Guatape (The closest thing I will get to Lake Champlain this summer)

While exploring the Colombian department of Antioquia (similar to states), we took a trip about two hours away from Medellin to the town of Guatape! Mom put this town on my list back in January when she found a hostel that we had seen on House Hunters International (a regular program in the Bailey/Gingras/Taylor family). Guatape is an adorable lakeside town famous for a giant rock to climb and zocalos, or intricate outdoor wall art.

The beautiful "House Hunters Hostel" El Encuentro.
Secluded on its own little nook of the lake.

Here is an example of the Zocalos.  Giving directions in this town must be fun,
"Turn left at the sheep and go three blocks past the donkeys 'til you get to the house with the daffodils on it!"

And this is El Penol. The giant thumb-shaped rock we  climbed. 

And something funny and typical to my life here happened. When we bought bus tickets, they asked for my name. I said Kate. Even though it may be hovering the top ten for years in the United States, Kate is nearly unheard of here. And even worse my name sounds a lot like "Que?" Which means "What?" But at the bus station my name appeared on the ticket as "Keith." K.E.I.T.H. This, my friends , shows the importance of pronunciation and spelling when learning a new language. And yes, now you can guess what the gringas have started calling me.

Me with my "Keith" ticket.

In Guatape, we went paddle-boating, went on an afternoon boat cruise, and ate some delicious fresh fish and yummy juice. Ben tried his first Pony Malta (a DISGUSTING Colombian soda) and aguardiente (a DISGUSTING Colombian alcohol). As I promised my fellow Americans, Ben is too easy to please when it comes to food, and he pretty much liked everything.

On the boardwalk, in between Ben's first experience with Colombian street food.

We also had an adorable puppy follow us around for the day and even swim to our paddle boat in the middle of the lake. We had a great time exploring this small town and taking a small break from city living. The more I explore the smaller towns in Colombia, the more I fall in love with the country--especially for it's beauty and diversity.

Our personal Guatape tour guide and new best friend.

View from the top of the rock. A close second to my summers in VT!

Gringos Explore Colombian Paradise

Happy Monday, friends!

Before anymore time passes, let me write about vacation part two! Ben came to visit, and together with my other gringo (American) pals we traveled to the Colombian city of Medellin. If this city rings a bell, it's probably followed by its not-so-positive reputation. Medellin was once the hub for all things drug-cartel and Pablo Escobar related. Back not that long ago, this city was one of the most dangerous and murderous places in the world.  If you want to dive deeper into the history of Medellin, I highly recommend the ESPN documentary "The Two Escobars."

But for the record, things have definitely changed. We joke in WorldTeach that the couple placed in Medellin is living in paradise. The "city of eternal spring" has been pumped with development money to turn around its rough reputation. it now boasts many things to be proud of: beautiful parks and architecture; cable cars that make public transit available for communities high into the mountainside; and of course its new reputation of beautiful women (as surgically altered and implanted as possible). It is a beautiful city, and it is neat to witness such a drastic change over such a short time. Medellin should be on everyone's list when coming to Colombia.

Colombia's famous Botero Sculptures 

DUCKS! In the Botanical Gardens.

My lovable gringo on the Metro Cable.

Beautiful graffiti art from the MetroCable

the very nice Poblado neighborhood at night.

Ecuador! (Or in other words... Thank goodness teachers get vacation too)

I made a goal for myself before coming to Colombia to travel to at least one other South American country while living on this vast continent. Some countries are easier to get to than others. So when my friend Brighid said she wanted to return to Ecuador after studying there, I jumped at the chance to join her. 

Some say Ecuador and Colombia are like twins. It’s undeniable that they are similar. But after just our first day there, we agreed that both countries have unique personalities, and I would tell anyone both countries are worth visiting. In some ways, I preferred Ecuador to Colombia. The women wear fewer heels, the food is a little bit tastier, and the indigenous culture is a little bit stronger. And many of the great things about Colombia can be found there as well- fruit juices, beautiful biodiversity, Spanish that is easy to understand. Of course living in and visiting countries are hard to compare. But I know I would love to return to Ecuador, and would put it on my list of possible places to live in the future.

So what did I love about Ecuador so much? Let me show you! (In 50 words or less for each, I promise.)

QUITO
In list form: my new favorite hostel "Travellers Inn;" amazing Mexican food at "Red Hot Chili Peppers;" giant virgins overlooking the city; the centro is the first UNESCO World Heritage site; It's like Bogota but a bit warmer and a lot smaller; the people were super friendly; and the souvenir shopping was Ah-maz-ing!

