This for me is strange. It’s been a strange few weeks. Maybe it’s Christmas. Maybe it’s the fact that I am sharing the apartment with five other family members. But I haven’t been in the best of Christmas spirits. In fact, I have been in a bad mood.

Spirits is what I’m missing; Sherry, Avocat, Baileys. Plus, mulled wine, mince pies, brandy cream, pate, cheese, crackers, Japanese rice crackers, cheese, Jacobs crackers, stuffing, pigs in blankets, turkey, gravey, red wine by open fires, Christmas carols, pubs…

I could go on.

Instead, I am staring at a table of stuffed boiled eggs, stuffed apples, potato salad, jelly, natilla, lettuce salad, roast pork, which goes with some kind of dark, sweet sauce.

Here are some of the other unique Christmas traditions from Colombia that I have been experiencing over the past few days:

Novena
Every night for nine nights in the lead up to Christmas, prayers are read from a book. Family and friends gather to hear the prayers, and drink. Obviously.

It was the night before Christmas
Christmas is celebrated at night on the 24th. And the following day, not much seems to happen.

Las luces
It’s a custom for Colombians to get in their cars and drive around Bogota looking at Christmas lights. Pretty much like London, but the lights are in local parks not store windows. This just adds to the Bogota traffic.

Work, work, work
Unlike in London, where in my previous jobs, we would be closed in the week between Christmas Eve and the 2nd January. But unfortunately, the offices in Colombia are open. And functioning. This sucks. This is usually a week when I am sat on the sofa, drinking too much sherry, watching Christmas specials and overdoing it on the cheese and pate. Instead, I am staring idly at my computer.

Ok, better go. The apartment is filling up with people: grandparents, tios, cousins, children. There’s so much noise that my Juanes CD is being drowned out by screams and demands to watch the Santa Tracker online. Ok, so I do miss the Christmas things from the UK, but after all, Christmas is all about family. No matter where they are, its home.

Merry Christmas everyone!

I’ll write to you again shortly. Promise.

So let me introduce you two.

Santa Fe de Antioquia is a very beautiful, colonial town about an hour outside Medellin. I really, really recommend it. Yes, I’ve been to Salento, Villa De Leyva, Cartagena and Santa Marta, and they all have their individual merits for the “best colonial” award. But for me, Santa Fe is the whole package: sun, architecture, bars, restaurants, history, safety and, oh, very few tourists apart from Medellin-folk escaping the city for the weekend.

Yes, well, there’s no beach I have you that.

But, if you’re after the above sans beach, then check out lovely Santa Fe.

Oh, did I mention it’s lovely?

Lovely architecture

A traditional courtyard inside the house.

Lovely, arty, cafe in the town centre.

Paisa hats!

A packed sweet stall.

A little bus for kids.

Tuks tuks take you around.

Beautiful countryside outside the town.

No, I’ not going mad, that is what I did.

So what am I talking about? The Rio de Vieja (a.k.a. Old Lady river) is a river about 20 minutes from Montenegro in the Eje Cafetera. For $50 mil pesos (approx. £20), you can take a boat day trip which includes guides for the day (who row the boats), transport in a Jeep Willy, lunch (which was the best meal I had in my whole trip), snacks and tinto.

The Willy picked me up at 9.30am. It was driven by Angel and packed with other passengers. It was a great party atmosphere as we tolerated the heat in the best way possible…by riding in an open Jeep along the bumpy country roads followed by a cool down in a river.

Angel Rios (yes, his surname really is ‘river’) is a lovely chap and the whole experience felt very safe. Especially once the group were all strapped into life vests. The rest of the group were a mix of Colombians…Some from other parts of Colombia and others were Colombians living abroad. Incredibly, there were no foreigners on this trip which made me immediately want to let you into this secret.

On the way to the river in a Willy ( a typical mode of transportation in the Eje Cafetera)

The streets of Montenegro

Beautiful countryside outside Montenegro

After choosing between a bamboo boat or rubber dingy, the group was rowed down the river by the guides. I opted for the dingy as was told it would be more fun but was soon gripping the edges for dear life as I questioned what I was doing on my first solo trip in the middle of nowhere.

