Impressions from Colombia

For the first time in my life I started the New Year in the Southern hemisphere. This time close to the Equator, and hence with warm weather in December. A deeply felt and intense journey in all its aspects. Long awaited, as it was pending since 2007 when I had to postpone it, and as the last part of 2009 was hard to walk through; ideal, as I could take part in the celebration of one of my best friend’s 30^th birthday –a Colombian-; deeply felt, as I was in a moment of change and in the best company.

Here are some impressions, knowing that each of them would merit its own entry:

Soroche: the altitude sickness that hits with sudden and big changes in altitude. The body feels the decrease in the percentage of oxygen, one can feel dizziness and any physical exercise becomes difficult, if not painful. I felt it slightly upon my first landing in Bogotá, and much more strongly yesterday when I went from the sea level to three thousand meters in a bit more than an hour. The stroll in Montserrate –the sanctuary that dominates Bogotá, consecrated to the patron saint of Catalonia-, became complicated.

Medellín: an animal. The most interesting city I have seen for a while. With a lot of effort, intelligence and imagination evolved from being the international symbol of narcotrafficking to become a city open to the world and with legitimate aspirations for innovation and leadership. It is very impressive, it reminded me of Sarajevo for its placement among the mountains, but in a tropical version –it is known as the city of eternal spring-; it encompasses all the contrasts of a country so unequal, diverse and fascinating as Colombia, from the mansions in the exclusive areas to the slums that colonized the mountains out of poverty and internally displaced persons, slums which gradually gained their dignity.

Stars: it had been a long while since I had last seen a sky filled with so many shining stars as I could see during the nights at the national natural park of Tayrona, in the Sierra de Santa Marta, where the Andes meet the Caribbean sea. Uribe’s government wanted to turn the place into a massive tourist resort. For once, the environmentalists won the battle to preserve a real jewel. It cannot be reached but by foot and access is restricted. Here is where Colombia should continue emulating Costa Rica rather than the Dominican Republic; quality over quantity in tourism.

Fruit juices: nowhere else I could enjoy fruit juices so much. The culture of fresh fruit juices in Colombia is as great as the variety of available fruits. A fresh juice is anytime a nutritious, hydrating and refreshing element that helps overcoming the rigor of tropical heat. In our latitudes the culture of fruit juices became reduced to tetra packs and to a certain and somehow exclusive culture of healthy lifestyles. A real pity. This is one of a number of things we could learn from Colombia.

The people: warm, extremely gentle and considerate, with an idea of service that I had never seen anywhere, not even in the USofA, where everything including customer service is determined by profit and nothing else. We do not have want you want? We are sorry but we will help you find it even addressing you to our competitors, as our goal is making your life comfortable. Really impressive.

More impressions to follow, if time allows.