well its been a while, Troubles, Thoughts and Travels

Happy couple

Hello all the people that read this... probably not too many... Anyways, I just came to share my troubles, thoughts, and travels. 
Since the last time I have posted, a lot has happened. First of all, Chapy and I traveled to several parts of Colombia, enjoyed several U 20 world cup games, found a place to live, he found a job and I'm still looking for volunteer work in Bogotá. 


Here is the scoop on the travel

Lion Fish, yep we saw one of these guys...

From Santa Marta, we decided to go to Parque Tayrona. Parque Tayrona is a national park on the beach near Santa Marta. it has really pristine beaches with waves in some and bays in others. We
went snorkeling and even got to see a lion fish, then it rained while
we were there. It poured so much that we had to cross a full on
river to leave the park. We spent 2 hours thinking about how to cross
the river with our luggage. Although it was a 3 hour hike in, you can take a donkey or horse. We also saw monkeys :) 

The first day in Tayrona we found our tent that we rented and then went swimming... in lots of beautiful beaches. We went swimming so much, that we pretty much didn't take any pictures until the rainy days. Well, our night in the tent was extremely difficult. It was so hot that we ended up fanning ourselves with my hat and his frisbee until we fell asleep. Then we kept waking up to find that it was a VERY hard floor. So we decided to ask for a cabaña for the next night. Here is a picture of it. 

This is not my picture, but that is what it looks like, and that cabaña on top of that rock is where we slept

The river, remember its fast moving. We came down from the rocks on the left

We enjoyed our little spot in this cabaña until the rains came that night.... We went down the little trail, and crossed the creek before it got too high to go eat dinner. On the way back though.... it had risen and we were up to our stomachs in fast moving water that had originally been ankle deep. Little did we know... the next day would be worse. We needed to leave that day because we had a reservation in hotel near the entrance of the park through a groupon. Here is a picture of the river we needed to cross. The next two nights were spent in the bella isla resort. We were with 4 other volunteer friends of mine. The resort itself was very abandoned with so many empty rooms that the other couple got a cabaña to themselves. We did enjoy the large pool. In fact that is pretty much all we did, among card games... We also chased some crabs, some frogs, avoided bats, it was all quite nice. Really though, it was. 

On our way out, we decided to go surfing at Costeño beach. chapy had never tried surfing before so he was quite excited. 

Then after that, we decided to go to La Guajira. A department (state) known for it´s desert and indigenous Wayyu people. We only had two nights (so we thought) but we were going to do it!

 La Guajira is the name of a department here (ie
state) that is in the desert region in the most northern points of
Colombia. The people who live there are called Waayu and have managed to maintain their culture and language while living with mostly full amenities. We slept in hammocks and only had electricity from 6-10pm. It was really interesting to get to Cabo de la Vela. We had to take a shared car to a city called Urirbia then get in the back of truck that carried all kinds of cargo to get to Cabo de la Vela. On the way back we had to get the same car at 4am. It carried people, goats, coolers, everything you could think of while crossing the desert. I sincerely felt like I was getting a tad bit of the illegal immigration experience. Cabo de la Vela had great lobster. It had all kinds of crabs and starfish in the very blue water. I was really happy with that impromptu trip. We stayed an extra night then went from Cabo de la vela to Cali in one day.

The ride in

Wayyu fence, pretty effective...

Wayyu housing

Yum

Giant star fish, maybe 1 sq foot

A Beach we got to after walking an hour in the desert. pretty awesome

From Cabo de la Vela, to Cali, in one day

This map makes it look like an easy trip, but let me break it down for you.

4am Ride in the back of a truck with goats to Uribia

630am Ride in a car to Rioacha

730 am Find a bus to Santa Marta

10 am take local bus from mamatoco to Santa Marta

once in Santa Marta, look for Claudia to get my stuff that Renee left for me

Take moto taxi to host family's, get stuff, re-pack and chat

take cab to the center because we are running late

take bus to airport

Bus doesnt go all the way to the airport, get off bus take moto taxi to airport

take a plane to Cali, but there is a layover in Bogotá

get to Cali

get picked up by Chapy´s dad 

Chapy´s dad hits a pot hole, blows a tire a block away from the apartment

fix tire, get home.

wasn't as simple as the map makes it look....

Meeting dad, enjoying Cali, dropping the bomb.

So we went to cali, wasn't much to do there, but we did go to a U 20 world cup game, spent some time with Chapy´s dad which was awkward (to be explained), and took lots of naps. 

