Lost post 2014: Juan Valdez

Posted on November 4, 2023 by K Eckland

**I recently found a hidden folder with several drafts from 2014 – 2018 that were never published. I decided to revisit and update these posts while I am working a nursing assignment in the Northeast, USA**

For everyone who is wondering: Does this post mean that I am headed to the cafetero (coffee region) of Colombia? Sadly, no – that journey will have to wait for a future trip (Oct 2023) to Colombia. Instead – it’s time to talk about the ubiquitous “I must be in Colombia” Juan Valdez. He’s kind of like the North American Marboro Man – except his product won’t kill us. (Equally addictive in my opinion, but oh so deliciously!)

Most people think it’s just a brand name for the Colombian version of Starbucks but that’s just one of it’s latest incantations. The symbol of Juan Valdez, harvesting coffee beans, has been around a lot longer (since 1958), and represents more than just upscale marketing of an almost universally used product.

When I originally wrote those words, almost 8 years ago – I was thinking about Juan Valdez as the eternal symbol of Colombia – and how as a symbol it has a bit of a double edged sword, as it gives rise to the idea that ALL Colombians are “campesinos” or rural farmers, instead of doctors, lawyers, judges, designers etc.

This can lead into dangerous territory because of the long and tortured history between campesinos and paramilitaries in Colombia. This has been particularly bad for the small independent (and usually poor) farmer in the southern regions of Colombia, where the FARC and other groups still hold considerable power. I was going to write more about this imagery as well as some of the more sophisticated imagery regarding Colombia and Coffee. But that was before I bought my own tiny finca – and began to learn about coffee agriculture.

Now that we are knee deep in classes and books on growing coffee, sustainable and nonchemical practices – it all seems a lot different. But the idea of the uneducated peasant farmer still robs Colombia’s people of the dignity that they deserve. They may not have a college degree in all of this – but the agriculture and economy around coffee growing is pretty complicated/ and sophisticated.

There’s more than varieties of coffee, there are differences in caffeine content based on altitude. We are still preparing the finca for a spring planting (March – April) of an Arabica bean variety popular in our region of Colombia. That means ensuring that we have adequate shade coverage for the plants – which receive a calculated amount of sun-shade for the best bean development. Our coffee will be shaded by plantains – and avocados. (There are some other scattered fruit trees, but we concentrated these for the best shade coverage).

Coffee beans develop and have to be harvested every two weeks. That’s still a manual process. Once the beans have been picked – industrial or large fincas can move on to large scale or mechanized means of preparing the beans to eventually be ready for your coffee cup.

But we are small – and the coffee beans are for our personal use (and some select friends) so it’s all going to be manual production on our farm. We will be doing it the same way that small farmers have been doing it for hundreds of years; drying the beans, sorting and shucking the outer skin, and then taking our small quantity of beans to the Coffee Growers Association and the larger farms to have them carefully roast the beans to our desired roast. It’s time-consuming, and it’s hard work – and that’s why I think I am so drawn to it.

Since we are just starting out – don’t head out to the farm to visit just yet – it takes a minimum of three years for plants to mature enough to provide beans suitable to coffee. (Good thing because we still have so much to learn!) That sounds like a long time, but then I remember that I’ve been writing this blog since 2010, back when I visited Bogota for the first time. (I was supposed to stay a few weeks and then head to San Pedro Sula for a Spanish program.) San Pedro Sula never happened – and the Spanish program has been me, basically winging it – watching a lot of Netflix in Spanish and having (mostly) only Spanish-speaking friends. (A little English always sneaks in – usually folks wanting to practice).

Additional links and information

Juan Valdez official site: site with information on Juan Valdez and Colombian coffee.

Flavors of Bogota: this is a coffee company that offers courses/ classes for Baristas, and potential coffee shop owners (or anyone who wants to sell coffee, in any form). The people who run the website, Karen and Peter are pretty interesting too. She teaches about coffee at one of the local universities.

Cali, Cali, Cali and the best AirBnB in Cali!

Posted on October 25, 2023 by K Eckland

Montenegro, Salento, Santa Rosa de Cabal and now, Cali, Colombia. We passed thru multiple states, ate lots of different things, took lots of pictures, hiked in the mountains, climbed lots of stairs and enjoyed the famous hot springs on our way to the grand city of Cali, Colombia.

So…. Cali is hot.. Not warm, but hot. Maybe not to everyone (I saw locals wearing sweaters and jackets) but it’s the kind of hot that makes me grouchy and miserable – and I know this! I’ve had plenty of miserable trips to sunny beach locations (and other places that heat seekers flock to – and I know what heat does to me). Add heat = instant bitch.

It was also the surprise visit for Andres and his daughter’s shared birthday weekend.

So I couldn’t let the heat get to me. I found a charming Airbnb home with a small swimming pool. The hosts were absolutely delightful, so I posted the link above, if you are planning a trip to Cali. It was in a nice neighborhood (but not a lot of stores or restaurants to walk to) right on the river. It was the perfect solution – we basically lived in the pool for much of the weekend. His daughter loved it, we had a good time, and I didn’t become a heat enraged monster.

House we rented in Cali, in private cul-de-sac
lovely elegant split level
Dining room and kitchen opened out to the pool/ BBQ area
BBQ area
living room
master bedroom
master bedroom
view from master bedroom

I don’t usually feature someone else’s rental on the blog – but this house made all the difference. It was spacious – charming.. We barbecued, we swam, we slept in the hammock by the pool. This house made all the difference for me – (and certainly for people who had to travel with me!)

But we didn’t stay in the house the entire time. We took a morning stroll down to the Parque de los Gatos and other Cali landmarks. Of course, I did manage to bow out of one afternoon adventure in the heat – to hang out by the pool and read a book. It was lovely! I also used the time to sneak out and get ice cream for the birthday folks..

I enjoyed the heck out of the pool.. I even stayed home to read a book by the pool while everyone else went out one afternoon
the Pool
BBQ birthday
Parque de los Gatos

I probably should talk about Cali and salsa dancing.. or salsa music, drink champus or the many other things that make Cali famous and noteworthy.

But I didn’t go and experience any of those things on this visit. (This is my second visit to Cali.)

Here’s an easy Recipe for Champus. It’s a tasty nonalcoholic drink made with tropical fruits. Lots of people say they drink it at room temperature, but we usually have it chilled.

At the end of our weekend, we returned to Bogota.. I drove for a good bit of the way – but I really don’t like driving in Bogota, so we switched off at Ibague, where we stopped for lunch, and to wait out traffic with some friends. (You don’t want to drive thru/ near Bogota during peak time – it can take 3 to 4 hours to cross the city if caught in peak traffic.) On one of my future posts – we are going to talk about Driving in Colombia. I know I mentioned that I received my driver’s license and motorcycle license this year but driving in Colombia particularly in the city of Bogota is worthy of a special note.

The thermal hot springs of Santa Rosa de Cabal and the ruins of La Posada Alemana

Posted on October 10, 2023 by K Eckland

Just outside of Salento is the burnt remains of several large buildings on a large estate. That estate is the former hotel of the infamous Carlos Lehder, narco-trafficer and one-time ally of Pablo Escobar. La Posada Alemana was inspired by Carlos’ father ,Kurt Wilhelm Lehder, and the small Pensión Alemana he had owned. The senior Senor Lehder was no saint either, as a german immigrant who had moved to Colombia in 1928, he maintained strong ties to the fatherland. He is believed to have strong pro-Nazi sentiments, and to have helped the Nazi’s gather intelligence, using his hotel for meetings.

I don’t write a tremendous amount about Escobar and such, mainly because I feel like the topic has been talked to death, from Cocaine Cowboys, to Narcos and El Patron de Mal and every other quasi-documentary out there.

But since we were literally passing the burned out ruins, I felt compelled to stop and take a few pictures.

But our next destination was pretty amazing! I had actually seen it on a youtube channel. (There are a couple of great channels for information on tourism destinations in Colombia. My personal favorite is FNDCol. They have a great series on all the different states in Colombia. Another good one is FonturCol. Both pf these channels are in Spanish, but you don’t need English to appreciate the view.

This video is where we went – the thermal baths at Santa Rosa de Cabal, in the Colombian state of Risaralda.

We went on a misty, then rainy day – which ended up being perfect. The hot thermal baths (there are several pools), the chilly waterfall and cold rain on your face made for an extraordinary combination. We also took advantage of the deep tissue massages, and the adjacent restaurant and coffee bar.

For starters, there’s the view..

Then, the thermal baths themselves.. The water is deliciously hot. The waterfall provides for refreshing cool water along with several cascading showers.

There are flowers, and greenery everywhere.

We spent most of the day at the thermal baths – I could have stayed forever, honestly. And you almost can, since the falls are open until 11 pm at night on weekdays and 2 am on the weekend. Several locals advised us that nighttime visits were the best for couples, and a romantic date. Magical! But we left before that – to try the famous sausages of Santa Rosal at a charming roadside restaurant.

Lakeside cabin at roadside restaurant
Cabins
The famous sausage of Santa Rosa de Cabal
one of the many rabbits that make their home outside the roadside restaurant
The tree house and lookout point at the roadside restaurant

It was a cute restaurant, with a coverage main restaurant, a small snack shop and several little cabins for private meals. They also have a massive tree outback, with stairs that lead upwards to a lookout point. It was too misty that day for much of a view, but the famous chorizos were quite tasty.

After a late lunch, we returned to the town of Santa Rosa de Cabal (the hot springs are outside of town, a couple miles away). The town itself was underwhelming, but my impression may have been dampened by the grey rainy weather, so I will have to come back one day and give it another chance (happy to do as long as I can visit the springs again.) Of course, I might just end up staying at the folksy cabins just outside the springs – and skip the town entirely.

On our next post – we make our way to the sulty city of Cali, the Colombian capitol of Salsa dancing.

I’ve made it my personal goal to see (and experience) as many thermal baths in Colombia as possible (Paipa was fantastic too!) so I am going to include this link to 10 different thermal baths near Bogota for similar minded people to enjoy..

A surprise visit – to Eje Cafetero and Cali

Posted on October 4, 2023 by K Eckland

It’s been a bit since I’ve posted here, but the adventures continue. I spent some time in Pacho, Cundinamarca finishing up a manuscript for my second full length novel. Now that it’s done – I am in the tedious process of getting it edited and finding an illustrator.. Now, I am not the great American novelist and I have absolutely no illusions that I will find any mainstream sales success (no publicist, no large publishing house) but I have always believed that if you put in the time and effort to do something, finish it…

But, it was a relief to finally finish the book – and not have all the characters in my head all the time. That being said – there is always so much to do.. But we are taking a week to smell the roses and enjoy ourselves.. It’s a surprise visit for my significant other to see her daughter on her birthday. She lives in Cali – and she will be delighted to see her dad.

Since I’ve never been to the Cafetero or Coffee Region of Colombia, we decided to take a tour of it on our way to see her.

We left Bogota around 3:30 am.. We live in North Bogota, and our journey takes us south, so we have to cross the entire city first. (There isn’t a bypass though politicians have been promising one for the last 40 years.) By 4:30 we encountered traffic.. (If you haven’t been here – Bogota has a massive traffic problem – brought about by limited public transportation, a huge population of people who work on one side of Bogota and live on the other) and well, an exploding population, with a road system designed for a much smaller city. (In the 1990’s Bogota’s population was around 3 million, now in 2023 – we have close to that in Venezuelan immigrants with a total population of around 11 million).

But soon enough, we were on the open road.. Our first stop was Ibague in the Colombia state of Tolima. Culinary-wise, Tolima is best known for some of my favorites, Tamal tolimese and Lechona (stuffed roasted pig). (The links will take you to some older posts on these tasty Colombian dishes).

We stopped for some breakfast and a quick visit with family. (His, not mine, though I like to think of his large immediate family as mine). It was starting to get hot there by about 930 so I was glad when we hit the road again..

Now if you’ve never driven in Colombia – distances are very very deceiving. I recently got my Colombian driver’s license which requires you to take the full driving course to learn the Codigo de Transito, and clock your behind the wheel hours. Funny enough, I was rear ended while driving in the student car, which has massive green labels saying “student driver – keep back” – but that’s a story for another time.

The maximum speed limit in the country is 80 kilometers – but most of the time, you never get near it.. In the cities, the limiting factor is usually traffic – but in other areas, it’s the state of the roads themselves. There is always road construction. With a rainy and a dry season, you also get periodic flooding in some places.. Much of Colombia is high in the Andes mountains – with winding mountain roads – usually one lane in each direction. Add a couple of fuel trucker, semis (18 wheelers) and a whole bunch of motorcycles and cyclists – with people passing said fuel trucks, cyclists over double lines, on blind curves and all, you end up with an average speed of around 30 to 50 kilometers an hour.. (that’s less than 30 miles an hour for people like myself who weren’t raised on the metric system.) Sometimes it feels painfully slow.. But on highway 40 – it can feel dangerously fast..

*That time estimate is complete fiction..*

Unfortunately, due to the narrow roads, curves and such – I didn’t get many pictures of our drive – and it’s an unbelievably breathtakingly gorgeous drive.. You climb higher and higher in the mountains (which is delightfully refreshing with cool temperatures) with such a picturesque landscape, dotted here and there with fincas and small farms – but otherwise endless green trees, plants, grass and a wide open blue sky..

We continued on after a brief stop in Cajamarca (photo above) to Montenegro, where we spent the night. There are some cool things to see in Montenegro but we decided to relax a bit after getting up so early.

Sampled some coffee, walked around the plaza and swam in the pool. My companions were lights out asleep by about 730 that night. The next morning we headed off to the Valle de Cocora. If you’ve ever seen the kid’s animated movie. Encanto – it’s set in this part of Colombia..

*I love maps.. absolutely fascinate me, so of course – plenty of them in this post..*

The Valle de Cocora is part of the Los Nevados National Park and is located just outside of Salento. It’s famous for the large collection of Quindo Wax Palms, which are the tallest palm trees in the world. These palms are also part of the national identity of Colombia.

As part of the Nevados Mountain range, the palms are located at an elevation higher than Denver.. What does that mean, you ask? It means blissfully cool weather.. and lots of misty low clouds that drift in and out.

Today was the day that I realized that I am not a horse lover.. Not a horse hater either.. Wouldn’t want to knowingly eat one – and I used to get upset when they would sanction killing the wild mustangs when I lived in Nevada.

But I was never that pre-teen girl that was doing paint-by-number horse paints, or reading Black Beauty a million times (am I dating myself or what), and dreaming of owning a horse.. but I love animals in general, mainly feline varieties. Our neighbor used to graze horses in our yard when I was little in Virginia, and I have ridden before.. But not – horse crazy.

Ha.. So we decided to go on a “nice” horseback tour. I immediately felt uncomfortable, but hey – get back in the saddle right.. But it progressed to a freak out – and I ended up dismounting and walking (which is fine – I love a good walk/ hike). But it still surprised the heck out of me. I always feel like I am fearless.. Ha. Seabiscuit proved me so so wrong today..

Andres and his mom had a lovely time horseback riding.. Once my pulse went back to normal, and my feet were on level ground – I had a great time too..

We had a lovely lunch at a cute restaurant. The area is known for it’s fish (trout) dishes, so we each had a different trout preparation and shared..

Enjoying a little Club Colombia
High up in the Valle de Cocora
Andres mom enjoying trucha with mushrooms
Valle de Cocora is filled with amusements, tours, shops and selfie stations
Trucha with cerviche
Trucha with garlic butter
the classic Eje Cafetero jeep
Horse tack at the stables

Then it was time to set off for Salento.. But that’s another post.

Additional Links about destinations in this post:

Cocora Valley Jetsetter’s Guide

Visiting the place that inspired Encanto

Town hopping in the Cafetero

National Coffee Park in Montenegro

Kristin in Colombia again.

Posted on August 24, 2023 by K Eckland

Readers know that I am just not that cool – or up-to-date with social media etc.. As much as I hate to admit it, it’s a little bit after my demographic.. I am a bit too much Gen Z, and not enough today to be entirely natural with all of the online mediums. I still remember dating a informational systems major (see, even the name of the degree gives me away!) in college, and having him show me email for the first time. Of course, it was kind of a nerd messaging system then because it only worked on campus, and it only worked for people who had their own desktop computers, (which wasn’t very many of us.) Of course, less than two years later – everyone had a desktop and the internet was becoming “a thing” but it has quickly left me in the dust. It’s embarrassing since my mom (who is in her mid-80’s is more computer literate than I am.) Now, my dad – he refuses to use anything but a flip phone (he gets super irritated trying to learn the features of smart phones)- so we have a bit more in common there. It’s hard to realize that you have become dated, despite your best efforts. It comes along with no longer listening to the pop stations (as you find yourself twisting the dial to salsa channels, throw-back stations or even the dreaded talk news..)

So I am still working on my next podcast – but it’s a bit of a challenge – to avoid background noise – get past the fact that my voice sounds like That! and to avoid the same old trite soundbites. There are plenty of cooler, hipper IG perfect podcasters talking about Colombia. In fact, most of them have Gringa in their name. It’s one of the things I still argue about with my friends here.. They want me to be commercially successful – which is another thing I don’t quite understand about podcasts. I just want to be genuine. Not another bleach blonde bimbo “La Gringa………..” talking about the most instagram worthy photo locations, and such. I don’t want to show visitors to Colombia how to fake like they have experienced Colombian culture. In fact, I find that trite, annoying and a little bit offensive that all these little cuties (because they are all very cute versus my middle aged self) post pictures of a couple of famous Colombian destinations, a meal or two – and then declare that they have had the “Colombian experience.” I have becoming here since 2010, finally moved here permanently in 2019 – and I can tell you that I still haven’t finished my Colombian “experience.”

