Colombia & България

Sofia before the storm

2011-12-28T13:30:00.001-08:00

Plovdiv & Blagoevgrad (Nov 2011)

2011-12-28T12:43:00.000-08:00

Plovdiv was an incredible surprise for me, a city I could almost live, whereas Blagoevgrad was a little disappointing, despite the fact that it has some interesting architecture. So let's begin with some impressions of Plovdid:

Blagoevgrad:

Veliko Tarnovo

2011-12-28T11:27:00.000-08:00

I spent some wonderful days (25/12-28/12) in the spectacular capital of the medieval Bulgarian tsars, Veliko Tarnovo. Especially memorable were the moments immediately after arriving at the train station, in which a golden town in the form of an amphitheatre slowly became visible in a frame of snow-covered forests.

Autumn walks 3: Zapaden park (by metro)

2011-11-06T13:29:00.000-08:00

Today I went to another great forest in town, Zapaden park, which is easily accessible by metro. Some of the metro trains can be considered truly historical since they were made in the CCCP, by the very end of this republic, in 1990. Some impressions of interesting trip, including those classic trains, Zapaden park and its surroundings, and some more:

Metrovagonmash (CCCP, 1990):

Autumn in Sofia

2011-10-30T13:05:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's because I didn't experience autumn last year, when I witnessed an endless rainy season in Bogota around this time of the year, but today I enjoyed the yellow, red and brown almost more than ever. I went back to Vitosha, thought I would go up again, but stayed down and spent hours walking in the forests. And it was great again.

Day trip: Vitosha National Park

2011-10-29T13:43:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday I visited Vitosha National Park, which turned out to be an euphoric experience slightly similar to the ones I'd had two months earlier, in New York and Mocoa (Amazonia, Colombia). In this spectacular park there're several mountains, reaching altitudes up to 2300m. And on top of this it, Vitosha lies within just 10km of Sofia's city centre. Below are the pics of this trip, starting with the highly comfortable Simeonovo gondola up until the foot of the highest peak, Cerni Vrah.

The Achitecture of Sofia (1)

2011-10-04T14:07:00.001-07:00

The first thing I always do upon arrival in a city, especially in the case of a new residence, is explore the architecture (and at the same time the urban character of the place, but this aspect is much harder to convey through photography). So after The Architecture of Bogotá and The Architecture of Quito the issuing of The Architecture of Sofia was only a matter of time. Below you find the first part of this new series, in which I'm mainly dealing with buildings from communist Sofia.

1. National Palace of Culture (HDK) & pl Bulgaria

Sofia's National Palace of Culture (above: the interior and exterior) is described in, in believe, Loney Planet as "magnificently ugly". However, this guide may have misjudged art and architecture in other cases as well. The point is that this "palace", constructed in the early 1980s, has many interesting details, especially with regard to the interior. In Berlin they've torn down a similar building (also a "palace of culture") whereas in Sofia it can still be seen in all its former glory, including its thousands of light bulbs (which seems to be a common aspect in this type of communist palaces).

I'm sure the picture below will remind everyone of the classic film This is the future (dir. Casper Lambeck, 2006).

Above: In front of the National Palace of Culture, the pl Bulgaria, hosting a photo exhibition about New York's South Bronx. Apart from this kind of temporary exhibitions, the square doesn't seem to have changed much since the end of communism. It's as magnificently empty as the Berliner Alexander Platz used to be (Below) before they tried to transform it into a kind of modern Potsdamer Platz kitch.

Also on the pl Bulgaria, a monument commemorating "1300 Years of Bulgaria" (picture below), erected in the early 1980 and meanwhile in deteriorating state. Interesting detail is that this monument was meant to glorify the Bulgarian nation, and therefore something radically different than the depiction of the Red Army victory or World Communism. This hadn't taken place since 1945.

2. Behind the National Art Gallery/Ethnographical museum

Nowadays an art and archeological museum, the above Vienna-style building used to be the royal palace of Prince Alexander Battenberg's (in power 1879-1886, during the first years of Bulgaria's autonomy from the Ottoman empire), and before that it housed the headquarters of the Ottoman police force. It's a beautiful building, with impressive art nouveau elements. Behind it, there's a shady and charming park with hills and art works, a nice cafe, and some of Sofia's most colorful buildings. If you ask me, this slightly invisible park is the most charming place of whole Sofia. Below: Some of the villas adjacent to the park.

Below: The interior of the National Gallery / Ethnographical museum.

3. "Stalinist" style

Sofia's huge national government buildings and building comlexes are at the heart of Sofia. Of course they were built to impress and are virtually indistinguishable from the Karl-Marx Allee and several other "Stalinist" objects in countries that were behind the 'iron curtain', but I can't help to be fascinated when I see and feel these communistic megastructures. I also have to mention that this area of the city is not just an embodiment of 'power'; the atmosphere is actually quite relaxed. Below and above: some impressions of this architectural megalomania.

In the picture above we see something quite peculiar. Completely surrounded by the massive Presidency there is the oldest building of Sofia, Sv Georgi Rotunda. The Romans started building it the 4th century AD. Below we see a detail of one of the government buildings. Actually this seems to be more "nazi" than "stalinist" style, but maybe it's simply both. It's with this type of architecture virtually impossible to see whether you've taken a colour or b/w photo.

The last example of "Stalinist" Sofia I'd like to discuss here is the Monument to the Soviet Army, situated near the entrance of the fantastic Borisova Gradina. Actually an example of "Socialist-Realism", this monument was built in 1954 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Russian 'liberation' of Bulgaria in 1944. There's the usual display of forceful soldiers and proletariat, but the structure deniably imposes respect.

5. Theatre "Sofia"

Hidden behind the trees of the lovely Park Oborishte you suddenly stumble across a 1960's modernist-socialist masterpiece, the Sofia Theatre, the second biggest of the city:

Above: Park Oborishte, one the many fantastic green oases of Sofia.

Books & Trips in Colombia

2011-08-08T16:52:00.001-07:00

I think I've never read more books than during my time in Colombia (August 2010-?). Absolute highlights in fiction were the works by the writers of the Latin American (magic realistic) wave, but there has been a lot more, especially with respect to non-fiction. The titles with an * are recommended works.

Magic Realism

-Franz Kafka - Amerika / Der Verschollene

Not my favorite Kafka, but still brilliant.

-Jorge Luis Borges - Fictions (Ficciones) *

Borges is an incredible writer, a true genius.

-Jose Saramago - The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis (O Ano da Morte de Ricardo Reis) *

A great, magic-realist story about a brilliant but kafkaesk man who arrives in Lisbon in the 1930s. Main thing I will remember from this book is the sphere of oppressiveness and stupidity of fascism that destroys both the society of main character RR and himself. And the books also contains great subtle humor/scepticism.

(above: Fernando Pessoa, character in The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis, Lisbon)

-Jose Saramago - Blindness (Ensaio sobre a cegueira) (1995)

I expected a lot from this book after reading The Death of Ricardo Reis. And of course it's a magnificent book. Aforementioned novel is way better though.

-Gabriel Garciá Márquez - One Hundred Years of Solitude (Cien Anos de Soledad)

A classic of course. A very interesting mix of reality (Colombian history) and fiction (magic). 200 pages too long for me though.

-Julio Cortazar - Hopscotch (Rayuela) *

I am fascinated and amazed by Borges and Cortazar, two Argentine writers which I read shortly after one another. Not just because they are revolutionary (free) in their style and structure, or because of the characters La Maga, Horacio and Traveller, but also because they made me write again (and forget about scientific conventions).

-Carlos Fuentes - The Death of Artemio Cruz (La muerte de Artemio Cruz) *

Just as brilliant as Borges and Cortazar. Unfortunately an idiot stole it from me.

-Roberto Bolaño - By Night In Chile (2000) *

Bolaño might be the best Latin American writer since above-mentioned Magic Realists. I'm going to read a lot more by this great poetic writer from Chili.

- Juan Gabriel Vásquez - The Informers (2004)*

This book was a birthday present from my IIS colleagues and it was my first introduction to Colombian literature. I read it on the island of Texel in June 2010 and I really enjoyed it. It's a rather complex story set in 1990s Bogotá, but looks back to the city’s World War II history as a son tries to unravel the lies and omissions his father built their lives around.