OK, I’m going to let you into a little secret…I am slightly afraid of the sea and rivers. Yes, I know, it’s stupid, but as I can’t see what’s going on inside the sea or river,my imagination runs wild about what I may brush into…jelly fish, snakes, fishes, crocodiles. But I bite the bullet, made sure my life vest was strapped tightly and literally laid back and went with the flow letting the river’s current lead the way.

It was awesome.

The scenery in this part of the Eje Cafetera was one of the most spectacular I have seen in my life. Anywhere in the world. And lying on my back and watching the peaceful landscape pass me by was one of the most relaxing ways to pass the day and get to know the countryside.

After a while, we stopped to see a waterfall and eat lunch by the riverside. Lunch was a typical lunch for workers in the region and was wrapped up like a little parcel of delight in banana skin. A genius solution to environmental waste…

I thought it couldn’t get better. I was making friends, had a great lunch and the sun was shining. But I was wrong. I saw monkeys. Three howling monkeys were chilling in a tree watching us with mild curiosity. It was amazing.

So, that was how I spent my Wednesday some while ago in a land far far away. And all for the price of a T Shirt. I hope if you’re in the area, you’ll give Angel a call. He really is an angel and I’m sure you will have your own experience just as great as mine.*

Beautiful scenery along the river

A boat made from bamboo

Smile! You’re in a river!

Smile! You’re under a waterfall!

Delicious lunch…one of the best I had. Rice, three types of meat, yucca, plantain and potatoes wrapped in an environmentally friendly banana skin.

Leaving the river with my new friends

* Angel Rios can be reached on:
+57 (311) 744 2828
+57 (318) 794 4430
+57 (036) 753 5058
balsajelosrios@hotmail.com

“Well, I draw, and write, and well, erm, gallivant around Colombia.”

Well, not anymore.

Now I can add “making Colombia look great” to my list.

Yes, I just got a job.

I start tomorrow.

At 8.30am.

I am petrified.

I haven’t worked in a while. But, I wrote my life plan a few months ago, and luckily I have everything I wished for on time and schedule.

So I start work tomorrow. In August. As hoped.

My job is in advertising. At the same company I was at in London. Working as an account handler. And the best part is, that my client is Proexport. How cool is that? The other great thing is that the office is FOUR BLOCKS from my house. Fantastico!

So as I’ve laid out my new school clothes and packed my bag which includes a new notepad, I just hope that the other kids are nice to me…

My trip was epic. It was great! I went to Montenegro, Salento, Santa Rosa, Manizales (the coffee country), Sante Fe, Medellin (Antioquia) and Santa Marta.

Phew.

During my trip, I was rode in planes, taxis, buses, cable cars, metro, boats, (Jeep) Willy’s, horses, tuk tuks, VW Camper vans. I slept in hotels, coffee haciendas, fincas, houses, apartments and hammocks. I swam in rivers, swimming pools and oceans. I had an allergic reaction to a mosquito bite and suffered a boat of tonsillitis. I ate. And ate. And ate. The worst being the expat food in Salento, the best being the local cuisine which was cheap as chips.

I hung out with local kids, hippies, back packers, Colombian families, Americans, elderly Bogotanos, expats and pretty much anyone who was willing to engage me in polite conversation.

I had a blast and have lots of stories to tell you. Too many in fact.

So instead of telling you everything in one go, I will give you the best bits. If you want to know anything else, just ask me!

And, sorry if I haven’t replied to your message yet…I have lots to get through and will reply shortly. Promise!

For the first time in my life, I am going to be travelling alone. Hmmmmm, yes I am 30 years old but have never done the gap year before…I have a very protective mum.

So where am I going? I’m going to the coffee country, Medellin and Santa Marta.

For two weeks.

I can’t wait.

I’ve heard that the coffee country is beautiful. I’ve got family in Medellin who I’m staying with and will be relaxing at my aunt’s apartment in Santa Marta, literally doing nothing, but sleeping, eating, swimming and tanning.

Thanks to odd dates and the arrival of cheap airline Viva Colombia, I managed to get very cheap tickets with Avianca.

I will be back in two weeks. I am excited and scared at the same time.