It’s not a hashmark to be checked – it’s a rich and vibrant country with a wealth of things to do, see and experience. Not everyone needs to move to Colombia to enjoy this beautiful country – but it would be wonderful if tourists could take more time to actually enjoy Colombia, instead of just finding the best photogenic angles of themselves in front of monuments that they haven’t even bothered to learn about. That’s kind of hard for even the most earnest tourists to do anything more profound when most of the “Gringa” podcasts out there are promoting exactly that sort of superficial garbage along with a “what happens in Colombia,” type attitude..

And I suppose I am supposed to say that that’s okay because vacations aren’t supposed to be educational lessons, etc.. etc.. But, I just can’t.

I am not the kind of person that would enjoy flying half-way around the world to fight over towel space on a crowded beach, or loungers at an expensive hotel. There’s no need too spend thousands of dollars to do that – especially if you are going to do it to the detriment of an actual opportunity to see something new – and learn something. Not only that – I think this trend of superficial tourism is so darn destructive. Travel is supposed to build bridges and be a cultural exchange – between the visitors and the inhabitants. The visitors learn about a new culture (and gain respect for it) and the inhabitants learn a bit about the people who come to visit. But that’s not happening anymore – or at least not in a way that builds bridges..

All over the globe, hordes of tourists are descending like locusts on social media featured hotspots.. And then they proceed to show their asses (literally and figuratively, in many cases) in a game of online one-upmanship before heading off to the next destination. And it’s making the inhabitants of these lovely places – places that people are racing to see – hate us. Luckily, the majority of people who come to Colombia aren’t going on narco tourism tours, or vandalizing national monuments. But they do litter in our national parks – and flout carefully constructed rules designed to protect the environment (like wearing lots of lotions, creams etc.) and going into the famous river of five colors. They also fail to respect locals – and continuous bring up sensitive topics. It’s not cute to probe or make jokes about a national wound, even if you see locals selling items related to it. Individuals who sell confederate flags do so to make a living – and that doesn’t make it collectively okay.

I know that as a person born in the United States that there are certain topics that are painful to me. Topics that are too large and complex to explain to a total stranger in a social setting. It hurts me to think about how the nation of my birth has failed us, in the past and continues to fight (and often fail) on issues that shouldn’t be so difficult. These things that are shameful to me, even though I have nothing to do with it. Many people from the United States, like myself don’t really want visitors asking about our civil rights legacy (George Floyd, Black Lives Matter, Slavery or racism in general) so why do we feel that it’s okay to throw other peoples’ hurts in their faces?

This has changed the way I look at a lot of people, people that I consider friends – as I watch them do this – even after I’ve asked them not too.. And they smile and grin while doing it – all the while thinking they are cute, funny or somehow original. Maybe this sounds trivial to some of my readers, but it has permanently changed the way I look / feel about these people.

So – maybe this so-call ‘gringa’ can be a bit of downer – because I don’t want to always talk about the shiny and superficial (sometimes, sure). But I also feel that I have an obligation – as a permanent resident here – to learn about my new home, expand my perspective, and learn to see things without that unique stain of ‘American superiority.” If you want to come on that journey with me – and I haven’t offended you too much with my opinions – please continue to join me on Kristin in Colombia..

New podcast: Kristin in Colombia

Posted on July 16, 2023 by K Eckland

Readers, friends, colleagues and even family often ask, “Why Colombia?” They aren’t asking about the logistical reasons I’ve presented in previous posts. They are asking an entirely different question. They are asking why I’ve uprooted my life, to start again – on the road to citizenship in Bogota, Colombia.

I could have continued to visit and live in Colombia periodically, and post my stories, pictures and adventures. Especially after I realized that all of my academic efforts in the field of surgical tourism wouldn’t amount to much, despite years of effort.

But I didn’t. I moved here – lock, stock and barrel as they say. I sold my house in Memphis, Tennessee, packed up or sold all of my belongings and re-settled my live in South America. I have no regrets – and I would do it again. In fact, I only wish that I had taken the leap earlier.

I decided to start a podcast called Kristin in Colombia to talk about this, and all the other experiences and adventures in my life – as a middle-aged woman starting a new life in a new Country, with a new culture, language and everything else it entails. I just finished the first episode, and it’s a little rough technically speaking. I am not a public speaker, nor a sound editor.. But bear with me as I get a little more experience – and enjoy the ride.

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kristin-eckland/episodes/A-most-unusual-origin-story-or-how-did-I-get-here-e270kkm

We Love Carlos Vives! The King of Colombian music..

Posted on June 14, 2023 by K Eckland

It’s been a while since I’ve had an opportunity to sit down and write but that doesn’t mean my adventures have stopped.. In fact, it was a little hectic for about six months. I have been working with an Interior Design firm doing specialty apartments.

The first apartment is the We Love Carlos Vives penthouse apartment. It’s an adorable apartment in the family friendly neighborhood of Cedritos in North Bogota. If you want all the hustle and bustle of downtown Bogota, then this isn’t the place for you. But if you are staying in Bogota, or working here – and want a nice, safe but lively (not noisy) neighborhood with restaurants, bars, grocery stores, banks, parks and shopping in close walking distance – this apartment may be ideal for you.

It has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and two large balconies with views of the city. It’s comfortably outfitted with modern amenities and decorated in rural Colombian style. It pays homage to one of Colombia’s greatest musical artists, Carlos Vives.

(If you’d like to rent the apartment – click here!

If you don’t know who Carlos Vives is – don’t worry! I have included some videos for your enjoyment!

https://player.pbs.org/viralplayer/3071811576/

He’s an amazing performer – and he (and artist Diomedes Diaz) popularized Colombian music around the world.

This link below plays his 20 most popular songs.. So click, relax and enjoy.. You can come back and read more about Carlos Vives, and the We Love Carlos Vives Apartment once you’ve immersed yourself in his music.

For many people outside of Colombia, he is best known for some of his collaborations – and for his song in the Disney movie, “Encanto”

Of course, if you really want to know about Carlos Vives, best to hear it from the man himself.. Here’s a brief interview.

Now that you love Carlos Vives’ music as much as I do – you might just enjoy the We Love Carlos Vives penthouse apartment.

I also made a little video.. It’s total amateur hour (because – yeah – I am a total amateur) and the music is nowhere as good as Carlos Vives, but here it is. I think the apartment is as colorful, charming and Colombian as the man himself..

I am going to try and get back to posting regularly – I’ve been traveling around Colombia recently – to the lovely coastal city of San Antero, to the pueblos of Cundinamarca, like Pacho and areas in between so I will post some pictures and descriptions soon.

Reason # 1 – and Holidays in Colombia

Posted on December 25, 2021 by K Eckland

Over the years, people have asked me the same question repeatedly. “Why, Colombia?” Different people have asked me this question for different reasons, about different things. Sometimes it’s Colombian people – government officials, surgeons and others, and they are asking in relation to my work in medical travel.

Sometimes, it’s my fellow North Americans asking for the same reason. Sometimes, it’s my co-workers in the USA, who want to know why I spend so much time here. Sometimes, it’s Colombians for the same reason. Sometimes, it’s just people who are curious.. There are many many reasons, and I won’t talk about them all today.. But..

The #1 reason I love Colombia, live in Colombia and promote Colombia and Colombian culture is: The People!

Obviously, people are unique, and there are good and bad people etc.. everywhere. But I have found my Colombian friends, acquaintances, neighbors, and even many many strangers to be some of the nicest, and kindest people I have encountered. I would have never been able to write the books, if that hadn’t have been the case. Before smart phones (and related technology), and speaking very minimal Spanish, I was able to navigate, research and write several books about this country, all due to the countless times absolute strangers helped me out, whether I was lost in the far part of town, needed to complete a task complicated by complex instructions, or just needed additional information. There was always someone that volunteered to help. Many of these people went on to become close friends, or colleagues. But sometimes, it was just a stranger on the bus who was giving me directions to where I needed to go.

Of course, there are nice and helpful people in the United States – I always tell people, that in general, “gringos” are friendly and welcoming to strangers. And the rest of the world, has no shortage of nice people either. But it’s more than that – here there is a sense of family and inclusion that we seem to have lost in the United States. When I was a child, during the holidays, families (like mine) always invited visitors, strangers, single people etc. to join us – and celebrate with us. But much of that sense of inclusion has diminished over the last several decades.

Where my parents would invite people to picnic with us at one of our soccer games, etc. my generation is more closed off – our immediate nuclear family becames a secret club. Instead of saying, “I can’t do lunch because of my child’s X activity, but would you like to sit in the stands with me so we can catch up?” people have become exclusionary – and often times, pretty darn proud of it. It becomes almost a badge of honor among young adults to start excluding even very close friends once you marry and had children.

It’s more like, “Look at how special I am – I have a spouse, and kids, [and thus don’t have time for you].” I am not the first to remark on this phenomena, there has been miles of articles, books and literature written about it. It ties in with the helicopter parenting and other childrearing trends that are more prevalent in North America. This anti-social, narcissistic trend probably isn’t entirely absent in Colombia – but it’s not common. So, in Colombia, at least, your friends with kids are still your friends and vice versa..

Thus, for someone like me – who likes to travel (and likes to travel alone) and live a very independent life – being able to maintain friendships with people, and being able to include them in my life and theirs, despite their childbearing status is important. (I love my friends, and even though I don’t have kids of my own, I enjoy being around children, especially when they get to that fun pre-teen age).

But during the holidays, these trends tend to be enhanced, which is why they talk about the depression and risk of suicide during the holidays – in the USA – because we have a lot of lonely people being left out of a lot of socializing for superficial reasons (like divorce, widowhood, or single status) even before the pandemic turned our world upside down.

But let me give you a recent example (just one of many many experiences I have had) and tell you about my Christmas – because maybe it’s better to just talk about actual events – instead of sociology theories..

Of course, let me acknowledge, that the Holidays in Colombia are a very special time anyway.. It’s not about a bunch of presents under the tree or buying a lot of stuff you don’t really need. Colombia is a Catholic nation – and religion is definitely part of it – but not overwhelmingly so. (I am not terribly religious – and none of it makes me uncomfortable here – which means something; when you consider that many times at home in the USA – I can’t get through a business meeting without someone feeling the need to invoke Jesus, repeatedly, in a lengthy and aggressive manner, whether or not it’s appropriate.)

Christmas, New Year’s and the Holiday season is a time to celebrate – with friends and family. It’s a time for homemade cooking, exchanging hugs, stories and spending time together. It’s gotten more complicated recently – but this year, everyone was vaccinated – and boosted – and several of us remained masked too (with doors and windows open for extra ventilation).

This year, 2021, my neighbors, the Gonzalez family invited me to join with their big, boisterous, lovely and sweet family for Christmas. I moved here in the middle of the pandemic – with strict lockdown rules in place – so I didn’t really know my neighbors well – only enough to share greetings in passing. We had exchanged holiday greetings and neighborly gifts (they gave me a lovely anchete (gift basket), and then they invited me to spend time with their family.

Look at this lovely anchete, filled with great things..

Side Note:

I learned a long time, when I first came to Colombia – to say yes to these opportunities. (When I was new to Colombia, I would often say no because I didn’t want to be “a bother”, or inconvenience anyone. I thought saying yes was bad manners – so sometimes, I turned down invitations to do things that I really wanted to do because I thought people were just inviting me to be nice – and again, I didn’t want to inconvenience them…. and then a nice Colombian girl I knew explained that by turning down invitations, people got the impression that I wasn’t interested in what they had to offer..

So I got over my uncomfortableness at feeling like I was “putting people out” and started saying Yes.. To just about everything… and it has made a heck of a difference – and I’ve had some amazing experiences and gotten to know some wonderful people).

So off we went to his brother’s house.. Both John and his brother were born in the atlantic coast of Colombia, even though they have spent most of their lives here in Bogota. So, in a salute to their costeno heritage, they were cooking some delicious cuts of meat – using a smoking technique called al trapo..

Don’t worry, while I may have been too busy enjoying myself and talking to everyone to take pictures of all the members of the Gonzalez family – I did manage to get lots of food pictures..

My neighbor is one of five siblings – and three still live in Bogota. He and his wife, Brenda have six grown children, who all live nearby.. So it was a fun gathering of some very nice people, who all love each other a lot. Mr. Gonzalez brother, Richard was doing the honors cooking the meat with one of Mr. Gonzalez’s sons.

So first you dampen a piece of linen or loosely woven cotton cloth in wine.. Red wine, preferably, but any wine will do. It just needs to be moist, not dripping.

Once the cloth has been moistened with wine, sprinkle coarse salt and some pepper on the cloth. Then place the meat in the center of the cloth. Roll the meat in the cloth, adding additional salt and pepper between layers.

Meat rolled in wine soaked cloth and tied with string

Then the meat roll is placed directly into the fire (on a wire rack over the flames)

Cook the meat for 20 to 30 minutes. When the roll is removed, it will look crusty and burnt, but it will be juicy and delicious inside. Cut the fabric and the strings.

After the covering has been removed, let the meat rest for five minutes before slicing and serving.

There was a bevy of other delicious things to eat.. I took pictures of some of my favorites

There was a delicious mango salad, with lettuce, pineapple pieces, mango chunks, and raisins. I don’t know what the dressing was – but it was delicous and mild enough not to overpower the delicate flavors in the salad.

Besides enjoying all the delicious food and drink, we had a lovely time. John and Brenda’s kids are a lively, good-natured bunch.. I wish I would have gotten more pictures at the time..

At midnight,, everyone including the sweet little grandkids gathering in the living room to watch the little ones open a few presents.

the grandbabies, enjoying some desserts..

Then we played some games, chatted and the adults enchanged secret friend gifts.. (They did charades during the gift exchange, so you had to guess who the gift was going to..) Danced a little bit – enjoyed some jokes.. and then it was time to go home..

All and all a lovely time, with a charming family, celebrating Christmas here in Colombia..

A day in Boyaca

Posted on December 23, 2021 by K Eckland

Big news dear readers.. It doesn’t entirely excuse my long absence but great news all the same.. After during a myriad of things during the last two years (like everyone else during this pandemic), I have finally received my Colombian visa. This allows me to stay in country for longer stretches. I am currently still back and forth quite a bit, while I supplement my income working in the USA, until my company can one day be self-supporting (if ever!) Right now, it’s still basically on pause – but hopefully that will change soon.

The pandemic has turned our lives upside down, but it’s also reminded us of what’s important. To me, it’s important for me to be here – and to continue to build my life here. Part of that is enjoying all the wonderful and beautiful things here – animals, flowers, nature, history.. and of course, FOOD. I’m not sophisticated enough to be a ‘foodie’ but I sure do like to try new flavors, tastes, fruits and vegetables.

I’d been feeling a bit hemmed in, with all the changes due to the pandemic, previous restrictions and missing my Sunday routine. So, I went on the internet and called a friend. Within a few minutes, we had booked a one day tour through several towns in Boyaca.

The tour we chose was through a group called Travel Experience VIP. Our tour guides were Nathalia and Alexandra and they were delightful and sweet. The trip cost 65,000 COP and included transport, snacks and a full day tour through several sites in the neighboring Colombian state of Boyaca. We had to pay for our lunch, a 5 mil trip insurance (for accidents etc.) and an optional nature hike (12 mil each). It was still a great deal – bus transport to Boyaca alone when we first looked at going on a trip to Villa de Leiva was 40,000 each way.

After we stopped for breakfast (included), we continued on to a dairy company. Boyaca is the home to the majority of Colombia’s dairy industry, so there were numerous dairy companies selling cheese, ice cream, milk and other dairy products. We stopped at this large well-known factory, to get some of the well-known cheese filled arapas. They were warm, and golden colored, and SO delicious that I was unable to get any pictures.

But I do have some more pictures of some of the cheeses and other products they sell. My favorite is a corn husk wrapped tamale style cheese filled delight called, “envueltos chavitos.” I like it because it’s not some greasy melted cheese mess. It’s made with a very dry crumbly style cheese that is so well mixed into the corn muffin tasting roll that you don’t see the cheese but it adds just a touch of sweet to what would otherwise be a plain corn muffin.

many of the dairy products made right on site -through the open door ,in the room behind the case.

this is the dessert case full of sweets..Bocadilla, araquipe, and my envueltos chavitos

a closer look at all the sweets you could ever want..

After we stopped to enjoy a delicious treat – back to the bus.. Now Colombian roads outside of major cities are really just rural lanes. Which is a nightmare if it’s a heavily travelled road – or a delight, if it’s a relaxing and sunny Sunday cruising in lovely rural farmland like our trip in Boyaca.. Green grass, farms, a small town here and there..

Then we were at our next stop, which was a sizable town, known mainly for it’s church.. Chiquinquira, I believe.. I am not a particularly churchy person, so I was happy to wander thru the small town square, and then get back on the bus. I later read about the poisoned bread incident back in the 1960’s, and well, that adds a bit more mystery to an otherwise kind of boring looking town..

The next stops were more fun..

