(Monday, 6 July 2009)
I'm heading today to the southern hemisphere, but I'm going with Colombia in my heart.
I've written here time and time again about how much this country has positively surprised me, about how well impressed I am with its natural and cultural diversity and beauty, with the genuinely welcoming way of being of its people.
So my last thoughts go to what I didn’t get to know…
The Amazon basin for instance, as unfortunately much of it (not all, but most of it) is still not accessible to travellers as it’s still cocaine and guerrilla territory.
Or coastal towns by the Pacific, where poverty and desperation lead to drug smuggling, violence and crime at levels not seen in many other places in the world. For instance, Tumaco is a relatively small town of around 85,000 people which lies in territory half-forgotten by the government, and is in the middle of a war between rival gangs, who fight for the control of drug shipping up north, to the US, via Mexico and other Central American countries. That’s a town where desperation leads people to embark on several weeks-long journeys through the Pacific Ocean, on hand-made submersibles of wood and fibre glass, that try the dangerous trip to the northern waters of Mexico, loaded with cocaine and below the eyesight of the authorities. Needless to say, many die in that attempt. That’s a town where, on average, 4.4 people are murdered every day. Given Tumaco's size, that represents a homicide-rate 15 times (!) higher than that of Caracas, currently considered the most dangerous city in the world not-at-war. Needless to say, Tumaco is not accessible to travellers either.
These are consequences of the “dark side” of Colombian politics, power struggles and war. The “dark side” of a country where there is a very unclear border line between governmental forces and the paramilitary. The “dark side” of a country where it’s actually not only the government being accused of promiscuous relationships with the paramilitary, but the all parliament, as politicians from all parties and movements have been found to have accepted money from the drug trade to finance their campaigns – only so that they can pay it back with political and economic favours later on (what is called around here as the “para-politica”).
Before I travelled here, the image I had of Colombia was really dark. Now, it’s much brighter, much more colourful and warm in my heart. And I now understand a bit better the darker aspects of the Colombian reality (because I know they exist!), what makes them dark, and why it’s only that darkness that comes across to the foreign public.
So, my wishes are that when someday I come back – right now I feel like how couldn’t I? – I find a country that managed to solve its problems, that I can get to know freely and peacefully places like the Amazon basin or Tumaco. But also a country that managed to make that happen without incurring in the power abuses that seem to become common place nowadays.
Bye-bye, Colombia. All the best, and see you soon!
(P.S.: “Semana” seems to be a very good weekly magazine to keep up to speed with what is happening in Colombia – a lot of chronicles, opinionated texts and research-based journalism that seem to be fairly independently minded)
Showing posts with label Diary - Colombia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Diary - Colombia. Show all posts
Saturday, 18 July 2009
Stoned people, literally
(Thursday-Saturday, 2-4 July 2009)
Google map: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=pt-PT&geocode=&q=%22san+agust%C3%ADn%22+colombia&sll=4.713303,-76.099548&sspn=10.714568,14.084473&ie=UTF8&ll=2.383346,-76.497803&spn=1.34463,2.801514&z=9
While in Tierradientro (see two posts below) the underground tombs are the highlight, in San Agustín are the stone statues that call your attention. Here, the tombs are of a much simpler nature, and the focus was put on the “stone guardians” of the dead. At the end, statues were put on top of the tomb, and it was all covered with dirt, until the all structure resembled a belly-like shape. To symbolise a new birth, now in sync with mother nature.
It’s thought that it was the same civilisation that lived in Tierradentro and San Agustín. Or at least they were communities very well linked with each other, as most elements are common between the two sites.
As you can see in the photos, most statues are anthropomorphic, as they represent the community’s spiritual leaders – the shamans – merged with the most respected and feared animals from the forest – like monkeys, jaguars and alike – from whom they’d expect to gain special powers. These images of man and animal combined into one came from the shamans themselves, in night time spiritual sessions when they’d intake hallucinogenic substances, and would dream of special communication with the animals and the ability to share their powers. I guess you can say that San Agustin’s statues are of stoned people made by… stoned people.
