A self sustaining lifestyle

One trip that really struck a chord for me was when we went to a parcel of land in the middle of a preserved jungle where two university professors had built a self sustaining farm. It was around two acres of thick vegetation and cleared spots for the houses and gardens with a stream trickling down one side of the property. Everything anyone could ever need could be found there. They grew their own fruits and vegetables, raised chicken and sheep, made their own fertile soil from worm composts, and even mixed their own very potent natural pesticides. They even had a fews medicinal shrubs that would help with circulation or served as a natural antibacterial. We were blessed with the opportunity not only to be given an exclusive tour of the entire property with in depth explanations of how things are so ingeniously done there but also to eat a lunch made up completely of food grown and cultivated on the farm. The vegetables were good enough to make me consider vegetarianism, for a minute. The two professors, along with several other extremely kind and intuitive individuals, had been living of the farm for over 25 days consecutively and were eager to share their skill set and knowledge on the land with us. It was inspiring to see that we as humans still possess the ability to live off of the land alone and do not necessarily need all of the perks we have taken for common life like grocery stores or toilets. When we were told to start the 10 minute walk back to the bus everyone pleaded for just a little more time there and later proceeded to voice their approval for the farm with comments like, "Lets just spend the whole month here." and "One day I want to live on a farm like this."

Eric

Colombia: A Mistaken Identity

The common perception of Colombia is that it is an extremely dangerous place to visit because there are drug dealers on every street corner and simply being an anglo-american would almost ensure my abduction and ransom by these hardened criminals, but this could not be further from the truth. I honestly had no idea what to expect out of this trip and was, at times, a little skeptical about our safety prior to arriving, but after being down here for about a week now it is very obvious that we are in good hands well out of harms way. I can see why this country is considered to be the second happiest place on the planet. Being down here and experiencing first hand the living conditions and social structure of this unbelievably beautiful countryside, I feel guilty for ever having second guessed this place. It is sad to realize how misrepresented Colombia is in the eyes of Americans and the world as a whole. Obviously, Colombia managed to achieve its reputation as the staple source of the world's drug trade for a reason, but it only achieved this notoriety as a result of the narcotic's popularity amongst the other nations world wide. That being said however, the world's population has failed miserably in recognizing the amazing things Colombia and its people have to offer the rest of the globe. A recognition that is unfortunately currently impossible to realize without taking the "daring" trip south the the openly feared country.

Eric

Nineteen Days of Adventures

After spending nineteen days in beautiful Colombia, I think we found that we all fell in love with it and left a piece of ourselves there. Saying goodbye was harder than we thought it was going to be. While we were over there, we all had a different life. We learned so much, and we did things we never thought we were going to have the opportunity to do. We went through the Andes various times, we slept in hammocks, we swam in the Caribbean, we danced to live Vallenato, we went zip-lining, we met wonderful people and made strong connections with all of them. We lived so much in just nineteen days. They were nineteen wonderful days of adventures.
We want to thank our guides Javier Bautista Ortiz and Julian Osorio for showing us the best and worst of Colombia. Their experiences and wise words helped us form a new image of the country. We saw what no other foreigner has seen, but hope that others in the future have a chance to see and experience it as well. We also want to thank Myrna Santiago, our professor, and Jennifer Heung, for making this travel course possible. It took a lot of time and planning to develop the course, and if it were not for these four wonderful people, we would have never been able to step onto Colombia’s beautiful land. Also, the trip could not have been possible without our wonderful driver Victor. He is by far one of the best drivers we have ever met. All their efforts to give us the best experience possible were utterly successful. We learned so much from all of them. They enriched us with their knowledge all throughout, but they also made the trip fun and exciting. The thirteen students that went into the adventure became really close throughout these days. Being with each other for practically the whole day, every day, was bound to make us closer. We learned so much from each other too. We built trust and strong friendships. [Of course, everybody is now friends on facebook to make it more official.] Every single one of us left with more friends, more knowledge and a greater understanding of Colombia. Now it is our duty to go and share our experiences with everyone, so they can too see the wonders of Colombia and not the portrayed image of the media. We hope that these blogs have helped you all see a little of our adventures and experiences. But if you would like to know more, do not hesitate to ask questions. We would love to answer them.

