The first place I visited in Colombia was Cartagena, famous for its colonial architecture, which is amongst the finest in the Americas (photos 1-4). Within the precincts of the old town, once one enters underneath the clock-tower, there are some lovely streets with colonial era balconies overhanging them (photos 2 & 3) and pleasant plazas (photo 4). There are also several forts guarding the entrance to the port, that was at one time the most important in the Spanish empire, as it shipped the gold and valuables off to Europe. The town was razed by pirates several times, the most famous being Sir Francis Drake, so the forts were certainly needed. San Felipe, is probably the grandest (photos 5 & 6) and within its structure is a labyrinth of tunnels.
Not very far from Cartagena is the Volcan de Lodo (photo 1), literally a mud volcano. The mud is warm and allegedly has curative powers. Bathing in it is a bit of an odd experience as one is completely buoyant and can not touch the bottom. Standing upright is very difficult as one's legs and feet want to float to the surface. Going to the volcano is a full-service experience, as one is massaged in the mud, for some reason the Venezuelan girl was massaged repeatedly by the masseurs (photo 2), then one gets out totally caked in the stuff (photo 3) and is bathed in the river by the women, getting the mud out from everywhere (photo 4).
Medellin is not the most attractive city, viewed from afar (photo 1), like so many, it is best viewed at night (photo 2). It is a very nice city though and there are several points of interest, as well as of aesthetic curiosity. Such as the zero point marker (photo 3), that seems to dangle like a much more precarious sword of Damocles, waiting to impale the next car going through. Although the city is mostly modern, there are some older buildings and La Iglesia de la Veracruz is supposedly the oldest church (photo 4).
Fernando Botero is most likely Medellin's most famous artist although there are also some excellent works by Betancourt. There are a number of Botero's rotund sculptures around the city and a large collection of his art in the museum de Antioquia. The trademark of Botero is the fatness of his figures (photos 1 - 4) and all the men, women and animals look overweight, despite them sometimes representing real-life thin people. The "Bird of Peace" was severely damaged in 1996 by a guerrilla bomb. The artist then requested that it be left unrepaired and a new Bird of Peace placed alongside to illustrate the futility of violence.
Cementerio San Pedro is an impressive cemetery, where the great, the good, the normal and the nasty have all been laid to rest. Each Friday night there is a torch-lit tour around the cemetery, explaining the stories and architecture of some of the most interesting tombs, it is done in a light-hearted, amusing and mildly macabre manner, afterwards is a concert. The majority of the tombs are quite small slots in a wall, where people are filed like papers in pigeon holes (photo )3. The facades are usually marble and generally well cared for, with flowers and cards and representations of the internee and their favourite things or profession (photo 4). The majority of these are only rented for a maximum of four years after which the coffin is removed, usually in the presence of the family (photo 6). Then the decomposed remains and belongings that have not decomposed are put in a sack and the family either buries them elsewhere or cremates them. I witnessed this removal taking place, it was all a bit strange and emotional for the family involved. Those in the grandest tombs do not have to suffer this, nor do those with the word "Sacrificado" on their plaques (photo 5), as this word symbolises young men who died for their drug lord. They have their spots bought for them, for having made the ultimate sacrifice to make sure that a bit more illegal gain was made.
Antioquia has some charming villages, with nice squares and churches and quaint streets with pastel painted houses.
My friends Pili and Juan Andreas took me to a very nice village where his family is from. The countrified setting is very nice and the campesinos in hats and ponchos wandering around gave it a sense of timelessness. One of the best bits was how everyone seemed to be on horseback. Men and horses would go drinking so that both would be equally drunk by the end of the night. The bars even had street openings to accommodate riders who didn't feel like dismounting. According to Juan Andreas' uncle, there had never previously been a foreign visitor, at least not that he was aware of and one gets the feeling in a village like this he would have been aware. I am not telling the name, as I don't want its uniqueness to be ruined. (photos 6 & 7 are a bit blurry, but one can make out what I was talking about above). On the way back to Medellin, we passed a rock-face that was revered by the natives as it looks like a woman's face (photo 8).
Bogotá, the capital, is a nice city set on a high plateau (photos 1). The main square is also where one finds the cathedral, government buildings and legislature. When I first went there was also a big military display as the new mayor was being installed (photos 2-4). The best views of the city are from Montserrat, where there are a couple of attractive churches.