It’s interesting how the Spanish, their catholic church – and pretty much all of the official institutions of the Western society – converted so many of these cultural manifestations into abominations and heresy. Be it the spiritual consumption of psychotropic substances naturally available in the jungle that I just mentioned, or the representation of sexuality and birth, without any complexes or stigmas, found in some of the statues (I mean, the satues that survived the impetuous of destruction by the European conquerors of all the “barbarian and non-Christian” representations).
One final word to Carlos, the guide that walked me through the archaeological park. I do most of my travels without a guide – I don’t need someone to tell me “that a mountain is a mountain, and that’s the way to the mountain”. A good exception to the rule is when visiting historical places like these, especially when you find someone so knowledgeable of what he’s talking about, but also so interested in other cultures, and with interesting thoughts on Colombia’s history and current state of affairs (the war, the politics), and also how all that relates to what happened and is happening in other countries. Thanks for the interesting walk and talk!
Google map: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=pt-PT&geocode=&q=%22san+agust%C3%ADn%22+colombia&sll=4.713303,-76.099548&sspn=10.714568,14.084473&ie=UTF8&ll=2.383346,-76.497803&spn=1.34463,2.801514&z=9
While in Tierradientro (see two posts below) the underground tombs are the highlight, in San Agustín are the stone statues that call your attention. Here, the tombs are of a much simpler nature, and the focus was put on the “stone guardians” of the dead. At the end, statues were put on top of the tomb, and it was all covered with dirt, until the all structure resembled a belly-like shape. To symbolise a new birth, now in sync with mother nature.
It’s thought that it was the same civilisation that lived in Tierradentro and San Agustín. Or at least they were communities very well linked with each other, as most elements are common between the two sites.
As you can see in the photos, most statues are anthropomorphic, as they represent the community’s spiritual leaders – the shamans – merged with the most respected and feared animals from the forest – like monkeys, jaguars and alike – from whom they’d expect to gain special powers. These images of man and animal combined into one came from the shamans themselves, in night time spiritual sessions when they’d intake hallucinogenic substances, and would dream of special communication with the animals and the ability to share their powers. I guess you can say that San Agustin’s statues are of stoned people made by… stoned people.
It’s interesting how the Spanish, their catholic church – and pretty much all of the official institutions of the Western society – converted so many of these cultural manifestations into abominations and heresy. Be it the spiritual consumption of psychotropic substances naturally available in the jungle that I just mentioned, or the representation of sexuality and birth, without any complexes or stigmas, found in some of the statues (I mean, the satues that survived the impetuous of destruction by the European conquerors of all the “barbarian and non-Christian” representations).
One final word to Carlos, the guide that walked me through the archaeological park. I do most of my travels without a guide – I don’t need someone to tell me “that a mountain is a mountain, and that’s the way to the mountain”. A good exception to the rule is when visiting historical places like these, especially when you find someone so knowledgeable of what he’s talking about, but also so interested in other cultures, and with interesting thoughts on Colombia’s history and current state of affairs (the war, the politics), and also how all that relates to what happened and is happening in other countries. Thanks for the interesting walk and talk!
Jaguar teeth, monkey-like traits. Oh yes, I'm feeling high... 
This how the structure of statues, to be placed on top of the tomb and then covered with dirt, would have looked like. The two front statues on the sides represent two penises, and the marks on them the time schedule to the birth of a new child (shown in the middle). Not much of an heresy, is it?
An eagle hunting a snake, representation of power, speed and agility. The ability to represent so much with so simple lines and shapes was interpreted by the conquerors as lack of artistic ability and signal of a mediocre culture. The truth is that our civilisation would have to wait a few centuries to get to this! Go figure...
This one gives a good view of how the all structure, once covered with dirt, acquired a belly-like shape
The "thing" tied up to the shaman's belly? It's his penis. Not many of such representations survived the catholic fever of the conquerors, as they weren't "proper". Barbarians...