Overlooking colorful Quito with "the Wolfpack."
From left to right: Me , Natalie, Vanessa, and Brighid

OTAVALO
We joked about bring back a real alpaca, and I think we pretty much did with the amount of blankets, ponchos, hats, socks, etc we found. Stuff is made locally, with good quality, and thanks to Ecuador using the US Dollar- SO cheap. It was a little slice of consumer heaven even for the non-shoppers like me. I also loved the people wearing traditional, indigenous dress around town. The people are beautiful and seem to preserve their culture carefully despite the influx of alpaca-hungry tourists.

A beautiful (and feisty) saleslady in traditional dress. Please note all alpaca goodies behind her.
Photo courtesy of Brighid Carey. Read her version of vacation on her blog here! 

MINDO
One of my favorite places on Earth. Because: chocolate tour, sustainable eco-tourism, community ownership over development, waterfalls! butterflies! zipling and hiking and sleeping a tree house! It's a cloud forest only two hours from Quito. No Amazon this year for me, but this was a pretty wonderful consolation prize.

You can barely capture its green beauty in a picture.

...or two.

COTOPAXI
If someone asked me, "Hey, would you like to hike up the world's third largest active volcano?" My answer probably would not be an enthusiastic yes. I huffed and puffed my way a few hundred meters to the Refugio at about 16,000 ft, and had one of those "Wow, I really just did that" moments and even more surprisingly thought next, "I really want to do that again!" Volcanoes are beautiful and hiking them is badass. Also, if you weren't already sold, there were beautiful wild horses.

Photographic Evidence!

And like I said, wild freakin horses. (Cotopaxi in the clouds to the left)

Stay tuned for the second week of vacation round-up! Medellin and Guatape and Ben's visit!

Things I LOVE about Colombia

It's officially vacation! Yes, I am just as excited as the kids, and couldn't be more ready to hit the road (or airport) for Ecuador! But first, I want to write some final thoughts on the Colombian-isms I have come to know so well. When asked at mid-service what I loved about Colombia, I had many things in the "like" or "really like" columns. After last weekend's trip to Villa de Leyva, a beautiful Colombian mountain town, I made a little mental list of things I am ready to move into love with. It's a growing list, but for now I will leave you with my top ten.

10. The weather. So I hail from New England. I'd consider myself immune to the constant changes within a single day, wearing layers, and always talking about how the weatherman got it wrong. But Colombians, especially Bogotanos, bring this weather talk to a whole new level. Bogota varies between about 50 and 75 degrees. Not a huge gap considering the actual seasons New England has. But when it's under 65 it's, "QUE FRIO!" The best part is not only what Bogotanos say about their own city, but more importantly what they say about surrounding places. Apparently they all think they are weather experts because when you say you are visiting a new place, the first response is the weather and what you should wear. When I went to Villa de Leyva everyone warned me it would be freezing... It's a desert. There are literally cacti on the side of the road. This is not cold, Colombia, but your idea of weather is endearing.


9. Speaking of weather, The biodiversity in Colombia is truly remarkable. I read in the guidebooks before coming that Colombia is one of the most bio-diverse countries on Earth. Thank you Amazon, Pacific and Atlantic Coasts, the Andes mountains, plains, and deserts. That beauty is really starting to show the more I travel. Our Earth is a remarkable place and Colombia has so much natural beauty to offer.

8. Bag culture. No, I'm talking about styles or brands. There's specific gestures and mannerisms that comes with bags here that we do not have in the USA. First, it is very common for men to carry bags. Yea, murses or whatever you want to call it. But heck, they are practical and everyone is doing it. Also, it's common for men to carry their girlfriends bag for them. The final thing I find so interesting is when the Transmilenio buses are super crowded (always) people sitting down will offer to hold your bags for you. It's common practice for whatever you are holding. I don't think this would fly in the US where we are so protective and have a serious sense of privacy, but here it's totally normal.

7. All things 80s. The decade of my birth is back and as great as ever here in Colombia. Scrunchies, flippy, crazy hair, punk styles, and especially the music. I cannot tell you how many times I've been in a bar here and heard the likings of Wham! or David Bowie. I dig it.


6. So much food. I can't list all of the food I love here, but here's what the beginning would look like... Arepas, Bon Ice, Jugos, plantains, all fruits, all veggies, bread, chocolate bread, the cupcake lady, Usaquen street vendors, street corn... you get the idea. And get this folks, it's a veggie friendly place. No problems here being a weirdo vegetarian chick.

