Colombia seems to be the land of contrasts. The reputation, the geography, and the distribution of wealth all speak to this notion. For starters Colombians have two very contradictory reputations. When a lot of people abroad hear Colombia they immediately think of “the good old days” when drug lords and violence ruled the country. The last president ruled with an iron fist and cleaned the country up significantly. While some still fear robberies and kidnappings, Colombia is now considered safe to travel. Colombians are also known for being some for the nicest people in the world. The ones I have met so far are incredibly kind. For example, I sat down on a bus next to a teenage girl who was playing with a beaded bracelet. I asked her if she made it and she nodded and then put it on my wrist. When it was my stop I went to give it back to her but she wanted me to keep it. The bracelet is made up of three strands: yellow, red, and blue, the Colombian flag colors all twisted together.
The people of Santa Ana are extremely welcoming as well. It is so interesting walking around the town. My friend Alyssa put it well when she said, “I feel like I’m in a parade because I wave to everyone.” We really do greet everyone whether or not we know them. Everyone on the coast says “Buenas” or even “Adios” to greet someone (they use Adios if they do not want to stay and chat). Often people know who we are even though we do not know them. Word spread fast in this town and they have known for a while that a new crew of teachers was coming.
A few days ago we went to Playa Blanca for the first time. It is the biggest tourist destination in the area and one of the best beaches in all of Colombia (maybe even South America). It is only takes 20 minutes by moto down dirt, unpaved roads, to arrive at the clear ocean and stunning views. It is such a different world from where we live. There are tourists roaming around and all-inclusive resorts are a stone throw away. The good news is the beach is public so anyone can come, but the only people we see there who are from Santa Ana are the workers. They all try selling things on the beach, offer massages, or work in a restaurant. We actually took a workers bus home when we went on Wednesday. A bunch of us were trying to figure out what to do for dinner. At the dorms we are provided with basic groceries for breakfast and dinner (lunch is provided at the school) but last week a lot of our food did not come in so everyday was a chore to figure out what to eat. As we were discussing our dismal options a man came on the bus with a cooler full of shrimp. He was heading back to Santa Ana and had to get rid of the rest of them so we bought the shrimp off of him and made shrimp pasta for dinner.
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