Existentialism

-Albert Camus - The Plague (La Peste) (1947) *

This classic book about oppressiveness made a huge impression on me. The Plague is story about a city in Algeria struck by the plague; major themes are isolation, hope, solidarity and fear. Partly a metaphor for the destiny of so many millions of people during WW2. Full of sharp observations of human behaviour and brilliantly told.

-Albert Camus - The Outsider (L'Étranger) (1942)*

Another great, maybe the greatest existentialist work by Camus. Sharp observations, darker than coal.

Miscellaneous

-Aravind Adiga - The White Tiger (2008) *

This book is incredible! Fresh and funny. Sometimes so cruel it made me stop breathing...

-Herman Koch - Het Diner (2009)

This was the first book I read on my e-reader (goodbye present from my IIS colleaques). The first part is highly amusing and interesting, but the ending I found somewhat disappointing; it seems the author didn't know how to round off the story.

-E.M. Berens - Myths and Legends from Ancient Greece and Rome (1979)

I can never get enough of these ancient Greek myths!

Colombia/South America

-Gabriel Garcia Marquez - News of a Kidnapping (1996) *

I read this very impressive and extremely well written book on Texel in June 2010. The book recounts the kidnapping, imprisonment, and eventual release of a handful of prominent figures in Colombia in the early 1990s by the Medellín Cartel, a drug cartel founded and operated by Pablo Escobar.

-Wade Davis - One River: Explorations and Discoveries in the Amazon Rain Forest (1996)*

Rich study on Colombia's southern rain forrests and the knowledge of medicinal plants by the indiginous people still present. I adore this book!

-Steven Dudley - Walking Ghosts, Murder and Guerrilla Politics in Colombia (2003)*

Important study on a part of Colombian history you don't hear about very often: the Union Patriotica (UP). The UP was the political wing of the FARC, established in the mid-1980s, which was an secret attempt by the Colombian president to pacify the FARC. There was a hope that the Colombia's decades long civil war would be ended with the help of the UP, but the initiative led to the killing of hundreds of people and hasn't solve anything.

-Eduardo Galeano - The Open Veins of Latin-America, Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent (Las venas abiertas de América Latina) (1971)*

Classic work on the violent, cruel and ignorant colonization of Latin America by the Spaniards, Portuguese, Dutch and other western powers, and the consequences up until the 20th century. You feel deeply ashamed when you read how the native Americans were treated like insects and how so many advanced cultures were destroyed only because of gold and other natural resources.

-lvana Paternostro - In the Land of God and Man, A Latin Woman's Journey (1999)*

As the daughter of the privileged Colombian elite, Silvana Paternostro was programmed to go from convent school to cocktail parties, obedient to God and man, never questioning the injustice she saw all around her or demanding a voice in public life. She left Latin America for the US as a teenager, but returned in the 1990s to "look critically at our Church, our Constitution, our daily lives." Impressive and revealing studie of Colombia's machismo culture. I can only hope the hope is somewhat outdated in the meantime.

-Robin Kirk - More Terrible than Death, Violence, Drugs, and America's War in Colombia *

Perhaps the best book about Colombia I've read. Very informative and written in an excellent style.

-Garry Leech - Beyond Bogota: Diary of a Drug War Journalist in Colombia*

This book offers very interesting insights into Colombia's areas journalists normally not dare to visit...

- Alan Ereira - The Elder Bothers

The 'Elder Brothers' are said to be the only indiginous group in South America who haven't been destoyed/influenced by the colonization of the continent. They live in an isolated area near Colombia's Caribean coast and want to be left alone. They also think they have the holy task of saving the world, that is being destroyed by the 'younger people' (us). Some interesting information in this book, but I'm afraid I'm just not very interested in Cultural Anthropology...

- Harry E. Vanden & Gary Prevost - Politics of Latin America, The Power Game (2005)

Hardly any perspective to be found in this book; boring history writing.

Journalism, Travel and History

-Ryszard Kapuscinski - Travels with Herodotus (2004)*

Kapuscinski learned from Herodotus how to gain knowledge and understanding of other cultures, I hope I've learned something similar from Ryszard Kapuscinski. This book has so many layers, and I absorbed each of them, all the time saying to myself "this is a great, such a great book!" The writer/journalist tells about his travels in the 1950s and 1960s to non-western societies such as India, China, Tunesia and Congo (both about their history and his own cultural encounters), while adding and comparing fascinating information about Herodotus' historical work on the wars between the Greeks and the Persians. And all in such a fluent style. Brilliant.

(Above: Two Persian Soldiers in Persepolis)

-Dave Eggers - What is the What *

This book is non-fiction, but the style is 'fictional'. It's about a former "Lost Boys", a group of South Sudanese children who had to flee for Sudan's civil war, through large parts of Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenia, and who eventually were given asylum in the USA. Eggers writes in a highly empathic manner about what the Lost Boys went through as refugees. Besides, the book gives insight in how difficult it was for the Sudanese to survive in the USA, economically and culturally (ignorance).

-Khaled Hosseini - A Thousand Splendid Suns (2007)

Impressive account on Afghanistan's recent history, especialy the Taliban period. However, too much story and not enough literature for me.

-Bruce Chatwin - What am I doing here?

I found the chapters on the Russian art movements in the 1920s extremely interesting. The rest of the book, however, I could hardly follow.

Social Sciences

-Naomi Klein - The Shock Doctrine, The Rise of Disaster Capitalism (2007)*

Impressive and very convincing work on the US foreign policy since the 1940s to 'shock' societies for economical gain. Case studies include many countries in South and Latin America, Eastern Europe, SE Asia.

-Dambisa Moyo - Dead Aid: Why Aid is Not Working and How There is a Better Way For Africa (2009)

-Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt - Freakonomics, A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything (2005)

Perhaps funny, but too statistical for me.

-Samuel P. Huntington - The Clash of Civilisations, The Remaking of World Order (1992)

Most impressive about this study I found the historical perspective on civilisations it offers. I don't know whether I agree and sympathise with the autor's ideas on the near future of the world. His main idea is that it's inevitable there'll be wars between civilisational blocks (='cultural' blocks).

TRIPS

Just for my own memorie I've added below the trips I've made in Colombia and Ecuador so far.

August 2010:
Villa de Leyva & Valle de Silencio

Cali

Salento

September 2010:
Tobia

October 2010:
Suesca

November 2010:
Quito & Cotopaxi

December 2010:
Zipaquira & Villa de Leyva

April 2011:
Fuza

June 2011:
Mocoa

July 2011

Guatavita/El Dorado

Villavicencio

Alcala & Birthday weekend (June 4-6)

2011-08-08T13:55:00.001-07:00

Colombians know how to celebrate your birthday. I was, for example, very surprised when my students had decorated the classroom, had baked a cake and had even make a cake! On Saturday evening my friends came over to celebrate once more. Some impressions of this weekend and also of my apartment & neighbourhood (Alcala):

Sunrise view from my room:

Sara, Maria-Luisa and Angela:

Alvaro, Mauricio and Oscar:

Another view from my room:

Transmilenio station Alcala:

The lovely park where I spent many hours reading great books:

On the last day of this wonderful weekend I went to the botanical garden of Bogota. It's truly amazing how you can feel like being in nature although you're in the middle of...Bogota

.

Au revoir La Soledad

2011-03-20T16:17:00.000-07:00

La Soledad. Not my current mental state, but the name of a neighbourhood in Bogota. Solitude, Einsamkeit, Eenzaamheid. Solitude, because it is so quiet there in contrast with its surrounding Autopista Sur/Quito, Av. Caracas, and airport road Calle 26, especially on Sunday mornings when the silence is deafening. Or because of La Maga, Horacio and Ricardo Reis, who have all lived here some time ago.

Yes, you may be confronted with a certain feeling of surrealistic solitude in La Soledad, but it's also one of the peacefullest and most beautiful areas in Colombia's DC. I experienced it myself during the three months I resided there, two floors below Eliana, Juan Pablo, Felipe and Maria Jose, while reading Saramago and Cortazar and looking at a very popular church, and looking as always for architectural (solitary?) masterpieces:

Perfect urban design you'll find around Parkway (Avenida Cra 24), which means great architecture, lots of green, and a little solitary:

The Andes, ubiquitousness:

Avenida 28-36-55 & basement (my residence February-May 2011)

The Architecture of Bogotá (2)

2011-01-09T07:02:00.000-08:00

In the first edition of my Architecture of Bogotá the aim was to give a brief overview of the different styles that are represented in Bogotá. In this second part the focus will be something different: Colours (Blue, Grey, and White)
1. Blue

Bogotanos seem to have a preference for blue buildings. Not only is this the case in the colourful area of La Candelaria (see the pics at the bottom of this section), but also on locations where you wouldn't expect to find anything inspiring at all. The most striking example of this is Teatro San Jorge, situated in La Favorita, despite its name one of the most deprived and depressing barrios in Bogotá.

