| DAY 2: MAY 7, 2002 11:55 AM BOGOTA, COLOMBIA |
| HI everybody! Greetings from Bogota, Colombia! I am here safe and sound, I had super flights, real smooth, on time, even early, a very pleasant stay overnight in Miami, and a clear day for the flight down. That was great because I could see the sea, Cuba, Jamaica, the Caribbean, the coast of Colombia, the topography of Colombia at least from one side of the plane, yeah, it was great. Thanks to God! :) And thank-you all for your thoughts and prayers for me, also for words of advice, tips, and warning which many of you passed on to me. What I mean by warning, is stuff like look out for holes in the sidewalks, uneven and broken sidewalks, things feeling a little heavier than usual given the altitude here, and so many other things. I arrived at 11 am yesterday (Monday May 6). FYI, Colombia is currently in the same time zone as Manitoba, etc. Indiana, my friend Tania"s Mom, picked me up at Aeropuerto El Dorado, and we went to her house to wait Tania"s arrival. It was a little cloudy, and warm. We had a wonderful reunion Tania and I and we are going to have a lot of fun together. It is really really wonderful to see her again. :) I am staying at her place, which is in the historical (colonial) part of the city, called La Candelaria. It is really picturesque, with neat architecture, steep and narrow streets, and all kinds of things to see. I love the architecture, it makes me wanna design and build new homes using features of what i see in the buildings in here, that would be fun. Don"t worry I will take plenty of pictures! I have too much to share already! Traveling is surely a lot about the experience of the senses -- the sights, the smells, the sounds, the tastes, the feel of things in new places. Even today i tried to record a lot of it, got up to 8 pages of journal and that still wasn{t close to everything. Well I"d like to share a few random experiences of mine already. While waiting for Tania to arrive, Indiana and Indianita (Tania"s little sister) took me for a walk through the campus of the National University, which is just four blocks from their house. How convenient, especially for them as she has been professor there for many years and Tania"s bro, Tania, and her sister all studied there. It reminded me much of U. of A. in that it is spread out, grass areas and places outdoors for students to hang out, many buildings.... but differences are that there is a fence all the way around the campus, guards at the gates, just to ensure people who enter (esp. by vehicle) are people who should be coming in, like professors, etc. Plus, there are NO restaurants on campus, to eat the students must go off of campus to the places right nearby to grab a bite, whether empanadas, pizza, or whatever. I saw a cool tree there with purple flowers on it! Que mas!? Hay mucho... Last night after going to a cafe for a bite to eat, we passed by a woman grilling arepas con queso (like a cornmeal dough round turnover with cheese inside). Tania and I shared one. THIS was the most delicious ever, I could eat these every day! Tania explained this lady had been doing this for 15 years, she is known for her arepas. Yummy!!!!!!!!! Then there are the sounds, here is a little story. After organizing all my stuff and settling in, I was tired (of course) and needed a nap, so i took a shnoik from 5:30-7:30 while Tania was at work, a much-needed nap! But I still heard sounds. As her apartment is on the top floor (4th) there was plenty to hear below. I heard this repeated whine-like scream sounding from below. But ya know, it continued on too long and soon enough sounded like a fake whine of a child and before you know it I realized what it really was.... Then there are the dogs. There are everywhere. They make like their own population, as do the people. The dogs and people co-exist -- they do not mezcla, or interact. I"ve only seen two dogs on leashes and held by their owners. Well as long as they don"t cause big problems eh. But there"s one dog just below on the corner, he"s always hangin around there, and usually quiet but he sure has a bark when other canines come around his territory. Then, this morning, I was just taking in the views out the windows of the house, and, well, below in the neighbor"s patio, hmmm.. two dogs were there. okok .. Ok well I have to go, it"s lunch time. I hope this didn"t bore you too much! Finally, what do I miss already? I miss being able to drink and use water from the tap, cleanliness of back home, AND, sip! CHOCOLATE!!!!! But good thing I can satisfy that one here! :) Now I gotta go, I"ll keep you posted as I"m able. Wish me all the best now as i venture out to find what I can eat next that is safe. :) This IS an adventure! Mucho cuidado, Hugs & Blessings, ~ Amy P.S. Dr. Johnson: get this -- both Tania and her best friend / roommate are Anthropologists, and when i told them the name of your friend at the Museo Nacional, you guessed it, they know who she is, at least Liliana does! Thought that was kinda neat. :) |