Colombia is cool
I am finally writing from South America. I do not think I realised the thoughts that could be going through your head, until I experienced the London attacks from a distant. Not hearing from people after phone calls and emails was scary, so I apologise for being distant, and will be in touch a lot more often.
I have made it to Colombia. Yes, yes, it is all true; there are guerrilla, drug cartels, and hot women. But these are only a part of the story, the real danger, I feel, and I have been here for nearly a month now, are the paramilitary.
Despite the above I have really fallen for Colombia. It is truly inspiring, and the first Latin American country in which I have felt at home. For me this has been a Latin American version of New York, there is always lots happening, things move fast, and people are informed and connected. Bogota is brilliant. About the size of London, and similarly it takes about an hour to get anywhere, but instead of being a collection of villages, it is a simple split between the North and South. The further South you go, you are no longer on paved roads but driving through dirt tracks, serious ghettos, and few people have a place to call their own. Up north you live in your own apartment with marble floor and gold taps. This inequality means that few people have houses in the middle, because they are so vulnerable. You simply will be robbed. So people live in highly protected luxury apartments. You can tell this simply by the view of Bogota as you first fly or drive in. At day you can see the so called misery belts (or shanty towns) in the South, shacks piled on top of each other on the sides of the mountains that surround the lake that Bogota once used to be, and in the North there are apartments surrounded by trees. At night, you see lights far apart from each other like stars in the North, and crammed together to make the yellow brick road in the South.
Why is the division more extreme than other Latin American Countries?
Well, there are many reasons, but one principle reason is that the really rich are very well connected, and life in Bogota is so very much easier and sweeter with connections. In some cases, some of these connections are with the narcotics industry, for this money is pervasive. Meanwhile, the poorest of the poor are the refugees who are given literally hours to leave their homes if they are in the way of the guerrilla cocaine channels.
Taking a second to look at the more commonly portrayed image of Colombia; The vision that was once associated with the 'communist' work of the Farc – the main gorilla movement, has long gone, and now they are seen as simple terrorists. But it is not easy to contain them or bring peace, when the paramilitary and police can be so easily bribed to work with them. This is why I would say that the police and paramilitary are even more dangerous, because in a time of warfare, you may make the mistake of turning to them for protection. The situation that I am describing exists primarily in the rural areas, so moving around the country, can be dangerous if your route is not common. However, Colombia has changed greatly in the last few years, shown by the dramatic changes in Bogota, and safe opening up of the rest of the country.
For a visitor the country is safe, and because there are not many tourists perhaps, people are exceptionally friendly. I have found Colombians to be immensely warm and big hearted, and they go out of their way to prove to you that Colombia is not hell on earth, but rather paradise. And to be honest, it is stunning! Travelling up into the country from the south, there are snow capped mountains in the background, with a lush rolling hills in the foreground, the eastern half of the country is pure Amazon, the northern coast is Caribbean, and hidden in the national parks are scenes straight out of the Beach – for those who have watched the film. There are deserts, forests and muddy swaps and the extent of this diversity means that there are many very distinct cultures. The climates and variety in environments also means that they have an immense variety of fruits, that I have never heard of or tasted before, and every time you sit down for a mean there will be a new taste on your plate. In addition, food is great, really varied and always delicious – though they have a real fetish of mixing sweet with sour. Music, dance, dress…everything is rich in its depth and quality.
Colombians have a great deal to be proud of and they know it. What makes me feel so happy here are the people. They are so much fun! Really inventive, though some perhaps might say that they can be a little too clever for their own good. The streets reflect what I mean. Everything goes. You do not need to have taken lessons to drive, you just need to buy a licence, and it shows. The rules are not to use an indicator; you are the king of the road, and red simply means speed up so that you are not in the way of whatever on coming traffic there may be. I kid you not, I know, I was involved in a small accident, and see the remnants of one almost everyday. On top of this chaos are the buses. Imagine what it is like if every third vehicle in Bogota is a bus, with bus drivers who are kind enough to stop whenever some one puts their hand out? Apart from the cars behind having to be quick, but passengers too, doing a running jump in or out of these 'never quite stopping' buses. Then inside the buses there is almost 'Colombian Rumba' (party). For almost every bus plays hot salsa, has flashing coloured lights and there are entertainers, on top of which sellers passing through. You can buy anything on a bus; from a razor, notebook or bulb, to a radio/alarm clock, and beyond.
Most of these things are made in China, but if you ask for something, then word quickly goes around the sellers, and whatever you want is yours. What is also interesting is the way that the sellers get you to buy what you do not need. If perfume, for example, is the product, then the vendor will give everyone their own individual bottle – of what they imagine you would like. So for a while, you think it is yours, the box is in your hands, you open it, and perhaps try the scent on, such that by the time the vendor comes back around to you on the bus, you are more likely to give them a little money to keep the product, than return the product. An easy sale.
Speaking of things easy, beauty is becoming easy. There is a real obsession with looks here. You go to clubs and parties to look and be seen – dancing, drinking, being merry comes second in many occasions. It is the same even when you go to the gym. I went this morning, and barely anyone broke out in a sweat. It is just not the done thing!
