Much belated: San Agustín, Colombia

I often find myself reminiscing about this trip to Colombia, and what inevitably comes up are the days spent in San Agustín in the southwest. I was sick, for about five days, unable to do much but keep some liquid in me, and do the best I could to see this incredible archaeological site. You can read about the site here http://colombiareports.com/colombias-san-agustin-and-the-mythical-story-behind-ancient-statues/
and here
https://sacredsites.com/americas/colombia/san_augustin.html
This was definitely the highlight for me of the trip, alongside the Tatacoa desert, which I will also post at this late date. If you go to Colombia, make the effort to get to San Agustín. In some ways the journey was the story, but I will need a few glasses of wine to tell it with appropriate flair, so for now, here 's some pics.

Colombia January 2016 | Bogota Graffiti Tour

It's our final night in Bogotá. We've been here two days but I don't think we've managed to get more than 10 blocks from Casa Platypus, if that. It was great to arrive here on Monday and be welcomed and recognized. Maybe it's because we owe them money from our previous stay here but I don't think so. They were unable to process our credit cards when we checked out  almost three weeks ago, but no one seemed concerned that we couldn't pay. They're just adding the two bills together. I just cannot imagine this happening anywhere else—allowing us to walk away without paying, and catch up on it later!

The highlight of these two days, and perhaps the trip, is the Bogotá Graffiti Tour. It starts in the square just opposite our hotel, and lasts about two and half hours, on foot. Anne, our guide, was so well informed about the artists, their tags and marks, the collaborations, and the social and political issues that are the subject of most of the art. I can't tell you much about the various forms—I remember tags, bombing (?), free style spray paint with and without brushing, stencils, stickers and posters. I'm sure there's an expert out there who can fill in the blanks. There are masks and sculptures as well—a uni-cyclist hanging on top of a building, a man fishing from a perch above a doorway, his line hanging into the street. 

Graffiti isn't exactly illegal here: there is agreement with the government and police that it is an asset to the city, so artists are not punished in any way. Some owners hire the artists to paint their buildings or houses, as a means to support the artists, and to discourage tagging. The city invested in street art a few years ago, as a means to appease and support the artists after an unfortunate incident with the police and an embarrassing spectacle involving Justin Bieber and a Canadian flag. (Local artists agreed it should be covered over, so no, fortunately, there is no Canadian flag with a marijuana leaf in the centre on a wall in Bogotá.)

We have lots of photos. I'll leave you to imagine the city adorned with this amazing art. Or if you are really interested you can check it out online at Bogota Graffiti Tour. Many of the pieces are mural size, taking up as much as a whole block, and the streets are narrow and busy, so photographing the images is challenging!

This image by one of the few women doing this work in Bogotá

Stenciling; political commentary on the oil industry

An indigena from the eastern Caribbean area; one of the poorest in the country

About homelessness in Latin and South America; a bag covers his head to make him anonymous

I think this is stenciling; the lower left corner for sure

If you look carefully at the image below, you can see how it extends to the ceiling of the balcony to the right.

A Caribbean slave carrying a rich man and his treasures.  Shortly after I took this photo one of the women standing harnessed herself into the cart of garbage and hauled it away. It is 2016!

Designed graphically then paint-by-number by hundreds of artists; it's a block long

This is actually a stencil, designed and created in a studio. The artists do not have enough time to do all this work at the site, so they design on computer, create stencils using giant plotters, then employ their painting techniques on site. At least that is how I understand it.

There is a family of artists, father and two sons, we often collaborate on pieces. This is part of one of those. The two sons have unique styles. The one on the left is by the same artist as the bird high up on a building, that is shown above.

 Edward Snowdon: Hero or traitor?

Margaret has many more photos. I will try to get some of them posted when I get home.

Colombia January 2016 | Around Cartagena with photos

It's siesta time, which is anytime post-lunch and when the temperature rises about 35. This morning we walked to Juan Valdez (think Starbucks) on Plaza Bolivár. We were sitting outside eating pastries and drinking coffee when we were approached by a proper-looking 20-something wearing a t-shirt advertising trips to one of the islands. Having been there yesterday, we declined, but struck up a conversation, in English. Samúel is studying English and tourism, hoping to make a career that allows him to meet interesting people from all over the world (like us, of course). He is bright, and speaks English well. He was shocked to learn, however, that we had not seen some of the most famous sites in Cartagena: Boca Grande and Manga districts and the Castillo de San Filipe de Barajas. As we were thinking “another castillo”, he was describing walks down dark tunnels, and views across Cartagena. We were sold. So...he helped us make our plan for the day, starting in Manga.

