Club Colombia
Better late than never, blog post number two is here! We are currently in Banos in Ecuador (up in the mountains) before heading off to a carnival on the coast next weekend! Last week, with heavy hearts, it was time to leave Colombia so I thought it would be a good time to write down a bit more about our last few weeks there…
Marriage proposal
It would be wise to assume that this involved Soph and an optimistic Colombian gent, but you would be wrong. After a Sunday stroll around Medellin, we found ourselves on the (familiar) hunt for vino…but to no avail. A deflated 10 minutes later a friendly local in his mid-forties gets up from his family picnic and strolls over to welcome us to Colombia (nothing untoward so far) and shortly enquires about my nationality. After establishing that we were indeed English he shaked me vigorously by the hand and dragged me over to meet his (young) daughter, proceeding to force me in front of her to admire both her beauty and potential for future matrimony (meanwhile, Soph stands entirely bewildered and ignored by my side). It was soon decided that her love of One Direction and my supposed wealth would make a match made in heaven and it was only after a mini photo-shoot (see below) with the women of the family (and me presenting the girl with a flower) that we could make up some excuse and escape.
Salento
Salento was a stunning place and typically Colombian; incredible coffee, old men in ponchos playing Tejo (a game which involved lobbing heavy weights at gunpowder to make it explode) and home to many horses... With no former interest or love of animals, horse-riding has never been top of my agenda. But in the beautiful coffee region of Salento, I decided it was time to give it a go. After being presented with a white horse to match my white hair and a very brief lesson (¨pull left for left, right for right and back to stop¨) we were let loose on the mountain slopes. I christened my brave steed ´White Knight´ and it wasn´t long before I was galloping along with my frequent screams of ¨VAMOS VAMOS´ encouraging him to lead from the front (which was unfortunate for Soph due to his constant flatulence). Two hours later we ended up riding in the biggest rainstorm I´ve ever experienced and although the White Knight was less than keen to plough on, he fought valiantly to the end – a true amigo.
Medellin
What a city! Definitely not the prettiest, nor the greenest, but it was so friendly and upbeat. Considering it´s shockingly violent and turbulent recent history, courtesy of Pablo Escobar, Medellin has an amazingly positive atmosphere. According to the Escobar tour we took around the city, almost every single person knows someone who has been killed / maimed as a result of the drug war around the city. Daily bombs, drive-by´s and a reign of terror encapsulated the city for several decades and the wounds are still healing. The legend of Escobar is less of a legend and far more of a horrific nightmare. We´ve been told many times throughout the trip that life means less in Colombia, the sanctity of life that exists in the UK is not the same there - $50 can buy you an assassination. Greed and corruption is still rife there, and although young people are rising up and protesting about it more and more, those in power are not keen to listen. Police are still paid off and politicians are still greedy. One thing I´m learning on this trip is that the same problems exist everywhere in the world and simply vary in their degrees of severity. Corruption in the Western world is frustrating but in Colombia, when millions of people are still living below the poverty line (despite the insane amount of natural resources there are) it takes on a whole new significance. However, this is changing and Medellin is a true example of that – the city is thriving and the younger generations are met with far more opportunities than their parents. With the technological revolution, and the huge increase in tourism, Colombians can raise awareness and put right the misconceptions about their country. Colombia is not Pablo Escobar, Colombia is the 99% of people that you meet who are the friendliest, most genuine and loving people you could ever wish to meet.
Ten things I´ve learned since last blog:
Marriage proposal
It would be wise to assume that this involved Soph and an optimistic Colombian gent, but you would be wrong. After a Sunday stroll around Medellin, we found ourselves on the (familiar) hunt for vino…but to no avail. A deflated 10 minutes later a friendly local in his mid-forties gets up from his family picnic and strolls over to welcome us to Colombia (nothing untoward so far) and shortly enquires about my nationality. After establishing that we were indeed English he shaked me vigorously by the hand and dragged me over to meet his (young) daughter, proceeding to force me in front of her to admire both her beauty and potential for future matrimony (meanwhile, Soph stands entirely bewildered and ignored by my side). It was soon decided that her love of One Direction and my supposed wealth would make a match made in heaven and it was only after a mini photo-shoot (see below) with the women of the family (and me presenting the girl with a flower) that we could make up some excuse and escape.
Salento
Salento was a stunning place and typically Colombian; incredible coffee, old men in ponchos playing Tejo (a game which involved lobbing heavy weights at gunpowder to make it explode) and home to many horses... With no former interest or love of animals, horse-riding has never been top of my agenda. But in the beautiful coffee region of Salento, I decided it was time to give it a go. After being presented with a white horse to match my white hair and a very brief lesson (¨pull left for left, right for right and back to stop¨) we were let loose on the mountain slopes. I christened my brave steed ´White Knight´ and it wasn´t long before I was galloping along with my frequent screams of ¨VAMOS VAMOS´ encouraging him to lead from the front (which was unfortunate for Soph due to his constant flatulence). Two hours later we ended up riding in the biggest rainstorm I´ve ever experienced and although the White Knight was less than keen to plough on, he fought valiantly to the end – a true amigo.
Medellin
What a city! Definitely not the prettiest, nor the greenest, but it was so friendly and upbeat. Considering it´s shockingly violent and turbulent recent history, courtesy of Pablo Escobar, Medellin has an amazingly positive atmosphere. According to the Escobar tour we took around the city, almost every single person knows someone who has been killed / maimed as a result of the drug war around the city. Daily bombs, drive-by´s and a reign of terror encapsulated the city for several decades and the wounds are still healing. The legend of Escobar is less of a legend and far more of a horrific nightmare. We´ve been told many times throughout the trip that life means less in Colombia, the sanctity of life that exists in the UK is not the same there - $50 can buy you an assassination. Greed and corruption is still rife there, and although young people are rising up and protesting about it more and more, those in power are not keen to listen. Police are still paid off and politicians are still greedy. One thing I´m learning on this trip is that the same problems exist everywhere in the world and simply vary in their degrees of severity. Corruption in the Western world is frustrating but in Colombia, when millions of people are still living below the poverty line (despite the insane amount of natural resources there are) it takes on a whole new significance. However, this is changing and Medellin is a true example of that – the city is thriving and the younger generations are met with far more opportunities than their parents. With the technological revolution, and the huge increase in tourism, Colombians can raise awareness and put right the misconceptions about their country. Colombia is not Pablo Escobar, Colombia is the 99% of people that you meet who are the friendliest, most genuine and loving people you could ever wish to meet.
Ten things I´ve learned since last blog:
- In every hostel there will be an annoying American
- Whenever you meet someone who could be either American/Canadian, always always opt for Canadian so as not to offend (see 1)
- Avocados are really great
- When you opt for using the hostel laundry, you are essentially sacrificing at least 2/3 socks
- Salsa dancing is far more difficult than it looks (and bad dancing can result in disapproving glares from the locals!)
- Every time you see a dog you have to fuss over it and pretend to love it so everyone else in the hostel does not think you are a.) scared or b.) an evil human being
- Shower at odd times of the day to guarantee hot water
- Playing pool against Aussies in a makeshift Ashes series is a great way to win free drinks (and restore some pride after our most recent cricketing disaster)
- Everyone thinks that I am either German or Swedish
- Free breakfast is one of life´s truly great pleasures!
Hola Chris! Ahh, Banos, remember the hot springs well... Brilliant blog, and love the horsey pics! Love, Cathy HB.
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