COLOMBIA TIP #11 – Become friends with the locals – they know the places to go and the sights to see!
This past weekend, Vero, Lina, and I made the trip up to Manizales, Colombia. It was very handy because this is Lina’s hometown! She had a whole weekend planned for us and it was definitely time to get out of Armenia and take a break from thinking about school.
We went to the bus station, but had some time to kill before the next bus came. I decided to take this time to learn some Spanish with Lina and so we went through the body parts. A nice diagram for the visual learners may help:
The bus ride was about two and a half hours long. For those who may not stay informed with Colombian news, there have been protests all over the country by farmers who are angry about imported goods being cheaper than the locally grown food. They have been blocking roads between cities, preventing imported goods from entering, but also stopping people from getting around. Luckily, when we were on the road, we only saw the protesters on the side, almost setting up for the next day (Saturday). Many of the teachers at school were worried about us, but we made it alright!
Once we arrived, Lina’s sister, Paula, picked us up from the bus station. Vero and I were staying at Lina’s aunt and uncle’s house because Lina’s house is full of university students who pay rent to her family. The first night, although I was exhausted, we went out dancing. Of course, I was asked for ID. I knew exactly what they were saying, even though it was in a different language. Why yes, I am older than 18, thanks! We met some of Lina’s friends – Melissa (Mely), Monica (Moni), and a couple others who I forget now. It was really fun, however, I still need to work on my dance moves! I probably had the best sleep yet that night because I was a) extremely tired and b) the bed was much more comfortable than the crappy one that is in my apartment in Armenia.
The next morning, we met up with Mely again and another friend named Juan Felipe (Juan Fe). They speak a little English, but it was a good opportunity for Vero and I to learn more Spanish. We visited the Cathedral de Manizales, a giant church where it’s such a tourist attraction that they have tours. We were able to climb all the way to the top and learn a bit about the cathedral’s history (well, Lina translated a bit of it for us).
Vero and I in front of the cathedral
Vero, Mely, Lina, and me on the way up the 394 steps to the top!
Mely and I
Vero is very into the photography!
After the cathedral, we went to go eat lunch – we all had patacons, which is flattened plantain. I got mine with chicken, but here is a picture of Vero’s that just had cheese. 
It was a much different patacon than in Salento, which was super thin and crispy like a giant potato chip; this one was thicker was softer. It was very good and very filling!
We then headed to Monumento a los Colonizadores (Monument of the Settlers) which was a group of statues that represented the original people that settled in Manizales. It shows how they struggled up the hills on horses.
This city is known for its hills (when I told my students I was in Manizales, one said, “Miss, Manizales is known for the 3 F’s – frío (cold), faldudo (hilly), and feo (ugly)”). I definitely agree with the first two, but I thought Manizales was pretty cool!
We then went to a park where we went on a Spanish biology tour. The guide was very nice an patient with us and spoke very slowly so we had a chance to understand. Us being biology people, we were probably being told things we already knew, but it was still a good Spanish lesson nonetheless. We then found a low ropes course where we decided to put our skills to the test.
That night, a bunch of us headed to the termales or thermal pools. It was basically a couple hot tubs that were the size of pools. The water is heated directly by the nearby volcanoes, so it’s very hot, almost too hot. But it was very nice to relax in the warm water.
Overall, it was a great weekend getaway. Lina was our Spanish lifeline, but I think we learned a good chunk of the language during the weekend too!
The other crazy thing that happened these past few days was that there was a big tremor here in Armenia! I was sitting on my bed and all of a sudden I felt like the room was shaking. I didn’t realize it at first, but then I realized the whole apartment was shaking. It only lasted for about 5 seconds or so, so by the time I realized what was happening, it was over. Afterwards, I was thinking, wow I wonder what we’re supposed to do on the 5th floor of 6 if a serious earthquake were to occur? Something that we should probably figure out!
Katie En Kolombia 