Climate:
is mainly tropical as a result of its geographical location near the Equator, depending on the altitude, the temperature will drop but maintaining an average temperature throughout the year. Rain is likely at any time of the year with no real season variation.
Bogota
Alt: 2600 m With over 7 million people, is laid out across a large area. People commute by bus, the Transmilenio buses that run in their own bus lanes. The old part of town "Santa De where the past is very present.
"It's easy to love Colombia as it loves you back"
A country defiantly moving forward. Colombia is growing in popularity as a destination for the independent traveler, as it has a lot to offer those who like a true adventure. Almost untouched by the outside world, but even Colombia is opening up to growing tourism, so you will need to get off the tourist trail and embrace the real Colombia. Hope you are ready for a great ride, if not just go with it, you will have the best travel experiences ever. The Colombian tourist board like to promote "The only danger is wanting to stay" The other danger of wanting to stay longer for men is the beautiful woman (I am talking about the beauty within they have). It's easy to make friend's when travelling in Colombia and before long you will meet someone special.
Travel is the best education
"Behind every good Colombian is a good sandal - La Chancla" Where children are grown up to show respect and care for others from their family members.
The Colombian people are also hard working, with long working days and those who live and work in Bogota having to commute across the busy city. If you are poor, life can be very hard, there is no help like in the UK.
Someone living on a farm may have to get up very early each morning (4 am) to prepare the fire to cook arepas for the farmers, this could be one of the young children. Sometimes this work is harder than normal as the wood is often wet and makes a hard job even harder. Colombians do have a lot of talent - it seems everyone knows's how to cook a great meal, without learning to be a chef. While many people in the UK put a pizza in the oven or buy a takeaway. The number one thing with a Colombian woman is cleanliness. Even if you think you are a clean person, you will learn there is more to showering once a day. And if you are not a clean person then Dios Mio! While the Colombian man maybe macho, the Colombian woman is strong mentally and physically. They need to get on with everyday situations without much help financially. Support comes from friends and family with what little they can offer. And there is no waste, especially with food. There is a huge culture difference: Religion the big influence in everyday life, you may hear "gracias a Dios" many times when spending times with Colombians. Many Colombians don't have disposable money to spend on luxuries. Like us, the English probably spend money more easily on many things we don't really need and is quite normal for us to eat out and buy coffee/beer on a regular basis. Urban living is not the same for everyone, there are big gaps between rich and poor. 70% of education is in the private sector. While there is still a large class divide, life for many is changing in Colombia, with more opportunities, Colombia is a happy country, becoming Tierra la Paz (Land of peace) has hope and having a young population there is a lot of energy.
Poor but happy
Why at first we might not understand why Colombians do things the way they do! It's from having a long history of some difficult times. In the city's doors are kept locked and you can see bars on every window "a reminder of not so distant past" One thing for sure, they are very passionate about their country, it shows in their love of life particularly with music and sport. Where in England for many we have now starting to lose this love as we don't seem to have a direction to aim for. (There is so much more to life than owning expensive items, "status symbols" especially if you don't use them or have the skill to use them or even willing to learn the skill to use them) While our country is one of the richest in the world, but without knowing what we want, we can become unhappy. So why not visit the happiest country in the world? I'm lucky in the sense I am old school, by that, I don't need the latest gadget and instead spend money and time on traveling. I am grateful for what I have, a lovely daughter, my little Colombian monkey, great friends, family, my job that I enjoy and a job that allows me time to travel. If you're looking for some adventure, then visit Colombia. Why not stay with a Colombian family, visit and stay at a small coffee farm or visit one of the many rivers, waterfalls and mountains/volcano's that's off the tourist trail.
Some Colombian Spanish useful words:
That you will hear on your travels across Colombia.
Slang:
Chévere - Cool, "Que chevere!" to mean "how great!" or "how awesome!"
Bacano - Good, pretty, and lousy
Chiflis - Loco Crazy but good
Mono - Blonde or monkey
Culo. Better to say cola or rabo - backside/buttock
Amor - Love:
Mi vida - My life
Tan Bonita - So pretty Guapa/o - Beautiful
Pico - Peck (short tight-lipped kiss on the lips or cheeks)
¡Bueno! - That's enough!
Regalos - Presents Me regalas - Ask for something for free before actually paying for it
Muy amable - very kind of you
Comida - Food:
Buen Provecho! - Bon Appetite!
Look for the following dishes you must try:
Caldo de costilla - Beef rib soup (I have this for breakfast)
Sancocho - Is a traditional soup (often considered a stew)
Lechona - Consists of pork stuffed, yellow peas, green onion, yellow rice, and spices cooked in an outdoor, brick oven for about ten hours.
Sopa de mondongo - Soup made from diced tripe slow-cooked with vegetables
Tamal - Typically eaten Sunday lunchtimes
Buñuelos - A fried dough ball
Arepa de choclo - Sweet Corn Arepas with cheese
Patacon - Green plantain fried slices
Maduros - Ripe plantain cooked in the oven or BBQ with cheese
Queso campesino - Farm cheese
Longaniza - Spanish sausage
Rellena- black pudding
Aji - hot/spicy
Aroz con leche - rice pudding
Panela - block of unrefined whole sugar cane, very important in Colombia mainly used in drinks "Aguapanela" a sort of herbal tea and to sweeten up coffee that is sold on the streets.
Drinks
- Bebidas:
Chocolate caliente - Hot chocolate
Kumis - Fermented milk
Avena Colombiana - oat drink
Limonada de Coco Loco
Frutas - Fruits:
Tropical fruits are sold everywhere
Guayaba, Guanabana, Mora, Papaya, Lulo,
El campo:
Finca - Small coffee farm
Hasienda - Large coffee farm
Araña - Spider
Escorpion - Scorpion
Serpiente - Snake
Pajaro - Bird
Loro - Parrot
Árbol - Tree
Paisaje - Landscape
Paraje - Spot or place
Other words:
Extranjero/a - Foreigner
Mendigo - Beggar
Como estas
- Ways to ask how are you?
¿Que mas? - Reply with bien!
Estas bien o que?
A la orden - come in
Pasa - Enter
¡Adelante! - Means ahead or forward, also used to ask to sit at the front with the driver of the bus or jeep.
Negocio - Business
Dueno/a Owner or landlord
Vecino/a Neighbour
Feliz adventure amigos. Hope to see you in Colombia....
