Rio Claro

Friday after school, I came home to pack and get ready for the big weekend ahead. What I thought was construction noise was a sudden storm. I looked out the window to a beautiful complete double rainbow. Not going to complain about this view. 

We had our second puente (Colombian public holiday) this Monday. I honestly don't even know what it was for but I'm not complaining. 7 of us newbies decided we needed a weekend getaway to Rio Claro. It is a private reserve, essentially a jungle, about 3.5-4 hours away from Medellin. Adrianne did some research for us and Saturday morning we met at Parque Poblado for a private van there. The van was worth every penny since we didn't have to go to the bus terminal. Plus, it allowed us to make stops for the bathroom and snacks along the way.

On of our stops along the way. Beautiful views along the mountain side. And delicious food. We stopped here again for lunch on the way back home. 

The ride itself was perfect. The views of the countryside were beautiful. It still blows me away how green everything is. We talked and laughed and napped. Pretty good combination. And I even had leg room. It was a win win situation.

Reuben got us there safe and sound. We paid for our rooms and made our way into the reserve. Rio Clara means clear river and it was far from clear when we arrived likely due to the rain. It did clear up throughout the weekend however.

Our accommodations were well into the reserve, about 10 minutes away from the center. We ate a decent but basic lunch and signed up for activities. We wanted to get signed up for everything so it didn't fill up for the weekend. We also didn't want to be worried about the cash we were carrying. My first priority (along with just about every else) was caving. Unfortunately, I am an idiot and I forgot my GoPro so I wasn't able to get any pictures but let me just tell you it was spectacular. 

I bought a flashlight (forgot that too) and then we all got our life jackets on and headed out. Yes... you read that out. We were going caving and we needed life jackets. Guess it comes as not surprise why I didn't risk bringing my camera. We set off for a hike that lasted about an hour before we got to the cave. I did a quick youtube search and came across a video of the cave. There are plenty more but here is a link to one just to give you a taste of the crazy adventure. 

We walked along the river, crossed the above bridge, then hiked up and over the mountain to the entrance of the cave. The cave was obviously a wet cave. We were walking in water the whole time and also jumping in it. There were big drops and it was deep enough for me to go completely under on two of the drops. The ceilings were very tall. Tall enough to be home to some creepy, essentially pterodactyl, birds. We were told that we couldn't look up with their lights because it would disturb them. They did not like us being there and they were yelling and making not too comfortable noises the whole time. It was neat at first but the cool factor wore off by the end. Luckily it was only the first and last 150 meters. Though it was the first thing we did, it was still probably the highlight of the trip. Just remember to pack that waterproof camera. 

Our rooms. Totally open air. Perfection. 

The exit to the cave. There was a rope ladder that you climbed down and then a rope that you held on to as you crossed the deceptively strong rushing river. 

Sunday morning, we woke up to howling monkeys putting on a show for us. It was so fun to watch them move around in the trees and climb up the vines!

After the show that the monkeys put on for us, we grabbed some breakfast and headed out for our morning adventure of ranting. The river is only a 1 so it was more like group tubing with paddles but it was such a fun way to see the landscape. Kelsey and I were up from because we are the tall amazons. We all decided we wanted to do a tougher river but we need to learn our Spanish first since all the commands were in Spanish. He would tell us to paddle and then to rest. Rest is descanse. A while in to the trip, Kathy asked what he was saying because it sounded like Wisconsin. we all laughed so hard about it and we will always think about Wisconsin from now on. The guide showed us placed where they mine for marble and also some history about Pablo Escobar and one of his hideout houses.

We had a great time rafting. We made it back for lunch and then our next adventure which was the via ferrata or rock climbing at 3. It turns out we accidentally signed up for zip lining instead so some people did that. I decided to go find some trees for my hammock and a book. It was a nice, relaxing afternoon to just be alone.

We convinced them to open early Monday morning for us to rock climb. They said it was tough and they weren't kidding! The hardest part was definitely the beginning. It was incredibly challenging but also rewarding. The guide was patient with us and we had a good sweat going before breakfast.

I'll make a seamless plug for the reserve. Whether they know it or not, they should be accepting donations of equipment because I had a little too much challenge course experience to feel good about their claws :) 

 After lots of water, some breakfast, and a cold, refreshing shower, we packed up and headed back. We stopped for a late lunch and I went to town on this plate. It is actually a small version of their local plate, bandeja paisa. Rice, beans, friend egg, mean, blood sausage, plantain, avocado, salad.

We had a phenomenal weekend. The country continues to amaze with its lushness and diversity. And the best part is that I have still seen practically nothing. 

I'm going to wrap this one up this week with a quick shout to this amazing group of girls that have all welcomed me with open arms. We are all doing this crazy thing called life together and I feel lucky to be doing it with them. They have make the transition to living abroad much easier. Watch out Colombia.... we're coming for you!