The salt mines at Zipaquira are still functioning. The miners have carved a massive cathedral with carvings and massive columns, all from the salt. The huge cross on one wall is actually carved into the rock face and lit from inside, creating an excellent effect (photos 3 & 5). The stations of the cross are represented too (photos 1 & 2) and there is a nice copy of Michelangelo's creation of man (photo 4).
Cali is regarded as the Salsa capital of the world and is a great place to have fun. The women are beautiful and there is a certain vibrancy and indefinable essence to the place that kept me there for a month and makes me regularly think of returning. Whilst there I made some good friends, mostly amongst the locals and the expatriate community. I also spent much of my time there with a couple of guys I had originally met in Bogotá. Nir from Israel and Dan from Hertfordshire, about 45mins from my place in London.
Cali is not the most attractive city, the Cathedral is nice (photo) and there are a few other nice spots, Cali has a lot of beauty, it is just that most of it is of the two-legged variety.
At the Calidad House, where I stayed for a month, there are two big dogs. Actually Palas is pretty huge, although loveable and friendly. He has a bit of a thing for Rodrigo, a friend of Davie the owner and also owner of Palas' dad Simba. Every time Rodrigo comes in the place Palas mounts him. Although Rodrigo denies it (he is a lawyer after all), you can tell by the grin he actually loves it.
Guys like this one are sometimes found at traffic lights in Cali, hustling people for change.
In Cali I could be found most nights at "The Blues Brothers", a pub run by Peter from Belfast, that had good music and good regulars. The fact that Peter would often insist on us drinking his Tequila had nothing to do with our regular attendance. From left to right are Peter himself, Dan letching, Nir grinning, me, Tatiana and Vanessa in front. This was also the famous venue where my impressive cigarette packet balancing trick could sometimes be witnessed.
I went to the football in Colombia a few times, amongst these times were to see Deportivo Cali win the league semi-final and then ultimately lose the final to Tolima. The stadium was filled beyond capacity, the atmosphere was incredible and the behaviour of the fans impeccable. The singing and chanting started as soon as people got in (the queue due to security was over three hours), when the giant Cali shirt was displayed mid-field (photo 1) the stadium roared its approval and then it would do laps of the stadium over the heads of the crowd, being passed along and obscuring one's vision for a short time, but providing welcome relief from the sun (photo 2). Even when Tolima, the first time champions won (photo 3), there were no unpleasant displays from the home crowd .
Cali has several fine places to eat, our favourite though was Leños & Carbon, where one could have a fantastic steak (photo 1), whenever there was any kind of event then there would be food stalls set up that would often sell nice stuff too (photo 2). We became such regulars at one of the late night burger places near us that we ended up cooking our own stuff at times (photo 3). The most impressive meal I had there though for sheer incongruity was Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, at Renaud and Marcella's place, cooked by Gary and Theresa (photo 4).
During my time in Cali it was the Feria de Cali. This is from Christmas into the new year, a time when there are parties, parades, concerts and much more. The bridges and river in the town centre are lit up at night and the whole city puts on a party face.
Amongst the events are different parade, where the old and young get to take part, with marching bands and several messages portrayed, such as 'say no to drugs', 'no guns', 'wear less clothing'.
The Sillas (chairs) are so called because they are flowers put on an easel-like contraption. These flowers are fabulously arranged, several are advertisements for local businesses and it is also a time when you get to see the army arranged in flowers (photo 3), interpret that how you will.
During the street parade, we got the first opportunity to see the competitors in the Reina de la Caña de Azucar international beauty contest, in their national costumes.
There were several beauty contests going on during the Feria, the first one we went to was Calibuenanota. Some of the plastic surgery on display was horrendous, but the winners were all good looking natural girls. Second prize unfortunately though is some free plastic surgery, try and explain that one then.
The more impressive contest was the Reina de la Caa de Azucar international beauty contest, more than a mouthful to say and certainly more than an eyeful to see. I had never previously been to one beauty contest, in the space of a fortnight, I had now been to two. The winner was Miss Dominican Republic, no small winner at 187cm in her stockings. During the show my friend Nir and I were regularly involved in a live broadcast on Colombian National Radio. I think the DJs enjoyed our slightly irreverent commentary.
Once the show was over, we went to the after party at a fancy private country club, where we got to meet some of the lovelies who had previously been parading their wares on stage. I even danced with a few of them, which was great for me, I don't know if the experience was mutually agreeable.