Manga is only a few blocks away, perhaps a kilometre, but we didn't know that at the time so we flagged a (un-metered) cab. For 6000 Colombian pesos, less than $3 CDN, he headed toward the cruise ship port. Once we got that misunderstanding corrected, we were dropped off near the nautical club. Manga is across a narrow waterway from Boca Grande, and offers its own torres, but not so many. These apartment and hotel hi-rises are perhaps 35 stories, and skinny. We think there is perhaps only one or two suites on each floor. Although there are many smaller, older buildings along the road, no doubt Manga will someday look like Boca Grande. We enjoyed a stroll through the parks along the bay, past the yacht harbour, sharing the pathway with an occasional runner (way too hot), families, and tourists, some of them boarding boats we think to go to the islands. 

Manga Nautical Club in the foreground; Boca Grande in the background.

Manga towers overlooking the water

Margaret researched a restaurant, La Restaurante de la Fuerte del Pastelillo. It was the perfect setting, muy ambiente as they say here, tucked into an old fort, and alongside the yacht club. There are white table cloths, countless servers wanting to help, a menu specializing in fish dishes of course. We were a bit early, but it filled up fast. We watched as a yacht pulled up at a dock at the waterside, we assume for take out. Or maybe the restaurant staff serve on board! Cartagenians like to linger over lunch and cold drinks, so...we lingered over lunch and cold drinks. When in Rome... Cocktails first of course—gin and tonic for Margaret, a mojito for me. For our main course, we added a glass of vino blanco, three entradas (light, tasty small plates) of fish (a pescado which could be anything, a salmon ensalada, and tuna tataki), french-style bread (common here) and patacones (plantain crisps that I can eat). We finished off with dessert and coffee. We haven't tasted a lot of local desserts but the caramelized, candy-like fine popcorn over ice cream is worth trying. Do I have to tell you we didn't make it to Boca Grande? We asked about a water-taxi, but there's no such thing. We did take pictures of it though, with its Miami style hi-rises and multi-level shopping centre just out of reach. Darn.

Boca Grande from Manga: too many hi-rise towers to count

Siesta time before heading to the Castillo and Plaza de Trinidad in Getsemaní later today. Samuél will be pleased!

Oops, well, the best of intentions. We didn't make it to the Castillo and it doesn't look like we will make it to the Plaza either, although it's early here for dinner still. Margaret's leg is acting up, so no more walking today. I didn't get to the book store in time to buy another book, so I'm looking for something on her Kobo. I'm packed, ready to catch a plane at 11:00 tomorrow bound for Bogota. Thoughts of home are chilly indeed.

Another change of plans. Heading out for dinner. We taxied over to Gethsemani and the Plaza de Trinidad, which Samuel had said was a must. We found fresh-made juice, a zumba hour (men and women, teenaged boys and girls, children and babies), dogs and kids, more food carts, and just a whole lot of people having a whole lot of fun. Dinner was good--very American style ribs, baked potato, coleslaw, and a side of deep fried yucca--a bit like eating sweet potato fries but more the size of fried cheese sticks.

This is an entertaining place. There is so much to enjoy--visually with the buildings and graffiti, plazas lined with food carts, the historic wall, street entertainers, and the sea. Here's a collection of photos from both cameras.

Sculpture in the plaza; The Poker Game

An abundance of street vendors

Getsemaní houses, hotels and cafes

Plaza de Trinidad during the day

Getsemaní graffiti

A Cartagena balcony

Sunset over the Caribbean Sea

An all-ages crowd

Zumba hour led from the steps of the church in Plaza de Trinidad

Juice stand at Plaza de Trinidad

Colombia January 2016 | Another day in Cartagena

It was another tough day. Our Duran Durán (!) guide arrived this morning at 830 to take us to the dock, and by 9:00 we were aboard a vessel with 50 or so others headed for Isla Encanta for a day at the beach. It's  about an hour offshore.  As quickly as we could settle in to loungers we were ordering drinks—a cocoloco for Margaret and a mojito for me—and then we read, and then we ordered another drink.  Or two. Lunch was served at two separate times, so we ate on one ticket, and an hour later, we ate on the other ticket. Finally we got our money's worth out of a buffet! We dipped a toe in the Caribbean Sea, for the first time. And we had another drink. Is that four? If it is, it's twice as many as either of us drinks in a month. But of course, the rum is cheap and the ice melts quickly when it's 35 degrees, so count most of that as water.

