When I finished work on Friday, I mentioned to my coworkers that I wanted to see a little more of the Poblado neighborhood, where the university is located, and where supposedly much of the nightlife takes place. I had intended to walk over on my own, but was invited to attend a panel discussion about Colombian Rock and Roll in exchange for some company on my outing. The lecture turned out to be fairly interesting, as I had no idea that Colombia had an apparently thriving Rock movement in its recent history. Unfortunately, I wasn't all that taken by any of the video clips they showed, as most of them seemed to involve a whole lot of screaming and very little singing, but then, I've never really been a fan of hard rock to begin with. Nonetheless, the history was quite interesting and the role that the music played in the counter culture of Colombia was made abundantly clear.
Once the lecture was over, my friend and I took a taxi over to El Poblado and began our evening strolling down a fairly quite street crammed with boutique clothing, shoe and accessory stores. Apparently once a year they shut traffic down and have all the sellers bring their goods outside for a street fair, but tonight it was quite subdued as we walked along. Passing a few fairly empty bars, we turned down towards the park and entered quite a different atmosphere. For the next two blocks, every building was a pub or disco or some combination there of. Each and every one of them had their own music blasting at full volume so that as you walked along, you would be bombarded by the deep bass and pounding rhythms of regatón, take two steps and suddenly find yourself surrounded by the lilting notes and swinging beats of a salsa tune. Being quite early, most of the places were fairly deserted, but the scale and decor of each building clearly implied that it would later be chock full of hot bodies.
Since neither of us were in the mood to party, and it was a little early for that anyway, we ended up at a cute little "Cocina Verde" or "Green Cuisine" cafe for a bite to eat. The menu implied that everything on it was good for you in one way or another, and the decor of bamboo screens and design-within-reach lamps all shouted "sustainable food movement." That was all a little surprising, but the food was delicious and the company wonderfully pleasant. We cleared our plates and went for another walk, this time ending up in Poblado Park, where nearly every available seat was already taken by people sipping beers and chatting. After taking in the scene, we caught a taxi and went our separate ways.
As I attempted to direct my taxi driver towards my apartment in the maze that is the neighborhood of Carlos E Restrepo, I managed to navigate us into a dead end. Since I knew I was close, and that it would be quicker to walk across the park than make him drive all the way around, I went ahead and got out there. Boy, as I glad that I did! As I stepped into what is normally a quite walkway between apartment buildings, I was greeted with an impressive street scene. All up and down the pathway were young adults hanging out, selling trinkets, playing cards or other games and generally having a good time. There was also an overwhelming aroma of Ms Mary Jane in the air. Apparently there are 2 parks in the city that are considered 'free zones' where the police willingly turn a blind eye to illicit smoke. Apparently I live less than half a block from one of them. Quite intrigued, but also fairly exhausted, I stepped through the crowd and made a mental note to return and enjoy the scene more thoroughly on another night.
This morning, I managed to sleep until 9am thanks to a lull in the usual early morning traffic. Apparently people don't have quite as many places to be on a Saturday morning. Thankful for the extra hours, I woke to find my own house all a bustle with the preparations for a pancake breakfast. Happy to step in just as the feast was ready, I was served two pancakes with a slice of cheese melted between them. Mmmm! Gotta remember that one, it was delicious.
Now, I had planned to head out early and hit a few of the major tourist spots, but since my housemate was sending her boyfriend off to the market, and I had been itching to get some real fruits and veggies, I elected to go with him instead. See, I had tried to buy some greens at the supermarket, only to find out that most fresh food was actually MORE expensive than in the US. Concluding that there had to be another option, I had asked my housemate, and she confirmed that yes, no one buys fruits and veggies at the supermarket, they go to the Market, market. So, off we went!
Since R's boyfriend has a motorbike, I got my first two-wheeled ride through the city. A little scary, since apparently those little white lines between the car lanes are actually there for motorcycles to ride down, but nothing compared to moped rides in Saigon. Don't think I'll ever forget that. Compared to Asia, our short ride was a breeze. On a side note, I am seriously considering investing in one of those ridiculous looking face masks, or maybe even a full on gas mask to wear anytime I'm in or near the major boulevards here. There are evidently no enforced regulations for emissions here and breathing can be incredibly smelly and difficult when in close proximity to moving vehicles.