So I got to meet Chapy´s dad. Thats nice, to get to know the family. In the first day, we went out to lunch with his dad and Chapy dropped the bomb, he´s not going back to Argentina, he is staying here, he is done there, he doesn't want to be far from me ever again in his life, and that his plan is to work then go to USA with me. Well everything Chapy´s dad said in response to that seemed supportive, but in the end, he is disappointed and very hurt. We actually haven't heard from him since we left Cali. 

We spent the rest of our time in Cali exploring, watching soccer, and napping. Here are some pictures. 

Off to drink coffee, where they grow it.

We left Cali and went to Pereira, where Chapy´s cousin lives. We saw another U20 game and then went to Salento. Salento was beautiful, a small town with lots of landscape. We arrived and took a coffee farm tour, drank some GREAT FRESH coffee. We were staying at a place called plantation house. It is owned by a British guy who is married to a Colombian (after he started his business) It is a beautiful little hostel. It also runs the coffee farm next door. We went on a horse back ride after the tour. We rode through this man´s property into the night. Wow, what a beautiful ride. At night, the fireflies came out and the sky was clear with stars. We were riding with no light. It was great. We ended the day by playing tejo. A nice game with flying heavy clay discs and gun powder. Unfortnatly we forgot our camera battery... So we have no pictures.

On to Bogotá, start the non-traveling portion

Well when we first arrived in Bogotá we were staying with Chapy´s mom. It was quite a squeeze in that apartment with 6 of us. I think we were there for 10 days before we found a furnished room to rent in a nice apartment. On the day we went to go see it, Chapy got a call (while in the apartment) for a job offer. 

He now works at a call center.

The odd thing is that I have been getting sick pretty often, but only since I went to Pereira (before the whole trip described here). I went to the doctor in Bogotá and I am almost better, but if I forget to take medicine, I get sick again. 

As for volunteering, I found a place I really like, but they only function for volunteers on the weekends. It is called Un Techo Para Mi Pais. What I like about it is they don't give anything away, they really wish to empower the people they help. I also went the YMCA here to check them out. I really liked their projects, but I didn´t like feeling judged. The woman asked me several times why Chapy didnt finish his degree and also told me that if I am not a Christian, I can work on the projects, but I cant be called a volunteer. I didn't like that, so I haven't gone back. Tomorrow, I am meeting with a girl from Habitat for Humanity and put out the word among people I have been able to connect with that I am looking to volunteer somewhere. 

Other than that, I have started dance classes at this great studio for hip hop and salsa. It's absolutely wonderful. I am so happy I am doing that. 

I was able to connect with a friend of my Latin American studies professor. My professor lived in Colombia for a year doing a Fulbright and got me in contact with his friend. The Colombian professor wants me to come to his class and talk about the style of upper education in the USA. He also said he was going to contact several people and see if there might be something I can do. I am very thankful for that connection. 

Bogotá from above

Possibilities, but without resources

Sorry I have been gone so long. I guess I got occupied. I still love volunteering although my lessons still suck. I tell Renee that I am bad teacher but she says I may be bad, but I am good volunteer because I care. I  feel like that is true. I really do love my kids and want to help them even though they frustrate me sometimes. Now that I have been volunteering for over a month and have had the same class I am really learning the dynamics of my students. My students are ALWAYS changing. One day you might have prepared a lesson more geared towards the interests of the class you had the day before. Then you show up to class and there is only one student that is the same. Either way, I have a student who is a really bad reader and writer. Everyday I stay after class with her and read. She really reminds me of why this foundation is pretty necessary in barrios like Oasis. I did notice she is super creative. We painted masks that we had made before and she really thought out the design. It ended up being simple but elegant.
One thing that really kills me is I see real potential in the kids I work with, but without the right resources, they wont be able to cultivate it. For example, I was helping the volunteers who organize the weekly talks for the women in the community keep the kids from interrupting. I was watching some of the boys pretty much pole vault with a stick they had found. I thought wow, if a track coach had ever seen what I just saw these kids do, they would snatch them up and put them on their team. Another one is, I have a kid who is very advanced in math and likes to mess with my cell phone (engineer?) but how is he every going to afford an education? I dont know how financial aid works here, but I doubt it would be free. And my nearly illiterate student, from the little I have seen, she is very thought out in her creative work. I could see her going in arts, design or something, but she just needs to know that money is out there for those who try to cultivate the things that they are good at. Another student I have, who usually is a disruption, but a happy one, smiles all the time, and has no fear to preform or anything like that. I see him as an actor or someone in tourism or something like that. I wish I could bring recruiters for those kinds of things to barrios like this one. I suppose everyone has some potential, but not everyone has the resources.

