Hi everyone...greetings from the Bogota airport! We are waiting for our flight to Medellin, Carmen's hometown. Our 3 days in Bogota sped by, fueled by jet lag and an itinerary that forced us to fall in love with this crowded metropolis. Bogota itself is very green on the periphery, where roses grow in regimented hothouses, visible from the air and country roads. Yesterday we trekked to 2 salt mines where we were awestruck as cathedrals of salt were carved into their walls, and estuaries of salinated water are piped to distant factories to supply salt for industry and consumption. Today we went to the Museo Del Oro, where again, we were slackjawed viewing amazing artifacts, all in pure gold, tracing the history of Colombia from BC to AD. The intricacy of the workmanship and the symbolism were aptly explained by our hero, our tour guide Freddy.
Meals here are so different than the U.S. ...everyone stokes up on breakfast, and the main meal is lunch -- usually around 2pm and most often a 3-hour affair. Today we had an early lunch (noon) at Pescara di Jaramillo -- felt like Miami with marlins on the walls and ceilings regaled with sails. The main choice for most of the folks at the table was a whole fried fish (I'll post pics later), but Don Shaul chose the best ceviche I have ever sampled, and my grilled crab claws and octopus were amazing.
Imagine the face on the poor agent at Avianca when 18 showed up for check-in (today is #2 flight in 7 total legs for this trip!). Now sitting in the lounge enjoying some pretty yummy local snacks called Achiras (kind of like puffy parmesan cheezits) while waiting for our plane to Medellin. It's a half-hour flight and literally scrapes the tops of the Andes enroute...so as we fly in the light of day, hopefully there will be enough sun to take some awesome pictures...
On this leg we visit many of the medical schools and hospitals, and deliver trauma and CPR mannequins to several departments, teach how to put in interosseous lines, and deliver some toys to hospitalized kids. We will consult with the local docs on what they need and want to learn. It will be the beginning of the medical journey we are all yearning to take here. Carmen and Consuelo have been amazing hosts so far, and our accommodations and meals have been first class...not what most of Colombia enjoys daily, but nonetheless providing necessary comfort for this nervous introduction to Colombia.
The company of our traveling companions is wonderful. There have been very few times over the last several years that we have been able to share a conversation without interruption or getting paged, so having in-depth discussions about everything from medicine to kids is wonderful. The kids (ranging in age from 9-19) have been fabulous so far, all bonding on different levels, nary a whine or complaint.
So on day 3, we are ready to start our real journey!
More to come...
xo - JJ
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