Colombia: "The Only Risk is Wanting to Stay"
Anyways, the reason it has taken me so long to post an update about my new life is because things are SO different and I have been adjusting every second of every day during the past two weeks. I therefore want to depict everything about this wonderful country to the best of my ability; I want to paint the perfect Colombian portrait splashed with exciting details of the country’s colorful culture, food, people, and language.
My first few hours in Bogota were packed with new sensations. The second I got off my 11-hour plane ride from Madrid I could feel the elevation. Bogota is the fourth highest city in the whole world, and as I was standing in the customs line I found it hard to catch my breath. The open-air Bogota airport blew in warm, tropic-like air – such an amazing change from the harsh Eastern European winter I had been experiencing for the past four months. Pedro was waiting for me to take me to my hotel, and it was so great/crazy to see my old partner from Croatia! I definitely never thought I would be meeting him at the Bogota airport and to eventually work with him again!
Bogota is SO much greener/nicer/more developed than my old home in Sofia, Bulgaria. The entire city is surrounded by large, jungle-engulfed mountains, and the streets are lined with flowers, tropical trees, and grassy medians. (Side note: Colombia is the second-largest exporter of flowers to the U.S.) The streets do get PACKED, however, and many days include up to two hours of sitting in traffic coming from and going to meetings. Cars don’t care about red lights, and there are hundreds of small, dirty, colorful buses that stop for you when you put your hand out, just like a cab.
The first weekend in Bogota was so amazing that I didn’t feel any culture shock at all. I dropped my trillion-kilogram suitcases off at the hotel, and Pedro, Adam, and I immediately went out for drinks at “Zona T” – a T-shaped street full of open-air bars and restaurants pumping Salsa, Rock, and Reggaton. After a couple lulo martinis (lulo is one of the weird/delicious fruits common in Colombia), Pedro and I headed to a rooftop club and ordered a bottle of aguardiente – the liquor of Colombia that tastes of licorice and is chased with water. I found it hard to dance what with the altitude, and had been awake for 26 hours, but it was still the best welcoming night I could have asked for!
The rest of the weekend consisted of sightseeing with Pedro and Adam; we went to the top of Monserat at night, which is a gondola ride to the top of the highest point overlooking Bogota. The city looked huge (around 7.5 million inhabitants) and beautiful, and was another perfect activity for my first weekend there! The next day we walked around La Candelaria, the historical district, and snapped pictures of the Archbishopric Cathedral of Bogota, Simon Bolivar Plaza, and other Spanish-influenced architecture. The street food is also fun to try; carts of hundreds of fruits, fried banana chips, juices, smoothies, empanadas (fried dough balls filled with meat), and arepas (delicious, thick corn tortillas with cheese) are just a few examples. The weather was wonderful, and almost every day of the year the temperature ranges from 65-70 degrees as there are no seasons in Colombia. I even got a little sun burnt (easy to do as you are closer to the sun with the high altitude!)
The cuisine and drinks here are fun and different; there are so many entrees, desserts, fruits, and drinks to try. The girls introduced me to their favorite beverage: micheladas – which include Aguila light (one of the national beers), lime juice, and Tabasco sauce in a salt-rimmed glass. “Tinto” refers to the rich Colombian coffee served in all cafes (Juan Valdez is the national, brilliant brand here). “Aromatica” is a hot and delicious fruit drink that is extremely healthy and resembles a fresh cup of fruit tea coming in any flavor. The fruits here are amazing and probably one of my favorite things about Colombia! Every morning at breakfast there are at least three new fruits and/or juices out, and every street corner holds a stand filled to the brim with odd-shaped and colored fruits. I have tried many kinds but honestly cannot even name some of them! One of my favorites is Granadilla, or “mocos de bruja” (witch’s boogers!! Jaja).
I honestly think that one of the main reasons why I am so engrossed in this culture is because of the stark disparity between it and the Eastern Europe mentality. Coming from a cold and closed culture to a warm and affable would lift anyone’s spirits. The “gente” here are some of the nicest I have ever been around; the customer service is compiled of smiling, enthusiastic Colombians eager to make you happy in any way possible. In scheduling business meetings on the phone and in conducting interviews with various companies I have noticed just how forthcoming the Colombians are. Frequent phrases such as “A la orden”, “Con mucho gusto”, “MuchISIMAS gracias”, “Que tenga buen dia, senorita Kenny” are the norm, and everyone claims them with huge smiles on their faces. Alternatively, I have realized just how little Spanish I know! There is SO much more for me to learn, but I am absorbing tons of words and phrases every day. I am attempting to tackle the common greetings, departures, slang, and business vocabulary, and work 24/7 with my colleagues to become more fluid and confident. In just two weeks however I have learned more than I thought possible, and can now make appointments in Spanish and do part of the interviews during meetings as well. I have been putting my heart and soul into learning the language; I have been downloading Spanish music, watching Spanish TV, ordering in Spanish, and reading Adela’s “Spanish for Gringos” book whenever I have free time.
After a transition week in work (which is definitely challenging to say the least), Adela, Karla, and I took a road trip about four hours outside of Bogota to the small pastoral village of Villa de Leyva. A quaint, historic town, Villa de Leyva boasts a landscape of rich green mountains surrounding a cobble-stoned, white-walled Villa. Packed with traditional cafes, restaurants, shops, and churches, Villa de Leyva is a favorite for tourists and leaves one feeling as if they are transported back into the time of colonial Latin America. The actual drive to and from the town was picturesque and eye-opening. Armed forces with huge machine guns lined much of the roads, and our driver would wave at each and every one, giving them the thumbs up. Colombians LOVE their army because they are doing an amazing job with the increased security throughout the main regions of Colombia. Pedro and my friend Juan here would also do the same within Bogota, and the guards are always smiling and telling us good day – a pretty comforting aspect of the country. While I do love the new safety measures that President Uribe and now President Santos is enacting, going to meetings in office buildings requires us to leave around 20 minutes earlier than normal as finger prints, pictures, and registration is required in every business building.
Entonces, I think I have written enough to feel satisfied in explaining the beginning of my time in this new hemisphere. Honestly, I have so much more to share, but that will be for another day. Now I am off to Peru to help Pedro with the project there, and I feel so fortunate to be visiting different countries in the continent I have wanted to always visit the most over all others.
The slogan of my title comes from the tourism campaign below – gives me the chills every time!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxHQO1kXFng&NR=1&feature=fvwp
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