10 days in Colombia June 11, 2010

So I’ve been a bit slack on the blogging front, apologies! I’m now 10 days into my trip and it has flown by so fast.  The language barrier is still a problem and I’ve perfected the art of the shoulder shrug combined with the ‘me no comprendo’ eyebrow raise which seems to do the trick.  And if that fails, I resort to the ‘si, si, si!’ or ‘non, non’ school of speech.  Most people can see I’m a big massive gringo (foreigner) though and slow down their fast paced speech for me.  I started my Spanish classes this week with a private tutor from the Eafit University which is literally across the road from where I live.  6 hours of Spanish a week should stand me in good stead and things should become easier. It’s all practise, practise, practise! Si!

Other news – I have had my first week working at Amichoco in the town of Envigado (about 10 minutes bus ride away).  Everyone is very friendly and at the moment I’m fundraising for the Oro Verde scheme (green gold) and helping to organise a charity concert that will be held in September.  My workmate and housemate Issy just spent 3 days in the Choco rainforest and loved it, and I hope to be heading there soon also. Can’t wait!

I’ve settled in and made new friends and been on some nights out and trips around town.  My favourite so far has been the reggae cocktail bar in Parque Lleras and also the trip to the original centre of the town, which had a much more traditional Colombian ambience than the rather upmarket part of town I live in.

Last night (Thursday 10th) me and some friends headed out to visit the Three Cordilleras beer micro brewery.  This is where 3 types of local Medellin beer is brewed and we got the chance to taste five beers and have a tour of the brewery.  I couldn’t manage all five beers (otherwise I think I would have had to be carried home) but it was a great atmosphere and the place was packed out.  It was a good laugh and interesting to see how the brewing process works.  Some pictures are posted here for you to see what the night was like…

The Medellin Metrocable June 11, 2010

Medellin is the proud owner of the world’s first cable car system that is part of a city’s mass transportation network.  It stretches from the bottom of the valley that encompasses part of the city and reaches way up onto the hillside where many of the city’s poorest residents live.  The winding roads that led to their hillside homes meant that previously to get into the city could take upwards of 2 hours.  The introduction of the metrocable has changed their lives and provided quick and easy access to work, leisure and facilities.  It’s a beautiful ride up, dangling high over the higgedly piggedly houses and shacks and seeing the city get further and further away.  If you stay on the metrocable it takes you over the top of the mountain to an eco park.  On the day I visited we didn’t have time to visit but I can’t wait to head back! The way back down was even more spectacular; in the dark the hillside was lit up like thousands of candles and it looked beautiful.  Such a breathtaking experience.  Here are some photos of my trip; however it was a little rainy and cloudy and they’re not the best.  I hope you can get the idea of the system.  It’s like a ski lift!

Colombia! June 2, 2010

Hola! I have landed safe on Colombian soil and have just woken up on my first morning in South America.  Getting here was a breeze compared to everything that happened since my last post before I left. Remember how I was excited to be making home made fish and chips? Well, the boiling vegetable fat came flying out of the pan when I put the fish in and I managed to give myself a fairly large 2nd degree burn right on the joint of my wrist and hand.  My last few days were spent in and out of the hospital and I’m stuck in a bandage round my entire wrist and hand! Ah well, that is SO me! I may have to get to a doctor in Colombia soon if it doesn’t seem to get any better! oh well!

So, I flew from London to Miami (9 hrs) with British Airways – mid industrial strike (they were still amazing though and provided a great flight despite being on skeleton staff) and then from Miami to Medellin (about 3 hours).  Touching down in Colombia, it was pitch black and raining.. but still pretty warm.  I was met at the airport (after a thorough searching by immigration – eeek!) by Santiago and Brett who work with The Humanity Exchange (THEX) and then we were off, driving through the mountainous landscape of Colombia.  It was still too dark to see much but the scenery is incredibly lush and green, I can’t wait to see more!  We stopped off at a traditional Colombian style restaurant and I had my first taste of the cuisine… fried plantains, corn breads, chorizo, a type of salsa and another dish that was pork crackling (British folk will understand me here as it’s a traditional acccompainament to a good old Sunday roast!).  And to top it all off, a mango juice that was just soo tasty! I tried Santiago’s juice as well (made from a fruit called Lulu) which I found very amusing as Lulu is an older singer back in the UK, but unfortunately for her I’m afraid she can’t beat a fresh bit of mango! As I get more accustomed to the names of the dishes I’ll write more about them in the upcoming weeks, but last night I was so tired, I didn’t manage to get them all noted.  Colombians are keen on their MEAT, which will be a bit of a challenge for me as I don’t ususally eat too much, but I’m sure I’ll soon be into the swing of things.