Even more impressive than the statue itself - sculpted on the bare rock by the cliff - it's its setting (see video below). This is the canyon of Rio Magdalena, which starts flowing not far away from this spot, and goes all the way to the Caribbean coastSaturday, 4 July 2009
Tomb rider
(Wednesday-Thursday, 1-2 July 2009)
Google map: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=pt-PT&geocode=&q=%22Parque+Arqueol%C3%B3gico+Nacional+de+Tierradentro%E2%80%8E%22+colombia&ie=UTF8&ll=2.287295,-75.989685&spn=1.344722,2.801514&z=9
Google map: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=pt-PT&geocode=&q=%22Parque+Arqueol%C3%B3gico+Nacional+de+Tierradentro%E2%80%8E%22+colombia&ie=UTF8&ll=2.287295,-75.989685&spn=1.344722,2.801514&z=9
Not much is know about the civilisation that between the 7th and 14th centuries AD left remarkable tombs and funerary statuary in the area of Tierradentro. The news is that they weren’t exterminated by Europeans – when Colombus and his men first arrived at the Americas these people had already gone. Mysteriously.
The fact they didn’t have a written language didn’t help in leaving records behind… But it must have been a pretty advanced culture, for the time and resources they had available to dedicate to the cult of the dead. And if not that, the beauty of the tombs – many of which with paintings surviving till today – makes you reach a similar conclusion.
The tombs were used for both primary and secondary buries. This means they would bury the dead a first time around, only to come back a few years later, recover the bones, and bury them again in ceramic pots, incinerating them first or not. Other times, depending on the person being buried, they would go straight to the secondary phase, incinerating the body and leaving to rest the ashes once and for all. It’s not clear who would receive such “privilege”, or why.
As in most cultures of celebration of the dead, the bodies were buried with several artefacts that would be of use in the afterlife – personal belongings, weapons, food, gold artefacts, etc. Sometimes they would even bury women alive along with their late husbands, so that they could keep them company. Isn’t that sweet?
Of course, after years and years of theft not much is left from such artefacts. Most of them rest now in private collections around the western world.
If not much is known about this civilisation, the same cannot be said about the indigenous people that occupied these lands shortly after, and that barely survived the Spanish invasion and the centuries of discrimination that followed – the Paeces.
They’re a very small minority – like all indigenous communities in Colombia – and live scattered around the mountains in small villages. When this region was devastated by a strong earthquake in 1994, many people died and many more were left without a home or any possessions. Help came from Colombia and abroad, injecting funds for reconstruction and providing materials for the new homes, clothes, etc.
The irony? Much of their culture has been lost since then, with the traditional ways of building homes and dressing being substituted by more modern alternatives, like bricks & mortar and the “beautiful” zinc for the houses, or jeans and “Iron Maiden” t-shirts for the body.
To me this raised a few interesting issues... It’s hard to predict the full-fledge impact of external intervention – even the best of intentions can screw things up. And is it a bad thing for such a community to want to modernise itself? Is one really concerned with the preservation of their culture, or is it more of a paternalistic wish to keep things nice and picturesque, like in a museum?
Either way, one thing seems to hold true: when you’re in the marginalised fringes of society, everything seems to pull you further down – even those who are trying to help…
_
The white colonial architecture of Popayán, the largest city close to Tierradentro (check the Google map)
It's a pity: the photos don't fully capture the beauty of the carvings and paintings of these tombs_
In addition to the tombs, another good reason to visit Tierradentro is the amazing Andean landscape that surrounds it. Although I had been in the Colombian Andes a few times before, spending a few days in the small villages scattered around this incredibly difficult terrain, and witnessing the nightmare that it is to travel around here, made me experience the beauty and the colossal nature of this landscape in a different way
Rough rides. Travelling around here is incredibly difficult - I've experienced the worse roads thus far on this trip. It took me 5 long hours to get from Popayán to Tierradentro, a distance which is not much more than 100km (check in the Google map). Here, I'm in the first leg of the journey that would take from Tierradentro to San Agustín. I'd have to take 4 different buses (actually, not buses - 4WDs, as normal buses don't survive long here!) and endure close to 12 hours of very very bumpy roads to finally get there. Again, if you see it in the map, San Agustín seems to be "just there"...
One (decent) cup of coffee, please!
