WOW is all I have to say about the Embalse de Peñol reservoir surrounding Guatapé. Mother Nature at her rawest but also most pristine!
A Brazilian-American Colombianist? Whether culturally confused or not, still feeling LIBERATED in the most beautiful place I've yet discovered in Antioquia.
Weekenders: friend and fellow Fulbrighter Francesca Ioffreda, Claremont McKenna College class of 2010, and I about to hike up El Peñol Rock, just outside GuatapéOne of the greatest advantages of living in Medellín is having the best of both worlds--urban vigor and bountiful natural resource beauty--within close reach. Already, I've discovered a couple of the small villages outside of the city-Santa Fe de Antioquia, a colonial town 1.5 hours to the northwest, and San Antonio de Pereira, another tiny provincial corner to Medellín's southeast hills, with a charming plaza famous for its desserts. For weeks, though, friends have advised me to check out the really big deal in the immediate region--El Peñol Rock and the masterpiece of nature that surrounds the pretty village of Guatapé, two-and-a-half hours east of Medellín. On Sunday two weeks ago, during fellow Fulbrighter Francesca Ioffreda's visit from Bogotá, we decided to hop on a bus from Medellín's northern terminal and check out the place. The bus left us a 10-minute walk from the entrance to El Peñol, a towering, bullet-shaped boulder protruding from the rich soil of central Antioquia, overlooking the undulating waves of green terrain that emerge from the Embalse de Peñol reservoir. Of course, we could have taken the option to walk up the road that leads to La Piedra, or just, "The Rock," as the locals call it. But I thought renting a horse for a US$1.50 would better help the economy of the local youth tourguides, not to mention make for a better story to tell my grandchildren.
At the base of the rock, there were traditional souvenir shops, and even a restaurant serving fried fish caught in the reservoir below. After checking out some trinkets and deciding they were all, as would be expected, overpriced, 'Cesca and I skipped along to the entrance of the steep but short climb. After paying our 7,000 peso entry fee to the access the carved out spiral staircase that services the summit, we slowly but surely began our ascent up the steps--exactly 649 of them, in fact. Marching amid the mass of regional weekend tourists from all over Antioquia, and mostly Medellín, that frequent the place, one could mostly hear panting interspersed with the "ooohs" and "aws" of those impressed by the panoramic views.
By mid-way up the El Peñol steps, I was already yelling and jumping of excitement in typical Sol fashion. This view was absurdly beautiful. Appearing somewhat like a miniaturized and ruralized version of a view across Rio de Janeiro, the view of the softly sweeping mountains of lush vegetation was truly unique. The clouds hung low over them as if lounging in hammocks for a sleepy nap over the humid reservoir. I couldn't much believe my eyes and thanked the universe, for I knew, once again, that these are the types of days that make a Fulbright experience truly groundbreaking.
Once Cesca and I hit the summit, we took deep gulps of air so much fresher than anything even remotely available in Medellín or Bogotá. To perfectly cap off the morning section of our high-altitude Sunday out, we chatted with the fruit vendors at the summit's platform and chewed mango slices and watermelon in between letting our jaws fall to the ground, overwhelmed by the astronomical natural wonder of the place. I was inspired.
A short taxi ride over to the weekender's village of Guatapé, where Cesca and I sat ate on a balcony overlooking the reservoir and ate sancocho, and our picturesque Sunday was complete.
At the base of the rock, there were traditional souvenir shops, and even a restaurant serving fried fish caught in the reservoir below. After checking out some trinkets and deciding they were all, as would be expected, overpriced, 'Cesca and I skipped along to the entrance of the steep but short climb. After paying our 7,000 peso entry fee to the access the carved out spiral staircase that services the summit, we slowly but surely began our ascent up the steps--exactly 649 of them, in fact. Marching amid the mass of regional weekend tourists from all over Antioquia, and mostly Medellín, that frequent the place, one could mostly hear panting interspersed with the "ooohs" and "aws" of those impressed by the panoramic views.