After the dinner, we headed on into Medellin city to arrive at my new home.  Driving through the city at night, I was surprised by what I saw.  Everything is so modern, so developed and not at all what I was expecting really.  Medellin is the economic hub of Colombia and as such is a cosmopolitan city that rivals anywhere else in the World.  I’m about to head out now to explore it for the first time…

I was welcomed into my new home with such a lovely greeting, a big hug and a kiss on the cheek and much excited chatter (unfortunately my Spanish is still pretty limited but I managed a ‘Hola’ and ‘gracias’!).  I’m living in a family home right in the city centre with a lovely lady called Alicia and her husband and their seven year old son.  Also there is there 7 year old son and a scotty dog (makes me feel at home) and a rabbit to keep me company! Two other girls, one from Peru and one from Canada live upstairs.  There’s even a maid who makes all the food etc, which is new for me as I’ve never experienced this before.  It’s a lovely place and I have a my own room and a little balcony.

OK, well I need to have some food and head out now with Santiago into the city to buy some bits and bobs and my new Colombian sim card.  Tomorrow I will start at my internship with Amichoco and live the Colombian working life!

Till later!

Nicole x

It’s almost time to go! May 28, 2010

Well this is exciting!

Here I am, writing my first ever post for my blog about my very imminent travels to Colombia with The Humanity Exchange.  I’m leaving on Tuesday 1st  June (very early in the morning may I add!) and will be flying via Miami into Medellin to arrive at about 10pm that night.

After initially applying for my internship way back in February sometime, I have been through an interesting process to reach this point.  Making contact with The Humanity Exchange was step one along with specifying what my interests were and what type of internship I would like to do.  The roles available in Colombia immediately sprang out at me and I decided to go for an internship with Amichoco, an NGO in Medellin city (North West Colombia) which has around 4 million inhabitants at present.

Luckily, Amichoco seemed to be keen on me too and after a skype interview with Maria from the organisation’s planning department, I was accepted as an intern for the summer!! Now that was exciting… the only problem was how to fund this trip of a lifetime?  Working for the university I attend had brought me some income but not enough… luckily Kingston University had the Phillip Russell*  travel scholarship available and I decided to apply.  I got my written application in with minutes to spare (I like to live on the edge!) and then had to sit back and wait.. and wait….and then waited some more.  One day when I was just checking my e-mails I opened one and yes!! I had been shortlisted to the final six applicants.  Cut to a very nerve wracking 15 minute presentation in front of a panel of 6 people in which I’m pretty sure I appeared like a blubbering wreck.  I was so nervous I was stuttering and getting mixed up – I wanted this so much, more than anything I had done before.  I walked out of the presentation,cringeing and  kicking myself for being so nervous.  I was sure I’d messed up.  I went back to uni with my head hung low and tried to do some work.  I started planning what I was going to do with my summer instead of going to Colombia.

And then… my phone beeped. I had a voicemail message. I bolted out the building and listened to it.  It was asking me to call back and so I did straight away.  When I was told I’d got the scholarship I literally wanted to scream and I was bouncing around like a crazy fool!  That day was a great one.  I was like a cat who’d got the cream and my dream of interning in Colombia was now a reality. And all with only one month till I was planning to fly out there.  PANIC STATIONS!!

Ok, ok, I think I have typed enough for now and I’m off to make some fish and chips for dinner (YUM!).  This blogging is quite contagious though and I’ll be back to tell you about what’s happened in this last month whilst I’ve been planning my trip.

Ta ra for now,

Nic x