![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
Colombia 2009 [slightly image heavy]
While in Colombia, I tried to keep a day by day journal. Some days I fell behind, but eventually caught up. A few pics have been added, though we forgot the camera one day and it died another, so there's not too many.
Day 1 – Tuesday
Actually, let's start a bit before Day 1 with the night of Day 0. After work, the boys had soccer practice and then we finally got around to finishing up all the last minute stuff. Instead of sensibly going to bed early, we all stayed up a bit late doing this, that, and the other thing. Seeing how we had to get up at 3 am, this was not the smartest thing we ever did. *g*
After roughly two to two and a half hours of sleep, we got up and headed to pick up E's mom (the boys' grandma), and then to drop off the car at my parents' house. Dad drove us to the airport to begin far too many hours of airports and planes.
The trip to Chicago was fine – incredibly short and without incident. Once in Chicago, we learned Miami was in the middle of a tropical storm. Plane left on time, but had to circle around to the south of Miami to avoid the worst of the storm. We landed a bit late, but we landed (to a plane full of applause after the turbulence we had) and pretty much all the outgoing flights were delayed a bit, so there was no problem with making the next one.
Miami to Bogotá... yeah... A little spoiled brat of a child sat behind me, kicking and hitting for pretty much the entire trip with her mother not even trying to stop her. Awesome. Also awesome? Her finding a way to cram her little sweaty feet between the seat so she could kick me some more. Sigh.
Got to the airport and through the long, slightly disorganized wait for customs (after waiting about a half hour, we discovered families with children could go to a separate line which sped things up a bit). Now about 10 pm, we were at our destination and surrounded by E's extended family.
We took multiple cars to her Grandmother's house where even more family was waiting. We talked (in an odd amalgam of English and Spanish, calling upon certain Aunties for translation duties) and ate an awesome torte what was made up of layers of fine pastry and a caramel called “arequippe”. Finally, roughly 20+ hours after we first got up, we went to bed.
Day 2 - Wednesday
We slept in a bit and then ate a huge breakfast. We also discovered that, though there are multiple showers, only one has hot water, as we use that term loosely. You get about 3-4 minutes of hot water, and then it turns cold. We did, however, later discover that even the cold downstairs (and it was cold) was warmer than the only temp available upstairs.
We then took two cabs up to Monserrate. This is high in the mountains and you take little cable cars up and down to reach it. Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Yes, it rained off and on, but even that could not diminish it. There is a church up there as well, and they seem to have a service 24 hours a day. We did not attend, but could hear the singing throughout the area.
We wondered through a couple of the little shops, but were told not to buy anything as it would be overpriced. This became a common theme as E's family members were either afraid we were going to get ripped off, or “knew a better place”. It was a bit frustrating as both E and I have traveled the world before and part of the fun is making stupid, harmless mistakes and paying one price one place only to find the same thing a bit cheaper somewhere else.
After Monserrate, we took the little cars down and wondered a few blocks over to the house of Bolivar. This was the house he lived in after defeating the Spanish and you approach it on a walkway filled with little stones shaped like a spine. The image is supposed to be that you are walking on the backbones of all the people he defeated. The house is surrounded by beautiful gardens and walkways also designed by Bolivar.
[E and Youngest in the gardens.]
That night, we went to one of the malls with the original purpose of exchanging/withdrawing money. We had to take two cabs again, which became problematic as no one remembered their cell phones and one cab dropped people off at one door, and another at another. We eventually found each other. The boys' grandma found a store she loved and E found some soccer shirts for the boys. We were all a bit hungry, so we ate a late dinner in the food court. Once again, we each had an “escort” as we ordered, but the food was good and the conversation as we ate was rather fun.
Day 3 - Thursday
The morning as spent just kind of messing around the house and writing a bit, but the afternoon was met with a huge meal. Instead of crashing like you tend to want to when filled with lots of meats and breads, we then headed out to the Museo de Oro (Gold Museum). Many beautiful things on display with histories listed in both practical and spiritual terms. One presentation is set up in a dark room where only a few people can enter at any given time. They close you in and things light up one by one with traditional (and rather shamanic) music playing in the background. That one was very cool and very worth seeing.
We then went to the little shops across the street where we wandered through the first set with an Auntie and some cousins watching our every move and negotiating for things we liked. Youngest and I scared them by wondering off for a bit down one of the rows while they were having coffee. At the second set of shops, the boys' grandma found one she rather liked and stayed there for over an hour picking things out. The rest of us wandered and we ended up taking care of one of the people taking care of us (very sweet cousin, though a bit naïve) as a couple of people tried to take advantage of her.
We had trouble catching a cab, so took what the family was calling a fishbowl on wheels (bus) to yet another Auntie and Uncle's place where we had more hot chocolate and bread and cheese. Timeout at this point to mention the truly excellent hot chocolate, made from bricks of chocolate and either milk or water and stirred/beaten into submission on the stove. I may, possibly, have had a lot...