The newly crowned Queen (Ghaidy Marquez) towered over me when I got to meet her (photo 1). Nir was the only person in the room tall enough to dance with her and not have their face in her chest, so after a bit of convincing, he finally asked her for a bit of a Salsa (photos 2 & 3). When I met her I asked her as the newly crowned 'Reina de la Caña de Azucar' - Sugar-Cane Queen, would she like to send a message to the Queen of England, one queen to another. A little doubtful, until a Spanish press photographer I had got to know assured her that I represented the British media. She then gave a sensible enough message to the queen that I transcribed, hence the dodgy handwriting, then she signed it (image 4).
Cathy Daza was a special guest at the party as she is Srta. Colombia. I asked her if she would like to send a message to the Queen of England, one queen to another, without a hint of scepticism she took the pen and paper I offered her and first wrote out some notes, consulted her Mafioso boyfriend and her mum and produced a final draft that could have been better written by an average eight year-old. Not necessarily a Spanish speaking one, at that (image 4).
The Cabalgata (photo below) is a procession of literally thousands of horses and riders through the streets of Cali. The origins of it were to give the poorer folk a chance to get there own back at the rich people, as they would throw flour and water at the riders without recrimination. Nowadays the flour and water thing still happens but anyone can ride in the Cabalgata. Many of the women treat it as a horseback fashion parade and many intentionally wear flimsy white tops without anything underneath so it turns into a horseback wet T-Shirt display. By the end of the procession many of the riders are utterly intoxicated and being ill, falling from their horses and such like. There are those however who use it to show-off their riding prowess with some Paso Fino (fine treading), effectively making the horse, skip and dance, which is impressive to see.
Nir and I went to two concerts during the Feria, both of which were very good. The first was the inauguration concert on Christmas Day. As we had press accreditation we were in the VIP area and even were able to go on the stage itself. The performers were Pastor Lopez, Canela, Luis Felipe Gonzalez, Guayacan, Eddie Herrera and the best of the evening Son de Cali (photo 1). Nir and I as the only foreigners in the VIP bit were interviewed for radio and television several times (photo 2). When we watched our interviews on television a few days later it was quite amusing. They obviously couldn't work out how to do Nir's name so they called him Israeli Tourist and they mis-spelled my name as Rafael Kazar (sounds like a magician).
Another concert we went to was the SuperConcert. Son de Cali opened this one with a very similar set to at the Inauguration concert, there was a Vallanato singer, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Elvis Crespo and then Ruben Blades came on and stole the show. He started at 1.45 am and finished at 4.30. His performance was phenomenal in quality, charisma and longevity. The stadium emptied when he finished leaving three people to see Jorge Celedon - they worked there.
On New Years Eve I went with some friends to see the bullfights. I did not go because I agree with it, neither do I entirely disagree with the bullfights. I did find the killing of the bulls unpleasant as is all the maiming that takes place before that. The arena is a great people watching place though and there was a definite vibe in the place. The whole thing is highly ritualised and traditional. The bullfight starts with the entrance of the bull, being tired a bit by several matadors making it run about. Then the picadors enter (photo 2). These are two men on horseback, on opposite sides of the ring. The bull comes towards them and they take their pick and spear it in the shoulders. This makes the bulls head drop and slows it down a bit. Then the colouring of the bull takes place, when fighters thrust blades with tassels into the bull's neck (photo 3). Then the torero enters and does the most famous bit which is the twirls with a cape and tires the bull some more (photos 4-6). The flashy ones do this kneeling down, making themselves an apparently easy target (photo 6). The final blow then comes when the matador asks permission to end the fight and attempts to kill the bull with one swift well aimed thrust with his sword (photo 7). Unfortunately the matador is often not quite as accomplished as one would wish for the bull's sake and the death can take time or even require several more stabs, all the while the bull will be literally bleeding to death. Once the bull finally dies, it is dragged from the arena (photo 8) and if the matador is deemed worthy, its ears are given to him. If the crowd is impressed they will throw him their hats or roses. The hats get thrown back (photo 9). The crowd can really get into whole thing and some are quite fanatical (photos 10 & 11).
I think that it is important to point out that not all Colombians are good looking. Some of them are just interesting looking.
For some reason I have a picture of me getting a hair cut, here it is.
