My First Week in Colombia

¡Hola! Mi  Amigos.

So yeah. I have been crazy busy here in Bogota and have 

hardly been able to find time to update! Eveyday I get home all i want to do is shower and sleep! I have done so much already and can't believe my first week in Colombia is almost at and end. Well I have started classes at Universidad de La Sabana. It is the most beautiful uni I have ever seen the grounds are so neat and green  and the building are a mix between colonial and ultra modern. Spanish classes have been so much fun and I have learnt so much in only 4 days.

 Last Sunday my Colombian friends from La Sabana took Eden (another business student from QUT, staying with the same home-stay family) and myself out to Usaquen to look at the markets and then to Zona T for dinner. Usaquen is an older part of Bogota  and is an eclectic mix of Colonial style buildings and modern cafes and bars. This is the perfect place to spend a Sunday afternoon strolling through the narrow streets lined with market stalls selling handcrafted treasures, while listening and watching the buskers dance and sing among  the crowds.

The Streets of  Usaquen

I have had so many experiences in the one week I been here, but of course one of the most important for me is FOOD! 

Ok, so a typical Colombian day (from what I've gathered) starts with eggs, bread and coffee or hot chocolate. Lunch is the main meal of the day and is massive. Most days I've been here I have eaten at uni. Most people have a mix of rice and frijoles (beans) and beef or chicken and potato and fried plantain, usually, about three types of carbs and some protein. The portions are massive! and it is so much more carbohydrates than what I am used to eating and for the price it is amazing! Dinner is mostly just very small, bread or a sandwich and coffee or hot chocolate. Each night I have eaten Colombian potato soup which is made from various ingredients but usually potato, barley and lentils, it is so delicious one of my favorite thing I have tried so far.  Most meals are washed down with fresh juice which is nothing like juice in Australia, it is so fresh and very pulpy and made with some fruits I've never seen before now. I quite often see juice carts on the street and people walking around with giant cups of juice.  Although getting a good amount of vegetable with any meal seems rare especially considering the large amount of fruit that is consumed.

Evening Rush and street vendors at the Portal Del Norte (North Portal Bus Station) 

One of the most exciting food experiences so far has been my trip to the supermarket today. It is usually one of the first things I usually do when I visit a new place as it really gives you a good idea of typical food that is eaten. Ahh and Colombian supermarkets are just so amazing with such a huge variety of fruits and vegetables I found avacados as big as papaya and papaya as big as watermelons! As well, a enormous bakery and deli section and sweets snacks and drinks that I just have to try. It was so much fun I think I spent about two hours in the supermarkets today just looking and deciding on food to try. 

Giant Avacado and Papaya

Well I wish I could keep writing all night as there is so  much to talk about, uni, catching the Transmileneo (city bus system), food, friends, going out, salsa, street vendors, the very high percentage of incredibly attractive people (I'm talking about the men, but I have heard from my Italian friend, the women also),  the amazing bakery near my apartment, my trips planned for the weekends, ahh so much, but I am so exhausted! I have been exhausted ever since starting uni on Monday. I don't know if its because I'm so high (Bogota is 2600m above sea level, that's higher than the highest mountain in Australia!) and there is less oxygen or we have been actually doing so much!

Universidad de La Sabana

I have met some other students at the university that are also on exchange. Most are actually from Australia too but also from Japan, Germany and Italy. A group of four of us have planned and booked as of today a trip to Barranquilla via Cartagena for the Carnaval de Barranquilla one of the biggest carnivals in the world. I'm super excited because as well as getting to dress up and party for 2 days straight I'll also get to see the beach! And not just any beaches but beaches in the Caribbean! I'm very very excited. But until then I have plenty of other activities to keep me busy. Salsa lessons are one of the highlights of the week we took a two hour lesson on Wednesday, which I wish went all afternoon, the music and rhythms are so catchy and addictive. We have a city tour and a trip to Zipaquira salt cathedral coming up as well as an overnight trip to  Villa de Leyva this weekend. 

So as much as I have to say I have to end here and won't be able to update until Sunday as I will be away for the weekend. So please excuse my bad grammar and spelling, as I am very sleepy, Lo siento. and I will write in with an update about the weekend.

 Ciao.

Colombian Sweets

Early Days

I was up so so early to catch the plane. Well early for my because I'm the type that sleeps at 3am and gets up at 9, so  6 is quite the unreasonable hour. Despite this I was up and off to the airport, I think maybe this was my first time catching a plane by myself. and I'm 23! Goes to show how much I get out and about. Colombia was my destination that i hope to eventually arrive at. And, well, I did. Quite easily actually despite my lack of knowledge of Spanish and my inexperience with traveling.
So why Colombia? Well I'm spending the next month here in Bogota studying at La Sabana University. As I'm almost finished my Master of Business majoring in Marketing at QUT in Brisbane (Australia) I thought some international experience would be a great idea. Having only limited options to study abroad made it tricky but I took the plunge and went way out of my comfort zone and picked Colombia (plus I quite enjoyed seeing the shock on peoples faces when I mentioned I would be off to South America alone).

So after a ridiculously long day of waiting at the airport, sitting on a plane and repeating 3 times, -Brisbane to LA (13hrs) LA to Miami (5 hours) Miami to Bogota (4 hours). I have just spent my first full day here in Bogota and have done absolutely nothing! which has actually been nice (sleep is always good after a massive flight). I arrived at 12am and had to spend the night at the house of the lady that picked me up from the airport as my host family didn't wake to answer the door when I arrived! No matter Alejandra is lovely and made me delicious coffee and eggs and cheese for breakfast.
I am now at my host families apartment in the North of Bogota it's very nice but so different to typical houses in Australia. I have already discovered that communication will be tricky as Gloria and Eduardo do not speak any English like most Colombians. I am just hoping I can pick up Spanish soon enough!

Tomorrow another girl from my university is arriving, she will be staying here too, so at least I will be able to communicate with someone! Hopefully I will be able to get out and about and explore the area a bit before uni begins on Monday.

Well that's all for now. Although I will try and update daily on my time in Colombia and hopefully with photos too. There are so many interesting and beautiful sights here in Bogota!