Other cousins came over and the boys played Monopoly with them while the “adults” set up a road trip for the next day. As it was going to be early, we bathed before bed. Upstairs. In the icy cold water. Yeah, there's a difference between the two showers.
Day 4 – Friday
Up extremely early to file 12 of us (one was only a baby) into a van for a road trip. We had planned to only getting food on the road, but one of the Aunties would have nothing to do with that, shoving juice and bread at us before we were allowed out the door. We still stopped at a little restaurant and had a more formal breakfast later – very cute place with a play set for kids and chickens and geese and such wandering around outside.
We hit the road again and were doing fine up until the baby decided no, she really did not want the oranges she was eating and threw up all over herself and her mother. Really, there is no description for the smell of vomited oranges in a little confined space. They cleaned up the best they could and we continued, right up until Youngest decided to join in the upchuck fun and vomited as well. Stop, clean up, continue...
We stopped at Boyaca, a memorial to one of the major battles of Bolivar. There are statues and an eternal flame, and a long march up to another memorial. On that walk, we met a little four legged friend who decided we were awesome. He thought we were even more awesome when one of the Aunties tossed him a bit of bread to drive him away. Needless to say, it made him like her even more. This was also about the time E pointed out he was a she and had puppies, so most of the remaining bread was given to the dog.
[E walking in the hills by Boyaca.]
[Me with our new friend.]
We continued through some awful road construction to some winding mountain roads to the final destination – a fossil museum. There were some decent fossils of several different types, with smaller versions for sale outside. I picked up a necklace made up of a tiny amononite hanging from a little setting. As we climbed back into the van, a little boy about 4 years old came up offering small versions for the equivalent of a dollar. One of the cousins, who shoos most of the beggars and vendors away, bought a couple off of him because he was so cute and because it looked like he had dug them up himself by hand (you were literally walking on fossils as you walked around). He then gave one to the cousin who had forgotten her money at home.
A long van ride back, and we were home. Kind of. We stopped at one of the Aunties' house as it was her birthday and had cake and pop and then eventually made our way back to Grandmother's house.
Day 5 – Saturday
We traveled over to the Alpina factory. Doesn't sound that exciting, but I guess they are the number one producers of dairy products in Colombia and the “factory” is a giant marketing memorial to this with tons of food choices. They also are the makers of arequippe, the caramel-like treat that many people are completely hooked on. As for me, I rather liked the chocolate éclairs and the rather hilarious company of Aunt Martha. Yes, she's being named because she would have it no other way. Very outspoken, very loud, very funny. She's also a national hero and the first female sergeant major in the police force. Her daughter is very similar in personality to her as well.
We stopped by her house on the way back where she told us we had no choice but to have at least a shot of agguerriente, a licorice-tasting alcohol. Once we agreed, we moved on. Yep. We dropped off the kids back at Grandmother's house with E's mom watching them, and were taken out to a bar. Much drinking and lewd jokes abound. Also, Martha's kids came with, as did two other cousins and their mother. I would have never thought of doing that in the States, but family is extremely important and everyone is very close in Colombia, so they did not think twice about going drinking with their kids.
After several rounds of bar food, and witnessing a bar fight, we headed back. Martha's daughter was the most sober, so she was going to drive. An 18-year-old who was tired from studying and cocktails, who had very little experience driving a stick shift drove us home. She only really stalled out once. On a hill. Rolling us backward. She recovered though and we made it safe and sound.
Day 6 – Sunday
This was the day of the big barbecue. The majority of the morning and early afternoon was spent making food. Well, after we woke up. Neither E nor myself had hangovers (don't ask about the Tios or Primos), but we slept in more than a bit. We woke up and ate arrepas made with eggs in the center (mmm, protein and salt...) and then E realized she still needed to make food for the party.
Unfortunately, her Grandmother has a rather small stove, so she had to wait until she was finished with a couple burners to get started. She made three types of salad (two “regular” and one pasta) and hummus and a giant apple crisp. No one had eaten hummus before and there was no bread, so we started in on it with chips. Big hit. Very big hit. Cousin ran out to buy more chips and some bread and other cousins ate one bowl and started in on a second before the meat was even ready.
So yeah, the meat. Lots of meat. Lots and lots of meat. Cooked over a wood-fired grill. And corn. Lots of corn. That was basted with butter and cooked with the meat and may have possibly slipped from my hands at one point, only to be put back on the grill to “clean” it.
You did not go up and make your own plate. Plates were handed out one by one, filled with meats and potatoes and with room left to add the multiple salads. Oh, and ahi – a spicy mixture of herbs that tastes excellent with the meat and potatoes. Many people were drinking beer, but a couple of the cousins and I had Colombiana – a local pop/soda-type drink that's rather good and unfortunately only found there.
Half way through the meal, music was put on. They had made a mix based on E's mom's favorite albums the last time she was down. Once the meal was finished, the singing along and, of course, dancing began. Lots of singing. Lots of dancing. If you don't sing or dance, you will be dragged out and taught. Seriously. The quietest cousin grabbed me at one point and told me I was going to learn to salsa dance. It was... less than exemplar.