(Sunday-Tuesday, 28-30 June 2009)
Google map: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=pt-PT&geocode=&q=salento+colombia&ie=UTF8&ll=4.713303,-76.099548&spn=5.363193,11.206055&z=7
Colombia is known world-wide by the quality of its coffee exports. But, curiously enough, it’s hard to find a good cup of the black stuff around here. First, expresso is a rarity – you have quite a few coffee shops that sell it in the big cities, but beyond that it’s considered a (rare) luxury. Second, most of the good grains are sent away as exports. It was worse years ago, when all of the higher quality coffee was sold abroad and only the cheap one was left for Colombians to drink. But that reality still holds mostly true. In result, most of the “tintos” (black coffee, “americano” style) I have been drinking in Colombia haven’t given me much to write home about…
But well, if the coffee hasn’t impressed me, I’ve been taken by the beauty of the region where it comes from – the “eje cafetero”, a vast mountainous area south of Medellín.
Even if the towns and villages in this area aren’t particularly beautiful (the recent, consecutive and destructive earthquakes haven’t helped either!), nature, with its steep and lush hills that uniquely combine typical high altitude vegetation with tropical flora, provides plenty of charm.
It’s even better when you can spend the nights in a “finca” in the middle of nowhere (better said, in the middle of the beautiful hills), owned by a couple of very friendly Colombian hippies and populated by their numerous dogs. A very cosy environment, and an opportunity for me to showcase the new card magic tricks I’ve been learning along the way. I impressed… :-D
P.S.: Talking of coffee, I’ve to pay tribute to a great Colombian invention – the “carajillo”. It’s basically a “tinto”, with a bunch of spices on it, and some brandy. I haven’t tried it yet, but find its naming brilliant nonetheless! (probably only to be understood by Portuguese speakers…)
From far...
...and from a bit closer. Colombian milk is abundant and really good - only if you could find it partially skimmed! They drink it with so much fat around here- what a waste!
Tropical flora where less expected - at more than 2,000m altitude. This is the "palma de cera", the Colombian national tree. It's close to extinction - not very good for the national identity, is it?
Hiking in "vale de Cocora" - it had been a while since I last walked a bit in a mountain
Another encounter with Colombians, another good experience. This time I got a ride back to the village centre (Salento) and an invitation to get to know the best Salsa places in Cali. Maybe next time...
Google map: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=pt-PT&geocode=&q=salento+colombia&ie=UTF8&ll=4.713303,-76.099548&spn=5.363193,11.206055&z=7
Colombia is known world-wide by the quality of its coffee exports. But, curiously enough, it’s hard to find a good cup of the black stuff around here. First, expresso is a rarity – you have quite a few coffee shops that sell it in the big cities, but beyond that it’s considered a (rare) luxury. Second, most of the good grains are sent away as exports. It was worse years ago, when all of the higher quality coffee was sold abroad and only the cheap one was left for Colombians to drink. But that reality still holds mostly true. In result, most of the “tintos” (black coffee, “americano” style) I have been drinking in Colombia haven’t given me much to write home about…
But well, if the coffee hasn’t impressed me, I’ve been taken by the beauty of the region where it comes from – the “eje cafetero”, a vast mountainous area south of Medellín.
Even if the towns and villages in this area aren’t particularly beautiful (the recent, consecutive and destructive earthquakes haven’t helped either!), nature, with its steep and lush hills that uniquely combine typical high altitude vegetation with tropical flora, provides plenty of charm.
It’s even better when you can spend the nights in a “finca” in the middle of nowhere (better said, in the middle of the beautiful hills), owned by a couple of very friendly Colombian hippies and populated by their numerous dogs. A very cosy environment, and an opportunity for me to showcase the new card magic tricks I’ve been learning along the way. I impressed… :-D
P.S.: Talking of coffee, I’ve to pay tribute to a great Colombian invention – the “carajillo”. It’s basically a “tinto”, with a bunch of spices on it, and some brandy. I haven’t tried it yet, but find its naming brilliant nonetheless! (probably only to be understood by Portuguese speakers…)
From far...
...and from a bit closer. Colombian milk is abundant and really good - only if you could find it partially skimmed! They drink it with so much fat around here- what a waste!