5. The national anthem. It plays on every radio station each day at 6am and 6pm. It's catchy, though the words are totally flamboyant and over the top. And I'm not sure if I approve of the Christopher Colombus shout out, but I've learned nearly all the words already. Hopefully I learn more vocabulary and don't start talking like a Spanish conquistador.

4. The Nose Wrinkle! And the head nod for that matter. This is really better demonstrated, but you really don't notice subtle body language until you are surrounded by a new culture for a significant amount of time.  Instead of a "huh?" or eyebrow wrinkle, Colombians wrinkle their nose. And instead of waving someone to come over, they nod their head once. Think I Dream of Jeanie without the hand motions. It's great fun to adopt these new mannerisms and have a little secret code with your American friends here.

3. Nicknames. Colombians are SO into them. Muñeca (meaning doll) is my host mom's favorite for me. But everyone calls everyone the Colombian versions of my love, my life, little girl, little boy, my heart, little fatty, etc. Then they add -ita or -ito to the ends of nearly every word. Its a cultural way to soften words and sound sweeter I guess. So sometimes I get Kate-cita, and I'm totally ok with it. 

2. Affection. I know I may be the lone American that appreciates Colombian affection (most often publicly).  Sure sometimes they get carried away, but its so different from the US and I fit in much better with my fellow huggers and kissers (on the cheek) here. It's across genders too, girls hold hands, boys sit on other boys laps, and its all just signs of love and affection. Cariño or caring is what they would call it.

1. Teenagers. No, you didn't read wrong. I actually said I love teenagers. My students are between the ages of 13 and 16. Smack dab in one of the most awkward and hormonal times in life. And in many ways, Colombian teens aren't that much different than their American neighbors. But they're a little bit softer here (beneath the mohawks, heavy makeup, and leather jackets).  They have more affection for each other and respectful closeness with their teachers. I've gotten to know a lot of my students well at this point, and I enjoy teaching and learning from them. I can't imagine being with any other group of kids here.

To be continued...

Riding the Culture Wave

So here we are, smack dab in the middle of my year here. In some ways I can't believe it's already June, but I have certainly crammed a lot of experiences into the first half of the year. Last weekend WorldTeach hosted our mid-year conference in a town called Fusugasuga. (Try saying that five times fast! Or at all.) At the conference we got together to relax, share stories, and re-energize.

We talked a lot about where people are along the cultural curve, a different spin of the phenomenon of culture shock. The stages are the following: 1. Begin high, things are new and exciting; 2. Slip a little lower, frustrations with everyday life being more challenging in a new place; 3. Higher, adjusted and feeling comfortable; 4. Low, confronting deeper issues; and finally 5. Adaption and assimilation.

Many of us at the conference did not feel the natural wave of the culture curve fit our experiences here. Of course everyone takes in a new culture differently, and in general has different experiences  here that define their lives. In many ways, after the robbery, I felt like I was pushed off the cultural cliff. My sense of everything in a new place was tainted by the unfamiliar and now very scary. But I can see my personal wave headed back up again. Being around such great, supportive volunteers here and making connections with Colombian people and culture here has helped a lot.

I was reminded by one of the founders of my partner program here, Volunteers Colombia, that as teachers we need to be islands of excellence. We need to push away the excuses and focus on what we can control and make excellent in our classrooms. With the conclusion of my second quarter at school, the chapter here defined by the robbery has ceremoniously concluded. And I feel prepared to better dedicate myself to my classroom and give it my all as I finish what I came here to do. Third quarter will begin after my two week vacation and I will be ready to throw my heart into all aspects of living and teaching here in Colombia. There's been ups and there's been downs. That's my life here and I'm committed to stickin' it out and seeing what the next five months bring me.

And in case I need some visual encouragement, i present some of my ninth graders...

Daniel and Luis Felipe. 

Mauri and Felipe are buds. It took about 8 tries to get this picture.

These guys made a cultural magazine called "Bogota is Alive." 

And for the ladies class. This is Smarty-pants Juana.

My girls using Vermont magazines as inspiration for Bogota magazines!
Natalia, Zuadi, and Monica

Sometimes they get me to be silly.
And yes, these stupid hats made it to South America.