As a middle-aged woman who likes to sew, crochet and take pictures, Raquira was definitely up my alley. (Did I mention that I have a cat, too?) Raquira is a totally cheesy tourist town, with cutesy little boutique hotels, coffee shops and romantic restaurants..

Now none of that particularly excites me.. But Raquira is also famous for artesanal crafts, particularly ceramics. And that does excite the craft loving part of me – the part that really really appreciates the effort involved in handmade goods – and Hecho en Colombia.. It’s also the me that is still trying to decorate my home – and doesn’t like that whole Ikea/ 2001 spaceship / antiseptic look. Ah, but limited space on the bus, so I mostly did take pictures, even though a lovely vase did follow me home.

yes, made in Colombia and painted by hand..

The streets were lined with shops, so there was plenty of different things to look at, admire or buy. We passed the ceramics factory, where large stacks of unpainted ceramic items just waited to be decorated.

Unlike many tourist places, the prices were very reasonable – and much less than what you would pay for the same items in Bogota. Maybe I’ll go back one day – with folks with a car.. so I can pick up a couple more pieces.. maybe one of the handmade pieces of furniture I saw… Or a planter for my growing garden. My friend had the same dilemma.

in Sutamarchan – home of Longaniza sausage

After the shopping excursion, it was time for lunch – and it turns out that Sutamarchan, Boyaca is also famous for a specific type of chorizo-type sausage called Longaniza. Now long time readers know that I just love, love, love picada – or that delicious mix of potatoes, sausages and other meats. (It has the morcilla or blood sausage that I love!). I wasn’t a big sausage eater before I came to Colombia, but it’s definitely something that I enjoy now.

yes, I love picada.. and it’s part of my own Sunday tradition.

That huge plate is a portion for one – but it was more than plenty for my friend and I. After our bellies were stuffed – it was time to go for the nature hike.. and believe me, I was ready for a nice long walk about after all that food.

on a nature hike to see the “blue” lakes

The next big stop was the historical city of Villa de Leiva (Leyva). It’s famous for being a preserved Colonial town, with cobbled streets etc. and stringent building codes against modern construction.

The main plaza in the town is the largest cobbled plaza in Colombia. The city is full of restaurants and charming boutique hotels. For a tourist town, the locals remained surprisingly friendly and welcoming. (Which is pretty amazing when you think about all the tourists that pass thru Villa de Leiva, especially in December, which is peak tourist season.)

Then it was time to start the drive home. On the way – now that night had fallen, we drove by an amazing holiday lights display that just went on and on.. It was charming.

Then we stopped at one last place so we could stock up on arapas with cheese so they would be fresh for breakfast (which they were). On the way back, the bus stopped close to our place, so we wouldn’t have to travel very far to get home. I’ve even posted the link for the coupon we used for our trip with Travel Experience VIP. Now enjoy!

I added lots of links to make it easy to find more information about the places and things mentioned in my post.

**I have a whole series of posts on my Sundays here:

Sundays in Cartagena

Sundays at Parque Arvi

Sundays in la Candaleria

Sundays in Antioquia

Sundays in Usaquen

Sundays for your health

Sundays in Bogota

Readers may notice that this blog has changed over the years – to be more culture and life and less surgery. I still love surgery and I am still committed to everything I’ve always talked about here; patient safety, quality, and excellent care – I’ve just decided not to talk about it here anymore. It’s at a different site., dedicated to all things medical so I am changing the name – but slowly, so people will have time to get used to the idea..

Cano Cristales in La Macarena

Posted on September 1, 2015 by K Eckland

Cano Cristales

Just got back from a four-day trip to Cano Cristales – and it was fantastic. I went with a Colombian travel company – which I think made the trip all the better. (I am getting ready to go on another adventure trip with a foreign company – so when I get back – I will compare the two.)

The company offers a couple different trip options – but I thought the trip on a chartered plane directly from Medellin sounded the most interesting, so that’s what I chose. There were 19 of us on the trip out from the airport in central Medellin (Enrique Olaya Herrera airport) – all Paisas (Medellin residents) except myself. Immediately, all our my fellow travelers embraced me – as they were entrusted by the travel agent to ‘take care of the gringa’. It was very endearing, actually.

getting on the plane

There were several nurses on the trip – so we bonded right away..

With my travel companions

The Airport at La Macarena in Meta, Colombia

So it was at little sad – when arrived and they mixed and subdivided our group with another smaller group – except that they all turned all be awesome too!

So I ended up as part of a group of six – (including our guide, Sergio).. For someone who wanted to learn more about Colombia, I couldn’t have created a better group. In our little band, there was a biologist, a microbiologist, an anthropologist and a meteorologist – and it was all random. Everyone was from Medellin and they had all come to enjoy the park.

with a group of Colombian experts

On the River

After arriving, we headed down to the Guayabero river for a boat trip to the first part of the hike.

Military partrolling for paramilitaries on the river

riverboats

From our daily jaunts down the river – we then proceeded to have all kinds of fun – from 4 X4ing to the next trail, to long hikes from the plains into the jungle.. Stopped at multiple points of the river, to enjoy the sights and to swim in the cool waters. (It’s high 90’s with 95% humidity – so the water felt great!)

Cano Cristales

As I mentioned in a previous post – I left my trusty Nikon (and polarized lenses) back at home so these photos don’t even begin to capture how beautiful it really is.

Swimming in the river –

One of the best times was swimming near a waterfall in the middle of a torrential downpour.. Unfortunately, my camera had already taken a bit of a swim downriver so I don’t have any photos.. (But I did manage to salvage the photos and the camera – with help from a bag of rice).

Cowboys!

on the way back to the river from the trail we got to see the traditional Colombian way of life here on the plains as the cowboys were rounding up their herd.

Just as we were walking to the boats – we saw a group of people staring at something on the ground. As we got closer, I saw that it was some kind of furred animal. Was it a goat – I couldn’t tell. I was initially reluctant to get closer – it looked half dead laying on the ground in the blazing sun, eyes dull and glassy. But as I got closer, it started to move – and it wasn’t a goat or barnyard animal at all.

What the heck was it? I didn’t know but it looked sick to me..

It was a perezoso (or Sloth in English), which had wandered out of the nearby forest and was now lost.

and then this “half-dead creature got up..

and walked to a nearby table..

The biologist in our group immediately organized the group to entice the animal on to a tree branch, to carry across the field, out of the heat and the sun into the forest. (It felt about 20 degrees cooler when we got there.) The animal perked up and quickly climbed up into a tree. Because it’s coat matched the branches, it blended in perfectly.

Within just a few minutes, it was greeted by another sloth high in the tree.

Heavy Military Presence in the area

Readers will quickly notice from the photos that there is a heavily military presence in the area. Despite a history of mixed relations with the Colombian military – including the discovery of a mass grave in 2010 with over 2,000 unknown corpses (and a history of some atrocities towards Colombian citizens), I am happy to see them. I know I am ignorant and naive, but their presence in La Macarena makes me feel safer. This area, in a lot of ways is kind of like Colombia’s own Vietnam conflict (in their own territory). I feel bad talking to these soldiers who are far from their homes; I’ve met soldiers here from Cali, Boyaca, Bogota and all other points outside of Meta. This is nothing like Bogota (obviously!) and it makes me sad for them.

Do I feel better knowing they are around??

Most people from outside Colombia worry about the FARC, but right now – with the FARC in peace negotiations, paramilitaries like ELN and AUC are the bigger problem. These violent groups clash with everyone who gets in their way; townspeople, the army, and even the FARC. So anyone (like the Army) that keeps them at bay – is well, awesome!

You bet ya!

While both the governmental tour agency and the military officers I spoke with report that there has been minimal paramilitary activity in the La Macarena area for the last several years (8 to 10 years is what I was told), the Colombian state of Meta has an active area for paramilitary activities for the duration of the 50+ year conflict. I found only one fairly recent report (August 2014) of paramilitary activity in other parts of Meta. The majority of reports date back to 2006 – 2010, so it’s been fairly quiet lately. Even so, it’s good to know that there are 2500 active duty soldiers in the area surrounding La Macarena.

Miguel (forefront) from the Colombian military patrols La Macarena

It’s quiet enough that some of the soldiers spend time performing community activities, like helping paint the town, which is one of the local projects to enhance the image of La Macarena for tourists.

a soldier helps a young girl with the community painting project

La Macarena: the town

Aside from the large military population, La Macarena is a small little village – with just a few paved streets at the center of town. Most of the buildings are squat and square with a few second story and one tall four-story hotel tower..

Of course I checked out the hospital

We spent the evenings watching local entertainment – singers and dancers or enjoying a cervecita while playing tejo and enjoying the cool evening breeze.

Taking it easy in Medellin

Posted on August 19, 2015 by K Eckland

at Universidad Nacional – Medellin open air auditorium (The medellin campus is famed for the lush greenery)

So I am back in Medellin, Colombia for several weeks – but this trip is different from all of my previous visits. It’s the first time I have come here without a specific purpose. I’m not here to interview surgeons, attend surgical conferences or even ColombiaModa.

No Colombia Moda this year for me. 😦

Medellin has become so familiar to me, that when I needed a nice tranquil space to work on a non-Colombia related project – I headed here to get away from the thousands of distractions of my stateside life. While I am here, I am also determined to enjoy and explore more of Colombia since I have just seen the bare minimum of life and locales. So next week, I heading off to one of Colombia’s best known natural wonders, Cano Cristales.

I’m going as part of a group (which is something I’ve never done before). It’s sounds like it will be a great trip – flying to Meta, Colombia in a small plane – to a community with limited electricity and no cellphone or internet service. That doesn’t sound like a big deal, but as I writer, I have gotten used to almost always having computer access – almost anywhere in the world. So this will be a nice break from the ordinary for me.

I don’t have my trusty Nikon this time around, which is a shame since Cano Cristales is famed for its beauty but I will attempt to take some pictures with a tiny camera (that packs well). It’s weird because I tend to lose my confidence when I don’t have my big, heavy camera.

Naked without my Nikon? Not a great visual, is it?

La Tierra del Olvido (2015 version)

In the meantime, I will continue to work on my current projects, relax a bit and enjoy Colombia. Carlos Vives, one of my favorite Colombian singers, along with Medellin natives Maluma and J. Balvin, have re-made one of Carlos Vives most popular songs as part of a Colombia tourism promotion. It’s lovely, lively and catching – and features several other well-known Colombian entertainers and Colombian landscapes – so I hope you enjoy.. (Thankfully, no Sofia Vergara!)

Street of Dreams – Calle 49

Posted on July 28, 2014 by K Eckland

el centro map with shopping districts outlined -high resolution

During Colombia Moda, I met several American business people looking for more information about fabric and textiles than the small booths could provide. Many of them wanted to go out and see the fabrics, some of the shops and the factories but no one thought to take them to see any of these things. All of the people I met were first-time visitors to Medellin (and some may never be back). I can’t help with factory tours (I’d like to see those myself) but I do live nearby, so I thought maybe I could help provide some information for future visitors to this fair city. Since I thought wandering around El Centro as a first-time visitor without a guide might be a little daunting, this post might help people feel more comfortable. So I spent all day Saturday wandering around the district – to take pictures and be able to provide more information to people interested in finding fabrics and materials while in Medellin.

A note about Fabric shopping in Medellin: If you are looking for super cheap – crazy bargains, you probably won’t find them here. But you will find a huge array of all kinds of fabric – most of it made right here in the city. For someone like myself who is sometimes (okay, frequently) frustrated by the lack of floor space given to apparel fabrics in the United States – (where it seems like 90% of fabric is for quilting and such), it’s still a bonanza.

Also, while it isn’t made in the USA (which is increasingly rare, I know) – I still feel a bit of loyalty towards buying locally sourced items – even if Medellin is that source. Still interested? Good.

How to get here – the real Medellin

The best fabric and general shopping in Medellin isn’t in the fancy malls of El Poblado and Enviagado. It’s in the busy, teeming streets of El Centro. El Centro is also where many of the most famous tourist attractions are, so if you are interested in seeing some of the famous architecture, the Botero collection (at the Museo de Antioquia) – you can do that too. El Poblado and Enviagado are the rich, sanitized versions of Medellin – so if you have friends that aren’t interested in shopping but would like to see more of Medellin – this is a trip to take them on…

1. Taxi – if you want to take a taxi, ask him to take you to the Plaza Botero. It’s a few streets away from your destination, but it’s a nice central space – especially good if you are meeting friends or other visitors.

2. Metro Train – the metro train is cheap, clean and quite reliable. It’s also a good way to see a bit of the city. Take the (blue line) train to either Parque Berrio station or the San Antonio station. San Antonio is closer to shopping, but Parque Berrio puts you right at the Plaza. (For more information about the Metro, see this helpful article at Medellin Living).

Get a map – Now, I know this is a digital age, but sometimes a paper map is just easier.. Safer too because it makes you less of a target for thieves who prey on upscale tourists for all of our fancy electronic devices.

tourist kiosk with maps

There are several of these kiosks located in/ around Plaza Botero and around the Parque Berrio station. Just ask for a map “Mapa, por favor” and they will be happy to provide you with a free map of Medellin. I used this same map for reference for the shopping areas, to make it easy for visitors to recognize where to go.

Navigating the city Places like Medellin and Bogotá are particularly easy to navigate because streets use numbers, not names for the most part. (Once you get used to the system – our system of street naming in the USA seems needlessly confusing.) Everything is basically on a grid – Calles run in one direction and are abbreviated as Cll. Carreras run in a perpendicular direction and are often abbreviated as Cr. It makes locating a business very easy. For example, my favorite fabric store in Medellin is Textiles El Faison – and their address is Calle 49 #53 – 101. This means that they are located on Calle 49, about 101 meters from the cross-street, Carerra 53.

Now that you are here – with your map Walk south towards Calle 49. (To orient yourself – remember that Medellin is set in the foothills. If you start walking uphill, you are heading East (the wrong direction) – towards the financial center of Medellin (near where I usually stay). On Calle 49 – turn West (or downwards on a very slight grade) The next several streets will be crammed with shops filled with all kinds of sewing related items – thread stores, fabric stores, sewing machine repair etc.

Sewing machine repair and sales

Many of the shops look tiny compared to JoAnn’s or the big craft stores you may be used to. Sometimes they are tiny – but sometimes, it’s just the entrance to a larger indoor mall.

Entrance to one of the small fabric markets

Fabric

Now, the fabric stores line Calle 49 and many of the cross-streets.. But sometimes notions can be a bit trickier to track down. A lot of tiny shops sell just one product – like elastic or ribbon trims, buttons and the like.

small shop in an indoor fabric mini-mall (Shanghai) off calle 49 selling thread

elastics and trims

As I mentioned before, my favorite fabric store from my wandering on Saturday – is Textiles El Faison. It’s a big store, and not quite as claustrophobic feeling as some of the smaller shops. (When the shops are crowded, and the fabric piled to the ceilings, I get a bit closed in feeling in some of the smaller shops..) Not that this would prevent me – if I saw ‘the fabric’ there.

many shops are small but piled high with fabric

Lots of great stuff- but limited luggage space, so I move on to the next ones.

as you can see – the width of the store is pretty narrow, maybe 12 feet in total. Now add ten customers and I get a bit ‘crowded’ feeling

But for general browsing, or to see fabric in a shop more like what most of us are used to – Textiles El Faison is a well-lit two story shop. Jaime Sosa is the manager there – and he is very nice and helpful. My photos are a bit blurry because I was relying on my small phone (an older model) because I don’t like lugging my fancy Nikon down to El Centro).

Jaiime Sosa

Here’s the address for people who want to skip the adventures and go straight to his shop:

Textiles El Faison Calle 49 No 53 – 101 Medellin

displays piled high with fabric

But that’s not the only great place.. I really liked Portofino Textil too.. It’s located on the ground floor of a little textile mall. (It’s a very interesting mall – about half the shops sell custom printed fabrics).

One of the malls for custom printed fabric

I was trying to cover a lot of ground, so I didn’t stop in and get all the details on custom printing – even though I saw little storefronts printing the fabric during my wandering. (Maybe I will get a chance to go back and ask some questions.) Custom may be the wrong word since most of it seems to be more like “Small lot pop prints” but at one shop, I did see a customer hand over a jump drive filled with images for printing). But some of the other shops / kiosks didn’t look to have computers just their own style of pop prints (justin beiber, popular artists, other cool designs).

small storefront.. the lady in the blue tank is printing custom fabric

Portofino Portofino has more of a warehouse feel – and a two meter minimum. Fabric is priced by the kilogram. I couldn’t resist one of the fabrics there – and my two meters of this lightweight lycra was 0.7kg in total. For an example on prices – the tag on the bolt said 45,000 per kilogram but advertised a discount.. After the discount, my fabric total 27,156. tax added a bit – for a total of 28,350 for my two meters of a 60 inch (or there about width). According to today’s exchange rate – that’s about $15.35 (or around 7.50 a yard since a meter is a couple of inches more.) So, like I said – not a crazy, amazing deal – except that I love the fabric, it was made right here, and it’s certainly not something I’d find at Hancocks or Joanns (if we even had one in my town). It’s actually located under another fabric store but I found it to have better selection, and salespeople that were very helpful and friendly. (Fabien was particularly nice – and patient with my limited Spanish).

I just couldn’t resist..

