First impressions

I am starting this blog for my nearest and dearest as my "letters home", as well as a diary for myself, while I'm on my Colombian adventure. I have now been here for a little over two weeks and my first impressions have been overwhelmingly positive. As the Colombian tourism board says "the only risk is wanting to stay"... 

For most people the word "Colombia" evokes images of drug wars, Escobar, and cocaine being brewed in the jungle, and maybe Shakira. Having spent time with Colombians and learnt a bit more about the culture and country, I arrived with images of the beautiful mountains and friendly lively people, and the desire to absorb all the wonderful things and not be scared by the stereotypes. Unfortunately, the violence, poverty and inequality is not in the past, things are improving, but slowly. Despite the complex situation and being in a country in the middle of a civil war, I feel very safe here. I am being very well looked after and take seriously the advice of the locals and try not to draw extra attention to myself.

Of course, this is difficult, tourists and foreigners are rare, and being tall and blond is definitely unusual here! But all the attention I get is very positive, people are very interested to meet me and ask where I'm from and why I'm here, and even take photos with me! Everyone is friendly and seems to want to give a good impression of their country     

The first days here I spent in Medellin, the second biggest city after the capital of Bogotá. It is located in the state of Antioquia, in the northwest of the country. The city is located in a river valley between the mountains (the westernmost one of three ranges that the Andes split into when they reach Colombia). Most of the neighbourhoods (barrios) in Medellín are very poor, with simple brick housing and few green areas. The city is constantly buzzing, with noisy traffic, barking street dogs, latin music, and vendors yelling about avocados and mangoes. There is a culture of street food, reminding me of Asia, where there are small stalls everywhere selling arepas (flat corn bread) with cheese, empanadas and various other fried cheese or meat-filled heart-stopping delights. Also tubs of fruit (green mango with lemon and salt, papaya, pineapple, passionfruits etc), juice, cigarettes, coffee and chewing gum are available on nearly every street corner and from people weaving through the traffic offering goods to those in cars and busses.


  

My first desire when I arrived was to see a monkey, and happily on my first day I saw several small titis in the gardens of the university. Hopefully there will be more to see in a more natural environment. After expressing my desire to see monkeys to someone we asked if we wanted to buy a pet monkey, going cheap for only $25. It is sad that there is a market for catching the poor creatures and locking them in cages, and sad that people are poor enough to have to make money this way.

The dreary grey Danish days are a distant memory already. I miss Copenhagen, but not the icy wind and perpetual cold. The climate here is absolutely perfect, warm everyday and mostly sunny. And when it rains, it rains properly, like it only can in the tropics. There is no wonder why it is so green here.