Then came the surprise of the night. E's half-brother and half-sister stopped by. She had only met her sister, and never her brother. Dear deity of your choice, they look alike.
This... is the part that pissed me off. E's mom introduced me as “her friend”. I have been with her for nine and a half years. I have raised Youngest since his first birthday. They call me “mama” and “amma” (it means “beloved mother”). And I was “a friend”. Her cousins and Aunties apologized to me. Martha made me do shots. One (drunk) cousin told me that as soon as there was a pause in the conversation, he was going to correct that as it “was not right”. Her mother would not look me in the eye for the rest of the night, nor would she translate anything I said that I could not translate on my own (though an Auntie did). E figured out I was pissed and I told her why. She went and told her brother, who replied that he had been confused as Martha had told him that her wife would be down and then she only brought a friend. Turned out than neither brother nor sister, nor their spouses, had a problem with me.
Many pictures were taken, many previous pictures were shared. Emails and such were exchanged. More shots were had. Eventually, people headed home and we headed off to bed.
Day 7 – Monday
E got up early as her brother stopped by on his way to work. I tried to sleep in a bit, was called down to say hello. You have to like a man who tells you that you are too thin when you are a U.S. size 10. Afterwards, I wrote for a bit and had a nice, relaxing morning. Eventually, I took another cold shower (and discovered the secret was waiting long enough for the sun to heat the pipes a bit – much better), and got ready for the day.
Martha and another Auntie (yah! I almost typed Martha y un otro Tia...) drove us to the Mina de Sal – literally, the Salt Mines. Sounds odd, but was absolutely gorgeous. We discovered once we got there that we had forgotten the camera back at the house, so all pictures were taken on our phones. They cannot do the place justice. Tanks of water so still and pure that the reflected like glass and cascades of white coming from the ceiling and walls. There was a church built within the mine itself, and it is apparently known as a place of healing as the salts are good for your lungs and blood.
That night, we sat and talked with E's godparents (a Tia and Tio) and her Grandmother. They complimented me on my Spanish, which I thought was funny as I made so many mistakes and kept getting stuck on words. They told me I was trying, and that I knew more than E, so to be proud.
Day 8 – Tuesday
We had another slow, relaxing morning. Eventually, we finally got to wander a bit – supervised, of course. One Auntie and one cousin walked us to a candy store to pick up treats for those in the U.S., and we stopped at several “hippy shops” along the way where we picked up a few presents for people. I burnt the crap out of the top of my head and E's mom and Auntie took a cab back as her mom's hip was giving her trouble. We did not have the boys as one of their other cousins wanted to take them to his favorite store, so the cousin with us let us wander a bit more (“accidentally” walking us through the gay district at one point) – nice guy who figured out we had traveled before so he was a bit protective and insisted on carrying things, but gave us more freedom than we had been allowed thus far. He had also met up with his ex-girlfriend, so that might have helped. She was apparently a friend of the family still (and they were still flirting), and stopped back at the house with us.
E's brother and his wife stopped by for lunch and gave us t-shirts and the boys a chess set (they love to play) and a set of dominoes that Eldest used to build a replica of Stonehenge. Yes, that's our boy. We then went out for coffee and sat and talked for even longer. I introduced her brother to the concept of a mocha. In a land where coffee and chocolate are cherished, somehow it was still a very new thing. Her brother had to go off to work, but his wife stayed a bit longer – very intelligent woman who was patient with our Spanish and learned a bit of English along the way.
At night, we went to E's Grandmother's shop and wandered around a few others. E's mom had elevation sickness so she stayed home. Unfortunately, Youngest was also feeling off. He was rather pale and his heart was pretty fast – in other words, he most likely also had elevation sickness. We realized he had barely eaten anything all day, which is not a good thing for a pre-diabetic, so E and a cousin went off to get him an empanada while others shopped. He felt better after that, and we took a trip slightly higher for a beautiful view of the city (which would had been awesome to capture had the batteries not chosen that moment to run out of the camera).
And, finally, after that, we went to yet another Auntie's where we had hot dogs covered with chips, ketchup, mayo, and an egg (yeah, I'm serious), and either Bailey's or beer depending on preference. We ate and talked and watched 80's and 90's rock videos while E's missionary uncle looked on in both fascination and horror (seriously, I think it was the Marilyn Manson video that pushed him over the edge) and generally had a good time. Eventually, we stumbled back to the house where E and the boys read, her mother snored in interestingly new ways, and I got another chance to type before crashing.
Day 9 – Wednesday
We slept in again, helped along by both the Bailey's from last night and the gray skies from the rain. Eventually, E got up and I stayed in bed and wrote for a bit more (managed to finish one story this trip, start another and get about half way through it, and do some clean up work on a third). Got up and ate some soup with meat and potatoes and E made me a mocha with the hot chocolate and coffee – even better than the one from the coffee shop the day before.
