Ad hoc travels

Thursday night, sleepless eyes, time on hands. Taken a nap earlier and knowing that following 5 hours will be restless, I was luckily visited by a muse , which inspired me to share couple thoughts about Colombian cultural traits, that I’ve found interesting. Entonces after living a month in Colombia, I’ve clustered enough information for a small article about things that, at first seemed strange to me, but now completely normal. Granted, that truly understand one’s culture requires spending years within the environment (which is called cultural relativism in anthropological world), so my goal is to outline my personal observations. Vamonos!            After my first week in the country, I’ve slowly started noticing that Colombians have their own understanding of time. I’ve read about Latin countries' “time sensitivity” before, but never had opportunity to experience it on my own. So what do I mean by it? It is known fact, that Latinos have their own perception of

Valle de Guadalupe Will you believe me if I tell you that lucky San Diegans are only two hours away from tasting one of the best Mexican wines, strolling along Russian vineyards (whaat???), and having a romantic dinner aboard Titanic? The best part of it all - the price, that is twice cheaper than going on wine tours in Temecula or Napa Valley. Mix of Mexican and Russian history with Di Caprio in it too? How is this possible? Well, after reading this 5 minutes article you'll see how! Fortunate residents of Southern California (San Diego in particular) have it all:  sunny  climate,  ocean till horizon, pristine beaches, snowy mounts, international cuisine, possibility to surf and to snowboard within the same day. It's almost impossible to find something that will awe "spoiled" San Diegan. Although, not many people know that only two hours drive down south, one can find himself/herself among spectacular valleys that are known as Mexican Tuscany . As much as 90%

A breath of nature in the heart of the megalopolis. Flower garden * I apologize, no photos in this post as it seems like there are issues in Google servers* Every city has its own trademark green-space: New York City boasts, more than a century old, Central Park; sunny San Diego has signature Balboa Park, that had opened city to flocks of visitors in the beginning of 20th century; Bogota takes pride in Simon Bolivar park. It features aquatic complex, library, Children's museum, space for concerts and Botanical garden. Today, I'll review my observations of Bogota’s climate, its air quality problem and how it is all connected to the Botanical Garden, place that offers escape to nature in the middle of the hectic city. This 5 minutes’ article will enrich you with some facts about Bogota and hopefully gives some thoughts to ponder on.           The two things that might catch by surprise unaware traveler in Bogota are - frequently changing weath

        Fan's celebration/devastation of the scored goal at the Xolos' game              In anticipation of the main football event of the year between Liverpool and Tottenham, I've decided to shade a light (solely from my personal point of view) on this sport from the Latin American prospective. It is well-known fact, that players from this continent have conquered fans' hearts around the world. Pele, Maradona, Messi... the list is long and their strong affection to this game is obvious. With the stereotype, that "everyone in here is crazy about football", I want to find out how true this statement is. I've attended couple games in Mexico and Colombia, and will share my experience. Why does it matter or why should you, my dear reader, read this article? Well, I had been to several football games in my life in different countries, I had been following this sport since I was kid, I had turned it into my hobby, and isn't it interesting to find out i

Artifact depicting Muisca king covered in gold making an offering to god              Anyone traveling to or within Colombia most like will make a stop in Bogota, as this capital city acts as connection point between many directions. This being said, 1-2 days layover/pit-stop can be enough to explore history and culture for tourists with limited time resources. I am on the mission to capture "must see places" in city's historic center La Candelaria within this time frame. 10 minutes of reading this article will distract you from daily routine and give a 'freshmen orientation' of Santa Fe de Bogota.             Probably the first thought that comes to mind, thinking of Colombia, is the legend of El Dorado. Starting from 16th century among Europeans conquistadors, navigators, and explorers emerged a legend of gold riches hidden somewhere in the northern part of South America (present day Colombia). This was based on Spanish expedition encounters of local t

            From my personal experience reading through articles of traveling could be exciting and dull at the same time. Hence I promise you, my reader, that I won't take more than 10 minutes of your life in order to describe the lethargic, but colorful life of provincial pueblo.         My first introduction to countryside of Colombia happened to be in Puente Nacional in department Santander, small colonial town that until today vigilantly guards its history on cobblestone streets, in people's lives, and in ancient traditions. I was lucky to visit this place on the weekend of celebration of Comunero Rebellion which I will describe in details a little later. Before the trip I've heard such words as 'campo' and 'granja' closely associated with province or countryside, although I didn't really know the meaning behind it. The simple 'farm' translation doesn't depict whole palette of colors, aromas, and experiences that hide behind these Span