Colombian Cacophony – Entre mascotas y cometas

As usual events happen quickly and all nearly at the same time, hence it is now time to step back and summarize what has happened during the two weeks since I left Stockholm.

First, I took a trip

(click on each pic to see more pics and read shortly about it)

Eventually I reached this place

And live here

Surviving by consuming this

All this so that I can spend the days slowly moving my thesis forward by having meetings with professors at the local universities, or with the education office in City hall or get guided tours of the slum by locals. No prizes for guessing which is the most exciting.

However, since things move at a relaxed pace I am also finding time to learn Spanish, read books, try to learn salsa (Cali is the Capital of Salsa) and general just hanging around in the sun. And sometimes I also visit a local gym, which is not quite what one would have guessed.

I have a new SIM-card if anyone wants to send an SMS: +57 30 12 72 91 65

Shortcuts: Main / Trip / Cali / House / Food / Gym

Trip: Sthlm – London – Miami – Cali

Having gotten the pleasant surprise of a 46 kg baggage allowance (easily filled with, among other things, a 5 kg Kubb-set) I was quickly about to discover why Heathrow has the reputation it has as one of Europe’s worst airports. Flights to and fro were delayed, causing me to land so late that I considered skipping the plan to visit a friend in London (i.e. crash on his couch). In the end I arrived 3hours later than planned in my designated bed, but was still happy for getting the pleasure of 4 hours sleep, sharing a relaxed breakfast and conversation before heading back to Heathrow for my flight to Miami.

Killing time in the underground at 1 A.M.

Already when I was queuing for boarding I noticed that most people were speaking in Spanish. I’ve been told that Miami is the unofficial capital of Latin America, and by the looks of that crowd it was easy to see why.

Bahamas from above. Next destination, perhaps?

Miami’s airport was a positive experience: U.S. migration was much friendlier than I remembered, plus it was very cool to hear so many people switch perfectly back and forth between Spanish and English.

Miami from above

On board I chatted with my fellow travelers, who were surprised to find a Swede next to them and even more surprised when they heard that I was heading to the slums of Cali. They did teach me some useful slang though.

Once safely on the ground, I thought my 42 hour journey was over, but apparently my luggage had other plans. One bag was missing, the other was missing its pad-lock. The second mystery was solved when I opened my bag and found my stuff slightly rearranged and damaged plus a note from TSA saying that my baggage had been searched.

Shortcuts: Main / Trip / Cali / House / Food / Gym

Cali

Colombia’s third biggest city, with a population of about 2.5 million is situated in a valley in the Andes. The valley floor is at an elevation of almost 1000 meters, guaranteeing a very nice climate which is never too warm or too cold, but instead constantly 26 degrees Celsius. One could almost call it eternal summer, and I don't mean this kind of summer. In addition, the high mountain ranges (up to 4000 meters) protect it from much rainfall.

The valley is pretty wide (30-50 Km, I guess)

The city itself sits just at one of the sides of the valley, meaning that certain parts of the city are stretching up along the side of the hills adjacent to the mountain range.

The city seems to be doing well economically, the streets are mostly clean and there is a multitude of shopping centers. The city authorities are also almost done with upgrading the city with a new public transit system. In addition, the real estate sector is booming like crazy.

I said "almost done", certain areas are still under construction

Right now is the season for flying kites, mostly due to the brisk evening breeze in July and August. Hence the sky is full of big and small kites. I know that this is a common phenomenon in many countries, and maybe used to be popular in Sweden too, but my upbringing was pretty kite free so I find it fascinating to watch the birdlike shapes climb to up into the sky until they are mere dots, then elegantly veer left, right, dive, spin and then return to a graceful glide.

Shortcuts: Main / Trip / Cali / House / Food / Gym

Accommodation

Joni's room has a hammock

Cool house, where my thesis partner Joni lived during his previous stays. The owners, a family of three, also live here and they are very nice and helpful. Also nice are the two dogs of the family. I have never seen any two dogs equally apt at detecting people approaching the house. Once one steps even close to the house, regardless of noise from the street, they will run to the door and welcome you with some barking.

Joni and Ivan (the son of the family and Joni's best Colombian friend)

One of the dogs with some books (reading?)

The house also has a roof which it is possible to climb and use as sun deck, or just to observe Siloe, the nearest slum, creeping up along a hill a stone throw away from the house. In the evening, when the lights in the slum dwellings are on it looks as if a galaxy has landed on the hill. It is simply mesmerizing.

Siloe in the daytime

The only tiny drawback with this accommodation would be that I don’t have internet in my room or that the shower has warm water, but considering that I get to use Joni’s computer (to write this for example) or that the weather is such that all I want is cold showers anyway, these are truly insignificant problems.

The neighborhood is very relaxed and nice, as you can see.

I just love the fact that bananas are hanging over the parking space

Shortcuts: Main / Trip / Cali / House / Food / Gym

Food and Beverage

¿Se puede tenerlo sin cilantro?
Is it possible to have this without coriander?

For some reason this is the first phrase I learned in India and in Colombia when it comes to food. Almost any vegetable dish here includes it, and I just can’t stand it.

Mmm, breakfast.

Other than that, food here is nice and varied, though perhaps a bit too chicken centric, but there are alternatives I am sure, it is just that I haven’t spotted them yet.

The fruit selection is wide and of good quality.

When it comes to famous local specialties I haven’t much to report. Coffee I never drank before and am not planning to start now either. The closest thing I have gotten to coca was some tea made by its leaves, sold in supermarkets. It didn’t have any bitter taste nor any tangible effect whatsoever. Quelle surprise!

Shortcuts: Main / Trip / Cali / House / Food / Gym

The Gym

I am not writing about this in order to make anyone believe I’ll come back 10 kgs heavier than I left, but to share with you the strange clientele my gym has. Of course this gym has its share of body-builders and blokes just trying to get in shape (count me to the latter :-), but this gym is something special. At least half of all the people there are what can best be described as trophy wives for people with dubious sources of income. These women stick out for two reasons.

1) They each have so much silicon that I am surprised that they don’t fall over forwards.

It is truly insane how these women look. I knew that Cali is famous for having the best plastic surgeons in Latin America, and offering the best “value” for such services in the world, but still, to see that every second person has lips, chest and a rear that appear so unnatural really stuns me every time I go there.

2) They mostly, but not always, have their “personal trainer” (this is code for body guard) with them all the time. These are truly huge guys, but you never see them work out, they are instead constantly at the side of the women.

Sadly I have not yet dared to take pictures inside the gym. I don’t know how to, even though I guess most of the trophy wives are actually very proud over their physical demeanor.

Shortcuts: Main / Trip / Cali / House / Food / Gym

Wazzup?

Honestly, things have happened so quickly the last two weeks that I myself am a bit confused about what has happened and what is about to happen. My internship is over, so is my time in Germany. I have many memories and reflections and I will post them in the coming days and weeks.


Currently I am in Stockholm fixing, cleaning, washing and doing all other necessary things for the next adventure. Hopefully, technological circumstances permitting, I'll be able to blog frequently about that starting on Tuesday next week when I land in Cali.