Living for the weekends

First of all.... as of tomorrow, I will have been here 4 weeks. 4 weeks. That's one month. It leaves me so conflicted. So confused. These last four weeks have felt like both a blink and an eternity, a dream and, even at times, a nightmare (<- remember my honesty promise). It hits me at the weirdest times and a little less frequently now but I very often have to ask myself, 'am I really living here?' It seems so unreal that this is currently my life. 

Since I have been here, I have not started a week without know what I was doing that weekend. Being far from a socialite, this is a new and very welcome. I have been surrounded by people that make things happen. I guess that's what happens when you drop some expats in the same area and see if they sink or swim. It's refreshing, exciting, and exhausting and I can tell you that its on track to stay the same way. We are in the works of planning a trip to Rio Claro, about 4 hours away from here, for next weekend. Its another puente/ 3 day weekend. 

This weekend, we started with a rooftop party. The teachers in their second year threw the party to welcome our new group. In true Colombian fashion, it said it would start at 4:30 and the hill people (aka 3 of us that live far from everyone) got there at 5 to an empty rooftop but by 6 or 6:30 it was filling up. It was nice to meet some more people and have deeper conversations with some that I already knew. The large majority of teachers are elementary teachers so it was a great opportunity to bridge the gap. We snacked all night and soaked up some great views of the city. 

I called it a night around 10 and taxied back to the apartment. I had plans to go hiking the next day and we all know how I need my sleep. Roger was taking us out on our second hike. This time, we were starting at his house and then walking up the mountain, along the ridge, and down into El Retiro, a town nearby and one that we explored briefly after our last hike. I met some teachers at 8:20 and we made our way over there. Including his wife and two kids, there were 13 of us that set off. It was a 16km hike, about 10 miles. We took it nice and slow, stopped to catch our breath, eat some lunch, and soak in the scenery. 

Not bad, right? 

Don't worry. I bought some pants today. Bug bites + crazy plants = miserably itchy legs 

The scenery changed very frequently. paved roads, dirt roads, jungle, clay, ... 

Red poisonous dart frog  

We came across a large, beautiful white cross overlooking the city.  

Just in case you missed my face  :)

Needless to say, I didn't do much when I got home Saturday night. You could probably hear the bed calling my name from there. 

Sunday morning, I was up at the unfortunate hour of 6:30. I then made it my mission to get caught up on the blog world. I have lots of work to do but I knew if I got too far behind, I would never make it happen. I decided to take a break to go explore El Tesoro - the mall and only thing near me- and it was a big success. The first store I stopped in was a pharmacy to get some itch cream. It was a little more than $1 for the tube of hydrocortisone. Next, I tried on some pants at Columbia but didn't end up getting any. I also was going to try on some tevas/ keens when I was there and was shut down pretty quickly when he said the biggest size he had was an 8. Welp! I guess I'll keep looking. 

I found Chipotle's twin sister (I hope... I didn't actually try it today) 

Next stop was Reebok where I found a good sale - 50% most of the store. This was a major win because most everything will be more expensive here so, with this deal, I was getting a good price for even the US. I ended up getting nice long tights that are even reversible (mission cover legs on the next hike... accomplished!) and a sports bra for 109.000,0 cop. The conversion rate is about 3.000 cop to 1 usd.  Last stop was an art/office supply store where I got some colored pens for school. I'm going to brag on myself just a minute. I did all this shopping, try on different sizes, asking for certain things in Spanish and I survived. Its all about the small victories. 

I just can't get over how cool this mall is! 

Final stop of the day was the grocery store, Exito, just a little bit up the road. I slowly made my way through the store, still trying to find all the good stuff. A full shopping cart later, I made my way to the cashier where I found that my puntos (essentially your Kroger plus card) number didn't work. I talked to the cashier who was very patient and she sent me to customer service. I then explain my problem to two more people and we still couldn't figure out what was going on so I just applied again and used a different number. I paid for my groceries and went back to customer service for them to make a copy of my receipt and the mystery was finally solved. I also managed to learn a great cultural lesson. This is hard to explain but it is important to put the dash across the middle of the 7 here because they often write 1's with the horizontal line at the top and only occasionally at the bottom. I don't know if I made any sense at all with that but now I know I just have to give them a different number.

Caught a minute of tv while shopping at exito... more than I can say for  the rest of the month

I am currently finishing this up at my desk with my windows open and a great view of the mountain side. I guess I'll have to get to calculus soon enough. 

Until next time... 

Feria de las Flores

First, let me say that I have been thinking about this blog and the best way to use it. I have decided to use this space strictly as a travel blog. Here you will find my weekend adventures and all the fun that comes along with living abroad. Once again, this was meant to be for me as much as it is to you, my readers. Professionally, I do not feel comfortable sharing experiences, good and bad, about the school on such a public space. So, with that said, I have created a google doc to share the weekly happenings. If you want to check that out, just email me and I will share it will you. My email is ksmith825 @ gmail.com 

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Now, I also want to apologize for the delay. I did not have internet for nearly two weeks so I am a little behind. 