How To: Sunday Paseo- Boyaca in a Day

Last weekend, Natalie and I joined Brighid's host family for a traditional Colombian Sunday paseo. Colombians often work on Saturdays, so this means they take Sunday relaxing and free time very seriously. Brighid's host family invited us along to a town called Raquira. Raquira is an indigenous word meaning "city of pots." and the town certainly lives up to its name. So the three gringas went on the family road trip (about 4 hours from Bogota) to go pot-shopping. We certainly got more than we asked for, and ended up visiting almost all the hot spots in the department (equivalent of a state) of Boyaca (northeast of Bogota's department). Here's how we managed to squeeze everything into a day and have a successful Colombian Sunday.

1.  Squeeze as many people as possible into a little hatchback. Gas prices are HIGH in Colombia, and the roads are pretty winding. So be prepared to be a little squished and make the best of it. We chose to pass the time singing the Colombian National Anthem, speaking in English when no one else understands, and taking lots of landscape pictures.

2.  Bring snacks. We introduced Brighid's host parents to PB & J. They were pleasantly surprised by its deliciousness. It was a great cultural exchange. 

3. Be prepared to stop for coffee and church breaks. We assumed at first that we were stopping in the town of Chiquinquirá for a bathroom break. We ended up hanging out for an hour and a half exploring while the family went to mass in the giant cathedral. One city to check off the list.

Yes, that is a giant poster of Pope JP II. 

4. Have no expectations. I had read about Raquira in the guide books, and I'm a fan of ceramics, so it was on my list of places to see. But I wasn't sure what to expect and I was thrilled with the result. Raquira is literally filled with ceramics. Cheap beautiful pottery from dishwear to massive pots I only wish I could plant beautiful things in. Alas, I'm limited by luggage restrictions and practicality. So I settled on some classic kitchen pieces.

5. Take the long way around. The family was asking us which places we wanted to see, to which we responded "anywhere!" We ended up going further into Boyaca and visiting the town of Villa de Leyva. This was a treat because we have plans to go there next weekend. So we got a preview and can't wait to go back to the beautiful, desert-like, mountain town.  It was worth it to go a little further out of the way to hit another city on our list (we're up to three now).

The family (Manuela wins the cutest family member award) in
Villa de Leyva

6. When hungry, stop at any side-of-the-road barbecue joint. These are literally all over the highways around Colombia. And it's because so many people take these types of road trips on Sundays and festivos. Now, this may not be the first choice for any vegetarians here, but the plantains, potatoes, and arepas make it doable. And when you don't eat meat you get to attract really adorable puppies to you.

7.  When the sign says "Dairy Capital of Colombia," stop and get some dairy! It was getting late and when we made our final stop I was nervous we would never get home. The family wanted a snack of hot chocolate and cheese (a popular combo here) so we made a pit stop in Ubate- the dairy capital of Colombia. The stop was a quick one, and turned out to be SO worth it. Not only did we find GREEK YOGURT, but the store owner gave us token mini-pots to remember the day. Such a great keepsake for a very successful day.

Colombia- Round Two.

Hello friends! Great news to report. I have a lovely, new home! This past week I have been settling in and getting acquainted to my new neighborhood. I now live on the top (6th) floor of an apartment in the neighborhood of Colina Campestre. This neighborhood, though further north, is only about a 15 minute drive to school and comes with lots of perks.

Giant terris! 

One of those apartments is Natalie's!

The first being that my buds Natalie and Mayis are right around the corner! And I now live with a woman named Gloria (Modern Family references encouraged and appropriate!) and a university student, Daniela. We all get a long great and I feel like I really have a host family (especially because I've already met half of Gloria's family in week one.)

Like I said, here is the family hanging out Saturday morning. (Gloria is on the air mattress)

The neighborhood is MUCH safer but doesnt' feel closed off like some more residential parts of cities can be.  There is a cheaper neighborhood complete with a great bakery, fruit stand, and a mysterious cupcake lady Natalie and I are on a mission to find. There is also a mall nearby with a cheap movie theater and get this... SUSHI and MIDDLE EASTER RESTAURANTS! Nom nom nom. But don't worry, there are still arepas on the street corner.

At first I was hesitant to move to such a nicer area of town. And things like public transportation are more challenging here (the richer are more likely to have cars). But I know that I am still getting an authentic Colombian experience here. The nerves and anxiety from the last few weeks have settled and I feel more like myself again here. It doesn't hurt that I have some amazing trips coming up during vacation, and my students are really making progress at school. I have lots to be happy about here. I'm especially glad I now have a place to call home again!

My awesome shelving unit.

My little room with the most comfortable bedspread ever.
Also, there are no Care Bears on my mattress like the last place :)

Yes, this is way above my expectations too.  You can even flush the toilet paper.

I think I'm gonna be just fine here!