While we were finishing eating, E's missionary Uncle put in DVDs of some of his work. Let me just say right now that I do not agree with forcing another to your religion. They took what these people knew and understood, told them it was wrong, and told them they needed to change what worked for them for generations to have their souls saved by a deity they did not fully understand. One village elder made the most of it – we were told he had been a witch but changed his ways. Watching, I had to agree with E: he did what was needed to help his people survive, as was his duty. So they worship this way instead of that way, at least while the missionaries were there, and they get food and clothing.
We then attempted to pack. We also sorted things out for what may be of use down here that we can get much easier in the States, and went through some of the clothing to donate to one of the Auntie's charities for the poor. Everything seemed to fit, including a huge beautiful blanket one of the cousins gifted us with.
A couple of the cousins came over and we had lunch – more hot dogs with ketchup, mayo, and potato chips, and E made the hummus again, which, no longer surprisingly, was a big hit.
The cousins started playing games on the Wii and the rain started to lighten up, so we headed over to the coffee shop where I spent the last of my money (really, I hadn't needed much this trip) on Juan Valdez shirts for the boys, a hat for E and me, and some coffee because, really, if you go to Colombia, you need to get coffee. We came back to find the cousins moved on to a combo of Wii and Uno, and the boys both reading and playing Gameboy.
[The boys and their cousins playing Wii.]
Eventually, we ordered pizza, which was quite the task when you add in roughly 25 people, their tastes, translation issues, and amount debates. Pretty decent, but pretty filling. While talking with the Aunties, out of nowhere, the glass top to the table cracked in three. Scared the crap out of everyone. This was, of course, immediately followed by people trying to both place the blame on others and hide it from their mother/grandmother, and generally breaking into giggling fits.
One of the Aunties showed up late and was immediately told the broken table was her fault. Her response? “I'm not paying for it so knock it off.” She was so sweet and gifted us with a bag for E's mom, a bag for me, and a hammock for us all, with all of these made by a local tribe. Beautiful work.
Eventually, we had to say goodbye as we had to get up very early to make our flight the next morning. There were tears, there were hugs, there was kisses, there was general stalling and sweetness.
Day 10 – Thursday
We got up at 4 am to be able to be ready to get to the airport on time. The extra time was worth it as there were long lines to verify tickets, then to get through customs there, and then to be searched for possible drugs (pat down only...). After we verified the tickets, we had a light breakfast with the family members who brought us there. Unlike in MN, they can still get to the shops and such and you are not further screened until you get closer to the gate. There were more hugs, more kisses, and more goodbyes until we finally left to stand in line for everything else.
The first flight was to Miami again, and was rather uneventful. There was a slight delay before take off to make sure a hydraulic something or another was not malfunctioning, but that didn't take long and then we were in the air. Decent movie (Ink Heart) and decent landing
The stop over in Miami was about 5-6 hours. Not long enough to get out and do anything, especially after the U.S. Customs checks. Please note: tell your children not to speak during those. Kids telling the customs official that we brought back a lot of food and then having to correct them that it was all candy (it was, honestly!) only serves to make you look suspicious.
We ate at the Chile's there and watched what we eventually figured out was the England National Karate team mess around for a while before they also ate there. A bit more wandering, and we made it to our gate to sit and watch tv for a bit and try to figure out who would be picking us up as my father got called away on business. We settled for a cab as that way Mom wouldn't have to mess with Dad's car (which she had never driven before) and her car was too small and they boys' father said he couldn't make it.
The flight from Miami to Minneapolis was a bit more eventful. Sucky movie, but there was a whole different type of in-flight drama as a passenger (mother with two kids under the age of five) needed medical attention. Nothing gets your attention more than hearing, “Ladies and gentlemen, if there is a doctor, nurse, EMT, or other medical professional on board, we are requesting your assistance at this time.” As this was going on, we flew through multiple storms (with more than one person around us using the barf bag – man, that reeked) and had multiple screaming children in the background.
We landed safely and an ambulance took the mother and kids away and we were able to depart for home sweet home.
All in all, a more than decent trip. Colombia is the land of the five A's: arequippe, agguerriente, arrepas, ahi, and amigos. We hope to visit again sooner rather than later - time, finances, and political situation permitting. We were told not to go near the jungles this time (which was a good thing considering the news reports), but that hopefully the political situation would continue to improve and we could see a bit of them next time around. If they are anywhere as beautiful as the mountain areas we were able to reach, it would be more than worth it. As long as, you know, we don't die horrifically trying.
Day 1 – Tuesday
Actually, let's start a bit before Day 1 with the night of Day 0. After work, the boys had soccer practice and then we finally got around to finishing up all the last minute stuff. Instead of sensibly going to bed early, we all stayed up a bit late doing this, that, and the other thing. Seeing how we had to get up at 3 am, this was not the smartest thing we ever did. *g*
After roughly two to two and a half hours of sleep, we got up and headed to pick up E's mom (the boys' grandma), and then to drop off the car at my parents' house. Dad drove us to the airport to begin far too many hours of airports and planes.