Teatro San Jorge:

This wonderful art deco theatre was built between 1936 and 1938 and designed by the architect Alberto Manrique Martín (also famous for other buildings in Colombia). Unfortunately, the barrio in which the building is situated has been deteriorating at a rapid pace over the past decades. As a result, the theatre was closed in the 1980s and has changed into a ruin since, especially after the interior was destroyed by a fire in 1998.

Despite its sad fate this theatre and cinema is perhaps my favorite building in Bogotá: its classic art deco towers, its amazing ornaments and depictions on the facade, but most of all, though somewhat fainted, its colour!

La Cafetería in Parque Simón Bolívar:

Parque Simón Bolívar is the biggest park in Bogotá, bigger than Central Park in New York! It's a perfect place for some relaxation and fresh air, but surprisingly also for some fine design. In a rather distant corner of the park there is a fantastic blue, round structure with an even more extraordinary roof composed of shell-like forms, somewhat reminiscent of the Sidney opera house. Great forms and colours.

Not in Bogota (in Quito), but blue:

La Soledad:

La Candelaria:

As I've written before, La Candelaria, the most historical of Bogotá, is an area with many colours. So blue is also well represented here:

2. Grey

Some of Bogotá's Modernist concrete buildings from the 1950s and 1960s I've already discussed in the 'Late Modernist' section in Part 1 of Architecture of Bogotá, but I've recently come across some more impressive grey structures, each of them subtlety accentuated with a drop of yellow, blue or red.

El Coliseo:

The massive El Coliseo is an indoor sporting and concert arena. I just couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it for the first time. This building is like a space ship the size as the original Colosseum in Rome (and therefore this one is, of course, especially for my friend Casper). Below are some impressions of this building itself but also of its surroundings which are just as characteristic for Bogotá.

Carrera 10 (Centro) & Centro Colseguros:

This street and building I don't like at all (and I don't think anyone in Bogotá will like them). The building is like an ugly, dirty monster and the street is incredibly crowded and perhaps the smoggiest one in whole Bogotá. This kind of city building reminds me of failed projects such as Blaak in Rotterdam and Wibautstraat in Amsterdam, just a lot worse.

Colombian style:

I really don't know why the following building was designed this way, but I simply like it.

3. White (churches)

It won't surprise anyone that there're are many (catholic) churches in Bogotá. From an architectural point of view, my favorite churches are the ones from the colonial period, in particular the Iglesia de Veracruz, the Iglesia de la Orden Tercera, and the Iglesia de San Fransisco. These churches lie next to each other, as the following picture illustrates:

Iglesia de San Fransisco (1550-1567):

Once lying in the periphery of Bogotá and since the 1960s situated right in the middle of downtown Bogotá, the contrast between the Iglesia de San Diego, built at the beginning of the 17th century, and its surrounding buildings and avenues couldn't be bigger. One of the few oases in this part of the city:

Soon more about architecture, and also about religion in Colombia.

Brief aan neef Jean-Luc (in Dutch)

2010-12-23T19:26:00.000-08:00

Hallo Jean-Luc!

Leuk om van van je te horen. Jij uiteraard ook een fijne kerst en goed nieuw jaar! En ik hoop van harte dat je in 2011 zult doorbreken, ik ben benieuwd naar je werk.

Colombia bevalt goed. Het land heeft inderdaad een heel gewelddadig heden en verleden, maar hier heb ik tot nu toe nog niets gemerkt, althans niet in directe zin. Het (bijna) afgelopen decennium speelt de oorlog zich namelijk vooral locaal af, niet in Bogotá maar met name in de grensstreken met Venezuela en Ecuador. En aangezien Colombia een behoorlijk groot land is (Frankrijk+Spanje+Portugal) en Bogotá in het midden ligt, is de oorlog dus ver weg. Het is voor mij een soortgelijk gevoel als destijds de oorlog in Joegoslavie, je weet dat het eigenlijk dichtbij is, maar toch lijkt het ver weg.

De bevolking van Colombia, althans een deel daarvan, heeft dus enorm geleden en leidt nog altijd onder groepen die het land vernietigen om veel geld te verdienen - o.a. de Spanjaarden en andere Europese landen, de VS, drugsbendes, paramilities, guerilla's, multinationals en uiteraard de corrupte Colombiaanse elite zelf. Opmerkelijk is echter dat Colombianen vrijwel allemaal heel hartelijke en optimistische mensen zijn. Ik ben inmiddels al bijna vergeten hoe het is om constant gezeur en geklaag te moeten aanhoren, op straat en op TV. Dit is een verademing.

Daarnaast is Colombia de afgelopen jaren een stuk veiliger geworden, zowel in grote steden als Bogotá als in de meeste rurale gebieden. In de jaren '90 was Bogotá nog moordstad nr. 2 ter wereld (met Medellin, de tweede stad van Colombia op nummer 1), maar inmiddels is dat niet meer zo. In sommige steden van in de VS is het moordcijfers bijvoorbeeld nu zelfs hoger. Ook kidnappings door o.a. de FARC komen nauwelijks nog voor. Dit laatste komt waarschijnlijk door de harde aanpak van het leger, maar over het algemeen ook door de gestegen welvaart vermoed ik. Met uitzondering van het 'crisisjaar' 2008 is de economie hier de afgelopen jaren telkens met zo'n 8% gegroeid. Alle toeristen die ik hier tegenkom zijn dan ook steevast verbaasd over hoe welvarend en ontwikkeld Bogotá er uitziet (in bepaalde delen van de stad uiteraard).

Een ander aspect dat Colombia voor mij tot een aangenaam en interessant land maakt, is de diversiteit aan mensen. De afgelopen eeuwen hebben zich hier volken uit alle delen van de wereld gevestigd en vervolgens onderling vermengd, hetgeen een fascinerende mix heeft opgeleverd. De enige schaduwzijde hierbij is dat de inheemse bevolking hiervan allerminst heeft geprofiteerd en inmiddels tot een kleine minderheid geworden is. Dit is allemaal het gevolg van eeuwenlange discriminatie, deportatie, slavernij en simpelweg moord, natuurlijk onder het mom van 'beschaving' bijbrengen, maar uiteraard ging en gaat het altijd om grondstoffen en dus geld.

Het is niet alleen een groot onrecht wat de inheemse bevolking is aangedaan, maar het betekent ook een verlies van een indrukwekkende beschaving. Ik lees op dit moment een fascinerend reisverslag van een Amerikaan die in de jaren 1970 als botanist in Colombia heeft gereisd, met name het Amazonegebied, in het zuiden van het land. De focus van het boek is niet per se het beschrijven plantsoorten, maar vooral de rijke cultuur van de inheemse Amazonebewoners. Deze kenmerkt zich door een werkelijk onvoorstelbare kennis van planten en dieren en bovenal door veel respect voor de natuur.

Los van de culturele achtergrond van de Colombiaanse Amazone en ook de rest van het land, staat buiten kijf dat de natuur van Colombia tot de mooiste en meest diverse ter wereld behoort. Je hebt hier werkelijk alles. Tot nu toe heb ik helaas nog niet veel kunnen reizen om het zelf te kunnen bekijken, maar mede door het bovengenoemde boek zie ik hier zeer naar uit. Daarvoor zal ik nog wel veel moeten sparen en dus werken. Ik werk al sinds mijn aankomst als docent Engels, zowel voor een instituut als privélessen. Bevalt goed, maar ik kan niet wachten tot ik kan gaan reizen, wat vemoedelijk over ongeveer een jaar het geval zal zijn.

Kortom, Colombia is een fascinerend en schitterend land met een buitengewoon vriendelijke bevolking, dus kom vooral ook eens deze kant op. Ik ben hier nog minimaal een jaar en zoals ik er nu over denk, nog maximaal anderhalf jaar.

