The lack of a posting for two weeks is testament either to my laziness or the madness of this city. I would suggest both. It leaves the challenge of a thousand things to say and only a limited space in which to say it. Perhaps best then just to list a few odd or amazing things that have happened or I have seen.1. Although everone has mobiles here, no-one uses them to make calls. Instead, on every street corner stands a person with five phones attached to them by wires, wearing a jacket saying 'llamadas'. People then pay to use them. What on earth is going on?
2. I started looking for work at 2pm on a Monday afternoon, a little weary from a hard weekend. By 6pm I had English classes booked for two days time, all with no experience nor qualifications. Next week I am even teaching an English teacher.
3. The city itself is gigantic and runs down the side of an imposing mountain range. It makes navigating a cinch. At the top of a cable car ride is a fantastic viewpoint and a 300 year old church that overlooks the whole city. On Sundays the fare is half-price. A bonus only soiled slightly by the morning service being blasted out over loudspeakers. Tranquil it is not.
4. In the more upmarket boroughs, where I work not live, the streets are full of professional dog workers at every hour of the day. They look a bit disheartened if they have less than ten dogs surrounding them and each specialise in a different dog type. Ten labradors, followed by a dozen lapdogs, right behind an army of terriers. A photo series beckons... surely?
5. Every night, outside the same two or three hostels in Candelaria, backpackers are mugged at knife (or machete) point. By the same gangs. Hello police and hostel owners, do something.
6. Staying in one of these cities for a while makes you realise the deep divide between rich and poor. Here it is a fairly straight north/south divide. The former looking like an average American downtown, even including Hooters. The latter being a pretty grim and dangerous collection of shanty towns.
And finally, moving into express mode: Gabriel Garcia Marquez lived here, a hangover is a guayaba, singing kareoke in Spanish is difficult, a three foot high beer communal serving is aptly called a 'jirafe', mixing tequila, rum and aguadiente is not clever, running down the middle of the road is a good way not to get mugged, Carlos Valderrama is the face of the no.1 crisp brand, never believe someone who says they will call tomorrow and comida corriente makes for a great value lunch.
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