52 New Things -- Week 19 -- Colombia (Part Dos)

A continuation of new things I saw/did/tried/endured while in Colombia . . .

Backseat Barfing

Wilson: salsa teacher, comedian, and future Indy 500 racer

Despite the fact that I'd decided it probably wasn't a great idea to take non-FDA approved pharmaceuticals, I took another one when we left El Cocuy. Those winding roads were soooo nauseating . . . and after about half an hour, even with the anti-nausea pill, I made use of the Delta airsick bag I'd snagged before leaving the plane. Kevin -- sweet, stupid new husband that he is -- actually asked, "Do you want Wilson to stop?" I moaned "yes" into the barf bag, then followed up with barks of "open my door" and "seatbelt" -- short commands were all I could manage at that point. I stumbled out of the back of the SUV, still in the long dress I'd worn to church, but stopped abruptly when Kevin said, "Watch out -- that's an electric fence." Ughhhhh. I got back in the car a few minutes later . . . and puked again after another half hour. I warned Kevin that I only had one plastic bag left, but luckily I didn't fill that one. He wants to retire in El Cocuy someday, but unless they start helicopter service so I can avoid those winding roads, I'm not doing it.

Arepas and eggs -- yum!

Arepas
We ate a lot of good food in Colombia -- I have pictures of most of the new dishes since I'd never seen anything like them before. Kevin had warned me before we got there that we would be fed and fed and fed. He usually ended up eating his food plus half of mine since I just can't eat that much! My favorite thing, though? Arepas. I think it was kind of a bread dough-ish thing, rolled out and cut into little squares before being fried up in oil. Man. I think I ate about 50 of them for breakfast one morning. Moo.

LOVE this girl!!

Disney Monopoly in Espanol
We stayed a couple of nights with Kevin's old host mom and sister and the sister's husband and three kids. The eleven-year-old and the five-year-old challenged me to Monopoly. Have you ever played Disney Monopoly in Espanol? Let's just say thank goodness there were pictures! I also had to trust they were honest when they advanced after drawing a Chance card or told me I had to go to jail. The kids were adorable and enjoyed practicing their English with me. They tried to teach me Spanish but didn't have much more luck than Mrs. Hauge back in high school Spanish class. Sigh.

Sadness for American Schools
We walked Valentina to her bus stop before school the day we left. She was so adorable in her school uniform. I asked her what her favorite subject is. Mind you, this child is eleven. Her answer? Chemistry. I about fell over. It's no wonder America falls further and further behind in education statistics. Chemistry at eleven!!

Cheapest Pedicure Ever

Check out that pedicure...and the amazing hem on those pants!

My toes hadn't seen polish since last summer, so I was pretty excited that Laura had a friend who did pedicures. It was just like an American pedicure, but at the end, she said (in Spanish) I didn't have to pay anything! I balked and left the equivalent of $10 under a bottle of hairspray, saying, "You can't support a family by giving away free pedicures!" I'm sure she didn't understand a word I said, so I hope I didn't offend her by leaving money if she was trying to give me a gift. When we got home, I asked Laura how much it should have cost -- the amount of pesos was equal to roughly $4. Holy cow!

Dependence

Best travel buddy ever. ;)

The biggest new thing on this trip? I was not in charge. I've never really thought of myself as bossy . . . a bit independent, yes, but that's what happens when you are single until you're 37 and travel alone a lot. Kevin booked the tickets. Kevin made the arrangements with his old host family. Kevin did the talking, being fluent in Spanish. Kevin paid for everything, knowing the currency. Kevin, Kevin, Kevin. I tell ya, it was strange. I may have done some complaining. And some pouting. And then some more complaining. I guess I'm a little bit used to being in charge. :) But big kudos to Kevin, because we had an absolutely fabulous time in Colombia!!

And finally . . . Broken Stereotypes
We spent ten days in Colombia, and guess what? We were not kidnapped, murdered, or even offered cocaine. A part of me wants to keep this a secret, because the beauty of this country was that it wasn't flooded with tourists. I'm afraid if people find out the Colombia of the 80's is long gone, they'll all go and destroy the pristine landscapes . . . but yeah, you should definitely go visit sometime. Just don't invite too many people to go with you. ;)