Tropical flora where less expected - at more than 2,000m altitude. This is the "palma de cera", the Colombian national tree. It's close to extinction - not very good for the national identity, is it?
Hiking in "vale de Cocora" - it had been a while since I last walked a bit in a mountain
Another encounter with Colombians, another good experience. This time I got a ride back to the village centre (Salento) and an invitation to get to know the best Salsa places in Cali. Maybe next time...Sunday, 28 June 2009
A festival of diversity
(Friday-Saturday, 26-27 June 2009)
Google map: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=pt-PT&geocode=&q=ibagu%C3%A9+colombia&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=12.739664,28.168945&ie=UTF8&ll=4.510714,-75.71228&spn=2.68307,5.603027&z=8
A random stop in the city of Ibagué, just in time for the celebrations of San Juan, and Colombia’s biggest folklore festival. After a concert the night before by Sergio Luis Rodriguez, Colombian’s king of Vallenato, a few good hours spent at a gastronomic fair.
This short stay was yet another opportunity to witness the strength and diversity of Colombian culture: each of the numerous departments in the country has an incredible heritage of colours, sounds and flavours. And after the gastronomic desert of Central America it’s mind blowing what your mouth can taste around here.
Thinking I had no idea about this before I came here…
Folklore group from Santa Marta, in the Caribbean coast...
...And another group from the San Andrés island (OK, their hands!)
Dancer from the San Andrés island: when people talk of the beauty of Colombian women they're not exagerating...
Sancocho de gallina - something close to chicken moamba. Good stuff
I couldn't resist, and will be carrying it in my backpack all the way home. You're invited: a Colombian dinner party on my arrival. This if you have the courage...
Google map: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=pt-PT&geocode=&q=ibagu%C3%A9+colombia&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=12.739664,28.168945&ie=UTF8&ll=4.510714,-75.71228&spn=2.68307,5.603027&z=8
A random stop in the city of Ibagué, just in time for the celebrations of San Juan, and Colombia’s biggest folklore festival. After a concert the night before by Sergio Luis Rodriguez, Colombian’s king of Vallenato, a few good hours spent at a gastronomic fair.
This short stay was yet another opportunity to witness the strength and diversity of Colombian culture: each of the numerous departments in the country has an incredible heritage of colours, sounds and flavours. And after the gastronomic desert of Central America it’s mind blowing what your mouth can taste around here.
Thinking I had no idea about this before I came here…
Folklore group from Santa Marta, in the Caribbean coast... 
...And another group from the San Andrés island (OK, their hands!)
Dancer from the San Andrés island: when people talk of the beauty of Colombian women they're not exagerating... 
Sancocho de gallina - something close to chicken moamba. Good stuff
I couldn't resist, and will be carrying it in my backpack all the way home. You're invited: a Colombian dinner party on my arrival. This if you have the courage...I’ll never be vegetarian
(Thursday-Friday, 25-26 June 2009)
Google map: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=pt-PT&geocode=&q=deserto+tatacoa&sll=4.614411,-74.114628&sspn=1.341432,2.801514&ie=UTF8&ll=6.025848,-74.558716&spn=2.676537,5.603027&z=8
The Tatacoa desert is a small piece of flat land set in the middle of the central and eastern Andes. Its location in the middle of two large mountain ranges creates the perfect hot and dry conditions for a spectacular landscape.
It’s actually small enough for you to walk around freely, without running the risk of loosing yourself amidst the canyons.
Often, what seems to be a fairly flat and straightforward route quickly becomes sinuous, as you need to move around canyon walls too steep for you to climb up or down, or to avoid sections of the dry rivers where cactuses and bushes grow too closely together for you to cross through. But then you hike up to a small sand terrace a bit higher up, you see where both mountain ranges are, you recognise the astronomy observatory at far, and you know where you are and where to go. Piece of cake, really.
The place is even almost too small to give you the impression of a “real” desert – many of the most interesting geological formations are walking distance from the road that divide the area.