Hasta luego, succes met schrijven en geniet van de ware winter!

Peter

Letter to my former colleagues (in Dutch)

2010-11-28T19:46:00.000-08:00

Beste ex-collega’s en vrienden!

Inmiddels ben ik alweer bijna vier maanden in Colombia en was het dus tijd om jullie eens een berichtje te sturen. Was dit al enige tijd van plan en nu is het er dus van gekomen.

Het gaat goed met mij. Ik vind Colombia een uitermate interessant en mooi land. Woon sinds het begin in de hoofdstad Bogotá en heb inmiddels een ruim apartement tot mijn beschikking. De stad is wel wat anders dan Amsterdam. Ik woon nu bijvoorbeeld op zo’n 2700 meter (weer eens wat anders dan beneden zeeniveau). Verder heeft Bogotá op dit moment zo’n 8,5 miljoen inwoners en elk jaar komen er nog eens 100.000 á 200.000 mensen bij...Daarmee is het ook veel drukker en chaotische dan Amsterdam. Verder uiteraard weinig pittoreske architectuur maar vooral massabouw. Wel een heel interessante stad in vele opzichten, o.a. door de snelle groei, niet alleen van de bevolking maar ook qua economie en algehele modernisering. Ook is het een heel multiculturele stad, aangezien mensen uit alle hoeken van het hele land naar Bogotá trekken (en Colombia behoort tot de meest multiculturele staten ter wereld). Alleen blonde mensen vormen een zeer kleine minderheid. Ik kom er dagelijks hooguit 1 tegen en ik word dan ook voortdurend aangestaard (maar niet op een vervelende manier; mensen zijn gewoon verbaasd en nieuwsgierig). De migratiestromen die noemde zijn lang niet altijd van vrijwillige aard; behalve dat velen om economisch redenen naar Bogotá verhuizen (de stad is het economische hart van Colombia en een van de grootste economieen van Zuid-Amerika) zijn er vele vluchtelingen uit gebieden waar gevochten wordt tussen het leger, paramilitairen, FARC en andere guerillagroepen. Vaak spelen grondstoffen hierbij een belangrijke rol: Colombia is bijvoorbeeld zeer rijk aan goud, maar ook aan bijvoorbeeld olie. Mensen worden daarom van hun grond verdreven.

Zoals bekend is er dus nogal wat ellende in dit land. Echter, ik heb hier persoonlijk nog niets van gemerkt of gezien. In Bogotá vindt namelijk niet of nauwelijks strijd plaats met guerillas. Verder zijn de centra van de stad heel welvarend, niet te vergelijken met de krottenwijken en sommige delen van het platteland. Bogotá heeft trouwens drie centra, nog een verschil met Amsterdam dus. Het oudste centrum, ‘La Candelaria’ stamt nog uit de koloniale tijd. Dit is ook het meest pittoreske gedeelte: witte huisjes en smalle straatjes, barokke kerken, gebouwd tegen de berg; typisch Spaans dus. Dan is er het centrum uit de jaren ’50 en ’60, ‘El Centro Internacional’, typsich modernistische stedenbouw á la La Corbusier, dus veel beton en hoogbouw en uiteraard vierbaanswegen waar het enorme verkeer over raast. Ik woon hier vlak achter, in de wijk met de mooie naam ‘La Macarena’ (zie foto bijlage). Tot slot is er een enorm nieuw centrum in het noorden van de stad, ‘El Norte’ genaamd. Dit is ontstaan in de jaren ’90 en breidt nog altijd sterk uit. Hier zijn alle grote bedrijven gevestigd en vind je grote winkelscentra (met precies de zelfde kledingwinkels en hamburgerketens als in Europa en de VS) en sjieke restaurants met keukens uit de hele wereld.

Behalve een interesante stad in stadssociologisch en ‘staat en de mensen’ opzicht, vind ik het ondanks de enorme drukte ook een leuke stad. Er zijn veel gezellige café’s, genoeg culturele instellingen (hoewel ik de grote kunstmusea in Amsterdam wel mis) en bovenal zijn de mensen heel aardig en sociaal. Contact maken is hier dus geen enkel probleem. Omdat ik door mijn uiterlijk hier zoals gezegd nogal opval, zijn de Colombianen altijd heel geinteresseerd in wat ik te zeggen heb, o.a. mijn mening over het land en het Colombiaanse eten (waar ik nu toevallig heel weinig aan vind, maar de Colombianen zijn er om een of andere reden verzot op).

Bahalve Bogotá heb ik inmiddels ook al een aantal andere delen van Colombia verkend. Qua natuur is het een ongelooflijk rijk en gevarieerd land. Je kunt hier rustig een half jaar rondreizen en telkens weer iets nieuws tegenkomen, echt ongelooflijk. Verder ben ik vorige week naar Quito in Ecuador geweest, ivm met mijn werkvisum (om een of andere reden moet je hiervoor het land verlaten om dit bij een Colombiaans consulaat te regelen). Ook een buitengewoon interessante stad! Een stuk kleiner dan Bogotá, slechts ca. 3 miljoen inwoners, en ook een stuk rustiger, mooier en groener. De grootste attractie van Quito is echter de directe omgeving: de stad is omringd door tal van vulkanen, waarvan sommige hoger dan 5000 meter. Uiteraard heb ik een aantal vulkanen beklommen, en zelfs in de sneeuw gelopen (nog net iets eerder dan jullie in Nederland dus). Deze tochten waren uiteraard onvergetelijke ervaringen, vind je simpelweg niet in Europa.

Nu ik mijn werkvisum heb, kan ik eindelijk (legaal) werken. De afgelopen maanden heb wel ik al aardig wat lesgegeven (Engels), o.a. bij Ecopetrol,de nationale oliemaatschappij van Colombia, en privéles, o.a. aan Colombiaanse en Venezulaanse studenten, een architectenduo en een tandarts. Met mijn visum kan ik echter ‘echt’ aan de slag, een vaste baan dus. Heb afgelopen zaterdag meteen al de hele dag gewerkt, bij een instituut dat cursussen Engels verzorgd. Voor het eerst van mijn leven aan pubers lesgegeven, viel best mee, maar gelukkig heb ik ook gewoon volwassen studenten. Dit instituut biedt dus cursussen aan aan alle leeftijden (zelfs aan kleuters) en aan alle niveau’s.

Mijn ervaringen met Colombiaanse studenten zijn tot nu toe heel positief. Ze zijn over het algemeen leergierig en bovendien hangt er altijd een gezellige sfeer in de klas (ze lachen graag). De instellingen waar ik tot nu toe heb gewerkt zijn wel wat hierarchischer dan ik gewend ben. Bij mijn eerste werkplek kon ik wel de inhoud van mijn lessen geheel bepalen, maar was de leiding tamelijk autoritair en tactloos Bovendien was er totaal geen begeleiding of ook maar interesse voor de docenten. Ik ben daar dan ook snel weer weggegaan.

Het instituut waar ik nu werk is eveneens tamelijk hierarchisch van aard, maar ik heb tenminste wel een degelijke opleiding gehad (van een paar weken zelfs). Ze werken hier namelijk strikt volgens een dictatische methode, en basisstappenplan. Meer ‘BKO-proof’ dus dan bij mijn vorige baan, maar toch ook niet heel veel informatie over hoe je met studenten kunt omgaan in allerlei situaties. In de handleiding wordt wel melding gemaakt van allerlei ‘sociologisch’, ‘psychologisch’ en zelfs 'neurowetenschappelijk' onderzoek waar hun methodologie op gebaseerd zou zijn, maar eerlijk gezegd kan ik dit niet heel serieus nemen. Maar het al met al vind ik het werk hier heel leuk en biedt dit instituut me een jaarcontract + verblijfsvergunning.

Deze mail is wat langer geworden dan ik vantevoren gedacht had, maar eigenlijk vond ik het heel leuk om eens uitgebreid mijn ervaringen van de afgelopen maanden op papier te zetten. Mijn plan voor de komende tijd is om nog minimaal een jaar in Colombia te blijven. Daarna is de kans groot dat ik weer sterk naar Amsterdam ga terugverlangen en dat ik dan opnieuw bij het IIS zal solliciteren. Ik hoop dat alles met jullie allemaal ook alles goed gaat en dat het IIS floreert zoals het altijd heeft gedaan. Verder hoop ik eens te horen hoe het met 'mijn' vakken gaat.