Portfino Textil #162 Carrera 53 No. 49 – 68 Medellin There were quite a few other shops – so you will just have to make you way down Calle 49 and find your own favorites. Patterns Pattern magazines can be especially hard to find – but when you do find them – they are a great deal.. Most pattern books contain anywhere from 20 to 200 patterns. It depends on the magazine. My favorites are Bianca, Quili and the more simply named Patrones. Bianca has a lot of the patterns that are hard to find in the United States – like an extended variety of swimwear, lingerie and exercise apparel. They also have a great assortment of patterns made for the new stretchy fabrics; lycra blends and modal.

Magazines containing 10 – 40 different patterns

Patrones is a grand brand because it has copies of a lot of the designs by major labels. Want to wear your own Dolce & Gabbana? Then patrones is the magazine for you. Sometimes you can find the magazines at larger newsstands or bookstores like Panoamericano. Some of the patterns in Patrones are pretty intricate and instructions are limited (and in Spanish) but at 4,000 to 10,000 pesos (2.25 to about 6 dollars) a book – if you are an experienced sewer it is still quite the find.) Now – for patterns on Calle 49 – the best place to go is – this little shop..

the place to buy patterns Calle 49 #53 – 14

The place is tiny, so you have to ask to see the pattern books (or point, if necessary.) They don’t have long aisles to browse like some of the bigger bookstores. But the owner is very sweet – and they have a large array of titles available.

some of the patterns available at this small shop

Yarns

Now, Medellin has that ‘perpetual spring’ climate we have been talking about, so I didn’t find as many places offering the bulky and superbulky yarns that I love. Quite a few thread stores offered the smaller crochet threads and yarns similar to Lily’s Sugar N’ Cream but since I am on a superbulky yarn kick – I will keep looking.. I did see a couple, but shame on me because I didn’t write down exact addresses or take pictures (but since one of them is on a street close to home, I may venture out later this week – when I’ve exhausted my current supply and get some pics.)

yarns

Now before you head out for your shopping adventure – review a few things to make your shopping more enjoyable and safe.

In Medellin – alone or not quite ready to venture into El Centro by yourself?

I am always up and willing to lend a hand – if I am in the city. (It’s a good guess if I am blogging about Medellin, then you can find me here.) You can always call me/ text me at 301-706-3929 (If I am not in Colombia, I won’t answer) or email me at k.eckland@gmail.com I’d be happy to arrange to get together for a day tour of the shopping areas. We can check out museums, eat some tasty street food, buy local produce, window shop – or hunt down that one special piece of fabric you’ve been waiting for..

If you don’t catch me on this trip – I’ll be back.. I’ll definitely be back for Colombia Moda 2015, so if you come a few days early (in July) we can have some fun.

Under Une Canal

Posted on July 25, 2014 by K Eckland

Now that it’s over, I can say it’s been another wonderful week at Colombia Moda: I met Miss Colombia (she seems sweet) and took a picture of the President of the Republic..

Didn’t get to meet President Santos, but maybe someday. (I promise not to talk politics.)

Miss Colombia, Paula Vega of Atlantico region (Barranquilla)

Luis Martin

I even say hello to one of the models (since we were heading down the hallway) and we had a nice conversation. It’s funny – I guess I always get intimidated by people taller than me, etc.. and I guess sometimes the expectation is just that models aren’t that nice.. But nothing could be farther from the truth. Luis Martin – a local model from a neighborhood here in Medellin was very nice, sweet and pleasant. It must be weird for him – I mean, his face is really familiar to me – after two years of seeing it thru my lens..

Luis Martin, model and a nice kid

I wish we hadn’t be racing down a hallway – I would have liked to get a photo because he looks better in his own clothes..(Better sense of style). Anyway, I thought it was nice of him to make conversation with a random gringa.. (We talked about Virginia of all things). So – I wish him the best luck, and hope he makes the cover of Vogue one of these days.

Last day of Moda

Yesterday was the last day at Colombia Moda, and I don’t have enough nice things to say about all of the photographers and videographers there. They are the reason I came back this year. Instead of treating me as an outsider, they have always been welcoming and kind.

the orange backpack shows where I sit during the runways

This year it was great to be back and see old friends like Stiven and Fredrico. I didn’t see some of the wonderful people from last year, like Estaban who kept me in laughter and good humor even when every bone in my body ached from long hours in contorted positions.

Always great to see Stiven

This year, I have to give special thanks and words of gratitude to the videographers of Une Canal (Channel One) of Medellin. Une Canal is the public television station for the city and during fashion week, they record live from the runway so it can be seen on big screens outside (so people without access to the runway itself can see it as it happens.) That means they are at every single catwalk – always smiling, joking and being friendly even while setting up cameras, untangling cables etc…

The Videographers of Une Canal

That’s the handsome Juan Carlos, the charming Danilo Gallego and the ever kind Hernan. For the entire fashion week, they allowed (and encouraged) me to take one of the plum floor positions beneath their cameras – in the dead center position of the runway.

Danilo Gallego of Une Canal

People with better equipment than my starter Nikon can take sitting positions and even rise up on the press bleachers, but without this prime spot on the floor – I’d have been toast. I never would have been able to capture 1/10th of the images that I’ve used in my recent articles.

I’d love to do a real (in-depth) articles on the videographers and photographers here at Moda, but it looks like I’ve already been scooped which I think it really cool. Yesterday, the reporter from Une canal turned the tables of the videographers and interviewed them before one of the runways.

Danilo is interviewed for a segment on Une Canal

I am hoping to see Juan Carlos, Danilo and Stiven at some future events here in Medellin before I leave in August.. If not – I’ll see you next year!

Colombia Moda and Examiner.com

Posted on July 25, 2014 by K Eckland

Colombia Moda is over, and I am exhausted.. Sorting through several thousands of photos while writing articles about fashion collections has to be done in as timely a manner as possible, which doesn’t leave much time for sleep!

The good thing about writing for the Examiner.com is that they don’t give me any deadlines or article requirements. I write about what I want – and submit it as fast as I can. But there is no editor to nag me for specific lines so I feel free to focus on writing about the fashion that I like, or that I think is important.

I don’t write about Gef France because I think it’s boring. I do cover Studio F if only because it is so immensely popular here – though I prefer the more daring and creative (and often smaller) lines.

But while I continue to gulp coffee and sort photos (even though my eyes are so tired I’m not sure if the photo is blurry or it’s just me, I wanted to give my readers links to my most recent articles (and photos) at Examiner.com

Lenonisa Runway

Agua Bandita and Onda de Mar – the Agua bandita photos are disappointing – the lighting was terrible. (I thought that was me too – but then several photographers grumbled about substandard lighting and showed me their photos..) They even called out during the runway to get better light..

Ipanema by Paradizia

Nonstop Runway: Faride Ramos

Nonstop Runway designer trio

Beverly Hills by Carmen Belissa

Studio F

I also talked to some Americans I met at the expo. They seemed a little overwhelmed and lost – as they looked for textile manufacturers to produce fabric samples for use in their designs. I bet they would have liked my textile/ fabric city tour idea.

I have a couple of articles I am still working on – and then it will be back to normal here at Latin American Surgery. The ALAT conference (thoracic surgeons from all over Latin America) will be here in Medellin next week, so we will be back to some surgical topics soon.

Colombia Moda, Fashion and wearable art

Posted on July 24, 2014 by K Eckland

It may not look like it, but photographers like Steven have a philosophical side

Because at the heart of it – isn’t that what fashion is really supposed to be? Wearable art that allows us to express ourselves through the vision of talented designers?

That’s part of the discussion I had today with several of Colombia’s best photographers while waiting for the runways to begin here on the second day of Colombia Moda. As we looked around at the many devotees to fashion – we saw a range of expression. Some ridiculously shiny and spangled in the bright light of the sunny afternoon, others ill-fitting or overly tight. Even the standard t-shirt and jeans of the working photographers were art. Many of the photographers wore t-shirts expressing their political, philosophical or personal sentiments.

Juan Moore, another photographer explained it best when we were talking about the fashion collections, and why we loved the fantastical student lines versus the somewhat tepid, often mundane but super popular lines like Gef and Studio F. It may be outlandish, impractical and extreme in nature, but..

As he explained, fashion is more than clothing – it’s an expression of the hopes and dreams of the artist, a view into the mind of the creator, and a vision for the future. That may seem like a heavy burden for a t-shirt or dress but that’s what makes fashion such a challenging field.

the work of young designers offers us a glimpse inside

So while I am writing (and publishing! articles and photos on the big houses like Leonisa, Studio F and Agua Bandita – it’s important to look at, and appreciate the work of the next generation of designers. It’s their work that inspires me, and keeps me typing long after I’d like to go to bed. It’s been a long day – cramped on the floor with strangers (and new friends) but they are the reason I do it – Los Jovenes Creatadores, Universidad Pontifica Boliviana and the rest of the young designers.

It may take me a few days – Colombia Moda ends tomorrow – to finish my writing commitments and sort through the thousands of pictures – but then let’s get back to the art of the next generation.

*For more photos and looks at the collections at Colombia Moda, I am in the process of publishing several articles over at Examiner.com – you can see the first articles here.

Crochet, crafts and traditional arts in Colombia

Posted on July 20, 2014 by K Eckland

One of my latest crochet projects – American flag scarf

Since learning some basic crochet (very basic) from my (very patient) roommate, Iris in Cartagena, I have continued to crochet. I find it’s an excellent activity for all the waiting that goes along with travel. I crochet in the car when we drive from assignment to assignment.

Hat and scarf

I need to learn some new stitches but I am getting a lot of practice with my basic stitch. I have switched to a very large crochet hook (15mm or an “S” hook) and cuddly soft bulky yarns (types 5 and 6). It makes it easier to see when I make errors and it works up quickly. Plus, the yarn is so plush and soft feeling.

I made a couple things for my friend’s new baby in Bogota.

My tiny model wearing the first hat I made

So when I went to see her – I spent an afternoon in Chapinero checking out the yarn situation. I was in a large bookstore in Chapinero when I met Ligia Morena Vega. I was looking at some new sewing pattern magazines (since I am a sewer who crochets) and she was buying crochet magazines.

So I asked her if she knew where I could find some yarns in the neighborhood.. Not only did she know – she took me with her to meet the proprietors and learn more about the crafting classes offered.

That’s one of the things I’ve noticed in Colombia – pull out a crochet hook or start asking about crochet, and instantly you make friends. I was on the bus to the airport in Rionegro when this happened the first time. (It’s a long bus ride to Medellin, so I pulled out my crochet..) Very quickly I made friends with several women on the bus as we talked crochet.

with Ligia, shopping for yarn in Bogota

Ligia crochets professionally. She was buying magazines to use as catalogs for customers who want custom-made clothing, including formal style and elegant ankle length dresses. Ligia’s husband runs a coffee and chocolate shop nearby on Calle 57 and Carrera 16 – so I will have to stop in and visit on my next trip to Bogotá (and get some pictures of her latest crochet creations too!)

We walked a few blocks to a short street, Calle 56 (with Carrera 13) where there are several stores selling a variety of yarns. While there was a lot of Red Heart and Lion Brand (especially the Homespun USA – my favorite, at home), I was able to find some beautiful yarns that are made right in Bogotá.

I fell in love with some of the yarns from Lanas Arvi.

One of the yarns is a beautiful tan and turquoise mix..

some of my new Colombian yarn.. with my gigantic crochet hook.

It’s destined to be a scarf.. This time I might even keep it. So far, I have gifted away everything I’ve made with the exception of a camera lens bag..

Several of the shops offer crochet and knitting classes. Todos Lanas and Almacen Mutifibras even print the class schedules on the back of their receipts.

The prices are about the same as Wal-mart (since JoAnn’s and some of the craft stores mark up the yarns quite a bit.) I also bought two small skeins of a lovely dark purple to make a gift for a friend – and two small skeins of a variegated yarn with the bright yellow, blue and red of the Colombian flag.. All of the other yellow/ blue / red yarns were sold out just about everywhere we looked. Several owners told us that between Colombian Independence Day (today) and the World Cup – they haven’t been able to keep any of the patriotic colors in stock for the last month.

Embajada de la Coca

During my visit to Bogotá – we sampled some delicious Andean style cuisine at the Embajada de la Coca. (To read my article on the experience, click here.)

welcome to Embajada de la Coca

Meet the artist: Isabella Klein

The next day, I spent the afternoon visiting the Klein family. If the name sounds familiar – it’s because one the sons, Albert Klein, PharmD is a close friend and my co-writer on several of the Hidden Gem titles. (The Kleins are a talented family; the younger son, Alex plays piano with the Bogotá Philharmonic Orchestra and the daughter, A. J. is an occasional model.)

(For more about the Bogotá Philharmonic – read this post by a blogger from the University of Texas at Austin.)

His mother, Isabella works as a professional translator as well as teaching English. But that’s just her job – art is her life. She works in multiple platforms – mixed media, paintings, photography and artisan crafts.

On today’s visit – we talked about some of her craft work as well as the large craft fairs here in Colombia. We discussed my ideas for ‘artisan craft style tours‘ where visitors could learn more about the crafting process and Indigenous cultures of Colombia.

She showed me some of her more recent projects – making decorative wooden boxes. Instead of using the traditional Colombian patterns, she designs her own.

Some of the wooden boxes designed by Isabella Klein

Her mixed media paints are arresting to look at. Unfortunately, I was too busy admiring them to take any pictures..

But I do have a couple more pictures of the boxes.

I think the next box is just fantastic.. It’s a design that just catches the eye. I like the combination of blues.

For a portfolio of some of Isabella Klein’s work – click here.

After too few days – it was time to say goodbye to my Bogota friends (new and old) and head back to Medellin to prepare for Colombia Moda..

with dear friends, Camila and Flavita.

Of course – it wasn’t all bad – these lovely ladies were at the airport in Rionegro to greet me.. The Aguardiente Girls!!

Welcome to Medellin!

Calling all fashionistas!

Posted on July 15, 2014 by K Eckland

While many of you know that Medellin isn’t my favorite city in Colombia – it does have its own attractions. I am not talking about the spectacularly breath-taking ride up to Parque Arvi on the metro cable or the Botero museum.

It’s the shopping – Medellin is the New York of Colombia and much of Latin America. As home to Colombia Moda and the Colombian textile industry, the array of shopping opportunities are mind-boggling. Most tourist guides will direct you to the upscale, brand name only shopping malls in the wealthier enclaves like El Poblado. While these malls are worth seeing, I advise visitors to go in the guise of a museum-seeking tourist.

indoor flower garden at upscale mall in Medellin (El Poblado district)

That is to say – go to look (at the sculptured gardens, majestic views and boutique brands) and maybe for a light lunch at one of the elegant eateries but save your cash for the real shopping mecca, in El Centro. Wear comfortable shoes – and plan to finish shopping before 6 pm..

To get here: Take the Metro (train) to Station San Antonio. That will put you in the center of the shopping district.

Biggest Open Air Shopping District in Latin America

Don’t worry, honey.. I stayed safely outside of this shop dedicated to crochet

At least, according to the banner hanging over one of the cobbled pedestrian streets. But it seems pretty accurate as I wander street after street of an amazing array of goods.. If it isn’t here – than you won’t find it in Colombia.

Since it’s not Buenos Aires (Argentina), yes – they have sizes larger than SIX.

There are streets filled with row after row of sidewalk vendors selling a multitude of items. A whole street devoted to shoes.. Sidewalk vendors selling ornamental sandals with adjacent stores sell every kind of shoe ever made..

Just one of the many, many displays of sandals in the shopping district of El Centro

Street after street with store after store of Shoes.. Appliances.. Clothing.. Cosmetics.. Electronics.. DVDs.. Porn… Lingerie.. Hats. Costume Jewelry. Fabric. Ribbons. Yarn.. Several stores filled to the brim with beads. Pastry and cake shops. Any kind of soccer (futbol) jersey you could ever want (and not because it’s the world cup – these stores are always here.)

Whole malls (centro commercials) for bridal wear.. Others filled with row after row of beauty salons.

Dollar stores for all the items you forgot to pack.. Luggage stores for extra space to bring back your fabulous finds..

About the only thing I didn’t see was a street devoted to mascotas (pets) but that’s probably just because I didn’t wander far enough.

You can find almost anything here!

Calling all Colombian travel agencies! Fashion and textile guided tours

Add this to my wish list for Colombian tourism businesses – or other ways to make Colombia accessible to tourists on a whole new level. For people who are familiar with Colombia, the tours would just be a nice, relaxing way to have someone else take care of the details… Not everyone lives in El Centro and has the ability to walk a few streets right into the commercial heart of the city.

But for first-time visitors; wives of travelling businessmen or people unfamiliar with this part of the city – a guided tour to the heart of Medellin’s fashion district would be absolutely essential, particularly as the area gets kind of sketchy after 6 pm. Tours for fashion sewers, crafters and knitters along with general shopping and factory tours just sounds like a fun way to spend a day. Throw in a typical Colombian lunch (not the enormous banda paisa but something featuring all of the great local fruits and vegetables) and a mixed group of tourists (Colombians, and foreigners from several nations) as well as a knowledgeable, bilingual guide – and I think there would be a line of people ready to sign up..

I think it would go along with my dream trip to Bucaramanga for a weekend guided factory tour and shoe-shopping adventure.

Alas! I am not a marketing genius – just a lover of fashion, sewing and crochet. But just for fun – I am going to add a survey here where readers can let me know what they think of this idea.. If I get enough interested responses – I’ll pass it along to someone in the tourism industry.

