Ciao Manizales

You wake up, and for me, it's the feeling that everything's ending. It's like breaking up with someone, knowing that everything will never be the same again. The relationships you have with places are equally as difficult. I'll never feel the way about Cincinnati or Barranquilla like when I lived there the first time. Many of the people who were there who made it what it is for me have moved on, just as I have, and it's just not the same for it. A friend told me that you end up staying in touch with the people in life that you should, even if it's just once a year, and there's truth to this. But it's hard, to in the space of four days, realize that once again it's time to move on.

I'm leaving Manizales today, Colombia tomorrow. Although I know I'll never be gone permanently from Colombia, I don't know when I'll be back. Hopefully it won't be long. Now it's time to deal with reverse culture shock, to see family and friends, and find out what's next in line.

Caio Caio Manizales

Dinner with some of my co-workers right before I left. Thanks Martica, Lucero, Olga, Patty, Carlos Ernesto, and Camilo!

One Week Left

With one week left in my fellowship, I'm wondering what will come next. I'm also wondering how many dixie cups of tino (coffee) I have drank since last September (3 to 5 cups a day), and how much space those cups are taking up in the dump. And, how will I beat this coffee habit, and go back to nasty cafe americano? I don't think I'm quite ready to go back to living in the U.S., nor do I think this is the best time to be moving back.

I've had an interview and wrote a crazy projection plan for a job here in Manizales at a university. It'd be fun, I think, and I'd like to stay. It was something I was looking for, it kind of found me. Should find out on Friday if it's going to happen. I hope so, really. I like Manizales, and wouldn't mind staying. I'd kind of missed the craziness (like Once Caldas winning last week and the ensuing "civic" afternoon for celebrating).

Once Caldas Celebration

My Birthday Jello

 

No one knows how they get the flower inside of the jello, but it sure did taste good.  And it didn't look like the other kind of gelatine from around here that actually looks like it's made of cow hoves.  Uggh.  

Rolling Meat

 

Don't even want to think about how far they rolled all this meat, and how much crap ended up on the meat because none of it was covered.

Archivo Digital de Fotografía Historica de Caldas

One of my friends is putting a lot of work into this, and I think it's pretty cool. It's a digital archive of photos from the department of Caldas.  He's been traveling around to the different towns and going through their photo collections (and is always inviting me to go when I have to work, would have been a great way to see Caldas!).  Colombia celebrates its bicentennial in 2010, and this is part of it all.

Check it out: http://fotodigitalcaldas.com/

Parque Nacional Los Nevados

Edwin got here (Manizales) last Saturday for two and a half week vacation that includes semana santa.  Although most of the week has consisted of playing with the new Macbook and watching movies, we also made it up to Parque Nacional Los Nevados.

Every morning when I get up, I look out the window to see if I can see the Nevado de Ruiz (which actually happens maybe once every ten days if I'm lucky).  The park runs throughout parts of the departments of Caldas, Risaralda, Quindio, and Tolima, and has three major peaks that are snow-covered: Ruiz, Tolima, and Santa Isabel.  On the first day we went up to the glacier-covered part of Ruiz, which is over 15,000 feet high.  I was proud of myself that I didn't get altitude sickness, but Edwin didn't feel so great.  We stayed two nights at El Cisne, which was chilly but fun (except for the the ghost stories that Edwin and Camilo told that didn't let me sleep).  The second day we went to Laguna Verde...nice, but foggy!

I'm sorry that I waited this long to go to the park, and will be sure to go back the next long weekend we have! 

The Shocking Shower

This my disclaimer on my shocking shower, just in case it ever does full-on electrocute me.  To begin with I had a finicky gas-heated shower, that sometimses worked and sometimes didn't.  It died, I heated water on the stove for two weeks, and then finally I got this.  The red wire runs up and under the light bulb.  Needless to say, I think the guys who installed it were still drunk from the night before, and they forgot to ground it.  So, every 30 seconds or so it shocked me.  They came back, added a ground, and it was okay for a week or so.  Now it's back to shocking me, worse than before!  They fixed the gas two days ago, but didn't take off the electric part...gotta love Manizales!

Views of the Nevado

The Nevado at dusk, from the Colombo. Also a sign that I need to get a new camera that can take pictures this time of day.

The Nevado the next morning. It was like this for several days, which I fully enjoyed since I hadn't seen it since I'd arrived in Manizales

Recinto del Pensamiento

I finally got around to seeing the Recinto de Pensamiento outside of Manizales, after months of rain and me being lazy. 

Views from Chipre

Pics from walking around in the Chipre neighborhood in Manizales, and from the water tower.

Flowers, Flowers

One great thing about living in Manizales is that I can have beautiful, fresh flowers every week, which at their most expensive are no more than $4. 

More Manizales Christmas

These are more of the Christmas decorations that are all around the city (well, somewhat around the city). I especially like the cow. There was also an awesome hot air balloon that was lit up yesterday, and a humongous moon on the top of cerro San Cansio (odd, but interesting, since there's nothing else up there).

I'll be in Cali the night before I head back to El Sal, so I think I have no choice but to stay by the river and all the lights there (awesome). I was there in 2006 for the feria, but just realized that I never posted the pics, even though the majority of them didn't turn out. Oppps.

Velitas

Velitas is a traditional Colombian celebration that takes place on the night of December 7, or in the morning on the 8th (or the night of the 7th & 8th in Manizales). It marks the immaculate conception, as well as the beginning of Christmas festivities. There were streets where every house has Christmas lights and decorations, in addition to putting paper laterns (farolitos), lumieres, or just candles stuck to the cement. Beautiful. Time to get a new camera that takes good night pics.

Pre-election work fun

Even though I missed out by not being at work for election day, I did get to enjoy the pre-election day fun. The EducationUSA advisor and I made info boards for both candidates, and the teachers and students actually used them.

I also learned the Obama really is a lot taller than McCain!

Las estatuas humanas miran a Manizales

This was the only thing I saw that was part of the Festival de Teatro de Manizales. I'd forgotten about these guys, that would stand in front of the cars while they were stopped at the traffic lights in Barranquilla, and on the corners up by Buenavista. Also, not so fortunately, I was re-introduced to Colombian mimes. Mimes, don't make any noise, right? Not Colombian mimes...they squeak like a dog's plastic toys!