The trip to Chicago was fine – incredibly short and without incident. Once in Chicago, we learned Miami was in the middle of a tropical storm. Plane left on time, but had to circle around to the south of Miami to avoid the worst of the storm. We landed a bit late, but we landed (to a plane full of applause after the turbulence we had) and pretty much all the outgoing flights were delayed a bit, so there was no problem with making the next one.
Miami to Bogotá... yeah... A little spoiled brat of a child sat behind me, kicking and hitting for pretty much the entire trip with her mother not even trying to stop her. Awesome. Also awesome? Her finding a way to cram her little sweaty feet between the seat so she could kick me some more. Sigh.
Got to the airport and through the long, slightly disorganized wait for customs (after waiting about a half hour, we discovered families with children could go to a separate line which sped things up a bit). Now about 10 pm, we were at our destination and surrounded by E's extended family.
We took multiple cars to her Grandmother's house where even more family was waiting. We talked (in an odd amalgam of English and Spanish, calling upon certain Aunties for translation duties) and ate an awesome torte what was made up of layers of fine pastry and a caramel called “arequippe”. Finally, roughly 20+ hours after we first got up, we went to bed.
Day 2 - Wednesday
We slept in a bit and then ate a huge breakfast. We also discovered that, though there are multiple showers, only one has hot water, as we use that term loosely. You get about 3-4 minutes of hot water, and then it turns cold. We did, however, later discover that even the cold downstairs (and it was cold) was warmer than the only temp available upstairs.
We then took two cabs up to Monserrate. This is high in the mountains and you take little cable cars up and down to reach it. Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Yes, it rained off and on, but even that could not diminish it. There is a church up there as well, and they seem to have a service 24 hours a day. We did not attend, but could hear the singing throughout the area.
We wondered through a couple of the little shops, but were told not to buy anything as it would be overpriced. This became a common theme as E's family members were either afraid we were going to get ripped off, or “knew a better place”. It was a bit frustrating as both E and I have traveled the world before and part of the fun is making stupid, harmless mistakes and paying one price one place only to find the same thing a bit cheaper somewhere else.
After Monserrate, we took the little cars down and wondered a few blocks over to the house of Bolivar. This was the house he lived in after defeating the Spanish and you approach it on a walkway filled with little stones shaped like a spine. The image is supposed to be that you are walking on the backbones of all the people he defeated. The house is surrounded by beautiful gardens and walkways also designed by Bolivar.
[E and Youngest in the gardens.]
That night, we went to one of the malls with the original purpose of exchanging/withdrawing money. We had to take two cabs again, which became problematic as no one remembered their cell phones and one cab dropped people off at one door, and another at another. We eventually found each other. The boys' grandma found a store she loved and E found some soccer shirts for the boys. We were all a bit hungry, so we ate a late dinner in the food court. Once again, we each had an “escort” as we ordered, but the food was good and the conversation as we ate was rather fun.
Day 3 - Thursday
The morning as spent just kind of messing around the house and writing a bit, but the afternoon was met with a huge meal. Instead of crashing like you tend to want to when filled with lots of meats and breads, we then headed out to the Museo de Oro (Gold Museum). Many beautiful things on display with histories listed in both practical and spiritual terms. One presentation is set up in a dark room where only a few people can enter at any given time. They close you in and things light up one by one with traditional (and rather shamanic) music playing in the background. That one was very cool and very worth seeing.
We then went to the little shops across the street where we wandered through the first set with an Auntie and some cousins watching our every move and negotiating for things we liked. Youngest and I scared them by wondering off for a bit down one of the rows while they were having coffee. At the second set of shops, the boys' grandma found one she rather liked and stayed there for over an hour picking things out. The rest of us wandered and we ended up taking care of one of the people taking care of us (very sweet cousin, though a bit naïve) as a couple of people tried to take advantage of her.
We had trouble catching a cab, so took what the family was calling a fishbowl on wheels (bus) to yet another Auntie and Uncle's place where we had more hot chocolate and bread and cheese. Timeout at this point to mention the truly excellent hot chocolate, made from bricks of chocolate and either milk or water and stirred/beaten into submission on the stove. I may, possibly, have had a lot...
Other cousins came over and the boys played Monopoly with them while the “adults” set up a road trip for the next day. As it was going to be early, we bathed before bed. Upstairs. In the icy cold water. Yeah, there's a difference between the two showers.
Day 4 – Friday
Up extremely early to file 12 of us (one was only a baby) into a van for a road trip. We had planned to only getting food on the road, but one of the Aunties would have nothing to do with that, shoving juice and bread at us before we were allowed out the door. We still stopped at a little restaurant and had a more formal breakfast later – very cute place with a play set for kids and chickens and geese and such wandering around outside.
We hit the road again and were doing fine up until the baby decided no, she really did not want the oranges she was eating and threw up all over herself and her mother. Really, there is no description for the smell of vomited oranges in a little confined space. They cleaned up the best they could and we continued, right up until Youngest decided to join in the upchuck fun and vomited as well. Stop, clean up, continue...
