TravelArk 2.0

Being in Bogotá

This blog is not a diary of all that happened to me during my time in Colombia but rather is a collection of observations or feelings I experienced at the time. (Actually I copied the start of a previous journal and made some changes ... ah, the wonders of technology.) I expect I will write some observations about Colombia, the country - different practices or objects or people I meet - but I expect some will be about me and how I dealt with the situations I was in. Some are merely interesting things I met along the way, and , as always, I am able to define interesting how I like! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - And the name of the journal? Fair question. I like alliteration - "the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words". So I asked myself - "What words start with 'B' that I can sit alongside Bogotá or Colombia ...?" and there we have it. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I started off my first trip to China's journal with "I have been interested in China as a country for some time." I can't say that about Colombia. In fact, before coming here I knew very little about the country. So why come? Well that's a story in itself. I actually, specifically, decided I didn't want to come to Colombia. But here I am ... Perhaps one day I'll tell you that story too. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - One of my basic philosophies of life (I have a short list) is that 'everything is interesting'. I'm really looking forward to learning & experiencing more interesting things about Colombia first hand. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - As I have going to other countries to visit or to live, I have some small concerns. OK, to be honest, Colombia has a reputation regarding traveller's safety, so some of my concerns are bigger, like, will I live through this? The other more minor concerns are mostly about the language: - Although at one stage I thought I might have an intensive 2-week Spanish course in Spain, that never happened. So I didn't start to study Spanish before coming. Will that be a problem? Well, maybe not in that I have managed to get by with pretty poor local language in the past. On the other hand, I remember many of my teachers at school putting in my reports: "Can do better!" Perhaps I will "do better" in my language study and my Spanish will be better than my Italian, my Chinese and my Japanese. I hope so. However at the beginning there will be lots of locals whom I will embarrass as I try to convey some idea to them and I do it so poorly they don't 'get it' the third or fourth time I try. Those are the people I feel for, and I consequently have concerns for. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - OK, enough ramble, let's start the story, at the beginning ... - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The picture? On my first full day in Colombia I went for a walk and found a shopping mall, amongst other things. Inside the mall a marketing campaign was running titled, I think, "100 Reasons to Love Colombia". This sculpture was one of them. It is a colourful jeep, but interestingly, some of it is made of old car tyres. Nice. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Enjoy.
Planned Dates
2016-07-20 to 2018-07-04
Countries
10
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