Proexport advertises Shopping Tours but they are short on details..

If you are interested in a personal beauty consultant – and shopping.. a bit pricey but here’s the link. (link is a bit short on details too..)

Fashion Tourism Survey

Tips for Shopping in El Centro:

– Wear comfortable shoes

– Don’t bring extras: jewelry, cameras, smart phones. (This is a high crime area).

– Bring mainly small bills: 2ooo, 5000 and 10,000 peso bills. It’s problematic to pay for a 3,000 peso purchase with a 50 mil bill for shopkeepers and may be impossible for outside vendors.

– keep your belongings secure – I recommend a zippered purse. Backpacks should be worn on the front. Messenger bags work for me – so I can keep the strap across my chest, and the bag close to my body.

– Try not to be too loud and (gringo-ey) in El Centro.. While most Colombians like Americans, in this instance, you don’t want to attract too much attention.

– Be prepared to leave by 6 pm – and don’t stay in El Centro after dark unless you are with a native paisa (person from Medellin). It is easy to get lost – and dangerous at night.

In general, use commonsense – have fun and good luck on your shopping adventures!

The Eckland Effect

Posted on July 8, 2014 by K Eckland

It’s been a while since I’ve written – but sometimes between maintaining two blogs, a series on health for Examiner.com, answering emails from potential medical tourists, traveling and working long hours on assignment – I sometimes feel a bit like a candle burning at both ends.

But I am happy to report – that I recently completed my latest assignment and am back home in my native Virginia (for a few days) before heading back to Colombia.

I’ll spend the next couple days getting ready; contacting potential interviewees, researching articles,

The downside of frequent extended travel is the piling up of all the inevitable errands and hassles. Sometimes its just stuff like sorting through a couple of months of mail, but other times it’s paying property taxes (in person because I live in a small town) or renewing my driver’s license (now good until 2022!)

But now that we’re all caught up – we can get back to work (and writing!)

The Profiteer Model

Several interesting articles and posts have been written about medical tourism lately. We will talk about some of the other issues in future posts but today, I wanted to share this article by Stacy Hsu from the Tampai Times. This article takes issue with the “Profiteer’ model of many so-called “Medical Tourism” hospitals and clinics.

VIP Medicine

As we’ve mentioned in previous posts, the idea of exclusive hospitals designed solely for the wealthy foreigner is both a noxious and popular one. To many people, the idea of a resort-like or decadent atmosphere that caters to the every whim of the monied tourist or “Club Medicine” is a charmed one. VIP/ Executive health programs thrive around the world – from the hallowed halls of academic medicine like John Hopkins, the Cleveland Clinic to the Planet Hospital branded facilities around the world.

Much of the medical tourism industry has been based on this context. Programs are advertised on the basis of desirable location, gourmet cuisine menus, luxurious accommodations and nightly turn down service; not surgical skill or publishable clinical outcomes. No one hypes a short-length of stay or low re-admission rate when catered meals, high-speed internet and cable television are part of the selling points.

VIP versus Concierge: Not entirely the same

Don’t want to travel? But want your health care needs catered to? There are whole branches of primary care practices (ie. the “Royal Pains” practices) that are now based on this principle. On the surface, it doesn’t sound like much – patients pay extra money to have their doctor actually give them the time and attention they deserve* (during visits, phone calls and emails) but in reality, it can very quickly turn into something else as this ‘bonus’ pay approach changes the patient – provider relationship.

But “concierge medicine” as it is called in primary care medicine is a far cry from the VIP and Executive programs offered as part of medical tourism programs. In concierge medicine, patients still have a long-term and established relationship with their physician – and it is this relationship that can actually improve health care outcomes along with patient satisfaction. That’s because having more time with your family doctor means that s/he will spend more time answering questions and explaining care to patients. In turn, the patient is more likely to fill their prescriptions, take their medications and otherwise follow this doctor’s instructions.

*Instead of delegating more personalized care to people like me; the nurse practitioner (NP) or physician assistant (PA) which is more commonly done in standard medical offices.

But is ego-tickling medicine good for your health?

According to the scant amount of existing research, the answer is often no, when we are talking about short-term patient-provider relationships like the one-day executive physical or the spa style surgery service. In fact, patients often receive unnecessary and even potentially harmful, expensive tests and procedures (like the famed “Full body CT”).

I liken it to “T he emperor’s new clothes” syndrome, where the patient is seen more as a consumer / purchaser of goods than a person seeking health services. In this scenario, the healthcare provider is more concerned with keeping the customer satisfied than explaining why many of these tests and procedures are not necessary or may even be harmful.

Remember: First do no harm!

The customer is always right!

These contradictory objectives may become a conflict when the needed health advice isn’t what the patient wants to hear*.

Not even the humble fools dare tell the emperor the truth.

The ‘Eckland Effect’

But it looks like this may be changing. Several new research projects as well as recent articles are showing a move towards data collection and measurement of objective outcomes in regards to medical tourism. Instead of patient satisfaction surveys, researchers are asking about the incidence of complications.

Other organizations are talking about implementing more accountability, transparency and formal accreditation for medical tourism programs and facilities. Of course, accreditation is only as valuable as the organization offering it.

*Certainly this dynamic was at play in the care and death of pop star Michael Jackson under the care of Dr. Conrad Murray.

Additional articles for interested readers:

Al-Lamki, L. (2011). Medical Tourism: Beneficence or maleficence? SQU Med J Nov 2011, 11(4): 444-447. This is an excellent editorial that offers a concise overview of many of the ethical issues we have discussed here at Latin American Surgery including brain drain, transplant tourism, quality assurance, continuity-of-care and the overall impact of medical tourism on local communities.

In a related article, ” A European perspective on medical tourism: the need for a knowledge base” Carrera & Lunt (2010) argued for the urgent need for record-keeping and statistical data collection in the medical tourism industry. While this article is not available for free on-line, a related presentation by the authors is available here.

For readers interested in learning more about the correlation between patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes, I encourage you to read the works of JJ Fenton.

Fenton JJ, Jerant AF, Bertakis KD, Franks P. (2012). The cost of satisfaction: a national study of patient satisfaction, health care utilization, expenditures, and mortality. Arch Intern Med. 2012 Mar 12;172(5):405-11. doi: 10.1001/archinternmed.2011.1662. Epub 2012 Feb 13. This study in particular is a must read: in this study, Fenton et al. followed a group of more than 36,000 patients and found that high patient satisfaction was correlated with increased health costs, greater rates of inpatient admissions to the hospital and a higher overall mortality. Fenton et al have also conducted several additional studies examining the relationship between patient satisfaction and quality of care. The findings of these study question the utility of new programs linking patient satisfaction with provider compensation (ie. pay-for-performance) and question the commonly held beliefs that patient satisfaction = high quality care. It may be that the best care comes at a price: unhappy patients. But then again, isn’t not a popularity contest – or at least, it shouldn’t be.

Medscape subscribers can also view a series of articles on this topic including an inteview with Dr. Fenton on his body of work. Medscape has a series of articles examining both sides of the argument linking patient satisfaction with provider compensation.

Patient satisfaction is overrated – an excellent editorial about the cost to patients (in health and money) related to demands for ‘patient satisfaction”.

Days of Summer

Posted on June 15, 2014 by K Eckland

A cautionary tale for my on-line friends in another botched surgery case in Florida.

Let the buyer beware:

In the most recent case, four individuals have been arrested for impersonating surgeons and operating an unlicensed surgery clinic. According to the media reports, only one of the four people charged is a licensed physician, nurse or other trained healthcare provider – but that didn’t stop them from performing major operations such as liposuction and abdominoplasty procedures on their unknowing patients. While Dr. William Marrocco* was the doctor on record for the clinic – patients report that he wasn’t the one operating!

Unlike many of the ‘chop shops” we’ve written about that take place in garages, motels and private ‘parties’, in this scenario, unwary consumers were duped by a savvy group of criminals who had owned and operated the “Health and Beauty Cosmetic Surgery” clinic in downtown West Palm Beach.

*The good doctor Marrocco remains a legally licensed doctor in the state of Florida – though interestingly enough – he does not have prescriptive privileges. One the Florida Department of Health website, Dr. Marrocco (whose secondary address corresponds with the clinic address) reports active licenses in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana and Nebraska.

But let’s check it out… so I did my own preliminary online search –

Virginia: No records found. No active or past licensees (expired in the last five years) found. So he may have had one – but not recently.

Pennsylvania: William Charles Marrocco held a license in Pennsylvania for a brief two-year period between 1998 to 2000. This includes his period of medical residency training at Temple University Hospital.

Michigan: Three expired licenses – one for student status (resident) and one as a pharmacist.

Indiana: Dr. Marrocco was a licensed plastic surgeon in the state of Indiana from 2000 to 2011 and has a notation “reinstatement pending‘. Maybe Dr. Marracco is planning on heading back to Indiana – where his license remains unblemished – despite the scandal surrounding the 2003 death of his wife after he performed liposuction on her). License # 01052282A

Nebraska: Expired, license #2909, educational license permit (training) affiliated with Indiana University

Jorge Nayib Alarcon Zambrano – (one of the individuals charged) is listed as a member of the Colombian Society of Plastic Surgeons – from Cali, Colombia. So he may be a trained surgeon, just not a very good one (and not licensed in the United States).

Licensing isn’t everything..

Kind of goes to show some of the pitfalls of relying on licensing boards for consumer protection. Dr. William Marrocco was a licensed plastic surgeon, but that’s little consolation for many patients at that West Palm Beach clinic.

In fairness to Dr. William Marrocco, Jorge Alarcon and the other individuals in the case – they have been charged with multiple counts, but have not been convicted of any crime. Until that time, they remain innocent until proven guilty.

Apologies to my loyal readers for the long lapse in posts but my plate has been pretty full. But I will be finishing my latest assignment in a few weeks and starting a couple of new projects for the summer months.

I applied for and received a new assignment from Examiner.com to expand my focus to include more than just health topics. Now I will be able to write more articles focusing on life and culture in Latin America.

Colombia Moda 2014

To kick-start my new assignment, I have applied to attend Colombia Moda 2014.

(official image from Colombia Moda / Inexmoda)

As many of you already know, I was able to attend last year – and got a fascinating glimpse into the fashion industry and the future of both fashion and consumerism.

Last year’s speakers were promoting the concept of “re-shoring” and changing from the traditional ‘seasonal’ lines and collections to an ongoing, evolving fashion line with new designs and items being designed, developed and sold to the public in shorter mini cycles.

This year – I’ll be able to cover all of this – along with interviews with individual designers, fashion lines and the Colombian fashion and textile industry. (Last year, my articles were focused on the role between fashion and plastic surgery).

Fashion is so intrinsic to Colombian life, and many parts of Latin America, so I am really excited about it. It plays such an important role in the economic, social and an even personal lives of many Colombians.

I won’t have an assistant this year – but I am getting a new lens for the event (I will be journalist/ photographer for the event).

After Colombia Moda, I will be flipping back and forth between writing about culture and my ‘usual’ medicine and health storylines.

I will be staying in Colombia for several weeks as well as covering the Latin American Association of Thoracics (ALAT) conference at the end of July. It’s one of the biggest international conferences in thoracic medicine/ surgery with many of the legends of thoracic surgery planning to be in attendance.

In August, I’ll be heading across the globe to interview the head of an innovative surgical program.

I’ll be checking in along the way – and posting photos, interviews and articles as I go.

So what don’t you like about Colombia?

Posted on April 25, 2014 by K Eckland

This question comes from a recent email by one of our loyal readers.. (It may have been sarcastic, but I’ll answer it honestly and candidly.)

So, what don’t you like about Colombia?

Fair enough, but let me preface the discussion by saying that EVERY SINGLE THING that I mention below also exists in the United States. So I won’t pretend that my country is some kind of gender utopia. It’s not – In fact, the “war on women” has been waged between political parties and in headlines of newspapers all over the United States. My home state of Virginia, along with Texas has been some of the worst offenders on this front..

Still… Due to the overwhelming machismo here – the things that bother me the most in Colombia somehow manage to be extremely pervasive, sometimes subtle yet face-slappingly* shocking at the same time.

1. You are never more than your looks. Sure, everyone knows that unfortunately, attractiveness, particularly female attractiveness is the unspoken prerequisite for career success in the United States. But it tends to remain unspoken, highly illegal and in the background for most of us.

It is one of the biggest ways that males here (Colombia) are able to maintain authority and superiority and subjugate women. Too many people buy** into it – so even women who hate it are forced to conform to survive (professionally, financially).

It’s different here – and it’s probably the main reason I haven’t chosen to call Colombia my long term home. It’s never in the background here, and it never fades away. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve known someone here for five minutes or five years – you are still being judged by your looks. It doesn’t matter what your background is, your skillset or your intelligence.

Men (who are the majority rule here) won’t even hear what comes out of your mouth if you don’t meet the “minimal attractiveness” levels. It’s almost like a physical disability – as if they literally can’t hear you.

a PhD in physics? Sorry, sweetie – I can’t hear you.. Maybe after you get some breast implants..

Not only that – but in general, Men here judge harshly. If you aren’t a supermodel, with large (or enhanced) curves – then you are lacking. Not only that – but they will be certain to inform you that you are lacking (using during your initial introduction, and probably every single subsequent meeting thereafter.)

(Obviously – this doesn’t apply to ever single male in Colombia, but it’s still quite prevalent even among the better educated upper classes).

Even if you are beautiful – your time for professional and career success is limited. Maybe you have some cellulite, or your breasts aren’t perky enough – or you’ve had the gall to age.

So as you can image, as a chubby, woman over 30, who has never, ever been “mistaken” for a model even on my very best days as a young ingénue, this constant spoken criticism is extremely disheartening. Not only that – but it makes it extremely hard to get any work done.

2. Don’t ever attempt to discuss any of this with male Colombians. While women here talk about these issues often and express their feelings towards these attitudes of male machismo, don’t bother trying to address these issues with male Colombians. (Sure, there is always the odd exception – usually a more cosmopolitan man who has lived outside South America at some point, but it’s not common.) As I said before, ‘selective deafness’ comes into play. Not only that – even when having a so-called polite conversation (on American customs, polite behaviors etc.) attempting to explain (to people planning to visit the USA) that these behaviors may be perceived negatively in the United States, will be dismissed. Very often this will also result in comments such as “you are just jealous of the beauty of Colombian women.” This comment was made in response to a discussion about the fact that calling an American woman ‘gordita’ (chubby/ fat) or ‘vieja’ (old) may impede abilities to make friends and have serious repercussions, particularly if it occurs in the workplace.

It will also get you labeled as a lesbian.

an aging ‘lesbian’ speaks out

3. Aggressive homophobia, particularly in the coastal areas of Colombia. Despite the fact that an estimated 8% of the population identifies as gay, homosexuality remains a big taboo in many parts of Colombia.

While Bogotanos and residents of more cosmopolitan cities like Medellin and Cali tend to express more tolerant / accepting attitudes regarding an individual’s sexuality – this is not the case in places like Cartagena. (Costenos have a reputation for being less than sophisticated. There is even a Colombian version of the “Beverly Hill-Billies” which features several Costenos living in Bogota). Homophobic slurs are extremely common in every day speech.

Like their American ‘redneck’ stereotype counterparts – many Costenos are bigoted, biased and intolerant of others. This includes the darker-skinned Costeno residents, and gay people. While I try to keep my mouth shut for the most part, (even though it pains me) when I hear the blatant racism / homophobia – on the one occasion when I objected to hearing the repeated use of an extremely ugly Spanish pejorative for gay people (akin to the American slur of “faggot”), I was literally shouted down for my audacity in attempting to censor his “bible given” right to spew hate.

Even the sly suggestion that a particular apartment is in a “gay neighborhood” is enough to prompt something akin to panic, and further discussions on moving/ selling said apartment.

Of course, this sort of bigotry happens in the USA – and everyone knows that. But I would like to think that a lot has changed in the last ten years in that the majority of Americans are not only tolerant of gay individuals but support their right to equality under the law, the right to pursue personal happiness and to get married and have families. Even the majority of Southerners***.

So now you have a unattractive, middle-age lesbian in Colombia. Try and imagine how this impedes daily interactions. Oh, did I mention that I am also considered a slut.

4. Rampant Slut shaming.

So if you have committed any of the faux paxs listed above, don’t be surprised at what comes next, namely Slut Shaming. Especially if this “puta gringa” has also committed the unforgivable sin of also learning the names of the Building porter or the person who sells you gum (daily) or other members of Cartagena’s “lower class.” It’s not something as simple as good manners – it’s because you are a slut and are sleeping with all of them.

In a country where married men openly brag about their numerous sexual conquests, ‘amigitas’ and secret families are common, women are still placed within the narrow confines of the “Madonna/ slut” paradigm. As a married foreigner who often travels solo due to financial concerns, the lack of my husband’s physical presence makes me even more of a target for this labelling.

Women here are supposed to dedicate long hours, and thousands of dollars in pursuit of ‘sexy’; wearing tight, short revealing clothes, tilting around on high heels while attempting to balance outsized breasts with generously rounded bottoms – yet maintain an ‘inner purity’ that prohibits open and frank conversations about gender issues. The end result of this – is that men are able to strictly control the financial and economic mobility of women in a society that castigates outliers.