We stopped at Boyaca, a memorial to one of the major battles of Bolivar. There are statues and an eternal flame, and a long march up to another memorial. On that walk, we met a little four legged friend who decided we were awesome. He thought we were even more awesome when one of the Aunties tossed him a bit of bread to drive him away. Needless to say, it made him like her even more. This was also about the time E pointed out he was a she and had puppies, so most of the remaining bread was given to the dog.
[E walking in the hills by Boyaca.]
[Me with our new friend.]
We continued through some awful road construction to some winding mountain roads to the final destination – a fossil museum. There were some decent fossils of several different types, with smaller versions for sale outside. I picked up a necklace made up of a tiny amononite hanging from a little setting. As we climbed back into the van, a little boy about 4 years old came up offering small versions for the equivalent of a dollar. One of the cousins, who shoos most of the beggars and vendors away, bought a couple off of him because he was so cute and because it looked like he had dug them up himself by hand (you were literally walking on fossils as you walked around). He then gave one to the cousin who had forgotten her money at home.
A long van ride back, and we were home. Kind of. We stopped at one of the Aunties' house as it was her birthday and had cake and pop and then eventually made our way back to Grandmother's house.
Day 5 – Saturday
We traveled over to the Alpina factory. Doesn't sound that exciting, but I guess they are the number one producers of dairy products in Colombia and the “factory” is a giant marketing memorial to this with tons of food choices. They also are the makers of arequippe, the caramel-like treat that many people are completely hooked on. As for me, I rather liked the chocolate éclairs and the rather hilarious company of Aunt Martha. Yes, she's being named because she would have it no other way. Very outspoken, very loud, very funny. She's also a national hero and the first female sergeant major in the police force. Her daughter is very similar in personality to her as well.
We stopped by her house on the way back where she told us we had no choice but to have at least a shot of agguerriente, a licorice-tasting alcohol. Once we agreed, we moved on. Yep. We dropped off the kids back at Grandmother's house with E's mom watching them, and were taken out to a bar. Much drinking and lewd jokes abound. Also, Martha's kids came with, as did two other cousins and their mother. I would have never thought of doing that in the States, but family is extremely important and everyone is very close in Colombia, so they did not think twice about going drinking with their kids.
After several rounds of bar food, and witnessing a bar fight, we headed back. Martha's daughter was the most sober, so she was going to drive. An 18-year-old who was tired from studying and cocktails, who had very little experience driving a stick shift drove us home. She only really stalled out once. On a hill. Rolling us backward. She recovered though and we made it safe and sound.
Day 6 – Sunday
This was the day of the big barbecue. The majority of the morning and early afternoon was spent making food. Well, after we woke up. Neither E nor myself had hangovers (don't ask about the Tios or Primos), but we slept in more than a bit. We woke up and ate arrepas made with eggs in the center (mmm, protein and salt...) and then E realized she still needed to make food for the party.
Unfortunately, her Grandmother has a rather small stove, so she had to wait until she was finished with a couple burners to get started. She made three types of salad (two “regular” and one pasta) and hummus and a giant apple crisp. No one had eaten hummus before and there was no bread, so we started in on it with chips. Big hit. Very big hit. Cousin ran out to buy more chips and some bread and other cousins ate one bowl and started in on a second before the meat was even ready.
So yeah, the meat. Lots of meat. Lots and lots of meat. Cooked over a wood-fired grill. And corn. Lots of corn. That was basted with butter and cooked with the meat and may have possibly slipped from my hands at one point, only to be put back on the grill to “clean” it.
You did not go up and make your own plate. Plates were handed out one by one, filled with meats and potatoes and with room left to add the multiple salads. Oh, and ahi – a spicy mixture of herbs that tastes excellent with the meat and potatoes. Many people were drinking beer, but a couple of the cousins and I had Colombiana – a local pop/soda-type drink that's rather good and unfortunately only found there.
Half way through the meal, music was put on. They had made a mix based on E's mom's favorite albums the last time she was down. Once the meal was finished, the singing along and, of course, dancing began. Lots of singing. Lots of dancing. If you don't sing or dance, you will be dragged out and taught. Seriously. The quietest cousin grabbed me at one point and told me I was going to learn to salsa dance. It was... less than exemplar.
Then came the surprise of the night. E's half-brother and half-sister stopped by. She had only met her sister, and never her brother. Dear deity of your choice, they look alike.
This... is the part that pissed me off. E's mom introduced me as “her friend”. I have been with her for nine and a half years. I have raised Youngest since his first birthday. They call me “mama” and “amma” (it means “beloved mother”). And I was “a friend”. Her cousins and Aunties apologized to me. Martha made me do shots. One (drunk) cousin told me that as soon as there was a pause in the conversation, he was going to correct that as it “was not right”. Her mother would not look me in the eye for the rest of the night, nor would she translate anything I said that I could not translate on my own (though an Auntie did). E figured out I was pissed and I told her why. She went and told her brother, who replied that he had been confused as Martha had told him that her wife would be down and then she only brought a friend. Turned out than neither brother nor sister, nor their spouses, had a problem with me.