But then you walk for a couple of hours away from the road, you leave the small farms behind, and all that surrounds you is arid landscape and the occasional noise of a small bird or a desert sheep. Yes: small, but still beautiful.
But, what on earth has the title of this post to do with what I’m writing?
Well, I stayed overnight in one of the few desert farms that offer (very) rustic accommodation to travellers along the road. Less than an hour after I arrived there the family who runs the place was hanging a sheep on a tree, bleeding it to death and cutting it in pieces for food to eat and sell. I had it for lunch – tasty! The following morning I woke up at 5am, not from the heat, but from the loud and disturbing screams of a pig also being bled to death, hanging from the same tree the poor sheep the day before. Again, it was cut into pieces and I had it for breakfast. Yet again, it was tasty.
If these two consecutive bloody experiences didn’t stop me from eating the poor animals just few hours after I saw them being cut to pieces, nothing will keep me away from being a meat-lover. It’s just too good.
The grey area of the desert. More beautiful than the previous one, I thought
The heat stops you from walking around most of the day. The alternative? Reading and sleeping…
Google map: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=pt-PT&geocode=&q=deserto+tatacoa&sll=4.614411,-74.114628&sspn=1.341432,2.801514&ie=UTF8&ll=6.025848,-74.558716&spn=2.676537,5.603027&z=8
The Tatacoa desert is a small piece of flat land set in the middle of the central and eastern Andes. Its location in the middle of two large mountain ranges creates the perfect hot and dry conditions for a spectacular landscape.
It’s actually small enough for you to walk around freely, without running the risk of loosing yourself amidst the canyons.
Often, what seems to be a fairly flat and straightforward route quickly becomes sinuous, as you need to move around canyon walls too steep for you to climb up or down, or to avoid sections of the dry rivers where cactuses and bushes grow too closely together for you to cross through. But then you hike up to a small sand terrace a bit higher up, you see where both mountain ranges are, you recognise the astronomy observatory at far, and you know where you are and where to go. Piece of cake, really.
The place is even almost too small to give you the impression of a “real” desert – many of the most interesting geological formations are walking distance from the road that divide the area.
But then you walk for a couple of hours away from the road, you leave the small farms behind, and all that surrounds you is arid landscape and the occasional noise of a small bird or a desert sheep. Yes: small, but still beautiful.
But, what on earth has the title of this post to do with what I’m writing?
Well, I stayed overnight in one of the few desert farms that offer (very) rustic accommodation to travellers along the road. Less than an hour after I arrived there the family who runs the place was hanging a sheep on a tree, bleeding it to death and cutting it in pieces for food to eat and sell. I had it for lunch – tasty! The following morning I woke up at 5am, not from the heat, but from the loud and disturbing screams of a pig also being bled to death, hanging from the same tree the poor sheep the day before. Again, it was cut into pieces and I had it for breakfast. Yet again, it was tasty.
If these two consecutive bloody experiences didn’t stop me from eating the poor animals just few hours after I saw them being cut to pieces, nothing will keep me away from being a meat-lover. It’s just too good.
The grey area of the desert. More beautiful than the previous one, I thought
Stop during end-of-day walk. Nice mountain range at the back!
The heat stops you from walking around most of the day. The alternative? Reading and sleeping…
Saturday, 27 June 2009
Ich bin ein ‘cachaco’
(Thursday-Tuesday, 18-23 June 2009)
Google map: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=pt-PT&geocode=&q=bogot%C3%A1&ie=UTF8&ll=4.614411,-74.114628&spn=1.341432,2.801514&z=9
People say in Colombia that while Costeños (Colombians from the Caribbean) are party-animals and Paisas (Colombians from Antioquia, the Medellín department) are serious entrepreneurs, Cachacos (naturals of Bogotá) are dull. Cachacos dull? Bollocks!
For the first time in LatAm I’ve really liked a big city. And, for the first time since UPAVIM, I was genuinely sad for leaving a place. That says it all...