If you sweat, you would upset your make-up, and your tight clothes will begin to show sweat patches. Yes, there are J-Lo look-alikes everywhere. You know the type. Big earnings, slick straight hair, a tight pink or grey tracksuit type outfit, and perfect skin. In the strive for perfection, there is a phenomenal boom in plastic surgery of every kind. These things just aren't a priority in countries like Bolivia, I guess that is why it has taken me by surprise. Having a beauty queen, not only for the region or country but for every product under the sun…coffee, guava, or trucks, makes you realise that beauty is really something more than important here. It is celebrated every day for occasion, product or reason. You understand the reasoning, when you see that a ladies life can be turned upside down in terms of fortune, and everything is at your finger tips if you are one of the most beautiful. Rich men here, more than in any other place that I have been to, fall at the feet of the beauties.
Saying that, the women are not bitchy, far from it, some of the most incredibly warm people that I have ever had the fortune to meet, have been Colombian. Experiencing almost every part of the city and every level of society here, from the female shoe cleaner to the country's first lady, there has been nothing but charm.
Colombia is very different to the neighbouring countries of Ecuador, Peru or Bolivia. Here there is a high level of consciousness about almost everything…from Sundays being a cycle day and so many roads are blocked, to having one of the most prominent (and for most, the first) stand up comedies in the world (Andreas Lopez is like the Ali G of
Latin America) to the study of conflict and peace – one of the most developed themes in literature. So, why is it that there are so few people visiting Colombian?
Well, it is working hard to shed its image of being a place of warfare and danger. There are parts to be avoided, but these are few and far between. The rich Colombians perhaps have a little paranoia, and security in homes, cars and work is tight, but perhaps rightly so because even I, who has nothing apart from a audio recorder, found that it was missing, even though I thought it was attached to my body!
When I told a friend about what had happened he assured me I was not alone, 'I guarantee 100% have experienced theft, at some point'. Not sure that made me feel as good as he intended. So, the idea is to become even smarter than your average Colombian. Not easy.
Have lots more to say about Colombia, but will stop now. I did not want to show only the good, or only the bad, so I hope that this is a fair selection of some impressions. More than any other country in Latin America, I feel that Colombia is one place that could do with accurate accounts, and not fiction for it is changing fast, and this is hardly known. (For anyone who has recently seen the opening scenes of the film Mr and Mrs Smith – which are meant to be based in Bogota, but are not even shot here! The film shows warfare, mafia and bombings – and is highly offensive to Colombia, and is generally being ignored here.)
I have made it to Colombia. Yes, yes, it is all true; there are guerrilla, drug cartels, and hot women. But these are only a part of the story, the real danger, I feel, and I have been here for nearly a month now, are the paramilitary.
Despite the above I have really fallen for Colombia. It is truly inspiring, and the first Latin American country in which I have felt at home. For me this has been a Latin American version of New York, there is always lots happening, things move fast, and people are informed and connected. Bogota is brilliant. About the size of London, and similarly it takes about an hour to get anywhere, but instead of being a collection of villages, it is a simple split between the North and South. The further South you go, you are no longer on paved roads but driving through dirt tracks, serious ghettos, and few people have a place to call their own. Up north you live in your own apartment with marble floor and gold taps. This inequality means that few people have houses in the middle, because they are so vulnerable. You simply will be robbed. So people live in highly protected luxury apartments. You can tell this simply by the view of Bogota as you first fly or drive in. At day you can see the so called misery belts (or shanty towns) in the South, shacks piled on top of each other on the sides of the mountains that surround the lake that Bogota once used to be, and in the North there are apartments surrounded by trees. At night, you see lights far apart from each other like stars in the North, and crammed together to make the yellow brick road in the South.
Why is the division more extreme than other Latin American Countries?
Well, there are many reasons, but one principle reason is that the really rich are very well connected, and life in Bogota is so very much easier and sweeter with connections. In some cases, some of these connections are with the narcotics industry, for this money is pervasive. Meanwhile, the poorest of the poor are the refugees who are given literally hours to leave their homes if they are in the way of the guerrilla cocaine channels.
Taking a second to look at the more commonly portrayed image of Colombia; The vision that was once associated with the 'communist' work of the Farc – the main gorilla movement, has long gone, and now they are seen as simple terrorists. But it is not easy to contain them or bring peace, when the paramilitary and police can be so easily bribed to work with them. This is why I would say that the police and paramilitary are even more dangerous, because in a time of warfare, you may make the mistake of turning to them for protection. The situation that I am describing exists primarily in the rural areas, so moving around the country, can be dangerous if your route is not common. However, Colombia has changed greatly in the last few years, shown by the dramatic changes in Bogota, and safe opening up of the rest of the country.