Many pictures were taken, many previous pictures were shared. Emails and such were exchanged. More shots were had. Eventually, people headed home and we headed off to bed.
Day 7 – Monday
E got up early as her brother stopped by on his way to work. I tried to sleep in a bit, was called down to say hello. You have to like a man who tells you that you are too thin when you are a U.S. size 10. Afterwards, I wrote for a bit and had a nice, relaxing morning. Eventually, I took another cold shower (and discovered the secret was waiting long enough for the sun to heat the pipes a bit – much better), and got ready for the day.
Martha and another Auntie (yah! I almost typed Martha y un otro Tia...) drove us to the Mina de Sal – literally, the Salt Mines. Sounds odd, but was absolutely gorgeous. We discovered once we got there that we had forgotten the camera back at the house, so all pictures were taken on our phones. They cannot do the place justice. Tanks of water so still and pure that the reflected like glass and cascades of white coming from the ceiling and walls. There was a church built within the mine itself, and it is apparently known as a place of healing as the salts are good for your lungs and blood.
That night, we sat and talked with E's godparents (a Tia and Tio) and her Grandmother. They complimented me on my Spanish, which I thought was funny as I made so many mistakes and kept getting stuck on words. They told me I was trying, and that I knew more than E, so to be proud.
Day 8 – Tuesday
We had another slow, relaxing morning. Eventually, we finally got to wander a bit – supervised, of course. One Auntie and one cousin walked us to a candy store to pick up treats for those in the U.S., and we stopped at several “hippy shops” along the way where we picked up a few presents for people. I burnt the crap out of the top of my head and E's mom and Auntie took a cab back as her mom's hip was giving her trouble. We did not have the boys as one of their other cousins wanted to take them to his favorite store, so the cousin with us let us wander a bit more (“accidentally” walking us through the gay district at one point) – nice guy who figured out we had traveled before so he was a bit protective and insisted on carrying things, but gave us more freedom than we had been allowed thus far. He had also met up with his ex-girlfriend, so that might have helped. She was apparently a friend of the family still (and they were still flirting), and stopped back at the house with us.
E's brother and his wife stopped by for lunch and gave us t-shirts and the boys a chess set (they love to play) and a set of dominoes that Eldest used to build a replica of Stonehenge. Yes, that's our boy. We then went out for coffee and sat and talked for even longer. I introduced her brother to the concept of a mocha. In a land where coffee and chocolate are cherished, somehow it was still a very new thing. Her brother had to go off to work, but his wife stayed a bit longer – very intelligent woman who was patient with our Spanish and learned a bit of English along the way.
At night, we went to E's Grandmother's shop and wandered around a few others. E's mom had elevation sickness so she stayed home. Unfortunately, Youngest was also feeling off. He was rather pale and his heart was pretty fast – in other words, he most likely also had elevation sickness. We realized he had barely eaten anything all day, which is not a good thing for a pre-diabetic, so E and a cousin went off to get him an empanada while others shopped. He felt better after that, and we took a trip slightly higher for a beautiful view of the city (which would had been awesome to capture had the batteries not chosen that moment to run out of the camera).
And, finally, after that, we went to yet another Auntie's where we had hot dogs covered with chips, ketchup, mayo, and an egg (yeah, I'm serious), and either Bailey's or beer depending on preference. We ate and talked and watched 80's and 90's rock videos while E's missionary uncle looked on in both fascination and horror (seriously, I think it was the Marilyn Manson video that pushed him over the edge) and generally had a good time. Eventually, we stumbled back to the house where E and the boys read, her mother snored in interestingly new ways, and I got another chance to type before crashing.
Day 9 – Wednesday
We slept in again, helped along by both the Bailey's from last night and the gray skies from the rain. Eventually, E got up and I stayed in bed and wrote for a bit more (managed to finish one story this trip, start another and get about half way through it, and do some clean up work on a third). Got up and ate some soup with meat and potatoes and E made me a mocha with the hot chocolate and coffee – even better than the one from the coffee shop the day before.
While we were finishing eating, E's missionary Uncle put in DVDs of some of his work. Let me just say right now that I do not agree with forcing another to your religion. They took what these people knew and understood, told them it was wrong, and told them they needed to change what worked for them for generations to have their souls saved by a deity they did not fully understand. One village elder made the most of it – we were told he had been a witch but changed his ways. Watching, I had to agree with E: he did what was needed to help his people survive, as was his duty. So they worship this way instead of that way, at least while the missionaries were there, and they get food and clothing.
We then attempted to pack. We also sorted things out for what may be of use down here that we can get much easier in the States, and went through some of the clothing to donate to one of the Auntie's charities for the poor. Everything seemed to fit, including a huge beautiful blanket one of the cousins gifted us with.
A couple of the cousins came over and we had lunch – more hot dogs with ketchup, mayo, and potato chips, and E made the hummus again, which, no longer surprisingly, was a big hit.