Bogotá is a huge metropolis – around 8 million souls live there! - and the stories I had heard from Colombians seeking “refuge” in the countryside to move away from the hurly-burly of the capital had made me fear the worse. No way: not only I encountered no problems whatsoever, but I actually truly enjoyed the cosmopolitan vibe of the city, its pleasant wide streets, the urban culture, the nightlife. And, of course, having a group of local friends I had met in El Cocuy showing me the “real Bogotá” made it definitely a special experience.
The streets are fairly clean – cleaner than in Lisbon, I have to say. There are still colonial architecture traits here and there, which remind you the all time this is a city full of history. If not colonial-like, the more modern streets and avenues have a pleasant feel, far away from the tasteless brick-and-mortar chaos of the Central American capitals. There are neighbourhoods full of culture – one where all the theatre happens, another one where it’s all about skateboarding and street art, another one where all the fashion designers showcase their work. Very London-like…
And then, of course, there is the night life. And having local friends showing you around, taking you to places you’d never hear about as a tourist, gives a unique insight into the “cachaca” way of partying.
Having a “botellón” of wine and bread, in the historical plaza where the city of Bogotá was born centuries ago, just before a theatre performance. Dancing salsa, merengue, vallenato and reggaeton in a small club in the middle of nowhere, which is supposed to stay (illegally) open until dawn – “amañecer” as they call it here. “Amañecer” in a house-party instead, as the club would stay open until that late only on the following day. (It was funnier at home any way...)
Having “lechona” (“leitão” in Portuguese – how do you say that in English?) for breakfast. Being invited to dance salsa in a neighbourhood well beyond the city outskirts that ends up being like the “Damaia of Bogotá”, in a club that surprisingly transforms a 2am samba show into a strip-tease gig. (Time to show some tiredness and suggest going home there, as the atmosphere became… hum… a bit heavy…).
Having another “botellón” in “zona rosa”, the posh nightlife area of Bogotá. Dancing for free there, thanks to the sound coming out of the bars around. Buying liquor under-the-counter from street vendors, who try to hide their trade from the police (do they?). Calling the “correo de la noche” in the middle of the night, a home-delivery service that sells drinks when both bottles and throats are dry, but the house-party is still going.
Bogotá by night, or by day – I loved it. Thank you, my friends!
Candelaria, the old colonial quarter of Bogotá. It's actually a beautiful neighbourhood - pity this is all I managed to photograph...
Dissident voices have a bit more room to express themselves in the capital...
Transmilenio, the metro-like bus system of Bogotá and, in the background, the green hills that surround the city to the east. Sometimes they made me think of pictures I know of Rio de Janeiro. Ok, perhaps not from this angle...
The view from Monserrate, on the top of the hills. Nice, very nice
An excellent macchiato in Parque de la 93, one of the trendiest spots in Bogotá
Sunny, on a weekend, Parque de la 93 had some of the atmosphere of the small parks in London - crowded, welcoming and family-friendly
Last night in Bogotá and a really tasty home-made dinner by my "hosts" in Bogotá: "patacones" (fried "plátanos") with tomato-based sauce, and "arepas" with a fantastic chicken and beef filling. Need to try this at home - well, if it won't go well, you can get the idea from the photo
In Bogotá, be a "cachaco": no small beer talk here - dinner is followed by "aguardiente de anis". ¡Salud!
What was I saying – not that bad? Giving bad reputation to Portugal here – because of the terrible accent and the poor tolerance to… hum… anis…
Google map: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=pt-PT&geocode=&q=bogot%C3%A1&ie=UTF8&ll=4.614411,-74.114628&spn=1.341432,2.801514&z=9
People say in Colombia that while Costeños (Colombians from the Caribbean) are party-animals and Paisas (Colombians from Antioquia, the Medellín department) are serious entrepreneurs, Cachacos (naturals of Bogotá) are dull. Cachacos dull? Bollocks!
For the first time in LatAm I’ve really liked a big city. And, for the first time since UPAVIM, I was genuinely sad for leaving a place. That says it all...
Bogotá is a huge metropolis – around 8 million souls live there! - and the stories I had heard from Colombians seeking “refuge” in the countryside to move away from the hurly-burly of the capital had made me fear the worse. No way: not only I encountered no problems whatsoever, but I actually truly enjoyed the cosmopolitan vibe of the city, its pleasant wide streets, the urban culture, the nightlife. And, of course, having a group of local friends I had met in El Cocuy showing me the “real Bogotá” made it definitely a special experience.