Wish me luck and I’ll catch up with you soon!

x

Friday was (another) bank holiday weekend in Colombia. Yes, there are a lot of bank holidays…17 in fact. There are Bank Holidays to celebrate Saint Joseph’s Day, Labour Day, Saint Peter and Saint Paul, the Assumption of Mary…etc. etc. The UK had 10 in 2012… This bodes well for when I start working.

Friday, it was Independence Day. This one I’m on board with. The man above is called Simon Bolivar and he liberated Colombia from the Spaniards… According to Wikipedia, he “was a Venezuelan military and political leader. Together with José de San Martín, he played a key role in Hispanic-Spanish America’s successful struggle for independence from the Spanish Empire, and is today considered one of the most influential politicians in American history.” and “Bolívar remains regarded in Hispanic-America as a hero, visionary, revolutionary, and liberator. During his lifetime, he led Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Bolivia to independence, and helped lay the foundations for democratic ideology in much of Latin America.”

So a pretty awesome guy.

He is hailed in South America…There’s money named after him, ships, his statue is in most cities and towns in Colombia and Venezuela. In fact…every city or town has a main square known as Plaza Bolívar.

So, how did I celebrate the Independence Day? By going to a finca in Carmen de Apicala in ‘terra caliente’. AKA ‘hot country’. Yes, it’s cold in Bogota, but to get some heat, all you have to do is descend the mountain to get a warmer climate.

Beats taking a Ryan Air flight.

I was invited to a finca with a pool and 15 other new friends. Hard to resist. It is a custom that many other Colombians enjoy up and down the estratos.

Here are the photos.

Let me know what you got up to.

x

Girl with parrot pet

On the way back to Bogota, we stopped off for lunch at an arepa house

I had arepa with cheese and chorizo with picante sauce. It was DELICIOUS and only 4,000 COP

How they made the arepas with cheese…They reminded me of Mexican quesadillas and were just as tasty

A friend had arepa with pork crackling (front) and black sausage (back)

The other friend had Bandeja Paisa…A kind of Colombian version of the British breakfast fry-up

Or in other words, I live in El Chico. ‘Chico’ means boy. Well, there are no boys in my life, so my love affair so far has only been with this chico. I love where I live. I thought I’d show you my neighbourhood.

My family have lived here for years. And blimey, has the boy changed. He is now all grown up and sophisticated. Like a child’s pop-up book; new offices, apartments, bars and restaurants appear before your eyes like magic.

Chico is separated into Chico Norte (North) and Chico Reservado. I live in the ‘Reservado’ part. But there’s little reservation going on as the Brits know it. Where old houses stood one day, are knocked down for swanky apartments the next. Everything is new here. And there are some very amazing, very exclusive apartments that would make a Londoner’s eye bleed at the price and Blair Waldolf kick off her Louboutins in comfort.

I don’t live in one of these buildings. My family’s building is 40 years old. By Bogota’s standard, that’s ancient. It’s the opposite of the UK. We love old buildings and prefer them to new builds. But where we’re rich with architectural heritage, Bogota is having a boom and making their own history now.

I love the new style of buildings. The red bricks blend into the mountains as the sun sets. It’s magical.

I take a LOT of walks as I while away the days without a job. So I took some photos. I thought I’d bring you along on one of wonders around the block.

Here you go:

Is it a museum? A spaceship? No, it’s a swanky apartment.

New York style loft apartments.

Aquatic entrance.

Another water entrance.

I see a lot of these plants (front right). Not sure what they are other than popular.

A driveway that could be mistaken for a hotel.

A penthouse sits on top. It looks big.

Yesterday, a house was here. Today, it’s a building site.

Pretty, tree lined streets.

The red brick is beautiful against the mountainous background.

Houses

Yes! There are houses too…Very unique ones…

A 70′s house.

A mock-Tudor British house.

A French Chateau…

60′s house (right) with American style mansion in background (think it’s an Ambassador’s house).

And modern ‘houses’! Not sure if these are houses or apartments, but they look awesome (from afar, across a busy street).

Yes, living in Bogota is not cheap. Especially imported goods (like my French cleanser). It’s actually astounding how anyone can and is willing to pay the extortionate prices for the same product as the states or UK but at inflated costs.