More Mariposas, Cartagena and a failed bank

So here is my plan for my class in the foundation; Everyday a little bit of math and a little bit of english and then the last hour the subject of the day. The subjects for each day will (hopefully) like this, Monday extended math, Tuesday sciences, Wednesday history, Thursday languages spanish literature or english extended, Friday quiz and fun day.
I started this system last week and there seems to be one subject that the kids just don't want to do... History. History used be my best subject, but aparently I am a better student than teacher at this. Maybe it's because the subjects of history I want to teach them are more relevant to them (therefore, I don't know much). Friday's seem to be a success minus the banking system that was tried out the week before I got there. The girls who had my class between Natalia and me decided since they were learning how to do percentages that they should do a "bank" system of rewards with fake money. They decided that if you showed up for class you got $5, if you did something nice you got say $10, if you did something bad you got fined, etc. Well we decided to cash out with prizes and that was a disaster, especially since there was discrepancy between what they had in their envelopes and what the paper said. They started stealing, arguing we ended up staying at school an hour later than we were supposed to because of the bank fiasco. Thankfully the whole day wasn't a failure. That day I also had planned a creative activities to make our own ball in a cup game (coca). They were really good, shared, asked for materials when they needed it, all very nice. They enjoyed it above all and that made me proud of my day.

Also, this weekend I went to Cartagena. Unfortunately I am updating my blog too late and my computer has been rained on so there for any pictures of this must be viewed on facebook. Cartagena was beautiful. I went with my friend and housemate in the homestay, Renee. Renee and I caught an early door to door shuttle from Santa Marta to Cartagena after having gone out dancing until 4 am. That night we had actually met a pair of brothers who were heading there after their time in Santa Marta. We met up with them later. Renee and I went out every night that weekend in Cartagena. It was great. Although the first night we were traveling in a big group from the hostel we were staying in and it took a long time to get out, but finally we made it. We went to this salsa bar inside of the walled city. It was wonderful. Not many people were dancing on the floor that we were on but maybe that was because they were intimidated by the pair of professional salsa dancers that had taken the floor. One of the guys from the hostel decided to dance. He first danced with his Mexican friend, then I also danced with him. He also danced with the professional woman. I had a good time.

Renee and I had only a little bit of time to travel around Cartagena so we decided to take a tour in bus. The bus is called a Chiva and is painted colorfully and is really a party bus at night. They took us around, showed us the fortress, the walled city, explained things which was perfect. The next day we took a tour to the mud volcano. The mud volcano is exactly what it sounds like. It is way taller than I expected, about 25 meters high. Inside of the volcano is mud that you suppose is coming up from the ground. When we got to the top we thought that the people in there were standing but when we got inside of the mud we realized that it was just really easy to float. It was a small space so people were running into each and all of that. We got in a near by river to rinse off.

Renee and I in this super fancy place

One night Renee and I followed our lonely planet and went to this upscale restaurant, that we didnt know was upscale. We came in our tennis shoes and our t shirts still sweaty from the day and ask for a table. They were reluctant to give us a table since we didnt have a reservation even though we had asked for one even before they opened. We ended up getting the "only table that wasn't reserved" in the "you make us look bad" corner of the restaurant. It was freaking delicious though. totally worth it.
Cartagena is beautiful and they do a lot of work to keep it that way. Very romantic, very recommended with a loved one. Good thing I had my surrogate boyfriend, Renee (who is female).

Spending a night out on a colonial wall

Bogotá

Here I am, in Colombia. What a feeling to be back in South America. My plan as of right now is arrive June 13 in Bogotá, stay with my boyfriend's family in Bogotá for two days, then head on to Santa Marta to begin volunteering with Mariposas Amarillas. After that I plan to travel around with my man in Santa Marta, Cali, the coffee zone, and return to Bogotá. So far, as of June 24, I am sticking to my plan.
I arrived in Bogotá not ever meeting the people I was going to stay with so I was happy when a friend from Argentina said that she would go to the airport with them. It is an odd feeling seeing someone you never thought you would see again in your life. Anyways, I went home with Chapy's mom, son in law and Paola. When I had arrived Valentina had left me a sign that said "welcome to colombia!" in spanish on the table. I thought it was so sweet.