The streets are fairly clean – cleaner than in Lisbon, I have to say. There are still colonial architecture traits here and there, which remind you the all time this is a city full of history. If not colonial-like, the more modern streets and avenues have a pleasant feel, far away from the tasteless brick-and-mortar chaos of the Central American capitals. There are neighbourhoods full of culture – one where all the theatre happens, another one where it’s all about skateboarding and street art, another one where all the fashion designers showcase their work. Very London-like…
And then, of course, there is the night life. And having local friends showing you around, taking you to places you’d never hear about as a tourist, gives a unique insight into the “cachaca” way of partying.
Having a “botellón” of wine and bread, in the historical plaza where the city of Bogotá was born centuries ago, just before a theatre performance. Dancing salsa, merengue, vallenato and reggaeton in a small club in the middle of nowhere, which is supposed to stay (illegally) open until dawn – “amañecer” as they call it here. “Amañecer” in a house-party instead, as the club would stay open until that late only on the following day. (It was funnier at home any way...)
Having “lechona” (“leitão” in Portuguese – how do you say that in English?) for breakfast. Being invited to dance salsa in a neighbourhood well beyond the city outskirts that ends up being like the “Damaia of Bogotá”, in a club that surprisingly transforms a 2am samba show into a strip-tease gig. (Time to show some tiredness and suggest going home there, as the atmosphere became… hum… a bit heavy…).
Having another “botellón” in “zona rosa”, the posh nightlife area of Bogotá. Dancing for free there, thanks to the sound coming out of the bars around. Buying liquor under-the-counter from street vendors, who try to hide their trade from the police (do they?). Calling the “correo de la noche” in the middle of the night, a home-delivery service that sells drinks when both bottles and throats are dry, but the house-party is still going.
Bogotá by night, or by day – I loved it. Thank you, my friends!
Candelaria, the old colonial quarter of Bogotá. It's actually a beautiful neighbourhood - pity this is all I managed to photograph...
Dissident voices have a bit more room to express themselves in the capital...
Transmilenio, the metro-like bus system of Bogotá and, in the background, the green hills that surround the city to the east. Sometimes they made me think of pictures I know of Rio de Janeiro. Ok, perhaps not from this angle...
The view from Monserrate, on the top of the hills. Nice, very nice 
An excellent macchiato in Parque de la 93, one of the trendiest spots in Bogotá
Sunny, on a weekend, Parque de la 93 had some of the atmosphere of the small parks in London - crowded, welcoming and family-friendly
Last night in Bogotá and a really tasty home-made dinner by my "hosts" in Bogotá: "patacones" (fried "plátanos") with tomato-based sauce, and "arepas" with a fantastic chicken and beef filling. Need to try this at home - well, if it won't go well, you can get the idea from the photo
In Bogotá, be a "cachaco": no small beer talk here - dinner is followed by "aguardiente de anis". ¡Salud!_
Even if not as strong as the Portuguese "aguardiente", this thing is still quite "potente". Hang in there, Juan!
_
Yes, definitely “potente”. And not that tasty, when you mix it with wine. “Red Sea submarine”, we named it. Hang in there, Sabrina!
The good thing is that we finished the leftovers of wine from the dinner quickly. Once taken as it should, the “aguardiente” is actually not that bad… Hang in there, Sandra!
What was I saying – not that bad? Giving bad reputation to Portugal here – because of the terrible accent and the poor tolerance to… hum… anis…
_
Last day in Bogotá, with the old "tejo gang" from Guican (a few posts below) partially reunited. From left to right, Sabrina, Micha (hiking partner in El Cocuy), Juan, Sandra and... me. After postponing my departure for 2 or 3 times, it was time for yet another delay due to the surprise arrival of Micha that morning, who would take a flight to Canada at night. Still time for a chicha (beer-like drink made out of corn) and half a bottle of "aguardiente". "Para o caminho", as we say in Portugal. I slept really well in the bus that night...
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