Groet en succes,

Peter

Architecture of Quito

2010-11-28T12:55:00.000-08:00

Between 18 and 25 August I was in Quito for my Colombian work visa. Sometimes you're in a city or a country for the first time and you immediately like it, feel at home. Such was the case in Quito. It's a kind of Bogotá but smaller, greener, less crowded, and better food. Just as Bogotá, Quito is built on the Andes, so one of the highest capitals in the world too. Most spectacular and amazing are the surrounding vulcanos. Something about the city of Quito and its architecture.

Quito's old town is the largest in its sort in South America. Although the Spaniards destroyed a lot here (before it was conquered by the Spaniards, Quito was a settlement of the Inca's and before of other indigenous people of the Americas) they left a beautiful city too, with a typical Mediterranean atmosphere.

1. Historical center

Cine Hollywood:

2. Modernism

3. Mittad del Mundo

4. Guápulo

Transmilenio

2010-11-28T09:30:00.001-08:00

Transmileniois a (relatively) highspeed bus network that connects large parts of Bogota. Today 9 lines totalling 84 km run throughout the city, and the network is still expanding. Everyone in Bogota has a love-hate relationship with Transmilenio since it can be a truly fast type of transport as long as you don't use it during rushhour...in the morning and the evening the stations and busses are so full that it sometimes takes 30 minutes or more to even enter a bus. Another disadvantage is that the buses are diesel-powered, not really improving the already pretty air in the city. In total, there are around 115 stations. Some examples:

Museo del Oro:

Profamilia:

Calle 39:

New station under construction Carrera 13:

Alcala:

Architecture of Bogotá (1)

2010-11-14T12:05:00.000-08:00

One of the very interesting aspects of Bogota is without any doubt its architecture. It's an incredible mix of styles and of mixed styles, e.g. Spanish colonial architecture, all sorts of neo-styles, Art deco, Bauhaus. And there is, of course, the hardly describable but often colorful and somewhat chaotic typical Latin American style.

In this edition of my Colombia blogg I'd like to present my personal guide to this fascinating melting pot of architecture. My aim is to give an impression of the architectural variety of Bogotá, but above all, to describe and illustrate my favorite pieces of Bogotá's architecture, some of which I would rank in the absolute top of world architecture.

1. Torres del Parque & Parque de la Independencia

The Torres del Parque, designed by the French/Colombian architect Regelio Samona Mordols in 1964, are three amazing brick towers which form a beautiful architectural unity, not only among each other but also with their surrounding park, Parque de la Independencia. And although there are thousands of buildings in Bogotá made out of red brick stone, there is no one like the Torres del Parque, no one with such extraordinary and organic forms. I've never seen anything like it before. It was love at first sight.

The complex from above. On the left is the bull fight ring, built in the 1930s in the same style as the Torres del Parque:

The northern part of the complex, from the outside and the inside:

Impressions from the south side of the Torres del parque:

Parque de la Independencia is a relatively tiny park, but really an oasis in the crowded city centre. It was made in 1910. Some views of this park and the south part of the Torres del Parque complex:

The 200 years old palm trees in Parque de la Independencia (threatened now because of the heavy pollution in the city):

Quiosco de la Luz: This building stands in Parque de la Independencia and is a replica of the Belvedere pavilion at Versaille in France. It was built in 1910 as part of the exposition to celebrate 100 years of independence. Today it is used as tourist information office:

2. Teatro El Parque/Teatro Infantil & El Parque Nacional

I'm in the fortunate position that I'm living right between two of the most beautiful parks in Bogotá: the aforementioned Parque de la Independencia and Parque Nacional. Highlight of Parque Nacional is, in my opinion, Teatro el Parque/Teatro Infantil, a truly perfect example of the Bauhaus style. This theater for children was designed by the Colombian architect Hernando González Varona and constructed 1936. Like in the case of the Torres del Parque, this theater is in perfect harmony with its surrounding park (Parque Nacional).

The south side:

The west side:

Parque de la Indepdencia, where I had such good moments, especially in December and January, when it was always sunny and when I read What is the What among other great works of literature at the following spots:

3. 'Colombian' style

Another of my favorite architectural achievements in Bogota is what I would call 'Colombian style'. Although not to ridicule it, this category of buildings can be considered as somewhat unusual. I truly love this type of buildings 'though, because they add a highly colorful, playful and spontaneous element to this rather grey city. Here are some examples, all from the district 'Centro Internacional':

4. Art nouveau & Art deco

Although Bogotá isn't Paris or Brussels, Art nouveau is well represented here too. Perhaps the most beautiful example of Art nouveau in Bogotá and perhaps even the most charming building of whole Bogotá is Teatro Faenza, built in 1922-24 and designed by Juan Ernesto González Concha. This one is especially for my parents:

This Art deco theater, Teatro Municipal Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, was built between 1938 and 1940 and later named after the famous Colombian president who was murdered in 1948:

Cinemateca Distrital, built in 1974-75 and fully adapted to the style of its neighboring theater, Teatro Municipal Jorge Eliécer Gaitán:

Teatro Teusaquillo, now Teatro Metro, is from the 1930s. The style is Art deco, but unfortunately the building has been repainted in rather aggressive and cheap colors. Still an interesting form 'though:

5. La Candelaria

Built by the Spaniards from the 16th century on, La Candelaria is the oldest and most touristy area of Bogotá. Although partly destroyed during heavy fights in 1948 (after President Gaitán was killed), the area is largely intact. So the Spanish 'colonial' style (narrow streets and low white houses with some decoration) is dominant. Definitely beautiful and charming, but I prefer colonial towns such as Villa de Leyva, which are less crowded and more authentic. So to illustrate the typical colonial part of La Candelaria just one photo:

However, there is also a part of La Candelaria, the western part, which is less crowded and much more 'Colombian', I mean, very colorful:

6. Early Modernism (1920s-1940s)

The most beautiful example of the Bauhaus/Early Modernism style in Bogota is without any doubt Teatro del Parque / Teatro infantil,which I already mentioned above. But especially in the 1930s, Bogota was enriched with more masterpieces of this style. In some cases Modernism was mixed with Art deco elements, such as in the following example, Edificio Alberto Sanz, designed by Nel Rodríguez Hauesler in 1936:

Another, much more colorful example of Bauhaus inspired Modernism we find at the Plazoleta Rosario. Here is a detail of the facade:

Detail from a Bauhaus style building in Carrera 6:

The following building, Casa Gabriel Serrano Camargo, might not be very special at first sight. Before it was painted pink and green, however, it was a fantastic piece of Bauhaus architecture (built in 1938-39). I saw a photo of this building from 1976, and really, it's hard to believe that it's the same building. It's a crime!

Finally in this section, a mixture of typical modernist round forms and the typical Bogota red bricks. It is called Edificio Otto H. Marmorek, designed by the architect with the same name in 1938-1939:

7. Late Modernism (1950s-1970s)

Just as many other cities in South America, North America and Europe, Bogotá wanted to become a truly modern city in the 1950s and 1960s. Unlike the 1930s and 1940s, Modernist architecture only wasn't enough; modernist/functional city building was the new device. So just north from La Candelaria arose a complete new city center, Centro Internacional, inspired on the ideas of architects such as La Corbusier. In the meantime, this modern city center isn't modern anymore since most big companies and government institutions have now settled in the new districts in the north of the city.

My favorite part of Centro Internacional are the three buildings called Torre Bavaria - Davidienda / Conjunto Bavaria. On the pictures below are two buildings of this complex, built between 1963 and 1965:

Situated between Centro Internacional and Parque de la Independencia, is the Planetarium of Bogota, built in 1968-69. Impressions from the facade and from the roof:

A rather extraordinary building in Centro Internacional:

The Museo del Oro or Gold museum is the most prestigious museum of Bogotá and supposedly is has the largest gold collection in the world. The building is a classic concrete 1960s structure:

Teatro Mexico (now an auditorium), built in 1958-59:

Edificio La Merced, from 1959 by Enrique Triana Uribe, situated in a villa district close to where I live:

To be continued...