For me not to be much of a flower person, I centered my entire weekend around them and I couldn't have been happier about it. This weekend was the culmination of the Feria de las Flores (Flower Festival). This is the second biggest draw/attraction to the city. There are different activities each and everyday from mid-July to early August. Medellin is known for their flowers and it is also a huge cultural celebration.

Saturday, I met a group of teachers at the Botanical Gardens. I took a taxi all the way there and I got yet another compliment on my Spanish. Let me just tell you how low their standards are for gringos because it is far from worth of a compliment!

The different displays are incredible. Having been here just a few weeks ago, the transformation that they made was just incredible. It was bare the last time we were there and now there were absolutely beautiful exhibits and flowers (many of which are orchids) all over. Words cannot do it justice so I am just going to dump a few photos here. 

A typical fruit/juice stand. They also had market stalls with different crafts. 

We explored the gardens for a while and then sat at a cafe for some snacks and small talk about life, school, etc. Then we headed to the metro so we could go to Mercado del Rio. It was an old warehouse which had been turned into a really neat eatery with different littler restaurants all over. It was a nice, quiet atmosphere with tons of character and good food of course.

A few of us decided to walk back to our place for a little more exercise (my most common form of exercise recently). Luckily, we came across a huge festival. There was a tv station there doing a segment about who knows what but it was hilarious. The three guys in the chiva came out and started singing and then one guy carried another guy off on his back. 

This is a small chiva- party bus. 

Desfile de Silleteros - 60 year anniversary 

We checked this out for a while and learned the history of the silleteros. It all starts in Santa Elena, the birthplace of this tradition, where they make the flower arrangements. Kids of all ages (aka actual kids to very old people) make this trek down into the city carrying the displays that weigh between 40 and 120 kg (about 80-260 pounds). This year there was about 500 participants. The parade is 10km so just imagine carry that on your back the whole way.

Here is a little history. In the colonial times (about 200 years ago), the silleteros would carry down the sick on wooden seats on their back. That evolved to fruits and vegetables that they would carry down to sell at markets. Eventually, the began doing the same thing with flowers. It was then that the idea for a parade to celebrate them was born.

With that said, it a huge cultural celebration for the people of Santa Elena. It is a honor to participate in but it is only open to descendants of the generations of people that have participated since its inception.

Saturday, we went to Santa Elena, about an hour away from the city, to check it all out. A teacher has a finca (a farm but not a farm like we would think about it. just a house out in nature with or without lots of land) nearby and many people were staying the night. We all packed a bag to stay just in case we got stuck there. They close almost all of the roads so we were not sure if we would be able to get back or not.

There were probably about 20 teachers from the school that were there and we had a great time. We spent most of the day in the city square. There were food vendors all around and a couple craft stalls. Of course, there was also a big amphitheater with a band and some dancing. I had a roasted ear of corn, tried lechon (backed whole pig then stuffed with rice and beans and cooked again), and chuzo de pollo (chicken kebab). 

meat, meat, meat and some arepas

Local Colombian with the poncho and hat 

Many people headed back to the finca for the night but a group of 8 of us wanted to go explore and see where they were actually making the silletas. We ended up just wandering around but did come across some of the places that they were making them. It was a beautiful night and we had a great time!

With a little help from some locals and the police, we found our way back and waited for the taxi that someone had arranged earlier in the day for us. Fun day but it was nice to be able to sleep in my own bed that night. 

The next day was the climax. The actual parade was happening. It was one of our best days since we got here. Crowded does not even begin to be able to do it justice. People from all over the country and all over the world come just to see this parade. We definitely got there later than we should have but we were still able to manage to squeeze in behind some people on the bridge overlooking the parade to see enough of it. They were selling stools to stand on that nearly everyone had so of course we all bought one. It would have been hopeless without that. Next year, we might even splurge for buying tickets to sit in the bleachers. 

Right when we got there, we saw a float with a band come by and a series of horses. However, that passed quickly and we waited and waited. It was hot and crowded but the entertainment was not lacking. People selling drinks (mostly beer) and food came by advertising (the nice way of saying yelling) constantly. A couple came by with their stereo on wheels to dance for tips. Two drag queens came by. It was busy. 

After a bathroom break, we got back in time to catch the start of the parade. It was phenomenal. Everything about it. The crowds. The silletas. The silleteros. The music. The dancing. The bands. 

These men and women, children and adults, are incredible. We were towards the end of their trek so they were definitely tired. They often raised their hands or waved their hats for the crowd to make noise for them. They occasionally stopped and the crowd would chant 'Si, se puede! Si, se puede! Si, se puede!' (yes you can!) over and over for them. We had a great time playing with a selfie stick, interacting with the locals, and watching a serious girl fight over the umbrellas. 

On the way back I got my first little Colombian souvenir to commemorate the silleteros. All in all, it was a winning day and a great first puente. I have some pretty high expectations for the remaining 15!

Lastly, here is a little comparison for you. The weather does some crazy things here. Often foggy in the morning but it clears up nicely in the afternoon. Unfortuanley, I think I have a lot more of this rainy/foggy coming at me soon so I am enjoying the clear, blue sky views while I can!