One of my first weekends in Colombia, I find myself in line waiting to enter the Plaza de toros, the bull fighting arena, not to see a bull fight but for another taste of Colombian culture. It was the 14th Annual Petronio Music Festival, a celebration of their African roots. From outside the arena we could hear the poundi
ng of the percussion and the cheers of the fans. The music comes from the slave days on the pacific coast; the heart of the music is the banging of the percussion instruments and with a mix of Spanish and African singing. Before we could enter the arena and feel for ourselves this enchanting music, we had to purchase the infamous viche. Many vendors sell a homemade alcohol named viche. They bottle it and sell it during the festival. The proper way to drink viche is shots poured from the “recycled” flasks into tiny plastic shot glasses. There are various kinds of viche, the original is basically a pure clear alcohol. We got the crema de viche, which is a creamy liquor with peanut flavoring. Sounds appetizing, no? They even have medicinal viche with herbs in it. With the viche pumping through our bodies we let the rhythm and chanting of the music take over. The stands were filled to the top with people waving their bandanas in the air, swaying their hips, and stomping their feet. The fans on the floor would create improvised routines that would have the groups of people in synchronized steps. On the stage the men were playing a rhythm so ingrained in their roots and the women in their traditional dresses dancing as though it were the days of slave rebellion. It’s hard to believe that music so alive and passionate comes from the roots of people so oppressed and violated. Maybe it’s that passion and liveliness that allowed them to overcome their oppressors and celebrate their heritage today.
One beautiful Saturday morning, our personal school bus that we had been carted all around the city for weeks in took us to Nirvana, a nature reserve. We left the crowded polluted city to a true Nirvana. Colgeio Bolivar Parent Association was treating us to a day of nature and typical food to welcome the new teachers to the school and Colombia. They couldn’t have picked a more welcoming place. We started the morning with some tinto (black Colombian coffee) and fried empanadillas out on the deck of the park’s restaurant. We picked out our lunch, so it would be ready for us when we returned from our
hike through the park. I chose the trout that is raised in the ponds of the park, served with rice and plantains. Our hike began through the atrium of toucans and parrots. The birds were rescued from the drug cartels, as it has been popular for the cartels to own exotic animals and birds. Unfortunately, the birds would no longer survive in nature, so they are cared for at Nirvana. The birds were so colorful, and I had never been that close to touching a live toucan. The closest I have seen a toucan is Toucan Sam on the Fruit Loop box. Then we continued our hike (escorted by military men, might I add) through the park and up the hills to a breathtaking view of the Cauca Valley, where Cali is located. Along the walk we were surrounded by hundreds of different kinds of trees, plants, and colorful flowers. At the top we rested in hammocks, and took in the view before ascending down the trail. The hike ended with a trip into the butterfly garden. The garden was enclosed with exotic flowers and plants, where the butterflies gracefully fly from flower to flower. The real end of the trip was the lunch: fresh fish, salad, plantains, and good company. What more could you ask for after beautiful afternoon hike in the Valle de Cauca, Colombia?