By mid-way up the El Peñol steps, I was already yelling and jumping of excitement in typical Sol fashion. This view was absurdly beautiful. Appearing somewhat like a miniaturized and ruralized version of a view across Rio de Janeiro, the view of the softly sweeping mountains of lush vegetation was truly unique. The clouds hung low over them as if lounging in hammocks for a sleepy nap over the humid reservoir. I couldn't much believe my eyes and thanked the universe, for I knew, once again, that these are the types of days that make a Fulbright experience truly groundbreaking.
Once Cesca and I hit the summit, we took deep gulps of air so much fresher than anything even remotely available in Medellín or Bogotá. To perfectly cap off the morning section of our high-altitude Sunday out, we chatted with the fruit vendors at the summit's platform and chewed mango slices and watermelon in between letting our jaws fall to the ground, overwhelmed by the astronomical natural wonder of the place. I was inspired.
A short taxi ride over to the weekender's village of Guatapé, where Cesca and I sat ate on a balcony overlooking the reservoir and ate sancocho, and our picturesque Sunday was complete.
Enjoying the scenery, about to give my horse a break and start the climb to the summit by foot
Because even if for just a five-minute horseback ride in the Antioquian countryside, why not?
A more natural-looking welcome sign to La Piedra del Peñol.
But I suppose I was less than pumped to see Coca-Cola as the first prominent sponsor of this otherwise perfectly wholesome and natural hike...
Two Latin Americanist Fulbrighters doing what we came to do! These are the days we'll always remember!
There are exactly 649 steps carved out of the Rock to reach its summit. Up or down? You choose!
Even two hours outside of the City, of course no tourists' dig is complete without its proper set of gift shops...
"Oh, wouldn't you like to come to my humble abode for lunch!?" If one needs any sign of Colombia's rising wealth (or just its still stubborn income inequality), look no further than these luxurious vacation homes that some paisas maintain spread out across the Embalse de Peñol reservoir.
Almost at the summit. Right at home...
I'm not going to lie: Guatapé was a good deal more humid than Medellín. Nothing like cooling off with a hefty slice of watermelon at the summit of The Rock.
CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS LANDSCAPE!? These are the sorts of views that turn atheist men religious!
No reason to worry for anyone with low blood sugar once they finish the hike... This cart's got you covered!
Reflecting near the water of the reservoir with a couple of plates of Sancocho to conclude the day....
A mere three days after gaping at Guatapé, I was off to my next short excursion. This time, though, it was time to throw in a bit of work. For the previous four weeks, I had been preparing a presentation series about US college admissions to deliver on behalf of the US Embassy for International Education Week (IEW). Given my slight taste of the college admissions industry last year as an Admission Fellow at Pitzer, I had volunteered to contribute to IEW by informing Colombian high school and university students about opportunities in higher education in the States, the undergraduate and graduate admission processes, the availability of financial aid, and steps toward putting together a competitive application. The talks were to be given over three days in conjunction with the Centros Colombo Americano, a network of social-justice-oriented culture and language centers that, in collaboration with the US State Department's Education USA, offer language services and educational advising to diverse students across Colombia. My moment of truth arrived on Wednesday, November 17th, when I began the series at the downtown Medellín Center. Early (but not bright, as it was 5 am when I left my house) the next morning, I was off to Manizales, a city of about 400,000 and my first of two stops in Colombia's Eje Cafetero, or Coffee Axis region. On my way to deliver five more talks, I boarded for a redundant flight pattern (as are most in Colombia), flying east to Bogotá to then go back southwest to my first stop, Manizales. But the stopover was well worth it, if for nothing else because I was able to check out some of El Dorado Airport's new classy advertisements promoting pan-Latin American tourism, which, even in my state of exhaustion, put a smile on my face (see photos below). Arriving in Manizales, a small airport slung between the clouds of the most fertile region in Colombia, I immediately greeted Santiago Robledo, Education Adviser for Education USA at the Manizales Centro Colombo Americano, and my host for the day's events. Riding along in Santiago's hatchback through the dips and bends of the mountain highway that connects the airport to the city center, I had a primary task in mind: securing my first taste of the authentic, fresh coffee of the product's global heartland (strangely enough, a product very hard to get hands on Medellín, due to its escape into the channels of massive exportation). Once I had my first sip, my brain starting buzzing again, and it was off to la Universidad Autonoma for my first presentation of the day...