The Lost Buddy Song

Written and Performed by: Linda Villasenor, Lindsey Cavin, and Eric Holman
(sang to the tune of L-O-V-E by Nat King Cole)

L is how we didn't look for you
O is what we said when we found out
S h.i.t. is what we said next
T is what we drank while we waited for you

Lost is what we left for you to be
Wandering on the beach and the street
Lost was the last word we wanted to hear
Buddy check became our new motto

Please except our deepest apologies
We promise to be the best buddies
Take my hand and please hold it tight
We'll be home by tomorrow night

The Real Medellín

What have you heard about Medellín? Hmm maybe that it is one of the most dangerous places in the world to visit, filled with drugs and crime, ruined from Pablo Escobar, and somewhere to be surely kidnapped.

Well as fun as that version of Medellín sounds, it is quite the contrary.  Medellín is a city full of many surprises.  There is much more then meets the eyes.  There are two very different sides to the city of Medellín, the rolling country hills, and the busy jam-packed streets. Medellín is a city located in the valley, that around 2.5 million people call it home.

On one hand we have the city; a miniature San Francisco. Downtown Medellín is full of life, people moving swiftly through the street vendors, on and off the Metro, and flagging down the next bus.  The fast pace flow of life is contagious and lively.

And then we have the endless beauty stored in the hills of Medellín.  The endless beauty is full of natural parks with lakes, forests, and flowers.  The pace of life is much slower, much less frantic, and full of new discoveries.  Every plant holds its own universe, packed with life.

Although Medellín may have been dangerous at the height of the Pablo Escobar period, it has transformed into a safe and beautiful city, even one of the top places recommended to visit in Colombia.  This city is filled with an incredible history that can teach wonders if you take the time to understand it correctly.

Colombia: "The Only Risk is Wanting to Stay"

Wow! Colombia was amazing at all levels: the people, the culture, the music, and the geography. I went to Colombia not expecting anything and what I got was an experience of my life. Even though at every bathroom that we went to there was either, a toilet seat, toilet paper, or a water pump missing; we still managed to enjoy every moment. As a group we grew closer together, that by the end of the trip we all knew our bathroom schedules. There were many games played on the bus, like Charades, “Never Have I Ever,” Simon Says and many more.  We were constantly on the move, from Bogota to the Coast and from the jaw-opening Andes to the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean beaches. Having been able to live in an indigenous community for two days was an enriching experience because we learned so much from these men and women. One of the pluses of this trip was being able to transport ourselves, in a matter of days, from an indigenous community to an industrial city like Medellin, because it allowed us to compare and contrast the social, economical, and geological problems that each entity faces. This is why the 2011 Colombia trip was so full of exquisite information and experiences. Some of the things that I will miss the most will be the people and the food. I have to admit that the food was bland because it doesn’t contain many spices but what I like about it was that it was all organic with zero preservatives. Colombia left me with good memories and changed my perception of the country in a positive way and I do think that the only risk in Colombia is wanting to stay and not go back to your country. 

Night on a Hammock

When Myrna first mentioned the possibility of sleeping on hammocks in class, it was a bit frightening to think we would have to spend a whole night out doors on a hammock. To think about all the possible animals that could be outdoors, all the mosquito bites we would get, and how horribly uncomfortable it would be to spend a whole night on a hammock. With the enthusiasm of the trip and eagerness to be in Colombia, I just overlooked that detail. When we first arrived to the indigenous reserve, I was very excited to learn about the community that lives there, but I still could not wrap my head around having to spend a WHOLE night on a hammock OUTSIDE. I was sure I was not going to be able to sleep all night. After talking to Rosa, the representative of the Wayu community, and learning about their traditions, beliefs, and culture. I could not believe that for one night I was going to be part of that. I felt so honored that this community was giving us the opportunity to spend time with them, allow us to sleep in their “guest house”. Learning that each of the hammocks we would be sleeping in were woven by the Wayu women, and they were allowing us to sleep on them was great honor. Also knowing that they were going to share with us for a night the territory they struggled so much to maintain. At that moment on the idea of sleeping on hammocks seemed incredible. As the night came to an end we all got ready to go to sleep on our hammocks I was still worried I would fall in the middle of the night of the hammock, but I was so excited about being on the Wayu reserve that I didn’t care if I had to sleep on the dirt. Sleeping outside no longer bothered me, once in my hammock I loved the idea of being able to look up at the sky, feel the fresh air around me, and hear all the little animals around. As I laid in my hammock staring up at the sky reflecting on what a wonderful and amazing experience being there was, I drifted into a very deep relaxing and peaceful sleep. That night was probably one of the most relaxing nights I have ever had, to my surprise I did not fall of the hammock, nor was I bitten by any mosquitoes.