Suesca (29-30 Oct)

2010-10-31T06:16:00.000-07:00

Bogota is an incredibly crowded and polluted city, so sometimes you really need to get out of it in search for some fresh air and quietness. Fortunately, there's quite some beautiful nature within a stone throne of Bogota. One of the examples is Suesca, just about one hour driving from the border of the city (Portal Norte). This place is most famous for its rocks which attracts many climbers. It is also a perfect location for relaxation though, the option I choose yesterday and the before. Here are some impressions, starting with the village Suesca itself. Perhaps not one of the prettiest in Colombia, but it has a friendly, relaxed atmosphere:

There's a train track from Bogota to Suesca and beyond. The scenery is great but unfortunately it is used only a couple of times per week (mainly for tourist)

The rocks, quite amazing and very popular with climbers:

On top of the rocks, perfect location to relax and to read a book:

All in all, Suesca was another impressive trip, and very relaxed of course. To be continued...

Bogota DC

2010-10-17T09:36:00.000-07:00

The purpose of this page is to give all sorts of information about my current place of residence, Bogota DC. I'll begin with some statistical data and impressions from above. The idea is to update the information regularly and to add many more topics so that this page will develop into a socio-cultural guide of Bogota.

1. Statistics

The metropolitan area of Bogota has around around 8.5 million inhabitants, the city of Bogota itself more than 7 million. It figures in the 30th largest cities of the world.

The population of Bogota has grown extraordinary since the 1950s and it is expected that will continue growing very fast in the next two decades:

Year Population

1950: 630 000
1955: 894 000
1960: 1 269 000
1965: 1 780 000
1970: 2 383 000
1975: 3 040 000
1980: 3 525 000
1985: 4 087 000
1990: 4 740 000
1995: 5 494 000
2000: 6 356 000
2005: 7 353 000
2009: 8 262 000
2010: 8 500 000
2015: 9 521 000
2020: 10 129 000
2025: 10 537 000

Source: UN World Urbanization Prospects 2009

2. Geography

Bogota is the third-highest capital city in South America (after La Paz and Quito) at 2640 metres above sea level. Currently the urban area covers 384.3 sq km.

3. Bogota from above

Bogota is a very big city. Here are some images to proof this. I took the photos on top of Monserat, which is a religious and recreational place on top of one of the mountains overseeing the city. Before the Spaniards arrived this place was a sacred site for the indigenous people.

View to the south:

View to the south-west:

View to the city centre and the south-west:

Close-up from the city centre:

View to the city centre and the west:

La Perseverancia (east from the city centre; the erea where I lived till Februari 2011)

View to the north-west:

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Latin America and Spain (in Dutch)

2010-09-17T07:56:00.000-07:00

Extract from an email I wrote about the relationship between nowadays Latin America and its former colonizer Spain:

From: petervanyperen@hotmail.com
To: thijsvantongeren@hotmail.com
Subject: RE:
Date: Fri, 17 Sep 2010 14:53:58 +0000

Ha Thijs,

De relatie tussen Spaanstalig Zuid-Amerika en Spanje is volgens mij nogal complex. Het is inderdaad een feit dat de Spanjaarden hier vreselijk hebben huisgehouden: bedoeld en onbedoeld miljoenen mensen gedood, hoogwaardige samenlevingen vernietigd en op zeer grote schaal bodemschatten gestolen. Precies hierover, en over de effecten ervan tot in de twintigste eeuw, gaat dat boek dat ik aan het lezen ben, "The open veins of Latin America" van de Uruguayaanse auteur Eduardo Galeano. Galeano schreef het boek in de jaren 70, vlak voordat de fascistische dictaturen in vrijwel geheel Zuid-Amerika opkwamen. Het boek vormt een zeer gedetailleerde en hartverscheurende beschrijving en analyse van de Spaanse plundering van het continent en de soortgelijke praktijken die plaats hebben gevonden nadat de Spanjaarden hier begin 19e eeuw waren vertrokken (door grotendeels dezelfde elite). Verder zal het denk ik ook gaan over toenemende inmenging van de VS in de 19e eeuw. Dit is overigens ook het boek dat Hugo Chavez cadeau heeft gegeven aan Obama tijdens hun ontmoeting vlak nadat Obama president was geworden.

"Las venas abierta de America Latina" is in Colombia verplichte literatuur op de middelbare scholen. Het is dus goed mogelijk dat de meeste mensen hier goed op de hoogte zijn van de rol van het Spaanse koloniale rijk in de grote politieke, economische en sociale problemen van nu. Aan de andere kant is er ook veel kritiek op het boek. Het wekt namelijk de indruk dat alles wat nu mis is in Latijns Amerika de schuld is van de kolonisatoren, de 'andere', terwijl veel problemen natuurlijk ook worden veroorzaakt door slecht beleid en 'mismanagement' van de eigen corrupte politici. Met andere woorden, om de situatie hier te verbeteren, dienen de Zuid-Amerikanen de hand ook in eigen boezem te steken; een pure 'slachtofferrol' staat ontwikkeling alleen maar in de weg, aldus de mening van enkele - vooral hogeropgeleide - Colombianen die ik tot nu toe sprak.

Een ander punt waardoor er - naar mijn eigen idee - van echte 'haat' jegens de Spanjaarden geen sprake is, is dat de Spanjaarden inmiddels uiteraard al zo'n 200 jaar weg zijn. De rol die de Spanjaarden ooit speelden, is vanaf de 19e eeuw overgenomen door de Zuid-Amerikaanse elites in nauwe samenwerking met de VS en de multinationals. Mijn bescheiden indruk is dus dat deze verhoudingen van de 'globale economie' een veel belangrijkere rol spelen dan de koloniale geschiedenis. Overigens lees ik momenteel ook een boek dat specifiek hierover gaat, of beter gezegd, over de economische 'shock therapie' die Amerikaanse overheidsorganisaties en multinationals sinds de jaren '60 hebben teweeggebracht in veel ontwikkelingslanden, o.a. in Latijns Amerika. "The Shock Doctrine, The Rise of Disaster Capitalism" van Naomi Klein, je kent het vast wel. Hoewel de schrijfster duidelijk linkse sympathieën heeft, denk ik dat je je grotendeels in haar theorie kunt vinden. Deze komt erop neer dat multinationals veel geld kunnen verdienen wanneer een land wordt getroffen door een diepe en traumatische 'crisis', bijvoorbeeld een staatsgreep; in deze periode kun je een land drastisch 'hervormen': staatsbedrijven privatiseren (=voor een schijntje verkopen aan buitenlandse bedrijven), regels wb het economisch verkeer afschaffen en ook elke vorm van sociaal vangnet. Dit gebeurt allemaal onder het mom van 'noodzakelijke' economische liberalisering die de samenleving in korte tijd welvarend zullen maken. In praktijk profiteren echter slechts twee partijen van deze 'shock therapie': de nieuwe lokale machthebbers (gruwelijke dictators als Pinochet en Videla) en westerse bedrijven, terwijl het grootste deel van het volk te maken krijgt met ernstige armoede en sociale ongelijkheid en bovendien onderdrukt wordt door een fascistische dictatuur. Als voorbeelden behandelt Klein onder andere Chili, Argentinië, Bolivia, Oost-Europa, Rusland, Indonesië en Irak. Indrukwekkende stof!

Een derde aspect is dat veel Colombianen en andere Zuid-Amerikanen Spaans bloed hebben - grootste uitzonderingen zijn de 'inheemsen' en afstammelingen van Afrikanen. Deze mix maakt het denk ik lastig om de Spanjaarden te veroordelen. In dit opzicht vormt Zuid-Amerika een grote uitzondering op andere voormalige koloniale rijken waar nauwelijks onderling werd gehuwd en gebaard, zoals Noord-Amerika, Afrika en Australië.

Tot slot wil ik hier nog noemen dat de Spanjaarden weliswaar al het goud en zilver stalen uit Zuid-Amerika, maar dat deze rijkdommen uiteindelijk vooral elders in Europa terecht kwamen, aldus opnieuw Galliano. Punt was immers dat de Spanjaarden altijd grote schulden hadden - vanwege alle oorlogen en grootse paleizen en kerken. Veel geld werd geleend door Nederland, Frankrijk en Engeland en terugbetaald met rijkdommen uit Zuid-Amerika...Indirect zijn de andere koloniale grootmachten dus eigenlijk net zo schuldig aan de plundering van een heel continent, het ging allemaal om handel. Verder hebben de Nederlanders zich in de 17e eeuw enorm misdragen in het noorden van Brazilie. Ik wist hier wel vaag iets van, maar niet dat het zo erg is geweest.

