Tag Archives for #thingsIdo

I’m back

Did you miss me? I missed you.

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!

The Boy

I live in the Boy. No, not with the Boy, in the Boy.

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).

Lazy Sunday

There’s nothing I enjoy more than Usaquen on a Sunday. Especially a sunny Sunday. Today was such a day.

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.

El arte

Apart from my blog, my other obsession at the moment is my art. Yesterday, my aunt gave me an easel which was promptly assembled in the laundry area. I love it, it’s my own space…that I’m sharing with the pot plants, rocking chair, washer and dryer.

So, I thought I’d show you what I’d been up to for the last couple days in my little hideaway. I draw portraits. Mostly in pencil, and more recently in charcoal.

Here are some my most recent charcoal pieces:

Tia en la ley

Tio in charcoal

And here are some of my pencil drawings:

Portrait in pencil

Portrait in pencil

Portrait in pencil

Portrait in pencil

I love drawing faces….the emotion, the eyes, the posture, the soul lies in the face.

It would be lovely if you wanted one too. Get in touch if you do at gringacolombiana@hotmail.com.

Happy Friday!