The Universidad Autonoma audience was a group of about 40 mostly first and second-year undergraduate students. Of course about three of them actively asked questions, while the rest played around on their BlackBerries and gossiped. (One thing a teacher learns in Colombia is how to simply proceed and speak over a lot of background noise...) But I was happy, overall, to get to know my first of Manizales' respected institutions of higher education.
At lunch, Santiago and I conversed about Manizales' reputation as not only a coffee production hub, but also central mountain Colombia's thriving center of university activity. Meanwhile, we watched attentively and then lamented the Brazil's 1-0 loss in its friendly against Argentina, broadcast in the background. Argentina's Lionel Messi won the game, launching a piercing left-footed rocket into the back of Brazil's net in the 92nd minute. "What a shame, the way my country is playing," I thought aloud to Santiago. He responded chuckling, revealing his shared loyalty to Brazil in the match. In light spirits we then conversed for a while about many Colombians' split allegiances between Argentine and Brazilian footballers. Over several weeks, have developed an intrigue for this Colombian tendency to "adopt" one of South America's soccer powerhouses. Given the Colombian national selection's recent difficulty to enter (or at least do even reasonably well in) major international competitions, I have come to understand this as a social necessity for any colombiano soccer nut, much in the same way Oregonians must take their devotions out of the state when choosing a favorite baseball team... Good fun.
Santiago and my next two stops on the agenda were the Granadino School and la Universidad Nacional. I especially enjoyed getting to know Granadino, a specialty private middle and high school emphasizing bilingual education from a young age. There, I met a handful of ambitious seniors who already seemed to know the ins and outs of applying to competitive colleges in the States. There, when it came time to stress the virtues of the US' Common Application, a form accepted at over 400 schools, I didn't even need to elaborate much: with a Common Application promotional banner hanging in their adviser's office, these kids were already well-versed in our system's gadgets of convenience! I was pumped to see this. The 12 or so seniors in my audience were very vocal during my presentation, asking a grip of questions and speaking openly about their wishes to attend good quality undergraduate institutions in the States, such as Emerson and Berkeley and UCLA. They threw forth concerns about preparing for the SAT and completing interviews with US admission counselors through unconventional methods such as Skype videochats. I had to chuckle as I offered tips to ease their stress about these topics, and about preparing the perfect admissions essay. Closing my eyes momentarily I was taken back to my very same period of teeth grinding five years ago. Following the presentation, I could tell the students were all happy for having their curiosities answered while also getting the chance to vent and laugh about some shared application anxieties. Following the presentation, I struck up a laidback introductory friendship with their program's adviser, Cindy Clark, a Canadian admissions consultant. Adding to all this that Cindy invited me to return to Granadino in January to advise more students, and I came away from this whole experience feeling absolutely gratified and, here comes that word again--inspired!
My talk at La Universidad Nacional was mostly geared toward advising the school's study abroad counselors about how they could advise their very own students to gain entry into US language programs and higher education institutions. Of course, the discussion was greatly rewarding and educational for me as well: with Santiago as my liaison, I learned an incredible amount of concrete tips about the challenging process for Colombians of obtaining a visa for US study. Moreover, I learned about some of Education USA's identification strategies for good bang-for-buck language institutions in the States. For instance, I came to understand that certain public schools in the US South and Midwest that never even much cross my radar, such as the University of Missouri, are some of the most cost-effective and welcoming institutions for Colombian English study in the States. As the language in my own segment of the presentation was more directed toward acceptance into competitive US private schools, I was again being pushed to think outside my own box. For that, I must thank Santiago.
