Santa Fe de Antioquia

About an hour and half drive northwest of Medellin lies the sleepy pueblo of Santa Fe De Antioquia. Set in the steamy river valley of the Rio Tonusco and Rio Cauca, Santa Fe is a popular weekend getaway for Paisas wanting to work on their tans. Formerly the departmental capital of Antioquia, Santa Fe is also the oldest settlement in the region dating back to 1541. It was not until 1826 that the government relocated to Medellin where it is still today. Since then, Santa Fe has remained in the shadow of its larger neighbor and has thus retained most of its colonial character and was declared a national monument in 1960. Cobblestone streets line pastel painted houses with ornate wood windows and doors. Bougainvillea and other vibrant flowers hang from balconies. For the price of a one night's stay in most hotels in the US, my friends and I rented a colonial house for the weekend to relax by the pool and enjoy the town. The variety of wildlife in the backyard ensured there was never a dull moment. A green iguana perched in the branches of the lime tree while a red squirrel was always working the banana trees. A kangaroo-like mouse fell in the pool and was helped out by the Jared. All kinds of huge blue and green lizards would work the soil looking for insects buried in the earth. Two eagles perched in the trees above while vultures hopped around looking for something dead that we could not see nor smell.  Overall, it was a fantastic weekend and the photos give the experience no justice.

Built in the 1700s, the Iglesia de Santa Barbara displays a baroque style facade.

The Puente de Occidente was one of the first suspension bridges built in the Americas, completed in 1895 by architect and engineer Jose Maria Villa. Because most of the materials were shipped from England, it took 8 years to complete the 291 meter-long bridge.

Jared, Angela, Jenny and I.

A beautiful little boa constrictor.

The Casa.

Taking a break from the sun in the shade of the chapel at the cemetery.

 Taking a picture of Jared taking a picture.

Bulls and Brews with the Bro's.

Ever since reading The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, I have wanted to experience a bull fight before I die. In true Hemingway style, he describes the bulls, the matadors and their interaction in the bull ring with such passion and poetry that you would think the fairly barbaric act was something more like a soft porn flick. Well, I recently got to check that off my "To Do List" after enlisting some of my classmates to share the experience with me here in Medellin.

Most bullfights have 6 bulls and 3-6 matadors. The bull charges out into the ring with a fury. The matador's first assistant handles the bull while the matador watches. The matador gauges the bull's strength, speed, and temperament.

Then the picadores arrive on horseback with long pikes. The bull charges and rams the picadore's horse. They stab the bull in between the shoulder blades. This weakens and softens the bull's neck muscles causing it to drop its head lower. The crowd determines whether the bull is brave or a coward by the bull’s reaction to the pike. The brave bull will disregard the pain and charge even harder, while the cowardly bull is reluctant to charge again and is roundly booed by the crowd.

After the picadore has three goes at the bull, he leaves and  the banderillos appear. They charge the bull with 2 banderillas and stab these in between the bulls shoulder blades to further weaken its neck muscle. There are usually three or four banderillos each with two banderillas.

Once the bull is worn down, and he holds his head lower, the matador enters the ring.













First the matador removes his black winged hat and dedicates the death of the bull to the bullring president or to the crowd. The muleta (cape) can be held in either the left hand or draped over the espada, the killing sword, which is always held in the right hand.

The pass is called the natural in which the muleta is first held in front of the matador to site the bull and is then swung across and away from the matador’s body, taking the bull with it. The matador will continue to perform a number of different passes varying in skill and showmanship until he has complete control over the charging bull.

The matador keeps the bull fixated on the muleta held low in his left hand and aims the espada between the shoulder blades. If the sword goes all the way in, the bull will drop immediately to his knees, dying. The length of the blade is about 3 feet.

If the bull fails to die the matador or his assistant may take the descabello and stab it into the bull’s neck severing the spinal cord.

The first slain bull is always the hardest to watch. It is either getting desensitized to the brutality or learning to appreciate the skill and technique of the matador that has you cheering each time he exhibits his grace. 

However, I did find myself cheering for the bull when he rammed this matador and flipped him over his body. The matador was young and lacking experience. He got rammed twice and it took him 4 passes with his espeda before he planted it between the bull's shoulder blades and into his heart.

Roosters, Aguardiente and Lost Wages = Cockfights

I have been to many cockfights and even participated in a few, but they never included roosters. They usually took place in a bar or at a party and involved several single men and one available woman. I have won many cockfights and I have lost a few to superior cocks, but it was not until last night that I attended my first real cockfight. In the small pueblo of Venecia, at a roadside restaruant, I lost $20, made some new friends and went home with splattered blood on my jeans. I will let the pictures tell the rest.

Men keep their cocks caged-up until they are ready to fight.





















Cocks are chosen based on looks and experience. Bigger cocks are usually prefered but size does not always matter. Money is given to the owner of the cock who then takes that total sum and wagers it against an opposing cock for the same sum.

Cocks are then prepared by fastening sharp, metal spears to their talons. The spears are held in place by training tape and candle wax.

The two cocks compete by pecking and jumpkicking each other`s face, neck and torso. Since they are wearing metal talons, this gets really bloody. The winner is usually determined by the last cock standing. If one cock pins the other cock, the referee will turn over his hour glass and give a count similar to boxing 10-count but a little longer.

