The love for the people in Bogota stayed with us as we rode an overnight bus to the jewel of Colombia; Medellin. Sandra is from Medellin and throughout our stay in Bogota she never passed a chance to share how much Medellin is better than Bogota. The food, weather, people, culture, nightlife, and everything you want in between. Medellin was the place to be -- sure enough, it nearly was.
The second largest city but most progressive, its built in a bowl, a modernized city surrounded by beautiful mountains and clear skies. The energy is high and a piece of everything can be found. We were there during the best time of the year because the week was the Feria de las Flores.
A cozy house with Isabel, her daughter, sister, nephew, mother, a little cute pug, and a cat that had me sneezing, was our home for a week. Isabel is one of few deaf professions in Medellin and teaches at one of the four deaf schools. Her unit is part of a mainstream school where she has 30 students from the first to fifth grade (she also convinced the school board to require hearing students to take one year of LSC after their 3 years of Spanish). When you're traveling and looking for deaf locals to exchange with along the way, Isabel is one of the people you hope for. Her humor, openness, intelligence, support, and guidance made Medellin a place I would have to return to.
The road lead us to Tolu, a small town 8 hours North on the N.W. coast, where the waves continuously hit the shore as the town flourished with the daily routine. It was paradise. Not the clear-blue-water beach type but the type that was heaven because all there was to do was sleep, eat, drink, swim, and chill. Places like this remind me why I love traveling so much: it keeps me in the present, I live each individual moment deeply and I do not dwell on the past nor worry about the future -- exactly what I came for.
Once the weekend hit we headed to the photogenic city of Cartagena. Luis, who we met in Bogota and saw again in Medellin, flew up and stayed with us for the following week. We arrived late and rushed to drop off our bags at our place then dashed to the old town. After strolling around for a bit we decided to buy a carton of rum and sit on the great walls as the historical setting glowed with warm colors and Black Eyed Peas played for the nearby wedding.
We were in Cartagena for barely 24 hours and soaked in pouring rain toward the end. I didn't have much time to see the city during the day, missed the opportunity to go all out with my camera, but was able to laugh in the storm and jump into puddles before changing clothes and leaving to Tagana.
Tagana was like Tolu just East of the coast. Although the population was an extra digit and the amount of tourist increased, it was still the place I wanted to be. So sweet we ended up staying almost a week. Swimming, working out, chilling, cooking, partying with the locals, quality beer, cheap food, and sleeping in hammocks outside for the night was all I needed and more. We had spent enough money on good times with everyone already so this was where we grounded ourselves and enjoyed simplicity.
The deaf people in Colombia are to thank for the majority of our experience. We have spent our time with the leaders of the community, the ones who spend Friday night at a club talking about linguistics and development. It was inspiring to see that they too have passion for the language, culture, and are driven to enhance the future of their children. By living with them throughly each day, seeing the things they showed, learning what they taught, and being introduced to everything has provided that understanding and experience of the Colombian culture -- like I said, they made it real -- and that is what I will remember most about this beautiful place as I leave.
I've read so much on the Internet on how dangerous Colombia is; how dozens have been robbed, kidnapped, and/or murdered. No where did anything mention that Colombia is also a place where couples never hesitate to share their love for each other at anytime, anywhere, and children everywhere stay out late to play soccer.
We're currently back in Bogota at Geovani's home along with his mom. Times like this can be confusing for a second. You know when you leave one place for a very long time then return and wonder what just happened. Its like an hour ago that I was sitting on the beach in Tolu and now I am already back in the city. I like how I know I am 3 weeks wiser and more experienced, but I'll sure miss swimming all day and taking breaks to drown a bottle of brew.
Several people I've talked with before my trip have told me how much they've enjoyed South America and how Colombia is one of their favorites. I've always smiled with admiration and curiosity, but now know why, I've seen the beauty and felt the love. I can't say its my favorite yet because its only my first, what more is that we're not even done with Colombia yet. The final week will be spent in Bogota, Cali, and Pasto before we head down to Quito, Ecuador.
Just got in town so I think I'll take a nap then go out for a run... here is what my iTouch was able to do:
Medellin
Sandra
its believed that this comet hit the earth and created the land below
view from the top
friends from Medellin
Isabel's class
the old town of Medellin
Isabel
Feria de las Flores
all of the above were handmade
the calm life of Tolu
Avena -- a VERY tasty drink!
Cartagena
on the walls in Old Town
sunset in Tagana
children playing soccer
Tagana