After speaking with the students at Santiago's workplace, the Manizales Centro Colombo Americano, he and I wrapped up a very long but rewarding day with a couple of potato empanadas. I then ventured out from my hotel to meet fellow Fulbrighter Sarah Illing, stationed in Manizales. A new arrival headed to enjoy a real dinner, of course I got driven in circles by my taxista, just so he could tax a little extra out of his seemingly naive Brazilian-gringo passenger. Sarah introduced me to a hearty plate of frijoles and diced avocado that I was pleased to find was much more substantial than the typical lunches I find every day in Medellín. This meal is "a step above the average," Sarah remarked. Indeed, I was a step above my typical sea level, and one step closer to helping students achieve their academic dreams in the mountainous coffee-laced wonderland of the department of Caldas!
Thursday morning, it was time for a whole new adventure. My next presentation was at 4 pm one department south, in Armenia, the capital of Quindío. Though I had been recommended taking a private taxi down what are supposedly "the finest highways in Colombia," the price I was quoted for such a ride at the Hotel Estelar Las Colinas in downtown Manizales--210,000 Colombian pesos, or about US$110 at today's exchange--was just foolish. I then asked myself, why would a cultural ambassador spend that amount of the US Embassy's money for a two-and-a-half-hour trip when I could just spend COP15,000 (US$8) on a bus ride, and likely meet some cool elderly ladies who will teach me something facsinating about the Coffee Triangle, in the first place one of the subjects of my supplementary research? To ask that question is to answer it. The decision was made: at 11 am I was at Manizales' comfortable bus station flipping an agent a thumbs up as I purchased my one-way ticket to Armenia. The ride down through the Coffee Country was terrifically beautiful. We're talking about a place that is as green as Oregon and as wet as Costa Rica with the flexibility in altitude of the Appalachians and the soil richness of the Argentina Pampas--but interspersed with palms reminiscent of the Nicaraguan coastline. Needing no more company than my neck pillow, my iPod blasting away merengue by Juan Luis Guerra, and the--surprise!--nice elderly lady sitting to my right, shaking me awake when I snoozed upon arrival at pitstops, I couldn't have been happier that I rejected the taxi option.
I arrived at the Armenia Centro Colombo Americano to meet my hosting Director, Martha Roman, about two hours early, on a mission. A mission to score some serious bundles of genuine coffee products and sweets for my friends and relatives back home! This was Quindío, the heart of the Colombian coffee industry, a place that will have you so caffeinated you'll be doing cartwheels by lunch time, and a place whose fresh air I've dreamt of inhaling since I was a child. After a lunch of fried fish doused in green ají hot sauce (a combination I had not seen before, but apparently a specialty of this region) I had all of the calories I needed to burn through talking with the Centro's whippersnappers. But once I began my talk, I was surprised to see that only one of the students was really a whippersnapper--John Anderson, a very bright high school senior asking a balloon of questions to help shape his applications for a collection of northeastern US colleges. The others were mostly current undergrad students interested in US graduate school admissions. (So, as could be imagined, though this is not my area of expertise, the section of my presentation about GRE preparation was extra drawn out.) After five rounds of practice, I can surely say my sixth and final presentation was the most detailed yet fluid, and in no time I was shaking hands with the students and swapping laughs about the financial difficulties now facing the University of California system. After helping out one of my audience members by proofreading his English scholarship application, I was wiped but still smiling. Amablemente, Martha Roman invited back for more talks at Armenia's Centro Colombo in the spring, and I gladly accepted. I spent my evening searching for Christmas season coffee delights at one of the town's local favorites, Café Quindío, and then took a sauna at Hotel Armenia to shake off the cold condensation of the Coffee Country. Then it was on to snoozing a couple of hours for another 5 am rise to catch the plane back toward Medellín. Mission complete.