You may think that moving to Bogota from London means that I get to live like a Queen off my pound sterling savings as everything here is dirt cheap. It’s definitely cheaper outside the capital, but the capital has seen a massive economic boom in recent years. It’s not as cheap as you think. In fact if you go out to eat or drink nearby in Zona Rosa or Parque 93, you can expect to pay close to European prices.

The national paper El Tiempo reported on this recent boom. A recent report by Mercer (an HR consulting firm) has revealed that for a foreigner, Bogota is now ranked 53 (out of 214 cities) in the most expensive places to live list.

It has jumped 10 places in just one year.

That means that there are 161 cheaper cities in the world to live than Bogota (for foreigners).

For foreigners, it’s cheaper to live in Los Angeles, Miami, Madrid or Barcelona than Bogota.

For them to rent an apartment, it is now cheaper to rent one in Madrid, Berlin, Buenos Aires or Mexico City.

To buy a pair of jeans, it costs $109.77 in Colombia but 84.95 in Berlin.

Blimey.

And, unfortunately there is no H&M or Primark here. There is a Zara. But I almost choke to death when converting the price here in COP to pounds. For example, the EXACT same leather jacket in Summer 2012 sale, costs £99.99 in the UK, whereas it costs $499,000 COP (£180.71) in Colombia. That’s an extra £80. Insane! Especially as national wages for locals are much lower here than in the UK. What was previously a quite reasonable clothing addiction is now a high class luxury here in Bogota.

But in some weird way, I am actually quite proud of this. Why? Because it is a sign of a stronger country that is growing and getting more and more notoriety on the global scale. The pesos is strong. It is safe to walk the streets. Colombia is slowly shredding its only association to drugs, violence and the cartel. When you think of Colombia, you may have previously thought cocaine, coffee, and that it’s spelled with a ‘u’.

Now, on the street, there’s so much construction in my neighbourhood of Chico that where stood a house one day, is bulldozed for new offices or swanky apartments the next. I have never seen so much construction in my life. All the buildings are new. It’s like a new dawn. A new era.

Swanky new buildings like this art gallery populate the El Chico neighbourhood.

New apartment buildings.

A yes, my cleanser is suddenly overpriced and unreasonable to buy, but I’d rather that than live in fear and have my country ripped apart by violence.

I guess my cleanser is another thing to add to the growing ‘things I want my parents to bring over with them’ list.

The article is really interesting. Click here to read it in full.

Gracias

Every Sunday, the old colonial ‘village’ in the North of the city, opens up with the flea market. Think a Colombian version of Spitalfields market, where you can find lots of vendors selling arts and crafts…some traditional, some quite bizarre.

To make the most of the quiet city, me and my companion walked along the ciclovia on the septima (a main road, usually jammed with traffic and honking horns). This is quite possibly the best time to enjoy a usually bustling city. It’s similar to The City of London or Canary Wharf at the weekend i.e. emptied of the usual office workers and the stress they bring. Until 2pm, all classes of Bogotanos make the most of the liberty by cycling, running, skating or walking along the massive stretch of road.

After a delicious lunch in Amarti, we strolled the markets and finished with a cup of the best Colombian coffee in Juan Valdez. I definitely recommend spending the day here as it suits all budgets. A previous time, I simply ate empanadas sold in someone’s house for $2mil pesos each, and ate them in the sunshine whilst watching the people go by.

For me, a Sunday in Usaquen is simply perfection; food, sun, shopping, culture and beauty.

Colombia, te quiero.

Ciclovia along the septima. A hub of activity for the Bogotanos.

Beautiful Usaquen square with the standard statue of Simon Bolivar.

The beautiful colonial buildings of Usaquen can be seen in background. Now are trendy (and delicious) restaurants.

Enjoying lunch at Amarti. Part of the restaurant is in a old colonial house, with a surprisingly large and airy end, with open air and a green wall. Kind of like eating in a museum. A place to see and be seen.

Enjoying coffee in Juan Valdez, Santa Barbara.

Locals open up their houses on a Sunday and sell homemade empanadas and arepas. The cheaper and equally delicious way to enjoy lunch. Arepa con huevo (arepa with egg) is seen here.

Vendors selling arts and crafts line the streets of Usaquen.