So I am fairly certain that my candid response to this question won’t go unpunished. I probably should have stuck to easy answers.

ie. What don’t you like about Colombia? Answer: FARC/ paramilitaries.

But then, I don’t have run-ins with paramilitaries on a daily basis..

So what does this mean?

Does it mean that this slutty, unattractive, lesbian gringa should give up any hopes of doing business in Colombia? AKA “Gringa GO HOME” (as has been suggested on multiple occasions). Or should I fire up my time machine, emerge as a fresh 20 something, head directly to the nearest plastic surgeon and keep my damned mouth shut? Should I wear tighter clothes, stilt like heels and hope to blend in?

Maybe it is time for me to go home – and return when I can remember and enjoy the thousands of things I LOVE about Colombia; the cool air of Bogota, the richness of a country with an in the amazing array of natural wonders and geographic splendor, the overwhelming variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, the joy of learning to Salsa, the cultural depth of a country with over 500 years of history, the incredible variety of friendly, and interesting people I meet on any given day (machismo not withstanding).

But don’t worry – nothing can get me down for long – and I will return to the beautiful, wonderful, culturally rich Colombia very soon.

Notes:

* Yes, I made that word up, but that’s how I often feel as I confront these issues every single day here.

** Literally. It’s one of the reasons plastic surgery is such big business here.

*** Before readers get upset that I am “propagating the American redneck stereotype”, consider this – I say this as a self-proclaimed ‘redneck southerner’ who happens to express a ‘Live and Let live” philosophy towards others. That being said – my experiences in Colombia – are mine, and I don’t attempt to speak for, or represent anyone else’s experiences here. If anything – I hope your experiences (as a female) in Colombia have been different.

Additional articles on related topics

This study compares eating disordered behavior and plastic surgery rates in the USA and Colombia.

Gender, eating habits and body practices in Medellin, Colombia – article by Ana Maria Ochoa.

Narco-aesthetics: How Colombia’s drug trade constructed female ‘beauty’ – article by Mimi Yagoub

Life in Plastic – it’s fantastic! about the culture of plastic surgery in Latin America (specifically Cali, Colombia) and the link to narco-trafficking.

LA Times article: A Scathing Attack on Culture of Machismo.

Acid attacks show the face of machismo in Colombia

Earning a living is the biggest obstacle for Colombian women.

Colombia: Human Rights Situation of the LGBT Population: Shadow Report Submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Committee (2010). While laws were passed to protect the human rights of the LGBT community in 2011, the situation remains precarious for the LGBT community particularly in rural areas.

U.S. groups file briefs in Colombia marriage case. (4/14/2014).

Bogota mayor invites residents to come out of the closet.

Women on Waves resources: promoting women’s rights internationally. Provides practical, not philosophical information for women in a multi-lingual site on women’s health & gender issues.

Women on Web: women’s health information – multi-lingal site.

Featured Image courtesy of Sodahead.com

San Jacinto and taking the long way home

Posted on April 11, 2014 by K Eckland

As we left Sincelejo to return to Cartagena, I noticed that we made an unexpected turn away from our usual route. This was confirmed as we passed the fitness center on the other side of town and headed towards Corozal.

The department of Sucre as outlined in RED

“Ah, this will be my adventure today,” I said to myself. Sure enough – I kept quiet and enjoyed the change of scenery as we drove away from Sincelejo into a mountainous area that reminded me of my high school years in Angels Camp – Murphy’s area of California (Sierra Nevada foothills).

The terrain was dotted with trees interspersed with dry straw-colored grasses. Cattle grazed in pastures on either side of the small, winding two-lane highway.

As we drove through Corozal, I ventured to voice my suspicions. The good doctor laughed and confirmed that it was, indeed an ‘adventure’ designed for me – since he and Iris knew of my love of Colombian countryside.

the apple is just there for scale

First stop on our tour was for the famed avocados. (Indeed – these famous avocados have been the source of much amusement among the cardiac surgery team due to a previous episode involving a “bait and switch” by another team member (who ‘stole’ a bag of these avocados from the good doctor, and left behind a small bag of more ordinary avocados in their place.)

woven fabric made on traditional looms

We then passed into Bolivar –

Our next stop was San Jacinto, which is a town that is locally known for their artisanal crafts. (The Sucre – Bolivar regions are noted for many of their textile crafts. Some of the techniques date to the pre-Colombian era).

Having Iris as my tour guide was wonderful. As a certified artisanal artist of traditional Colombian crafts, Iris was able to give me a detailed explanation of each of the different types of craft making – including information about regional differences in weaving designs, colors used, and other traditional items.

(For more information about the processes used in this craft work, click here.)

Since I am in the midst of (very slowly) learning how to crochet one of the traditional Colombian bags – I can certainly appreciate the amount of time and skill that goes into crafting each of these individual items. There is no assembly line, factory floor or Made in China” labels here. (Yes, I looked).

As the road wound its way back to the fork where we usually take the other branch) we stop at our usual coffee shop. There we were greeted by a Palenque resident selling baked goods.

We bought a sweet, round ball of a popcorn(ish) treat called Alegra which contains corn with coconut and panela. She then came and sat with us and attempted to teach us to speak a few words of Palenque.

After our brief respite, we continued to the main highway to Cartagena and proceeded home. It took a little longer, but to me – it was well-worth it. Thank you, Iris and Dr. Barbosa for my unexpected surprise!

Sundays in Cartagena

Posted on March 30, 2014 by K Eckland

El Centro

Sundays in Cartagena are a bit different from Bogotá or Medellin. As a major tourist destination, Cartagena never really slows down the way other cities do in Colombia. In Bogotá, my neighborhood (Chico) was essentially deserted on Sundays. The only signs of life were on the streets closed for pedestrian walking. La Candeleria and Usaquen were the destinations of choice for Bogotanos who chose to stay in the city.

Instead the activities change – instead of business, the weekends are for boat trips to the Islands of Santa Rosario, long leisurely lunches, wandering around El Centro and looking at arts and native crafts, and walking along the beach. Tourists stroll along Bocagrande window shopping at designer storefronts, eating ice cream. The hotels host popular events in Castillogrande, and restaurants and bars feature the sports of the day, to standing room only crowds.

So today, after sleeping in a bit, Iris and I headed to El Centro for another leisurely stroll around El Centro. Sunday mornings are a nice time for this – the streets are still pretty quiet and not yet packed with tourists. (That comes later in the day.)

As we wandered down the tree-lined streets, I can’t help put take photos, even if I’ve photographed these same areas many times before. Somehow, every time I encounter the colorful buildings with the beautiful blossoms on the curving cobblestone streets, I am enchanted all over again.

After walking around the neighborhood and making our way up the wall, we headed to the nearest Juan Valdez..

After our leisurely coffee, we walked back home to escape the heat of the day. Now I am heading back out – to the beach.

Cuidad Delirio and the spirit of Colombia

Posted on March 16, 2014 by K Eckland

This is Colombia!

One the reasons I have so many posts on local culture (in addition to medical tourism) is due to the fact that I struggle to impart the sentiments, the spirit, and the very essence of the destinations.

Viva Colombia!

The first time I came to Colombia, as we landed the JetBlue airline crew broadcast the song, Viva Colombia! and all the other passengers burst into cheers.. I guess it was that initial experience that has always stayed with me.

No, this isn’t the Spirit of Colombia.

Most of my writing is technically based so it is a huge challenge to attempt to draft essays that actually speak to the character of the people, the richness of the cultures.

there is more to Colombia than this..

But without these things, I think readers have a hard time separating the reputations of many of these places (for crime, or violence for example) from the people. The news media are so filled with negativity, and one limited perception or view of everything: Colombia is drugs and war, Mexico is violence and gangs, the United States is consumerism and spending, that it’s impossible for people to see, or read anything without this pervasive opinion poisoning our perceptions.

this is Colombia.. futbol

Now and then comes the occasional piece that takes a closer look – and I try to share those here.

and this..

I also try to include the often whimsical, charming or sweet details that give a better picture of what it is to be here. What it’s like as a foreigner wandering the streets – seeing everyday life.. Not just sickness and health in the corridors of hospitals and clinics. But the everyday lives and special occasions of the people I meet.

For example, one of the things that really, for me kind of captures the spirit and the pride of the people of Colombia is the twice daily broadcasts of the National Anthem of Colombia..

Cuidad Delirio

Another was the delightful film, “Cuidad Delirio” that I saw last night at the film festival in Cartagena. The film, which was made in Cali and directed by Chus Gutierrez is pure eye candy.

My response to the film was almost visceral.. I don’t usually like this type of film – the silly romantic stories.. But the film just captured the essence of Cali (and Colombia) so beautifully. The colors, the music, the liveliness.. In short, the film did in about 90 minutes what I have spent years trying to do – share the “feel” and some of the daily joy of life here*.

* I know skeptics are rolling their eyes – despite the many problems cause by socio-economic disparities and chronic warfare, many people here have a “Joie de vivre” that is unmistakable. It is this sentiment that brings me to Colombia, over and over.

La Jaula de Oro and the 54th Festival de Cine

Posted on March 16, 2014 by K Eckland

the outdoor film screening area for “Gems”

Festival de Cine – The 54th Festival Internacional de Cine de Cartagena de Indias (FICCI)

It’s almost impossible to imagine more favorable conditions for a film festival or cultural event. While the first showing I attended was in the air-conditioned theater inside the convention center, the second film was presented outside the convention center – and the setting was perfect! (It was almost too good – it was so lovely, and so pleasant that it distracted from the movie.)

While Cartagena is steamy hot during the day, late afternoons and evenings are wonderfully refreshing with cool ocean breezes.

Outside the streets are lit with colorful lights, showing Cartagena in all it’s splendor. Even the stars and the moon attend the event.

Accessible, and for the public

Actually, the festival offers films at multiple venues across Cartagena so residents can see films near their homes – but I prefer the chance to enjoy the city since the convention center is just outside the Historic quarter in the Gestamani area.

The view from the venue

The showings are free and open to the public, the venues are comfortable, spacious and while well-attended – much less crowded than I anticipated. All the hoopla, elitism and excesses of Hollywood are a million miles away. Instead of overpaid movie stars in ten-thousand-dollar designer dresses, segregated behind velvet ropes, the filmmakers themselves appear to speak directly to the audience as they introduce films. They encourage feedback and answer questions.

Colombian filmmaker, German Piffano talks about his film,”Infierno o Paraiso”

Infierno o Paraiso

The first film I saw was a documentary by a Colombian filmmaker named German Piffano. I kind of stumbled into the convention center as I was out enjoying the evening breeze, taking pictures.

the convention center

This documentary took fourteen years as the director follows the life of an addict. When we first encounter Jose, he is living in the alleys of El Cartucho and is addicted to crack. The film follows Jose Iglesia, a Spaniard, among the backdrop of the evictions and destruction of barrio El Cartucho (Santa Inez), as well as the course of his life over several years. We see the evolution of a charming, if filthy-appearing addict as he attempts recovery.

It was certainly an interesting movie, particularly since it shows the underside of a life most of us only know of – not about. The undertones of the movie are rather sweet as Jose develops a bond with the filmmaker over the years but it’s not a “happy ending” kind of story (Colombian movies don’t often have Disney endings, I’ve found.) There is one heart wrenching scene as a twelve-year-old boy talks about how he came to live in El Cartucho after being introduced to crack.

While the movie was probably about 30 minutes too long for my taste, overall, it was pretty good. While some of the camera shows are definitely artistic in nature (à la “in-your-face”) the documentary changes as Jose changes. There were points where I laughed at his antics (along with crowd) and other parts when I though, “Gee, what a shyster.. Is the director buying this?” Mainly, it was touching to see all the people who reached out to Jose to help him. We always hear how harsh and cruel the world is – but this movie (along with the second film) also showed how generous people can be even in the most dismal circumstances.

The story of El Cartucho is pretty interesting in itself, and has been the basis of several Colombian documentaries. A clip of one of them can be seen here at YouTube.

Recommended reading: Dreams of El Cartucho: Violence, Fear and Trust in a Bogota slum. Master’s thesis by Michael Soto.

The second film was the film I came specifically to see. As I mentioned in a previous post, I was lucky enough to sit next to the director of this film on my flight to Cartagena. He told me a little about the film and that was enough to wet my appetite. I went because I was curious – it sounded good.. But it turned out it was wonderful in that way that leaves you empty.

the most beautiful 'theater' I've ever been too..

Set outside, the stars and historic buildings make a lovely backdrop..

La Jaula de Oro

I found this movie hard to watch at times. It wasn’t due to violence, gore or the other reasons we usually think it. At times, I had to cover my eyes because it hurt to see the hardship and suffering of the characters in the film. Despite that – I loved it.

I admit I cried – but not because it was one of those tear-jerking tales that manipulates the viewer ala Steven Spielberg and the girl in the red coat in Schindler’s List. I cried because it wasn’t.

In a lot of ways, this movie reminded me a “The Killing Fields”, a film I loved, but find hard to watch. Unlike Schindler’s List and films on that genre, the director and the actors didn’t try to manipulate the watchers into false sentiments. There were no overly dramatic scenes – just brutal reality of the everyday occurrences for Central Americans immigrating across vast distances to try to obtain “the American Dream.” That doesn’t mean the film was entirely without symbolism, but I found the symbolism and imagery added to the characters and their lives rather that serving as just a visual distraction or “deeper meaning.”

Not too much artsy crap

But then – I am a philistine and tend to hate that sort of stuff. I don’t like when artists try to tell me how to feel, how to interpret and what to think.. and this film did none of this.

Instead, it did what a good film should: it told a story. And like the majority of stories based on reality, there aren’t any dramatic rescues or miracles in the last five minutes of the film. There is also a scene where I felt shame – (a scene at the end when the characters have crossed into the United States). I felt shame because I think of the militias and the so-called “Minutemen” border patrols, and I know that some Americans would shoot / even kill illegal immigrants – and think of them as less than human.

More significantly, I think it is a film more Americans should watch. I am lucky enough to travel, and to see different places in the world – and that has changed me. It’s impossible to live and study in Mexicali – next to the border fence and not change your perspectives; about immigration, and about humanity, compassion and seeing things (literally) from both sides of the fence.

But too many people don’t have that opportunity and will never get to see the lives of many of the people they condemn for crossing the border to come to the United States.

Film Festival, part II

Enough of such serious subjects! Tonight I am heading back to the festival for another round of films – and more photos of Cartagena for my readers.

Update: Protests in Colombia

Posted on August 20, 2013 by K Eckland

So far, despite the demonstrations that are occurring nation-wide, Medellin has been quiet (and peaceful.) Yesterday was a bank holiday (so stores and such) were closed and the streets were almost deserted in town.

However, protest organizers claim over a million participants in many of Colombia’s smaller cities – including areas of Sucre – so it’s good that I cancelled a planned trip to Sincelejo. Preliminary reports from outlying areas detail a small amount of arrests and some minor damage (from rock throwing) but the details vary widely between government figures and those released by the event’s organizers (by a factor of 10 to 100, in some cases.)

I was planning to check in with one of our favorite surgeons, Dr. Cristian Barbosa (cardiac surgeon) who has started operating in Sincelejo since problems at Hospital Nuevo Bocagrande shuttered the cardiac surgery program there. So I am disappointed not to be able to report on the program in Sincelejo (and cardiac surgery programs in rural Colombia, in general) but I’ll head out there on my next trip to Colombia.

The coffee farmers in the Coffee Triangle plan to join the protests today.

Meanwhile, the international press has finally gotten wind of activities here – with articles in the Wall Street Journal, and business papers. Of course, living in the offices of Colombia Reports.com certainly gives me easy access to the most updated news available.

Love in the time of cholera or surgery in the midst of civil unrest..

Posted on August 16, 2013 by K Eckland

“Love in the time of cholera”, is one of Nobel-prize winning Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s literary masterpieces. The novel, set in the seaside city of Cartagena, explores concepts regarding the physical and emotional sides of love, as well as aging and illness. Like all of his novels, the plot is interwoven with rich imagery and sentiment.

However, I am not as high-brow or literary minded as many of my peers. I struggled through “One Hundred Years of Solitude” and its vast array of characters (if I have to take notes and re-read passages to remind me of the story I’ve just read, it’s not working for me).

So I breezed past Love in the time of cholera, even when it came out as a movie a few years ago..

But then again, it’s just not my taste. I tend to lose interest for any of the overblown, heavy romantic dramas – I fell asleep during Titanic (best nap ever!) and walked out of “The English Patient.” Books of this nature, and magical realism in general, tend to hold my interest for 100 pages max, before being put eternally aside for something more to my liking.

Now, “Liposuction in the time of cholera” I would have enjoyed.. “Love in the time of La Violencia” might have even held my interest.

But love in the time of cholera, and similar novels only elicit one emotion from me – and that’s relief – that I don’t live in a time where my own personal happiness is dictated by a dedication to home, family and all things traditional. That I don’t have to sit at home, unhappy because someone doesn’t love me enough or whatever overwrought heartbreak or tragedy is involved. Instead – I can be out doing a myriad of things – no matter what my heart thinks. (Incidentally, my heart is just fine – but this kind of shows why I find these novels depressing instead of uplifting or whatever.)

So it is with some frustration – that many people think that to know Colombia – a person must know and embrace the works of Gabriel Garcia Marquez (GGM).