In all, I can say that the tornado tour that was my IEW presentation series was one of the most simultaneously fun, educational, and moving trips I've made in my life. I am grateful. The memorable experience reaffirmed my hunch that after Fulbright and before grad school, I may very well seek a temporary career in US college admissions, hoping to cater particularly to the unique conditions of international student applicants. Funny, as now that I think about it, 13 months ago that was exactly the profession I, with some uncertainty, noted on the section of the Fulbright application that asks about "Future Plans." Maybe things are coming full circle after all...
The Universidad Autonoma audience was a group of about 40 mostly first and second-year undergraduate students. Of course about three of them actively asked questions, while the rest played around on their BlackBerries and gossiped. (One thing a teacher learns in Colombia is how to simply proceed and speak over a lot of background noise...) But I was happy, overall, to get to know my first of Manizales' respected institutions of higher education.
At lunch, Santiago and I conversed about Manizales' reputation as not only a coffee production hub, but also central mountain Colombia's thriving center of university activity. Meanwhile, we watched attentively and then lamented the Brazil's 1-0 loss in its friendly against Argentina, broadcast in the background. Argentina's Lionel Messi won the game, launching a piercing left-footed rocket into the back of Brazil's net in the 92nd minute. "What a shame, the way my country is playing," I thought aloud to Santiago. He responded chuckling, revealing his shared loyalty to Brazil in the match. In light spirits we then conversed for a while about many Colombians' split allegiances between Argentine and Brazilian footballers. Over several weeks, have developed an intrigue for this Colombian tendency to "adopt" one of South America's soccer powerhouses. Given the Colombian national selection's recent difficulty to enter (or at least do even reasonably well in) major international competitions, I have come to understand this as a social necessity for any colombiano soccer nut, much in the same way Oregonians must take their devotions out of the state when choosing a favorite baseball team... Good fun.
Santiago and my next two stops on the agenda were the Granadino School and la Universidad Nacional. I especially enjoyed getting to know Granadino, a specialty private middle and high school emphasizing bilingual education from a young age. There, I met a handful of ambitious seniors who already seemed to know the ins and outs of applying to competitive colleges in the States. There, when it came time to stress the virtues of the US' Common Application, a form accepted at over 400 schools, I didn't even need to elaborate much: with a Common Application promotional banner hanging in their adviser's office, these kids were already well-versed in our system's gadgets of convenience! I was pumped to see this. The 12 or so seniors in my audience were very vocal during my presentation, asking a grip of questions and speaking openly about their wishes to attend good quality undergraduate institutions in the States, such as Emerson and Berkeley and UCLA. They threw forth concerns about preparing for the SAT and completing interviews with US admission counselors through unconventional methods such as Skype videochats. I had to chuckle as I offered tips to ease their stress about these topics, and about preparing the perfect admissions essay. Closing my eyes momentarily I was taken back to my very same period of teeth grinding five years ago. Following the presentation, I could tell the students were all happy for having their curiosities answered while also getting the chance to vent and laugh about some shared application anxieties. Following the presentation, I struck up a laidback introductory friendship with their program's adviser, Cindy Clark, a Canadian admissions consultant. Adding to all this that Cindy invited me to return to Granadino in January to advise more students, and I came away from this whole experience feeling absolutely gratified and, here comes that word again--inspired!
My talk at La Universidad Nacional was mostly geared toward advising the school's study abroad counselors about how they could advise their very own students to gain entry into US language programs and higher education institutions. Of course, the discussion was greatly rewarding and educational for me as well: with Santiago as my liaison, I learned an incredible amount of concrete tips about the challenging process for Colombians of obtaining a visa for US study. Moreover, I learned about some of Education USA's identification strategies for good bang-for-buck language institutions in the States. For instance, I came to understand that certain public schools in the US South and Midwest that never even much cross my radar, such as the University of Missouri, are some of the most cost-effective and welcoming institutions for Colombian English study in the States. As the language in my own segment of the presentation was more directed toward acceptance into competitive US private schools, I was again being pushed to think outside my own box. For that, I must thank Santiago.
