Birth -> 1st year

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November 24th, 1983

It was a Thursday. At 6:00AM I came into the world. I was born at the Clinica del Caribe, in Barranquilla, Colombia. I was my parents' first-born, so in a way, I would become the guinea pig. So far the experiment has turned out nicely.

About Barranquilla

Barranquilla is a city in the northern part of Colombia. It lies next to the Magdalena river and the Atlantic ocean. It's only 18 meters above sea level and has an average temperature of 28C (82.4F). Its nickname, "La Puerta de Oro de Colombia" (Colombia's Golden Gate) symbolizes its history for bringing new things and people into the country. My own great-grandfather came from Italy and stayed and later established one of the first radio-stations in the city.

Barranquilla has been around since the early 1600's, but it officialy came to be recognized as a village on April 7th, 1813. During the early 1900's many immigrants from Europe and the Middle East would come through Barranquilla and either stay or go on to other parts of the country or continent.

Barranquilla is renowned for its Carnaval. The celebrations have world-wide fame and are second only to Rio's. It started at the end of the 1800's and it's a tradition that every Barranquillero is proud to be a part of. In November 2003, UNESCO proclaimed it as one of only 28 Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. It's really quite complicated to explain the experience of the Carnaval; it's slogan sums it up nicely: Quien Lo Vive Es Quien Lo Goza - he who lives it, enjoys it.

The Carnaval takes place at the same time all other carnivals around the wolrd do: the four days preceeding Ash Wednesday. During that time the city's normal activities come to a halt as everyone is out enjoying street dances, parades, music, and masquerade balls.

But Barranquilla is more than just parties; it's a city of pioneers:

• The first commercial airline of Latin America, SCADTA, was established in 1919 and operated until World War II
  
• First city in the country with maritime and river-based transportation
  
• Had the longest commercial pier in the world
  
• Had the first telephone in the country
  
• Created the fist public works company (Empresa Distrital de Telefonos)
  
• Opened the first tourist hotel in Latin America in 1930, Hotel El Prado
  

Even if you haven't heard of Barranquilla before, chances are you know about some famous Barranquilleros:

Shakira: pop/rock singer
Edgar Renteria: currently short-stop for the Atlanta Braves. Part of the Marlin's Championship team
Silvia Tcherassi: fashion designer
Sofia Vergara: model and actress

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This is where I lived for sixteen years, but more on that later.

When I was 1 year-old we took a road trip to Bogota. Kudos to my parents for that, I don't think I'll ever put myself in a car with a toddler for over a day. But from what my parents told me I was pretty good. I guess my love for travel started from the very beginning.

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