The GGM method to Colombian history & culture

Sometimes learning about a new culture is fun – like trying a new food or seeing a new place. But sometimes it feels overwhelming – like there is just too much to learn, or that it’s just too complex to understand. That’s kind of how I feel about Spanish sometimes – every time I learn something new – I think of all the concepts, words and ideas I have yet to learn. But it doesn’t have to be that way – and it doesn’t have to be some long-winded, winding, overly dramatic somewhat crazy tale like a GGM novel.

I offer up, instead some alternative options to people, like me, who want to know more about Colombia and Colombian life without resorting to the Gabriel Garcia Marquez method.

1. Firstly, accept that in many ways, we can’t truly know. This idea comes from generations of sociologists who struggled with doing exactly this – knowing, defining and understanding cultures different from their own. From the ‘lived experience,” the “participant-observer” and other modes of observation and study, we know that we can’t truly understand the cultures and experiences of others without being shaded by our own perspectives and biases.

But that’s okay. I think it keeps us from being too arrogant, or too assured in our knowledge – knowing that whether we travel, study or live in Colombia for weeks, months or years – we will always just be scratching at the surface and seeing the superficial. It certainly doesn’t mean we should stop trying.

Which is better: Learning about Colombia or knowing about Colombia?

Trying to know (learning) is in many ways – better than knowing. Trying to know means asking questions, reading, looking, learning, and traveling around Colombia – trying to know is seeing and thinking about what you are seeing.

2. Get to know the works of other Colombian authors like these.. Find the genre that does interest or inspire you – even if it’s something as unromantic as modern novels, war history or even a battered third hand copy of a travel guide. For people at home – Amazon.com may be your best bet – and you will have a greater opportunity to find quality translations of original Colombian works.

3. Use the internet – like you are now.. It’s crucial for people with remedial Spanish skills (like myself). While my spoken Spanish improves with use – any sort of literary reading would be way beyond my abilities. While not everything is available in English – there are a growing number of English translations, websites and blogs devoted to bringing the Colombian experience to you.

4. Look for knowledge in the most obvious of places, like the currency. After all – if someone was important enough, like La Pola, to warrant being immortalized onto money, it’s a safe assumption that they are an important part of the history of the nation.

5. Ask! Ask about plaques in public spaces, ask, ask, ask. People are very friendly in general – and are happy to explain to visitors who take an active interest. One of your best resources for local information – whether on sites, history or even current politics – are the taxi cab drivers. (Taxi cab drivers tend to get a bad rap in Colombia but the vast majority go out of their way to be friendly and helpful.)

6. Watch Colombian TV – even if you don’t understand all of it.. Watch RCN (It’s the most exciting news program I’ve ever seen – since it has the soundtrack to an action film), and take time to watch some of the ‘home-grown’ Colombian movies and series. The Pablo series is no longer on – but DVDs of the series are readily available. Maybe “La Voz” has nothing to offer, but even some of the garden-variety dramas have something to offer about understanding Colombian culture. Spend enough time, and you can readily identify differences in Colombian television versus much of the Mexican programming (that is offered on Colombian TV).

7. Finally, to bring us full-circle from “Love in the time of Cholera” to “Surgery in the midst of civil unrest”: Current Events

While learning about Colombia’s past – don’t forget the present.. Current events matter – particularly when you are “guesting” in a foreign nation. Learning the hows, why and because of these current events are critical. For example:

Right now, Colombia is preparing for a series of strikes starting on Monday. Journalists and political analysts say that the strikes could encompass more than just the mining sector to include up to 15,000 healthcare workers as well as transit personnel and other blue-collar workers – potentially causing massive disruptions in transit and throughout the major cities.

Demonstrators are protesting unfair working conditions, poor pay (or lack of pay altogether, in some cases.) Students from the Nation’s largest university, National University are also participating to add support to the efforts.

There is even speculation that President Santos’ hardline stance against the demonstrators could prove to be his downfall.

This comes in the aftermath of several ongoing strikes, demonstrations and disruptions in Colombia’s mining and oil industry. This unrest has caused Colombian coal output to slide by 13%, which has further long-term implications for the Colombian economy, foreign investors and international trade.

Come Monday, we’ll see whether this will go down in the footnotes of Colombian history or remain part of the current political climate.

* I write about surgery – not politics, and don’t have a political bone in my body. In fact, if I didn’t live with a bunch of journalists, I probably wouldn’t stay as current as I do in Colombian events – I’d be up to my eyebrows in some medical journal and just catching short blurbs from the news.. But living with this group has taught me to pay more attention, and I’ve learned a lot too..

Colombia Moda 2013: My week as a fashion photographer

Posted on July 26, 2013 by K Eckland

For more about my week as a fashion photographer, click here.

I’ll be publishing some more photos over the next week, as I sort through the over 8,000 images I collected during my short stint as a fashion photographer – but the standout collection belonged to the fashion design students at Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana here in Medellin, Colombia.

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Even the most fantastical designs presented have a plethora of fine detailing and seeming. It is this use of seaming, (and actual sewing techniques) more than fabric choice, use of color or other factors that really makes this collection stand apart from the rest of the runways at Colombia Moda.

It’s in the details..

This attention to detailing also united the different designers and design concepts within the collection – from the plastic ‘raincoat’ jackets, to the corseted black matching his and hers outfits – , the green and white dress princess seamed dress with flared hem and cape sleeves.. The Peter Pan blouse*..

It’s a welcome change from so many designs that rely on cheap accessories or flashy fabrics to carry the look. While these designs certainly benefitted from the lovely (and ethereal – in the case of some of the white outfits) fabrics – the designs could stand without them. Of course, this is the difference between high couture design and mass market items. Mass marketed cheap cotton jersey dresses at Wal-mart (or even the Mall) aren’t going to have this level of detail..

I have some great shots of the models with the designers, which I will add soon. (It’s been a long couple of days – and I can no longer keep my eyes open.

*It’s been over 20 years since I took a few costume studies classes at Dalhousie so some of the exact terminology is hidden in the far recesses of my brain.. But I haven’t forgotten what I like..

Tiny little bags

Posted on July 17, 2013 by K Eckland

There is a phenomena of “tiny little bags” here in Medellin. For the uninitiated, these bags carry a sinister implication. However, the truth is (sometimes) much more mundane.

While these bags are often used for nefarious purposes (just check out the “Park of the Journalists” (parque de la periodista), these bags are also utilized in much more innocuous ways.

these tiny little bags actually contain some innoculous spices; salt, oregano, red pepper and black pepper

For instance, the tiny little bags from the picture here are actually from a pizza delivery last night. The bags contain a selection of spices including oregano, garlic powder, salt, red and black pepper.

Just an example of the little differences here that sometimes lead visitors to jump to the wrong conclusions due to Medellin’s reputation. So the next time you see a tiny little bag littering the street – maybe it’s the remnant of a drug transaction – or maybe it was just lunch.

Sundays outside Medellin – Parque Arvi

Posted on July 7, 2013 by K Eckland

Sharing a plate of Bendeja con chorizo

vendor at Parque Arvi

Medellin

on the tram

Sundays in Colombia are special to me. The tradition family day of relaxation and enjoyment has existed for centuries but somehow managed to pass me by for most of my adult life. In hospitals, patients need care every single day; on Christmas, on Thanksgiving, the fourth of July and on Sundays.. Usually I am first in line to volunteer to work these days.

I know that these days are important for my co-workers with small children and local family, and I don’t mind working during the holidays; the operating rooms are closed – everything slows down, so it’s a chance to spend some extra time with my patients.

But here in Colombia, I am a writer first, nurse second – so my schedule is very different. No more Sunday rounds, and bedside visits..

Sundays have become a ‘family day’ for me at this late date. A day to enjoy my surroundings, time with family and friends and to experience the food of Colombia.

Today we spent most of the day just outside the city in Parque Arvi. Just the trip to the park is fun – on the metrocable (the city’s tram system) up into the hills of Medellin..

on the metrocable, climbing the hills of Medellin

Then another tram ride across the mountains to the park.

some friends we made on the tram up

The view is glimpse down at a tiny slice of Medellin life..

kids enjoying the pool in the barrio beneath the metrocable

In general, the higher into the hills of Medellin, the poorer the settlements (but not always – some of the nicer estates in Poblado hug the hills on the way to Envigado).

houses hugging the hills of Medellin

But the views of the city itself are spectacular.

the city of Medellin as seen from the tram

It wasn’t a long ride – just long enough to meet our fellow tram riders (each tram holds eight people) including a newly wed couple from Bogotá..

The park itself is lovely, and the temperature just a wee cooler. Lots of families were out enjoying the park and the numerous restaurants selling regional Colombian cuisine. The trip is one of the most popular tourist activities for visitors to Medellin – and I am glad I finally took the time to see for myself.

In the kitchen with Sra. Clara Lozano: Brevas

Posted on July 2, 2013 by K Eckland

Clara Lozano and her husband, Alvaro Palacios

Clara and her family have a special place in my heart. I first met them when I rented an apartment from them for almost six months while researching the Bogota back. I have been back several times since, and I always stay with the Palacios.. They are wonderful people who typify the kind and generous nature of Colombians in general.

The other day, while at the fruit market, I purchased several Brevas. Despite all of my previous visits – I remained fairly ignorant of this particular Colombian fruit, which is a type of fig.

Mangostinos and brevas. Brevas are the small green fruit

So, Clara was kind enough to share a recipe for making a desert of Brevas that has been in her family for over 100 years, which I will now share with you. As a spectacularly bad cook – I was smart enough not to get too close as we were cooking, but I took copious notes. (When I cook, the fire department is often involved.)

The recipe is fairly simple – simple enough that I can probably manage myself next time. The ingredient list includes: Brevas, washed and rinsed, about a half cup of sugar (or panela) and cinnamon.

panela

1. After rinsing the brevas, cut of the ends. Then partually section each breva. (Do not cut into pieces, just make a small cut at the top of the breva, extending about half way down the fruit).

2. Place in a saucepan, and cover with water.

3. Add about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of sugar (or panela) to the mixture.. and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon (or one small stick of cinnamon broken into smaller pieces)

4. Boil until the mixture thickens to a syrupy glaze (about 20 – 25 minutes.) This mixture will be dark brown (from the cinnamon).

Boiling brevas: Photo by Camila

5. Serve warm with a slice of mild cheese (queso de crema).

Traditionally served with a mild white cheese and cold milk

Delicious! The cheese is a perfect contrast to the sweet rich taste of the brevas..

For more about Colombian fruits

Sunday in La Candelaria

Posted on July 1, 2013 by K Eckland

I am visiting Bogotá this week, before heading back to Medellin..

Bogotá is one of those cities that climbs into your heart – despite initial misgivings; too big, too cold, often rainy; becomes gloriously interesting and wonderfully cool..

I was armed with just a camera phone, so my friend, Camila Togni assisted in my photo-taking endeavors..

Sidewalk in downtown Bogota

Despite its large size – the city manages to be hospitable and friendly to visitors – and I missed my Bogotá “home”. So I headed back for just a few days to check in and enjoy all the things that make me love this unlikely city so much..

While Barrio Chico (where I live) is pretty quiet – La Candelaria is always quite a bit more lively.

I normally tend to avoid the Candelaria area because of the ever-present crowds of people, which is a shame because there are a lot of interesting places to visit and some beautiful architecture in this part of town.

Alvaro Palacio & Claro Lozano in front of the Cathedral de Bogota

But this weekend is the celebration por el nino del 20 de julio (and the ORs are closed) so when my friends invited me to go downtown with them – it was an opportunity not to be missed!

First we headed to the Iglesia de nino de 20 de Julio since this what the holiday weekend was all about.. It’s a huge church – a campus, actually – and it was packed with people.

Iglesia de nino del 20 de Julio

Even though it was crowded, it was a lovely service – and the church itself is quite pretty.

el nino de 20 de Julio

The church has a lovely glass dome and several stained-glass windows with religious scenes.

The church is so large, the domed area actually isn’t part of the central church, but an overflow area with a jumbo screen television so worshippers can see the priest conducting the service in the main chamber.

You can see the crowd milling in the foreground of this photo.

the crowd at the church

After the service, we wandered around the large flea market just a street away from the church before heading to lunch at a famous but tiny, and old restaurant called, “La Puerto Falso.”

While the rest of my party had their famous tamals, I was up for a bit of a culinary adventure, so I had a soup called Changua.

Colombian Tamal

While the description of a soup made of milk, eggs, bread, mild local cheese and cilantro didn’t sound that entices – it was actually quite good and is part of Bogotá regional cuisine.

Links for additional information about sightseeing in Bogota

More information about La Candelaria

Virtual tourist – La Candelaria

Video of LA Candelaria

Cathedral de Bogota

Most guides are going to send you to the Museo de Oro “The Gold Museum” but that’s not my favorite..

Museo de la Policia – probably my favorite of all the museums, thus far, in Colombia. It’s free – guides welcome you in from the street – and you can see the bloodied, bullet-ridden jacket of Pablo Escobar, from his last moments on a rooftop in Medellin. (It’s considered rude to ask about Pablo Escobar in general conversation) but if you hold any fascination about how a rural boy from an impoverished background managed to hold Colombia hostage, and gain international infamy – it’s a must. The guides also offered free candy, and played a game of ‘rana’ with us. (The are guides for multiple languages).

International Tango festival

Posted on June 23, 2013 by K Eckland

There’s always something going on here in Medellin, so I am keeping busy even when I’m not in the operating room.

Dressed and ready to tango!

This week – it’s the 6th Festival Internacional de Tango..

the crowd at the Botanical Gardens enjoys a free show during the International Tango Festival

While salsa dancing is a Colombian original (from Cali), the Argentine tango is alive and well here in Medellin. At this week’s festival, several musicians and dancers from Medellin are being showcased for their skills – along with Buenos Aires legends.. Local schoolchildren are also participating in a series of concerts and dance demonstrations. It’s quite a bit of fun – and showcases some of the things the city of Medellin really excels at.

After attending a Tango performance last weekend, and numerous other public events and outings – one of the things that it really noticeable is how well the city manages these events.

Fun and family friendly

There has been no trash or litter, no displays of public drunkenness (despite the fact that there is plenty of alcohol at these events), and no disturbances at any of our outings (and several were free).

Roaming the city

During the weekend, we roam the city – taking pictures, enjoying the endlessly lovely weather – and riding on the metro (train). The trains are affordable, quick (and if you avoid peak traveling times during the week) not too overly crowded.

above ground metro train

Universidad Station

Several parks and museums are located close to the Universidad Station including the Planetarium, Parque Explora (for kids) and the Botanical Gardens.

the planetarium

The Botanical Gardens

The ‘Joaquin Antonio Uribe’ Botanical Gardens were a delightfully relaxing place to spend a gorgeously sunny Sunday afternoon in the midst of the city, but away from the hustle and bustle of El Centro (where I live).

Admission is free.

There was live music to listen to, plenty of flowers, and wildlife to enjoy (iguanas roam the grounds), and assortment of snacks (ice cream, juice drinks, and other regional treats).

Iguanas roam the park

But the park isn’t just there to enjoy nature.. It’s a great place to people watch.. Also the people of Medellin are very kind and friendly, so they are happy to talk – even to gringas with bad Spanish, like myself.

using his camera to meet girls

We watched this photographer use his camera to meet girls as he roamed the park..

A group of young people singing…

Then we met a lovely princess..

and a local vendor selling gum in the park..

lost his leg due to a landmine

This very nice gentleman is a reminder that as sunny and lovely as Medellin is – there is still an ongoing war to remember.. One that has devastated thousands of young men, and displaced millions of people.

jumping rope

Wholesome

As a visitor (and temporary resident) of Medellin – the wholesomeness of the park is enchanting.. It’s a reminder of one of the reasons, I do enjoy Colombia so very much.. Just like my “Sundays in Bogotá” – the city slows down during the weekends, and people spent time with their loved ones.. No gameboys in evidence, and phones used mainly to take pictures.. It’s a gracious illusion that reminds me of my own childhood in a small town..

Sunday lunch: the food of Antioquia

Posted on June 18, 2013 by K Eckland

So, my talent runs short when photographing food..

As I may have mentioned before, the regional cooking of Colombia varies quite a bit. Cartagena and the other Atlantic coastal areas, are famous for the Caribbean influence of the local cuisine which is heavy on fried plantanos, fish and a caribbean (caribe) curry type flavor.

Bogota, as a more mountainous but cosmopolitan area boasts a ready mix of flavors, but also have delicious traditional dishes such as Ajiaco, and my personal favorite, morcilla.

We’ve talked about the tamals of Tolima.. and the vast array of fruits and vegetables, many of which only exist here (or in very specific areas of Colombia). I have an intense love for chonteduro, feijoa and uchuva myself.. There is another blog, by a fellow traveler – who documents his delicious encounters with numerous varieties of Colombian fruit.

found mainly around Cali (and some parts of Panama)

While I mainly write about surgery and such, I think it’s important that visitors to Colombia have a chance to experience the rich abundance of this country – and no where is it more evident than in the streets, fruit markets and grocery stores due to the readily availability of fruit. No visitor to Colombia should ever leave thinking Colombian cuisine is just arepas, empanadas and frijoles.

concord grapes, uchuva, mangos, brevas, strawberries, guava and mangostinos are just a few of the delicious (and cheap!) fruit grown in Colombia

Mangostinos are a particular delight – with an inedible hard shell, but a creamy, smooth and amazingly rich/ sweet interior.

Mangostinos (and brevas) with rich creamy interior of mangostino visible.