After speaking with the students at Santiago's workplace, the Manizales Centro Colombo Americano, he and I wrapped up a very long but rewarding day with a couple of potato empanadas. I then ventured out from my hotel to meet fellow Fulbrighter Sarah Illing, stationed in Manizales. A new arrival headed to enjoy a real dinner, of course I got driven in circles by my taxista, just so he could tax a little extra out of his seemingly naive Brazilian-gringo passenger. Sarah introduced me to a hearty plate of frijoles and diced avocado that I was pleased to find was much more substantial than the typical lunches I find every day in Medellín. This meal is "a step above the average," Sarah remarked. Indeed, I was a step above my typical sea level, and one step closer to helping students achieve their academic dreams in the mountainous coffee-laced wonderland of the department of Caldas!
Thursday morning, it was time for a whole new adventure. My next presentation was at 4 pm one department south, in Armenia, the capital of Quindío. Though I had been recommended taking a private taxi down what are supposedly "the finest highways in Colombia," the price I was quoted for such a ride at the Hotel Estelar Las Colinas in downtown Manizales--210,000 Colombian pesos, or about US$110 at today's exchange--was just foolish. I then asked myself, why would a cultural ambassador spend that amount of the US Embassy's money for a two-and-a-half-hour trip when I could just spend COP15,000 (US$8) on a bus ride, and likely meet some cool elderly ladies who will teach me something facsinating about the Coffee Triangle, in the first place one of the subjects of my supplementary research? To ask that question is to answer it. The decision was made: at 11 am I was at Manizales' comfortable bus station flipping an agent a thumbs up as I purchased my one-way ticket to Armenia. The ride down through the Coffee Country was terrifically beautiful. We're talking about a place that is as green as Oregon and as wet as Costa Rica with the flexibility in altitude of the Appalachians and the soil richness of the Argentina Pampas--but interspersed with palms reminiscent of the Nicaraguan coastline. Needing no more company than my neck pillow, my iPod blasting away merengue by Juan Luis Guerra, and the--surprise!--nice elderly lady sitting to my right, shaking me awake when I snoozed upon arrival at pitstops, I couldn't have been happier that I rejected the taxi option.
I arrived at the Armenia Centro Colombo Americano to meet my hosting Director, Martha Roman, about two hours early, on a mission. A mission to score some serious bundles of genuine coffee products and sweets for my friends and relatives back home! This was Quindío, the heart of the Colombian coffee industry, a place that will have you so caffeinated you'll be doing cartwheels by lunch time, and a place whose fresh air I've dreamt of inhaling since I was a child. After a lunch of fried fish doused in green ají hot sauce (a combination I had not seen before, but apparently a specialty of this region) I had all of the calories I needed to burn through talking with the Centro's whippersnappers. But once I began my talk, I was surprised to see that only one of the students was really a whippersnapper--John Anderson, a very bright high school senior asking a balloon of questions to help shape his applications for a collection of northeastern US colleges. The others were mostly current undergrad students interested in US graduate school admissions. (So, as could be imagined, though this is not my area of expertise, the section of my presentation about GRE preparation was extra drawn out.) After five rounds of practice, I can surely say my sixth and final presentation was the most detailed yet fluid, and in no time I was shaking hands with the students and swapping laughs about the financial difficulties now facing the University of California system. After helping out one of my audience members by proofreading his English scholarship application, I was wiped but still smiling. Amablemente, Martha Roman invited back for more talks at Armenia's Centro Colombo in the spring, and I gladly accepted. I spent my evening searching for Christmas season coffee delights at one of the town's local favorites, Café Quindío, and then took a sauna at Hotel Armenia to shake off the cold condensation of the Coffee Country. Then it was on to snoozing a couple of hours for another 5 am rise to catch the plane back toward Medellín. Mission complete.