The Silver Bullet Mullet

Fashion has always been one my favorite things to observe when I travel.  Fashion is very fickle. Although, it still gives one a snapshot of other cultures even though that snapshot may only be a true representation of that culture for a brief period. Euro men (mostly Brits)  love to where the short pants that stop halfway between the top of the ankle and the bottom of the knee. Midwesterners love to wear sandals with socks and denim shorts. In 2006/2007, Australian men loved to bleach their bangs or their pony tails or the sides of their head but not their whole head. So what is popular in Colombia? Without a doubt, the mullet. I am talking about business in the front and party in the back. I am talking about shave the sides but keep that duck tail. I have never seen a single hair style so prevalent in any culture. So with that, I present you the best mullet I have seen in all of Colombia. The Silver Bullet Mullet. Yeeee-haaaaaaaaaa!

Rio Claro - Antioquia

Two and a half hours east of Medellin, rolling green pastures give way to jagged marble peaks blanketed by a thick, tropical, primary forest. This is Rio Claro. Eons of rain and subsequent erosion have carved deep canyons into the marble and limestone. While most rivers in the rain forest are brown from tree tannins and sediment runoff, the Rio Claro is crystal clear. The rich marble deposits that compose the river bottom ensure that the Rio Claro remains clear all year. The marble geology creates a unique natural wonder that is only ruined by the pursuits of the mining companies that litter the area. I stayed in Rio Claro Reserve. A private, ecological reserve since the late 70s, the Rio Claro Reserve is an excellent model for sustainable ecotourism. The owners understood that they did not have to mine their land to be profitable and the reserve's beauty has made this a popular tourist destination.

My cabana. Not bad for the jungle.

This little fellow was on my bathroom door. He was only about a foot long from toe to toe.

This guy was about a foot long as well.

The green basilisk or "Jesus Christo" lizard gets its name because it can literally run on top of water. They are always found near rivers for an easy escape from predators.

The marble and limestone geology along with an abundance of water has created a vast network of caverns in the area.

For being completely void of light, the caverns are teaming with life. Walking on thousands of years of bat and bird poop felt like walking on marshmallows. Each spongy step would uncover thousands of cockroaches working overtime to keep up with the bats.

I tried not to get too close to this beauty.

The only things that break up the jungle are the marble mines.

With today's technology, I was surprised to see that the marble mining is done by men on harnesses with jackhammers.

Medellin

The "City of Eternal Spring," Medellin is a beautiful city with a pleasant year-round climate and surrounded by verdant green mountains. Founded in 1616 by Spanish Jews escaping the Inquisition, Medellin and the surrounding Antioquia department was colonized by farmers with small haciendas not utilizing slave labor. As a result, Paisas or Antioquenos as they are called, are characterized as hard workers and fiercerly independent. This is reflected in every aspect of the culture here including the food, architecture, and urban planning. Medellin's beauty is not just limited to its physical location; a narrow valley bisected by the Rio Medellin about 1500m above sea level. The buildings here are designed with both form and function. You can find a well landscaped park every few blocks. Public art is common throughout the city and now mandatory for new construction in certain areas. It boasts the only metro system in Colombia which also is a testament to its fine infrastructure. With the second largest population in Colombia of 2.4 million, the only thing Medellin suffers from is an inferiority complex from its larger brother, Bogota. Now, it is hard to believe that Medellin used to be one of the most dangerous cities in the world dominated by Pablo Escobar's cartel and the mecca for cocaine trade in the world.

El Centro

One of many suspension bridges in the city.

This 300 year old building was converted into a mall by adding a glass roof over the former courtyard.

Rodrigo Arenas Betancur's "Monumento a la Vida."

Four bottles of aguardiente with the Ecuadorians...........

............equals liquid courage with my newly found and near perfect understanding and speaking of the Spanish language.

Snails for sale in the park.

Not your average-sized garden snail, huh? The 500 pesos is about the size of a nickel.

Looks good from the rear, right? Wait till you see the front.

You won't find a camel toe on this beauty. Only a huge Adam's apple and a ripe banana ready to rip out of its hammock.

Like a muse from ancient Greece, I was mesmerized by this natural beauty. No camel toe here either.

Guy or girl? Maybe a girl if she is related to Bigfoot. Check the size of those kicks.

So if you are wondering why I am showing all these pictures from San Francisco; I actually stumbled upon a gay parade in Medellin. Entertaining, scary and hilarious all at the same time.

Fernando Botero is Colombia's most famous artist. Born in Medellin, his art is characterized by abnormal fatness. Now living in Paris, his fondness for his hometown is evident by all the donated sculptures found throughout Medellin.

This sculpture called "The Bird of Peace" was ironically destroyed by a bomb during the cartel days. As a testament to the Colombian peoples resilience to narcoterrorism, Botero made another sculpture and erected next to this original.

In addition to the metro rail that runs North/South, Medellin also has an aerial tram connecting the neighborhoods to the east. Before the tram was installed, these neighborhoods were a haven for hit men and mobsters with police refusing to go into these neighborhoods. Now, the area has been cleaned up and I enjoyed walking back down the mountain after taking the tram up.

Definitely a Banksy but I am pretty sure it is not an original. I don't think he has done any work in Colombia.

Not a Banksy, but talking pooh is always amusing.