Alien Hand Syndrome

2010-08-31T20:26:00.001-07:00

When I woke up last Sunday my hands looked as if they weren't mine. This may sound strange but you should've seen how pale, stiff and swollen they were, hardly recognizable as my own mitts (apart from the fact that they were itching in an incredible way).

The exact cause of this rather shocking experience is still unclear, but it must've been the work of horrible insects, an allergic reaction after at least 100 bites, mainly on my hands. Anyway, I went to a hospital, in Villa de Leyva, the place where I was staying for the second time (I've described my first visit in rather enthusiastic terms elsewhere in my blogg). Two doctors examined me carefully and were quite surprised with what they saw. They gave me an injection, several doses of medicines and a cream.

After I'd left the hospital I wanted to get out of this mosquito area as quickly as possible. Of course, it's still a beautiful spot, Villa de Leyva, and it actually didn't happen in this town itself, but I'm afraid the real thrill has gone. Back in Bogota I felt really happy, in that amazing city where there're hardly any mosquitoes, how gorgeous!

In the meantime the medicines seem to have done their task, no much itching anymore and I've got my own hands back!

Lastly, I'd like to thank Don Douglas for all his great support!

Another thing I'd like to mention is that I started reading 'The Open Veins of Latin America' (Eduardo Galleano's famous and plain critique on Spain's and other European countries' behavior in Latin America since its 'discovery' in 1492). It's evident this is a highly important work, on which I'll write more extensively later.

A handful of pesos (ca. 200 euro) which, however, had turned into a hand full of insect bites just a couple of days later.

Riding on a motorbike from Cali to Bogota

2010-08-21T15:18:00.001-07:00

On Aug 18th, Wouter and I left from Bogota airport for Santiago de Cali, or simply Cali. With a population of around 2 million, Cali is the third largest city of Colombia (Medellin is the second largest). The plane was delayed for 3 hours, but this was only the beginning of a quite extraordinary adventure...

Next, I'll talk you through our 4-day trip which main aim was bringing back a motorcycle from Cali to Bogota, a motorcycle that Wouter and Laura bought for their big Latin America tour, starting soon.

Day 1: our arrival at the airport in Cali at 8pm, still 25 degrees Celcius, welcomed by those extraordinary palm trees which are actually very normal in Colombia. I could immediately feel this is a very groovy city. As a matter of fact, Cali is the number 1 salsa city of Colombia.

In our hostel we met a Dutch guy from Amsterdam with whom we went to one of the salsa districts. It was a Wednesday night so it was quiet in and outside the bars. Everywhere salsa 'though, played very loud, too loud when you'd like to have a conversation, even outside on the terrace. I can't say I liked the area, it reminded me a bit of the atmosphere of Rembrandtplein in Amsterdam, if you know what I mean. So we didn't stay long and went back to the hostel. This was quite a smart thing to do, since our real adventure would start next day, i.e. our motor ride back to Santa Fe de Bogota, more than 500 kilometers through mountains and many cities and towns.

Day 2: Before I go on, I'll give some impressions of Cali by day light I took on the morning before we left, starting with 4 photos from the bridge over the river Cauca which marks the border of the city center and the newer areas. A 360° tour of Cali:

The above pics show what characterizes most of Colombian's larger cities I've seen so far: huge trafic jams; large amounts of taxis; churches in somewhat peculiar neo-styles; again those palm trees; and above all, an incredible mix of architecture: Spanish colonial style, neo-stuff, Modernism, and of course that indefinable swinging Latin-American style.

Just a few hundreds meters further, we arrive at what can be considered the most spectacular square of Cali (see above), especially because of the amazingly high palm trees which somehow completely compensate the greyness of its surrounding buildings. Other interesting parts of Cali are the street markets and the Spanish quarter (altought not as impressive as in places such as Villa de Leyva).

There is a lot more to say about Cali, about its history for example. But this I'll do later. Now it's time to continue with our main reason for making this trip, bringing back la moto to Bogota de Santa Fe. La moto in front of hostel Hostel Casa Blanca where we spent the previous night:

Enthusiastically we rode away from Cali. However, we forgot something so had to go back to Cali again. Fortunately, our second try of leaving the capital of Salsa was successful. By the way, a great thing about Colombia is that although the cities are crowded and smoggy, within 30 minutes riding you can be in an absolute paradise. A good way of enjoying the fantastic landscapes is to stop at one of the many tiendas along the roads. Here they sell coffee, snacks, and, if you're lucky as in the case below, fresh jugo de uvas (grape juice).

Snapshot from the surrounding of this tienda, still quite flat (reminded me a bit of Holland)

During our first day on the motorbike, the weather turned bad, very bad. So we had to shelter many times and, therefore, arrived quite late at our resting place for that night: the splendid village of Salento and its even more astonishing surrounding nature. Salento, laid on the top of a beautiful mountain, by evening, just after we arrived:

Not only were we exhausted after I don't know how many hours of riding, we were wet through too. So we felt very happy when we finally arrived at our hostel, a house almost completely built out of bamboo:

This fireplace..I'll never forget it:

Day 3: Next morning, before we moved on to our next destination, I took some pictures of the delightful 'garden' of the hostel, an absolute paradise of flora & fauna:

Bamboo, called Guadua in Colombia (which is a lot thicker than the bamboo in Asia)...what a plant:

A mariposa (butterfly), just in the bathroom:

One hour later, in Salento again:

Next stop, at another tienda , this time with a grand view over a coffee farm:

Just a few minutes later, the absolute worst part of our trip began: some really high mountains, with constant, ice-cold rain for at least an hour. We didn't see anything but thick dark clouds. Miraculously however, harsh winter time was suddenly over as soon as we went down in a valley, as the following pics of our next pit-stop will illustrate:

Several hours later, we arrived at again a marvelous town, somewhere between Villeta and La Vega. Here we spent our last night before we'd finally arrive back in Bogota. This is how a hostel in Colombia can look like: (and there seem to be many of this kind!)

Day 4: back to Bogota! The last part of our trip would be just a 1 hours ride. At least that's what we thought..on the way we lost the suitcase that was on the back of La Moto. So we had to go all the way back again to find it. We didn't find it, but fortunately we had all our papers in our other bags. Then there was a huge trafic jam in Bogota, of course, as usual here. But we made it, we're back in Santa Fe de Bogota and the bike, which never let us down, as well! Above all, this was another fantastic trip in a fantastic country. Thanks amigo Wouter for this!

Back in sweet Bogota:

Villa de Leyva / Valle de Silencio

2010-08-18T08:43:00.000-07:00

How fantastic can a place be? The answer is: VALLA DEL SILENCIO, a valley near the splendid town of VILLA DE LEYVA. Let's begin with the latter location, where I spent a night and a day with my amigo Wouter. This place is highly recommended: a perfectly preserved colonial town, so beautiful, such great food and marvellous jugas frutas, etc.

However, this splendid, whitewashed town was just the beginning of a fantastic trip which climaxed in our visit to Douglas' farm in the wonderful Valle de Silencio. We met there with Laura (Wouter's GF) and Federico & Diana (friends of Laura's). I'll never forget those moonlike scenes during our evening walks, the heavy but delicious meals by Douglas and his wife, the above mentioned amigos, el perro Mateo...etc.

Some impressions of our final day in la Valle del Silencio:

Muchas, muchas gracias a mi amigos Laura y Wouter for taking me to such a brilliant spot!!

Cra 6 # 33-52

2010-08-17T20:34:00.000-07:00

On his Kawasaki 650CC motorbike, fully packed and provided with all the necessary tools, Wouter left Bogota this morning. Laura goes on board tomorrow, and then their big South-America trip can begin. Their plan is to go to Argentina, all along with the motorbike, so they'll be going through Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Chili, and meanwhile staying at many magnificent places and doing interesting projects. Though they might end up somewhere in the Caribbean as well, for example on the highly tropical island of Providencia.

Needless to say, I wish them so much good luck with their great adventure. Needless to say too is that they were such good company for me during the first 2 months in Colombia. As a homage to them and the time we've spent, I'd like to give an impression of their place, where I was also living for the first month of my stay in Bogota and where I'm going to move again this weekend. It's quite an interesting area, positioned between downtown Bogota and La Macarena, an neighbourhood built against the mountain.