Ajiaco

The next day we went to el centro, which seems to be where all the government buildings seem to be and where the colonial area of Bogotá is. I ate a soup called Ajiaco that most of my Colombian friends in Argentina miss.

The government square was pretty. We bought some dried corn to feed the pidgins for pictures (because Valentina wanted to) and we took some good pictures. Valentina and I were both too scared to have the pidgins in our hands, but Bate (Chapy's mom) was not at all. In the end I let them land on me, but Valentina did not want to.

The beginning of the day was rough. I had gotten off the transmilineo and been really dizzy. I was already pretty thirsty, but on top of that, Bogotá is a very high city. (8600 ft) It isn't really in the culture to drink a whole lot of water so I was REALLY thirsty because I am used to drinking about 2 liters a day.

The next day I met up with a friend from Buenos Aires who had nothing to do, Yeimy. She took me to this city outside of Bogotá called Sopó. The dairy factory for Alpina, a common brand in Colombia, is there. We bought sweets. I dont know what they were, but it ended up being way too much sugar for the both of us. Yeimy really likes sugar, but can't eat it (isnt suppossed to) so by the end of it all, she had blurry vision.......

Mariposas Volando

Our house that is converted into a school

It is my second week at Mariposas Amarillas. The first week I went around to each class and saw where I would best fit. There are two barrios that Mariposas Amarillas works out of, Fundadores and Oasis.
Fundadores is a barrio that is easily accessed by a bus, but Oasis is very isolated. The first 2 days I was in classes in fundadores and then the other days of the week I was in Oasis. I discovered that what they say is true on the website, most cabs aren't willing to take you there. I haven't quite figured out why since there are several cab drivers that live in the barrios (nearly the only cars inside of the barrio). After trying about 10 cabs we finally got someone to take us.
When my cab arrived, one girl started running with us saying "profe profe!" short for Profesora. I was a totally new face, but it was obvious that I was with the foundation since I am a gringa.
Well the first day was very difficult. In Oasis there are 3 different classes, a 1, 2, and 3 divided on ability. I was placed in the number 2 class shadowing another profesora. Her name is Larissa and she is from Switzerland. She had a nice lesson plan for the kids, and they did their work, but not in the way that I wanted to see. They were hitting each other for the glue sticks, pulling things out of each others hands, generally just a lack in discipline. That experience with that class is why I decided to stay in this barrio.

Working

I am now the "long term" profesora for the Oasis 3 class. Oasis 3 is unique. Just before me, a girl named Natalia, who I met as she was leaving for home, was the teacher. She must have worked wonders because this class was attentive, understanding, wanted to learn and grasped concepts quickly. People have told me that Natalia's class wasn't always like that. They used to make her cry and they were as undisiplined as 2. What she did that really seemed to work was implent a rewards system instead of a harsh punishment system. The kids would be rewarded for sharing, doing extra work, cleaning up without being asked and so on. At the end of the week, the people with the most stars (what they received for those good actions) got stickers. I have kept a reward system, but the one bequethed to me was a bank system with fake money. Each day a new person was able to be the banker and people who did good things got more money and everybody is rewarded for coming to class. I really like the bank system, I think I'll keep it.

Ana Teaching about Simon Bolivar

Anyways, it is my first week with the class as one of the teachers and I am so impressed by them. Of course there are interruptions from other people in other classes who just pop in to cause trouble and the occasional dismissal for in appropiate language but overall they are great. One boy is always on time (even though the volunteers aren't always) and helps set up class and ALWAYS does the work, even if he wants to put up a fight about it. A lot of them are like that though, but I am definatly happy to see some of the same faces everyday.

 Monday was holiday so we did not have class so on Tuesday Ana and I started full force. We did a geography lesson on Colombia having to do with the main rivers and mountain ranges. Colombia has the 2nd most fresh water in the world, so I thought that this was important for them to have pride in their country. This is also nice because Ana had prepared a lesson on the water cycle. We talked about why water was important for this class. Today we decided to teach history. We taught about Simon Bolivar, San Martin along side with what a democracy was, an election for banker, and what they would do if they were president. It was beautiful what they wrote. It seemed like they really recognized the problems of their neighborhood.  I am planning on transcribing them for my own memories. It was also quite nice that they provided a perfect example of political parties. When we decided to vote on the banker, one of the tables worked together