But the food of Medellin, the food of the ‘paisa’ has its own flavors.. Hard to know where to start – and you don’t want to get locked into thinking ‘bandeja paisa’ is all Medellin has to contribute to Colombia’s culinary culture.

But I am fortunate enough to live with a native Medellinesa, Diana, who (among other things) is an excellent cook, so I can pretty much label “Authentic Cuisine of Antioquia” to most of what comes out of the kitchen, with the exception of the few paltry and miserable offering of my own. (I am not a good cook.)

Diana, with Olle Petersson

So for Father’s Day lunch, we had grilled pork with a grape sauce, rice and a ‘green salad’ made of green tomatos, mild onions, avocados and a light dressing along with a creamy vegetable soup. (Sorry I don’t know all the foodie terms like compotes and such – but it was delicious all the same.)

creme of vegetable soup, pork with grape sauce, green salad and rice

Medellin, my beautiful friend..

Posted on June 10, 2013 by K Eckland

I don’t know how it always happens.. I set out on one kind of expedition and (frequently) it turns into something else. So we have it.. I was planning to write extensively on Panama City, but looky, looky – here I am again, living in the fantastic, tragic beauty of Medellin.

As I wrote once before, Medellin is a city of great loveliness, but somehow Bogotá always blinded me to Medellin’s charms.. But it’s time to give Medellin a fair shake, so here I am..

Ceviche with Anthony Bourdain in Panama City

Posted on June 9, 2013 by K Eckland

Okay, okay.. so maybe it wasn’t actually WITH Anthony Bourdain, but based on Anthony Bourdain and his episode on Panama.. (Season Six, episode 1 of “No Reservations“).

As everyone who is a fan of any of his shows already knows, Anthony Bourdain loves ceviche.. Me, personally, not so much.. I mean – it is raw fish – in juice.. Or at least that’s what I thought it was after a particularly nasty encounter in Buenos Aires..

But one of the members of my “Away Team” convinced me to give it another shot.. Since, rumor had it – “Anthony Bourdain recommends the ceviche at stall #2 in the fish market.” Logically it seemed like sound advice – where better to re-attempt ceviche than a place named “Abundance of Fish”..

type different varieties of ceviche from the famed stall #2.

Anthony’s right – it was delicious..

Afternoon at the finca, and a day at the market

Posted on November 26, 2012 by K Eckland

We spent Saturday exploring Lerida and cruising around.

Ready for adventure

We stopped at several roadside stops to buy some local fruit before heading off to La Gaviota, a local finca owned by a Brazilian woman.

buying papayas

We bought some delicious sugar mangos, along with some sweet papayas and mandarins.

enjoying sugar mangos

La Gaviota, a finca in Tolima

Now, there are two kinds of fincas in Colombia; working fincas and pure vacation fincas. A working finca is usually a farm or an orchard – often owned by a city resident but managed locally. This allows people who live and work in Bogota to have a get-away place that also brings in income.

one of the lakes at La Gaviota

Some of these fincas have been in peoples’ families for generations and produce much of the fruit and livestock products (dairy, meat etc) that are sold in Colombia.

Other fincas are pure recreational homes, and as such, are primarily owned by wealthier Colombians though this is not always the case. Fincas vary from modest cabin style affairs to elaborate, ornate mansions with swimming pools, tennis courts and private fully stocked ponds. Since most working people can’t stay at their finca very often, many owners rent out their fincas part-time. Such was the case with the lovely La Gaviota.

the pool, surrounded by fruit trees

The entire property has been planted with fruits and trees native to Brazil and the staff encourages visitors to sample the many exotic varieties.

Yaca, a fruit native to Brazil

There is a swimming pool, and several lakes stocked with fish. There is also a hotel, and a restaurant, where they will prepare your fresh catch. Like many of the numerous fincas that dot the landscape here, they welcome travelers and offer services at reasonable rates. So we spent the sunny afternoon at the pool.

The next day, we went to the market in Lerida. We bought some more ‘tipica’ or traditional Tolidense food called lechona from a very nice young man who helps his grandmother.

young man selling lechona

While I vary from vegetarianism to veganism in the states, I never hesitate to try another delicious typical dish when I am traveling – and it was marvelous; warm, savory and flavorful.

There are several variations of lechona, which is stuffed pork but the Tolidense version uses a base of garbanzo beans for the stuffing and comes with a sweet-flavored bread stuffing called insulso on the side.

lechona

The grandmother, also invited us to come to her house where she had other tolidense specialities for sale, including tolidense tamales.

with grandmother

There were other vendors selling panela which is popular sugar product here in Colombia, (and other latin American countries.) It’s a staple, a form of unrefined sugar produced at the local sugar cane factories in the region. (I particularly like panela in my coffee and tea.)

panela

We met and purchased several tamales from another vendor in the market, a very nice woman who was very happy to pose for the camera. I am ashamed to say that I forgot to write her name in my little notebook because my hands were full with all of our great purchases.

homemade tamales

in Lerida

Posted on November 26, 2012 by K Eckland

in the mountains on the way to Tolima

Most Americans have limited exposure to Colombia, and Colombian life. Other than media reports about drugs and violence, the majority of people’s opinions about the country have been formed by one quintessential little film of the mid-80’s…

“Romancing the Stone” – yeah, that’s right – the silly little romantic comedy with Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas. “Is this the bus to Cartagena?” is a line I’ve heard many, many times from people asking questions about my experiences here.

In general, like most things, Colombia is nothing like the movies. Especially this one, since it was filmed in Veracruz, Mexico.

just outside Lerida at Sunset

But Lerida is that Colombia – the hot, humid, tropical Colombia that people think of after watching that movie. It isn’t jungle-like here, of course,(that’s further south) but it’s an ancient city with stone buildings and some cobblestone streets interspersed among newer construction; but Lerida has the unrelenting heat and steaminess that people generally picture (and fail to find in Bogota.) My guide tells me that the city wasn’t quite so hot – until most of the trees were removed when the streets were paved. It makes sense since the neighboring cities (with thick tree-lined streets) are noticeably cooler.

It’s an interesting city – and more than just miles away from Bogotá – more like decades. Life is a bit more traditional here, but that may be just the heat, and the ancient appearance of much of the buildings contributing to that perception. Lerida was first ‘discovered’ in 1538 by Spanish conquistador Sebastián de Belalcazar who was amazed by the richness of the land, but it wasn’t officially ‘founded’ until 1777, which actually makes it technically one of the younger towns. But as you wander the town, you see that people are still living in many of the original buildings – updated and modernized, of course. But the original architecture with high ceiling and spacious rooms offers the advantages of cooler temperatures despite relentless sun.

As a mentioned in a previous post about Cali – motorcycles are the preferred method of travel in the warmer climes; relatively inexpensive, and good on gas – you see motorcycles just about everywhere you look; with entire families on bikes.

family on motorcycle in Lerida

Women in high heels, babies pressed between bodies, toddlers riding up front, even women riding ‘side-saddle’.

Coming from a society where motorcycles are used more as a statement than a viable mode of transportation; it takes a minute to adjust to the scene of so many bikes – it’s not a convention, they aren’t ‘bikers’, it’s just another day of running errands and going to work.

line of motorcycles

For more posts about my visits to Medellin, click here.

Road to Lerida, part II

Posted on November 25, 2012 by K Eckland

As we pass into the valley, and the town of Honda, the whole topography changes. It’s less West Virginia and more eastern Tennessee – in the summer. The temperature has become hot and a bit humid. The land is more flat, and as the land straightens out, so does traffic. We can finally accelerate to 50km/h for the remainder of our journey.

drive to Santa Marta? no thanks..

(It’s this limited speed that makes the road signs for Cartagena and Barranquilla (1150+ km) so terrifying, yet correspond with other visitors stories about 20 hour bus rides). But the view is so interesting, and I have great company, so it makes for a pleasant drive, especially once we escape the industrial traffic.

it be corn, but it’s not Iowa..

Even the mountains here in the valley are different, the ones that are visible in the landscape are more like hills, with exposed rock crevices.

My ‘guide’ for this trip just amazes me with the breadth and knowledge he has of this area of the country. As we pass different outcroppings, and tiny towns – he knows a bit of folklore, facts of interest or history on each one of them. We travel through places that seems a million miles and twenty years from the sophisticated enclaves of Medellin, Bogotá or Cali.

In the Colombian state of Tolima, we drive through the small city of Caldas. This seemingly unimportant but bustling town is actually one of the more important towns in Colombia’s history. When scientific explorers (Spanish) first came here they found an amazing bounty of plants, flowers and fruits. Many of which are only found in Colombia.

They also found gold here (and in the neighboring towns such as Mariquita). It was their treatment of the native population in pursuit of this shiny metal beneath the nearby mountains that led to a local uprising (and eventual revolution – leading to Colombia’s independence).

Modern day explorers also made important discoveries in this area of Tolima, near Caldas: large pockets of natural gas.

In the next town, of Mariquita – gold mining both recently and in the past, has shaped the town. It was the uprising here in Mariquita against the Spaniards and their gold mining efforts that shapes this town’s history. Further gold exploration in more recent history has also caused problems – my guide tells me that the tunneling and excavations have caused major subsidence problems, with homes disappearing into sinkholes. (As someone who lived in the Monongalia Mine area of West Virginia, I can well image the scene.)

Marquita is also home to a historic church – and the “Milagro senor de la ermita.”

Church services were actually in session when I arrived, so I didn’t many pictures. (I took the one interior picture from a little alcove so I wouldn’t disturb services while my companions lit candles).

Church in Mariquita

The state of Tolima is famous for it’s tamales – which have little in common with the Mexican version. Mariquita itself is famous for having excellent tamales tolidense so we stopped at a place off on a side street which was recommended by the locals, called “El Tamalito” en San Sebastian de Mariquita. The tamales were, indeed, delicious.

The owner, Mr. William Naffati has been making tamales for over 20 years. He lived (and worked) in Bogotá for 40 years before coming back to Tolima (where his family is from) 2 years ago. He states that he makes the ingredients for 200 tamales at a time, in huge metal VATS.

William Neffati, in the kitchen

He states that the secret to the rich flavor of the tamales is due to three key oils: chicken, pork and another which he’s keeping a secret for now. Then the meats and vegetables are slow cooked for a minimum of four hours before final preparations. He reports that during the course of a weekend he will prepare and sell over 1200 tamales.

Now this next part of our journey probably deserves its own post – but since I am using borrowed internet to post this – it will have to do.

Lastly, as the sky darkened we passed Armero, a ‘lost town’ that was destroyed in the November 1985 volcanic explosion that spewed rock and lava throughout the area. The official death toll was 24,000 but locals estimate that it was higher. As the lava rained down on the town – it burned and destroyed many of the buildings, and their charred and abandoned structures remain – as a memorial to the site.

My guide and my traveling companions know a great story about this town too. As the volcano rained death down on the 29,000 residents of Armero, and a sea of mud/ sludge began to destroy the town, somehow, despite being in the center of the storm of rock and lava, the local hospital (which did sustain heavy damage) was spared. Not a single one of the hospitalized patients (who were on the second or top floor of the building) were harmed.

what remains of the hospital today

I guess when you consider the devastation to the area, that would make the hospital of Armero the second miracle of our journey. I’m not usually so sentimental, but looking at the town, it’s hard not to be.

Ruins at Armero

Unfortunately, it was getting dark as we came through, so I couldn’t get any photos. (But we came back through the next day – and I managed to get a few.) We didn’t get out of the car because the structures are unaltered and are considered unsafe. I would have loved to crawl around them a little bit, but I try to take good advice.

The guide

My guide for our trip is Mr. Alvaro Palacios, an adoption attorney. Last year, when I was writing the Bogotá book, I was renting a room in one of the apartments he and his wife own. After being there for six months – we became pretty close. Especially since once my roommates returned to their home countries, I was alone (sometimes lonely, when l had enough time to think about it) in the apartment.

Mr. Alvaro Palacios

But they always made me feel safe and secure in the fact, that they were next door, and that someone would notice if I didn’t show up one day*. So I came to very much enjoy talking with the Palacios, their daughter, Camila and their son, Alvaro who was a medical student at the time.

Dr. Alvaro Palacio

In fact, that’s the reason they’ve invited me along – we are heading to Lerida to visit their son who is doing his intern year at the hospital here. (In Colombia, all doctors have to do a ‘social service’ year working and training in underserved areas.)

Road to Lerida, part 1

Posted on November 24, 2012 by K Eckland

Had a wonderful Thanksgiving with some delightful friends yesterday.

I went to the operating room this morning with Dr. Alberto Martinez – but we will save that for later.

This post is for my good friend, Steven Morrisroe who always tells me to devote more posts to ‘everyday life’. He’s been a big supporter of my work – so Steven – I hope you enjoy this.

Gee.. it doesn’t look that far..

The road to Lerida – part I

The most effective and efficient way to travel in Colombia is by plane; flying to Medellin or Cali is an exercise in ease – by the time the coffee carts comes around (yes, Colombian airlines take care of their passengers), it’s time to sit up your seats and prepare to land.

Not really going to Siberia (been there, done that!)

But the roads are notorious for being poorly designed exercises in endurance and frustration. It’s something Santos has pledged to address – outlining a massive overhaul of Colombia’s infrastructure, which is desperately needed. Despite being one of the major roads to this part of the interior of Colombia – it’s a two-lane road, hugging a hill on one side, and a dramatic cliff for the other for the majority of the journey. While mom-and-pop restaurants and mini-markets dot the roadside, along with tiny houses and laundry lines – this is a heavily trafficked major route for the transport of goods across the country. There are produce trucks, heavily laden pickups, buses, even several car haulers with brand-new Japanese cars all crowded together with more tanker trucks than I’ve ever seen in my life*. At one point, I looked out the window at the road ahead and it was all semi-trucks as far as the eye could see in both directions. It makes this little road as crowded as peak traffic in Bogotá.

this picture is actually from Honda, when traffic finally thinned out..

So much so that what should be a swift and picturesque journey becomes a six-hour crawl as the speedometer stays markedly fixed at less than 30 km/h (yes, that’s kilometers). The only exceptions being quick bursts of pulse-raising, dare-devil maneuvers as we attempt to pass another in a seemingly continuous line of tanker trucks as we head into another blind and narrow hairpin curve.

passing, but you can’t see the motor cycle passing us..

We settle back into the agonizing crawl, behind more semis. The line only broken when we attempt such feats as the double pass – passing a tanker truck on the far left as it attempts to pass a slower moving, more heavily laden truck. But at least, it breaks up the monotony and frustration of breathing diesel fumes and enduring the smell of hydraulic breaks being tested by the continuous grade.

this is actually a truck wash hugging the cliff

But don’t get the wrong idea – it’s still a beautiful journey and I am enjoying it immensely. I just want you to be able to picture the chaos and flurry of activity amidst the serene surroundings.

Once you pass just outside of Bogotá – you are in the country. Most of the trip is up and over a mountain pass – with a breathtaking view of what must be the Grand Canyon of all valleys.. It’s astounding lovely, but I was unable to get a photo of the massive verdant green valley with rivers and lakes scattered below. It looks so much like West Virginia, that I have to remind myself where I am more than once.

Where am I?? (Answer: just past Honda)

After twisting and turning for hours – we emerge in the valley below and arrive in the city of Honda..

*My tour guide informs me that the reason there are so many tanker trucks is that despite having ample oil reserves, Colombia does not have a single oil refinery, so all the oil produced travels on this very road to be exported to the USA for refining.

Calle de Mascotas – avenida Caracas

Posted on November 17, 2012 by K Eckland

Just a few more weeks here in Bogotá before heading back to the United States. My days are crammed with interviews – so I haven’t been posting as much as usual.

Right now, I am making copious notes – and taking plenty of photos so I can starting writing up several articles in the next several weeks. Much of my work will be published over at Colombia Reports.com so I will attempt to keep from duplicating it here. (Also – I won’t have the time..)

I’ll still try to post pictures and stories here – about Bogotá life in general, to give readers a sense of the city, and the people here since that’s something that they won’t get with my (rather) dry surgical descriptions/ evaluations.

But – I am already working on plans to return to Bogotá, (and other parts of Colombia) this spring. Once I have some concrete plans, I’ll post them here for readers and (potential travelers..)

homeless in Bogotá

I wandered around Avenue Caracas (Carrera 14) for a bit this afternoon. It’s not the best area because there are a lot of homeless people, and it has a reputation for quite a bit of crime (muggings and such) but I couldn’t resist walking by the “Calle de Mascotas” or the three blocks (from Calle 53-56) on Avenue Caracas that hold about a dozen pet stores..

The man crouched down in the photo above just finished stamping out his cooking fire as I came by..

kittens in a pet shop window

It was particularly heart-wrenching for me – while I’ve been down here in Bogotá, my long-time friend and companion – my 17-year-old cat passed away. (Don’t worry, he was surrounded by loved ones, and died in my husband’s arms).

This inquisitive little fellow here reminded me quite of a bit of my cat (though they do not look-alike.) So it was hard to keep walking – but then next to one of the pet stores, I watched two artists create this mural..

a work in progress

Hard to believe all this detail came from spray paint (no brushes!) but it did..

working on the mural

This artist, and his assistance were really nice, and didn’t mind me taking their pictures.

I’ll post some more stories soon.. In the meantime, you can read more about my recent interview with Ilene Little here.