Margaret, testing the waters

Given high winds in the afternoon, our boat took a longer, but we are told, safer, route into town by way of the Magdalena River. The Magdalena begins high in the  Andes, and travels over 1500 km (roughly 950 miles) through the western part of Colombia to the Caribbean Sea here at Cartagena.  When we first met her up near San Agustín, she was a mountain stream in a deep gorge between the western (Occidental) and Central cordilleras. Here at the mouth, she is a major transportation route through a massive delta lined with mangroves, farms, fishing villages and shipping logistical sites. It made for a much more interesting ride, although Margaret spent most of it getting wet from the spray. 

And then we slept. And ate at an outdoor cafe. And here we are again, in bed, at 930. We've been swapping my Sandra Brown paper backs for Margaret's collection of Janet Evanovich on her Kobo. Tonight, I get the Kobo.

Colombia January 2016 | Around Medellin in photos

Between Guatapé on the weekend,  and arriving in Cartagena last Wednesday, we spent two and half non-stop days with Gloria, our host in Medellin. In addition to being our guide and cultural interpreter, she is a fantastic cook. Our best meals were at home, at her table, eating traditional Colombian cooking. A big breakfast, an even bigger lunch, and then out for some street food and an evening walk at night. All perfect.

First thing Monday morning, we headed for the market. We are trying to learn the names of all these fruits, which are sold everywhere--including on street corners, either cut up in plastic cups or as juice. At Gloria's house every meal starts with fruit--we just aren't always sure what fruit. But they are all delicious. Check out the rounds of cheese!

In the afternoon, we headed downtown to see the major sites in  El Centro. Medellín is a Smart City: I think they have joined the International Smart City movement some time in the past. I am just learning a bit about it as I go, but there is information here about the organization called Medellín Ciudad Inteligente. If you are interested in how Medellín went from being controlled by the drug cartels to a world recognized city for innovation in social programming, part of the answer is here.  It is worth following the link above to see more about it, even if you cannot understand all of it. Much is told in the pictures around the city. I used google to translate the page, so hopefully what comes up when you click on the link is in English.

Figures in Plaza Major, constructed of living plant material

An eco-space in the plaza

Pruning and deadheading while hanging from a rope, on one of 8 living walls at the Edificio Inteligente (Smart Eco-Building)

An abundance of art in the plazas

A Botero sculpture

The Museo de Antioquia has a huge collection of Botero. And Plaza Botero in front has maybe a dozen large sculptures. Large sculptures of large people and animals. Really large. If you don't know Botero, consider a quick google to see some of the work. He says these images are not of fat people, but show volume. Okay, volume it is. You will recognize Botero when you see the work or at least the style; there is a great photographic display of the Plaza and Museo at Plaza Botero and Museum Photos.

Story time at the children's library

 Pueblita is a replica of an Antioquian puebla. It sits atop a hill and is another good example of how the history and culture of the Antioquian people are celebrated here. It's on top of a mountain, so the views of Medellin are spectacular.

Girlfriends

Looking over the city; it's a 360 walk around

El Pueblito

We didn't know anything about this Castillo but there are wonderful views from here too. We toured a museum (name escapes me, it's getting late) but missed seeing the formal gardens. 

You really don't appreciate what this city is like unless you get up high and look across it all. I continued to be amazed at the site of the city sprawled out below us and riding up the sides of the mountains. 

We ended this day walking to a neighborhood fast food cafe with some of Gloria's family. Before heading for bed, we practiced our colours with their little girl Maria-José, who parked herself on our bed, with her colouring book and pencils, and laughed as we tried to guess at what she was drawing. I don't know if it was the Spanish  or us, but we had everyone in the house laughing too as we struggled to follow her instructions. With no one there who spoke much English we just bungled along. Good times.