We went to the botanical gardens today. Again, by metro; Medellin’s metro is so very impressive. Clean, inexpensive, fast, airy. Such a pleasure. The entrance to the Jardin Botanico was a smooth modern structure with a circular path around a sort of basin. It made me feel very much like a little silver ball rolling […]
Up up up
We took the metro to Acevado, first missing the stop altogether becuase we didn’t pay attention to the announcement (in both Spanish and English) that only some doors would open due to construction. So we overshot then returned, this time careful to ask a man in a uniform where we should stand. I must say, […]
Long ago battle
Today is a public holiday in the middle of feria season so the soundstage came into its own last night. Not only that, there were street parties everywhere, including at least two directly outside our window. Over the course of the evening the sound swelled, the salsa from the stage and all the different types […]
Soundstage
When I left for my class this morning there was much hustle bustle around the nearby big street with bars and restaurants. There were metal barriers and rows of policemen in uniform, listening attentively to a briefing. There were horses corralled off in one side street. A little further and I saw what was going […]
Unconscionable
An unconscionably late post. (Soon I will run out of embarrassed titles for late posts and then there will be a reckoning). Not much has happened in the past week. I have been going for my lessons and finding out a little more about Colombian history and life in Laureles from my teacher. It’s a […]
In centro
Today, Saturday, the GF and I walked over from Laureles to Centro for a spot of tourism. (The GF arrived a few days ago, after my last post). It was not a long walk, maybe about 25 minutes, but along the way it became very different indeed from green, wealthy Laureles. First, walking along the […]
Back to school
This morning was my first Spanish class in Medellin. I left early so that I could bumble my way through buying a notebook – aside from feeble Spanish, my ear is not used to the Colombian accent and I have enough trouble shifting from British to American English. Then to find an ATM to withdraw […]
Quiet neighbourhood
We are staying in Laureles, one of the two on the upper end of the scale, but the quieter, nicer one. Although there is a bar here, which was rather loud. I woke up early despite my tiredness and then went out to find myself breakfast and to look around a little, though I didn’t […]
Lost plane
At 7 this morning a colectivo picked me up from the homestay and took me to the airport. It was a colectivo but there were no other passengers, so it was a quick journey. Of course, it was also 7 in the morning on a Saturday. It also turned out to be a very early […]
Farewells
Last day in Oaxaca. I’ve been feeling rather sad. The city is overflowing with people and cars and dancers and music and excitement, which is making it feel like I’ll really miss out but also the city is starting to be unrecognisable. There are vast tents set up on some streets, and filled with stalls […]