I start this especial for Laura and Wouter 360° show with the view from the apartment to the south, the city centre (Centro Internacional), then I go on with the east (La Macarena), then the north (Carrera Septima and El Norte), and, finally, a view to the west of the city (Shopping mall San Martin)

The apartment from the outside and inside, I live on the top floor:

For the last time, the view from the kitchen:

Frutas de Colombia

2010-08-11T14:53:00.001-07:00

Fascinated by the incredible beauty of nature and inspired by Aristotle's taxonomies (e.g. 'voluntary' vs. 'involuntary' vs. 'non-voluntary' action), I've decided to start a project which is to record as many types of fruit as possible and to describe and rate them. The first one is called Granadilla (see below), a type of passion fruit with a sweet and fresh taste and a somewhat slimy but absolutely delightful texture. The Granadilla may resemble the Orange but the content is completely different. Rating: A (Excellent)

Just as magnificent as the 'Granadilla' is the Feijoa. It has a sensational sweet-acid taste and a texture which is similar to the 'Granadilla'. I ate it at the farm in the Valle del Silencio and had a 'Jugo de Feijoa' in a bar called 'Vincent van Gogh' in Villa de Leyva.

Not bad either is the Yellow Pitaya (see below). Fascinating I think is its army-like shell, probably meant to protect the fruit against birds or so. The taste is marvelous, again 5 stars. There're many different types of Pitayas, ckeck for example: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitaya

I was quite surprised to come across a Banana Roja (red banana). Unfortunately they weren't ripe enough for consumption, but I'm quite sure we're again dealing with some high quality taste here, no much doubt about that.

Not only red bananas can be found in Colombia, but also red pineapples. Apart from its colour, there doesn't seem to be much difference with the more common yellow/golden pineapple. The red version, however, contains more 'crystal'...Anyway, the taste is quite the same, which is, of course, fantastic. The one I ate was an absolute juice bomb, as can be observed from the picture below. Left from the pineapple are granadillas which I described earlier and which are still my absolute favorites, and some canary yellow peaches (called durazno in Spanish) which I'll describe later.

The main difference between an orange in Holland and a Colombian naranja is the amount of taste & juice. Despite this magnificent quality, Colombia isn't a major producer of oranges , it's not even in the top 20. (Brazil is by far the biggest producer, followed by the US, Mexico, India and China.) Another interesting fact is that the Dutch word for orange, "sinaasappel", comes from "Chinese apple".

The picture below shows one of those delicious naranjas, taken in my residence during September 2010, Calle 58 con 15A numero 16.

Two of the most common Colombian fruits are the Maracuya and the Lulo, both quite acid and only consumable in the form of juice.

1st & 2nd day Bogota / goodbye at Schiphol airport

2010-08-10T14:20:00.000-07:00

Some 24h ago I arrived in Bogota. Fascinating, modernistic place. Felt at ease from the start. Thanks to Wouter and Laura as well, of course, who've hosted me for the first two days and showed me around in this lively and crowded city, a real city. So I already feel at home here, which isn't that difficult since its atmosphere can be considered as quite 'European' (southern Europe and the Balkans) and cosmopolitan, although it has its very own character as well, of course. It's quite hard to describe this particular character yet, however, so I put some pics which will hopefully illustrate it better than words. Later on I will write more about my impressions of the city and its people.

Schiphol airport, August 9th, 7am, the big day. It was so nice my parents, niece (Lisanne) and cousin (Rogier) came to say goodbye to me.

CELTA

2010-07-30T14:49:00.002-07:00

CELTA is over. Today was the last day. One more lesson & feedback and then having drinks with my CELTA friends. Mixed feelings, because it was both unbearable and beautiful. Any way, I learned a LOT. It might've been be a very important step. So I feel happy having done it. Some impressions.

CELTA: Maartje, Robert, Iain, Guy, Charlotte, Nerina, Maggie, Gamze, Vanessa, Andrea, Yves, Jamie

And of course the big final on July 11th.

Homage Staatsliedenbuurt

2010-07-28T13:47:00.001-07:00

Amsterdam Staatsliedenbuurt, my home 2005-2010. What a place, one of the best. Ode to my place:

:/

1st week CELTA

2010-07-09T09:56:00.000-07:00

So far, the CELTA course at BLTC has been great. Don't think I've ever learnt more in just a week...The teachers are so good, so experienced and really know how to convey useful stuff and feedback. It's been heavy 'though, but that's what I expected. The other people who take the course are very friendly and interesting as well. And the students I've been teaching for almost every day...there're truly fantastic! Again I'm being offered a change to gain teaching experience with such fantastic students! And most of them are from South-America, which of course makes it a double good experience. Next week I'll be having an interview with a student from Colombia, the first one!

And then there was the football! How amazing. Just when you're leaving there comes the national pride. Against Brazil was so special, but reaching the finals is...indescribable.

Extract from mail to Machiel Keestra, July 7, 2010:

Je vroeg in je mail volgens mij of ik het IIS al vergeten was. Dat uiteraard niet, maar veel tijd om eraan te denken heb ik ook niet. Ik word van 9 tot 17.15 beziggehouden en 's avonds is het tijd om lessen voor te bereiden en stukken te schrijven. Zeer intensief dus, maar bevalt me erg goed. De docenten zijn zeer professioneel, medecursisten heel aardig, en de cursisten die ik lesgeef heel leuk en interessant (veel Zuid-Amerikanen).

Goodbye IIS (July 1st, 2010)

2010-07-02T18:46:00.001-07:00

Excerpt from an email to my parents (June 30, 2010)

Afscheidsfeestje afgelopen zondag thuis was heel leuk! En morgen nog eentje, van mijn werk. Morgen tevens mijn laatste werkdag, maar dringt nog niet helemaal door. Spanning begint nu wel een beetje te komen, maar dat is niet erg, voelt allemaal goed.

Excerpt from speech (July 1, 2010)

Veel mensen praten graag en veel over hun studententijd
Of hun middelbare schoolperiode
Ik doe dit zelf vrijwel nooit
Maar zal over mijn IIS tijd zal ik tot vervelends toe vertellen

Het IIS was alsof ik voor een tweede keer studeerde
Met alle ingredienten die daarbij horen
En die tweede keer genoot zelfs mijn voorkeur

Toch was het langzamerhand tijd voor een nieuw avontuur
Nu is natuurlijk het punt
Het IIS is de leukste werkplek van Nederland
Amsterdam de mooiste stad van Europa
Daarom zit er niets anders op
Naar Zuid-Amerika

Excerpt from an email to Eva Zagar (July 2, 2010)

Yesterday was a very special day for me, because it was my last workday at my institute: course evaluation meeting, finishing administration stuff, throwing away many paper stuff that didn't have much value anymore. It felt unrealistic realizing all the time it was my last day there. But it was great, a very relaxed and effective day. Then, in the evening, there was my goodbye party my colleagues had organized outside a bar. Jasper gave a speech and then I gave a speech. We had many drinks more, 25 degrees, very positive atmosphere. And then, a bit drunk, still daylight, we had some splendid food at a Lebanese restaurant. A magnificent day!

But from this day everything will be different. On Monday my CELTA course will start. Will take four whole weeks in total and hard working I guess. And then, beginning of August I'll pack my stuff and go to South America, Colombia!

Introduction to my Colombia blog

2010-07-02T17:17:00.000-07:00

July 1st marked both the end and the beginning of a phase of life. It was my final workday at the Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies in Amsterdam. The good bye party my colleagues had organized was grand, still feel very happy about those hours at cafe Smit & Voogt and restaurant Bayrouth. I will add some impressions of that memorable day later on.

So this is a blog, a story about my life, my life in Colombia, starting with the period just before I'll be leaving for Bogota. The material I'll be using for this blog will be pluriform; part of the content will be traditional diary stuff and photos, but I'd like to use different material as well, such as extracts of any public interest from letters I'll be writing to family and friends, news coverage of special or normal events in Colombia, videos, etc. If possible, I'll be writing in English, but the language can be Dutch, German or Spanish too.

On the next page, I'll start with a main turning point, that memorable first day of July.

Enjoy,

Peter
Amsterdam, July 2nd, 2010