In all, I can say that the tornado tour that was my IEW presentation series was one of the most simultaneously fun, educational, and moving trips I've made in my life. I am grateful. The memorable experience reaffirmed my hunch that after Fulbright and before grad school, I may very well seek a temporary career in US college admissions, hoping to cater particularly to the unique conditions of international student applicants. Funny, as now that I think about it, 13 months ago that was exactly the profession I, with some uncertainty, noted on the section of the Fulbright application that asks about "Future Plans." Maybe things are coming full circle after all...
A pretty call for Colombian tourism in Brazil in the Bogotá airport's domestic transfer terminal. Just more evidence of the growing nexus between my birth country and the most geostrategically located nation in South America! Even exhausted after a 5 am wakeup call, I could not feel more at home!
The advertisers even included an Afro-Brazilian model for this portrait! Can you belive it!? This is something I've hardly seen before in Brazilian popular culture. If this is not a step forward, then I don't know what is!
Boarding our Avianca turboprop in Bogotá, headed toward the Land of Caffeine!
Get a load of this, Pitzer Admission Counselors! Even in little Manizales, the students at Granadino High School had this wonderful banner in their college advising office
Speaking to the attentive and sharp students at Manizales' Granadino High School
Enjoying a view of the sports facilities (and awesome vegetation!) at the Granadino School
Downtown Manizales' skyline, dominated by the tower of the Neo-Gothic Cathedral. No, I didn't notice a lot of factories here. That's the haze of the Coffee Country mountain dew (and I don't mean the soft drink)!
That's the philosophy: don't wear it out! An ESL promotional banner inside Manizales' Centro Colombo Americano
Speaking to the diverse group of students at Manizales' Centro Colombo Americano
One Manizales audience. Attentive? Intrigued? Or just not understanding a damn thing about my Brazilian-gringo Spanish accent?
My partner in advising for one 10-hour workday, Education USA Director Santiago Robledo, and I at his Center in Manizales
Eating grilled chicken, frijoles and avocado in Manizales--as fellow Fulbrighter Sarah Illing quipped: "a step above!"
On the way to the bus depot, catching a glimpse one of Manizales' humbler neighborhoods
The slick Manizales bus depot
Wearing my Embassy-issued Colombian-American flag pin or not, I'm not riding in no private taxi when a bus with the locals will suffice just fine!
The "skyline" of Armenia, one of Colombia's simpler mid-size cities in one of its most natural-resource-rich departments, Quindío
A typical downtown street in Armenia
Fried fish in Manizales... Though situated hundreds of miles from the coast and high up in the mountains, still a local staple
This is why the centrally located "Coffee Triangle" carries the name it does. Also perhaps because its relatively sophisticated highway system, crucial for transporting Colombia's glory product (NO, guys, I DON'T mean cocaine!). Where to?
Even in this more rural area, no shortage of English language centers here!
Speaking to the "whippersnappers" at Armenia's Centro Colombo Americano
Captain Hook the admission adviser
"What's that you said!? Three months to one year of preparation for the GRE? LSAT? MCAT? I don't know guys, this is all starting to sound complicated..."
Armenia's Centro Colombo Americano staff member and my host for Thursday, Martha Roman, and I
GLOBALIZATION AT WORK!
Kicking back in Armenia after my final day of presentations with a shrimp and avocado salad and one of my favorite books of all time. If this is what they call work life, count me in!
Café Quindío, the place to get genuine coffee products in one of Colombia's most fascinating regions
Indigenous artwork lined the hall of Armenia's tiny airport. Not bad!
Though a night owl I am, I could easily keep waking up at 5 am to get cappuccinos made "with love" this way for a good portion of my life...
Back to Medellín, once again amid an ocean's quantity of morning dew
The magnificent landscape of the Zona Cafetera will certainly keep me coming back...
After a full week of brand new adventures, it was back to the UPB to teach the summer session round of my US-Colombia Intercultural Workshop
Colombia and the USA: partners in development for life, especially if I have anything to do with it...
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