Health issues aside, the Market was more than worth the ride. Housed in what looked somewhat like an old train station, the Market consists of at least 2 floors worth of stall upon stall of just about anything you might want to buy. The upper floor appeared to have grains, clothes, electronics and veggies while the lower floor was dominated by fruits of every shape and size. It was like looking at an enormous, brightly covered run being overrun by busy little ants. As we headed through the fruit section for our first purchase, we passed up multitudes of vendors before finally coming to a stop at a stand that looked remarkably like every other one we had walked past, but where my chaperone greeted the seller with a friendly hug and warm regards. As I wandered about pointing at things and asking what they were, I generally received a Spanish word in response that rarely had any real translation into English, as I've never seen most of these delectable juicy delights in my life. Picking out several of just about everything I didn't recognize, we rounded out our selection with some good old apples and oranges, packed everything into a massive plastic bag and made our way back up to the veggie stands. There, we repeated a similar parade down the aisle until we stopped somewhere that looked identical to all its neighbors and began to make our selections. Most of the veggies were familiar, and the only thing I wouldn't have readily bought at home were some large plantains which I've been promised a lesson in how to prepare.
Laden with all our goodies, there are no easy way for us to fit everything onto the motorbike, so I caught a taxi while C rode himself home. We both pulled up to the apt at the same time and happily lugged our stash up the 4 floors to our kitchen. With some very creative maneuvering, we managed to find a place for everything with the exception of some delicious "Tree Tomatoes" that we juiced into a very tasty beverage.
Eager to get out into what had proven to be a bright, sunny day with relatively clear blue skies, I began gathering my things and planning out my touristing route for the day. Except, by that time, everyone was hungry and we'd just brought home lots of fresh veggies, so lunch was penciled into the agenda. Now, unlike the U.S., lunch is the big meal here. In fact, people barely eat dinner, they kinda just snack on a few things here and there instead. So, with the help of my 3rd housemate, who has been absent up until now due to his night job as a hostel chef, we managed to put together a rather tasty meal, even if it did take a few hours. The menu consisted of Potato Celery Soup and Pasta with a meat sauce that included cubes of fried plantains. Quite delicious and incredibly filling.
From the outside, the building appears rather oppressive, with impossibly dark stone cladding and minimal fenestration. Surprisingly, the interior is wonderfully bright and open. Behind the austere exterior there are numerous skylights that extend all the way through the 4 floors of each tower, bringing light into every space. And, the oddly slanted windows allow for peak-a-boo views of the surrounding city. All in all, I was quite impressed.Other than the library, there aren't many other destinations up in this area of the city, as the library was strategically placed in one of the poorest neighborhoods to provide maximum benefit. Nonetheless, I was intrigued to walk along the high, winding streets that crisscross the impossibly steep hill on which the library was built. As I wandered along the streets, I would occasionally come across a very new looking park, or public space, often with some sort of amusement for children. In one such area, there a was even a life size game of shoots and ladders painted onto the plaza. Apparently the government took their vow to improve the city quite seriously, with evident success.
Another interesting feature of this area were the numerous murals and intricate graffiti that was plastered across nearly every available surface. As a result, the neighborhood had a bright, color feel to it, despite the monotonous red brick houses that appeared to be piled will-nilly upon each other. On my way up in the cable car, I had noticed a beautiful bamboo bridge just below the library, so I directed my meanderings towards that general area and was rewarded by a private viewing of what looks like a yet un-opened addition to the landscape. Build with multitudes of large bamboo shafts, the entire structure is held together with a series of metal tension lines and large bands tying the bamboo together.
After wandering my way down to the cable station, I rode back into town and visited the Botanical Gardens. I only really saw the orchid display, as it was getting late and I had done a lot of walking, but I thoroughly enjoyed that part. You'll have to suffice with some pictures for now, and a fuller description later, as it is once again quite late, and I must head to my bed. Enjoy.
No comments:
Post a Comment