to a storyteller on the way home. Apparently Fedi's mom used to throw parties and hire these storytellers as a fun entertainment surprise. Chevere...

Monday was a Colombian holiday so we drove to Nemocon with the family to see the salt flats. During the ride Fedi's parents explained the Spanish roots behind the generally passive and submissive culture in Colombia. In the past, the King provided everything so today the people just wait for change to happen instead of being proactive and making the change happen themselves. It was really interesting to discuss how the U.S. breeds leadership because Americans are doers/innovators, while Colombians are bred to be good workers/followers. This fits into their culture of living in the present and not really planning for the future.

When we finally got to Nemocon, we got to experience the majestic aura of the salt mines. After trekking down underground to the second level we got to see the small cathedral where they occasionally host weddings, a bunch of wishing wells, and long wells of water that were so still that the reflection of the cieling looked like a cliff dropoff. The stalagtites and stalagmites crystalized from the salt were also really impressive.

On our way home we stopped in a moutain town called Sutatausa to check out the old church where they used to torture Indians in a cramped room behind the altar during masses. As we entered the old Church and approached the altar, the little door to the right looked to innocent yet mysterious. Yet once opened the tiny pich black tunnel led to a small room of torture contraptions. Very eerie. In those times, apparently dug a tunnel to the nearby cliffs to jump off the edges because they would rather commit suicide than become enslaved. In the main chapel, hidden frescos were also discovered behind a layer of plain paint during the construction of a new window, which were recently salvaged. The church definitely eminated this eerie energy of concealed secrets.

After three days in the country side, we finally made it into La Candelaria, the historic downtown district of Bogotá that was gorgeous with the backdrop of the mountains. Fedi also took us to his university, Rosario, which is the oldest university in the country and only allows students of strong lineage to come study. We then perused Museo de Oro and learned about the metallurgy of different tribes and how the used to the gold a decorationg, jewelery, tools, sacrifices to the gods and more. The details in so many of the figurines and designs were impeccable. We then made in to the main plaza with the main cathedral, congress, etc. It was less impressive than many other main plazas that I have seen, especially since it was overrun by congressman in black suits. However, we did get to see Iglesia Santa Clara, which is the first church in the country, filled with beautiful gold paintings and embellishments. Apparently the priest that founded the church paid for 20,000 masses on his death bed so he would definitely go to heaven and they are still having masses today to fulfill his request.

Yesterday we left Fedi's place and settled ourselves in Hostel Platypus in la Candelaria for our last night in Bogotá before we fly up to the coastal city of Santa Marta tonight. I feel like to journey has really only begun now because Sim and I are finally on our own. We got to explore the downtown markets and then made our way up to Monserrate by cable car to catch the sunset and a bird's eye view of the city from the top of the mountain. Unfortunately, we were so high up that we were literally in the clouds, so the sunset was kind of stunted. Nonetheless, the modern church and landscaping at the top was breathtaking and worth the $7 ride up and down the teleferico. By the time we made it back down the mountain it was dark out and we were not about to walk back to la Candelaria even though it was so close. So we got on our first bus! Luckily there was another group of travelers, one from Bogotá and the other 2 from Argentina, to help us get off the bus early. I finally got to use my spanish in a proper conversation! Fedi's family and friends had been mostly talking to us in english because Sim isn't that comfortable with her spanish, so I was only able to speak in spanish when I wasn't with her--which wasn't often. However, now that we're on our own, I can use my spanish all the time to help us navigate-yay!

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Photos

Los Arrieros restaurant
Trying our first arepa con mantequilla y quesito!