The cousins started playing games on the Wii and the rain started to lighten up, so we headed over to the coffee shop where I spent the last of my money (really, I hadn't needed much this trip) on Juan Valdez shirts for the boys, a hat for E and me, and some coffee because, really, if you go to Colombia, you need to get coffee. We came back to find the cousins moved on to a combo of Wii and Uno, and the boys both reading and playing Gameboy.
[The boys and their cousins playing Wii.]
Eventually, we ordered pizza, which was quite the task when you add in roughly 25 people, their tastes, translation issues, and amount debates. Pretty decent, but pretty filling. While talking with the Aunties, out of nowhere, the glass top to the table cracked in three. Scared the crap out of everyone. This was, of course, immediately followed by people trying to both place the blame on others and hide it from their mother/grandmother, and generally breaking into giggling fits.
One of the Aunties showed up late and was immediately told the broken table was her fault. Her response? “I'm not paying for it so knock it off.” She was so sweet and gifted us with a bag for E's mom, a bag for me, and a hammock for us all, with all of these made by a local tribe. Beautiful work.
Eventually, we had to say goodbye as we had to get up very early to make our flight the next morning. There were tears, there were hugs, there was kisses, there was general stalling and sweetness.
Day 10 – Thursday
We got up at 4 am to be able to be ready to get to the airport on time. The extra time was worth it as there were long lines to verify tickets, then to get through customs there, and then to be searched for possible drugs (pat down only...). After we verified the tickets, we had a light breakfast with the family members who brought us there. Unlike in MN, they can still get to the shops and such and you are not further screened until you get closer to the gate. There were more hugs, more kisses, and more goodbyes until we finally left to stand in line for everything else.
The first flight was to Miami again, and was rather uneventful. There was a slight delay before take off to make sure a hydraulic something or another was not malfunctioning, but that didn't take long and then we were in the air. Decent movie (Ink Heart) and decent landing
The stop over in Miami was about 5-6 hours. Not long enough to get out and do anything, especially after the U.S. Customs checks. Please note: tell your children not to speak during those. Kids telling the customs official that we brought back a lot of food and then having to correct them that it was all candy (it was, honestly!) only serves to make you look suspicious.
We ate at the Chile's there and watched what we eventually figured out was the England National Karate team mess around for a while before they also ate there. A bit more wandering, and we made it to our gate to sit and watch tv for a bit and try to figure out who would be picking us up as my father got called away on business. We settled for a cab as that way Mom wouldn't have to mess with Dad's car (which she had never driven before) and her car was too small and they boys' father said he couldn't make it.
The flight from Miami to Minneapolis was a bit more eventful. Sucky movie, but there was a whole different type of in-flight drama as a passenger (mother with two kids under the age of five) needed medical attention. Nothing gets your attention more than hearing, “Ladies and gentlemen, if there is a doctor, nurse, EMT, or other medical professional on board, we are requesting your assistance at this time.” As this was going on, we flew through multiple storms (with more than one person around us using the barf bag – man, that reeked) and had multiple screaming children in the background.
We landed safely and an ambulance took the mother and kids away and we were able to depart for home sweet home.
All in all, a more than decent trip. Colombia is the land of the five A's: arequippe, agguerriente, arrepas, ahi, and amigos. We hope to visit again sooner rather than later - time, finances, and political situation permitting. We were told not to go near the jungles this time (which was a good thing considering the news reports), but that hopefully the political situation would continue to improve and we could see a bit of them next time around. If they are anywhere as beautiful as the mountain areas we were able to reach, it would be more than worth it. As long as, you know, we don't die horrifically trying.
no subject
Sorry about those two sucky flights.
no subject
I have to admit, I was weary of going down - both due to the political situation and due to meeting the family. The political stuff is still iffy, but the family was wonderful.
no subject
no subject
no subject
we have never communicated before but I saw your post on the AG yahoo group. Your pictures of Colombia are amazing. I was lucky enough to go to Colombia 2 years but only spent about a total of 3 days in Bogota - we spent most of our time in the Amazonia region (Leticia) as it was a field course. The sites you have shown and described from the area around Bogota makes me really want to go back and explore more.
I do hope you get the chance to go back, many people write off Colombia as a location to visit but it such an amazing place to visit.
And we also had troubles with cabs - not as bad as the other group that visited but cab rides were interesting experiences and definitely not fun at night.
My journal entries and pictures from my visit are linked here (http://silverspirit-17.livejournal.com/32989.html) if you are interested.
no subject
We did not have too many problems with cabs, but the Aunties and cousins were in charge of them and told them where they needed to go. Only twice did we have trouble catching any - one time we called instead, and the other we took the fishbowl bus.
no subject
I hope yu had a great time here.
no subject
no subject
The pics look lovely, can't imagine how much lovelier the places would look like in real life. Now I'm curious about Colombiana too. Sounds like you had a great time eating and drinking. Yum.
And E's extended family sounds lovely, overprotective, but accepting too. I'm glad. :)
no subject
It was truly beautiful down there. I know I sound like a broken record, but it was. There's so many more pics we could have taken.
The people, the food, and the scenery were all excellent. They were overprotective, but it was also kinda nice to know they cared.
no subject
no subject