For a visitor the country is safe, and because there are not many tourists perhaps, people are exceptionally friendly. I have found Colombians to be immensely warm and big hearted, and they go out of their way to prove to you that Colombia is not hell on earth, but rather paradise. And to be honest, it is stunning! Travelling up into the country from the south, there are snow capped mountains in the background, with a lush rolling hills in the foreground, the eastern half of the country is pure Amazon, the northern coast is Caribbean, and hidden in the national parks are scenes straight out of the Beach – for those who have watched the film. There are deserts, forests and muddy swaps and the extent of this diversity means that there are many very distinct cultures. The climates and variety in environments also means that they have an immense variety of fruits, that I have never heard of or tasted before, and every time you sit down for a mean there will be a new taste on your plate. In addition, food is great, really varied and always delicious – though they have a real fetish of mixing sweet with sour. Music, dance, dress…everything is rich in its depth and quality.
Colombians have a great deal to be proud of and they know it. What makes me feel so happy here are the people. They are so much fun! Really inventive, though some perhaps might say that they can be a little too clever for their own good. The streets reflect what I mean. Everything goes. You do not need to have taken lessons to drive, you just need to buy a licence, and it shows. The rules are not to use an indicator; you are the king of the road, and red simply means speed up so that you are not in the way of whatever on coming traffic there may be. I kid you not, I know, I was involved in a small accident, and see the remnants of one almost everyday. On top of this chaos are the buses. Imagine what it is like if every third vehicle in Bogota is a bus, with bus drivers who are kind enough to stop whenever some one puts their hand out? Apart from the cars behind having to be quick, but passengers too, doing a running jump in or out of these 'never quite stopping' buses. Then inside the buses there is almost 'Colombian Rumba' (party). For almost every bus plays hot salsa, has flashing coloured lights and there are entertainers, on top of which sellers passing through. You can buy anything on a bus; from a razor, notebook or bulb, to a radio/alarm clock, and beyond.
Most of these things are made in China, but if you ask for something, then word quickly goes around the sellers, and whatever you want is yours. What is also interesting is the way that the sellers get you to buy what you do not need. If perfume, for example, is the product, then the vendor will give everyone their own individual bottle – of what they imagine you would like. So for a while, you think it is yours, the box is in your hands, you open it, and perhaps try the scent on, such that by the time the vendor comes back around to you on the bus, you are more likely to give them a little money to keep the product, than return the product. An easy sale.
Speaking of things easy, beauty is becoming easy. There is a real obsession with looks here. You go to clubs and parties to look and be seen – dancing, drinking, being merry comes second in many occasions. It is the same even when you go to the gym. I went this morning, and barely anyone broke out in a sweat. It is just not the done thing!
If you sweat, you would upset your make-up, and your tight clothes will begin to show sweat patches. Yes, there are J-Lo look-alikes everywhere. You know the type. Big earnings, slick straight hair, a tight pink or grey tracksuit type outfit, and perfect skin. In the strive for perfection, there is a phenomenal boom in plastic surgery of every kind. These things just aren't a priority in countries like Bolivia, I guess that is why it has taken me by surprise. Having a beauty queen, not only for the region or country but for every product under the sun…coffee, guava, or trucks, makes you realise that beauty is really something more than important here. It is celebrated every day for occasion, product or reason. You understand the reasoning, when you see that a ladies life can be turned upside down in terms of fortune, and everything is at your finger tips if you are one of the most beautiful. Rich men here, more than in any other place that I have been to, fall at the feet of the beauties.
Saying that, the women are not bitchy, far from it, some of the most incredibly warm people that I have ever had the fortune to meet, have been Colombian. Experiencing almost every part of the city and every level of society here, from the female shoe cleaner to the country's first lady, there has been nothing but charm.
Colombia is very different to the neighbouring countries of Ecuador, Peru or Bolivia. Here there is a high level of consciousness about almost everything…from Sundays being a cycle day and so many roads are blocked, to having one of the most prominent (and for most, the first) stand up comedies in the world (Andreas Lopez is like the Ali G of
Latin America) to the study of conflict and peace – one of the most developed themes in literature. So, why is it that there are so few people visiting Colombian?
Well, it is working hard to shed its image of being a place of warfare and danger. There are parts to be avoided, but these are few and far between. The rich Colombians perhaps have a little paranoia, and security in homes, cars and work is tight, but perhaps rightly so because even I, who has nothing apart from a audio recorder, found that it was missing, even though I thought it was attached to my body!
When I told a friend about what had happened he assured me I was not alone, 'I guarantee 100% have experienced theft, at some point'. Not sure that made me feel as good as he intended. So, the idea is to become even smarter than your average Colombian. Not easy.
Have lots more to say about Colombia, but will stop now. I did not want to show only the good, or only the bad, so I hope that this is a fair selection of some impressions. More than any other country in Latin America, I feel that Colombia is one place that could do with accurate accounts, and not fiction for it is changing fast, and this is hardly known. (For anyone who has recently seen the opening scenes of the film Mr and Mrs Smith – which are meant to be based in Bogota, but are not even shot here! The film shows warfare, mafia and bombings – and is highly offensive to Colombia, and is generally being ignored here.)
posted by Mandeep Rai at 7:04 AM
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