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Letters Home: Week 219
A month after the WWI armistice was signed, the NSW State Library advertised their desire to purchase the diaries of returning officers from Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. The price was...
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Goodbye Sydney: Week 220
I knew it was the end when my foot dropped out from in front of me and I tumbled into the intersection. Not the end of my life, but the end of an era. I have this strange tendency to hurt my feet...
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An Engagement in Hawaii: Week 221
Lahaina is lush but also arid- red dirt and hibiscus. Front Street, the epicenter of the town, runs parallel to the coast. It is filled with tourists, restaurants, and shops. From Front Street the...
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Hoover Dam & Laughlin: Week 222
When the Hoover Dam was completed in 1936, it was the world’s largest dam. It was due to the scale of this project that Barret’s hometown of Boulder City was born. At the peak of construction, Boulder...
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Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá: Week 223
I spent my first two weeks in Colombia at a teacher’s orientation in Bogotá. Monday to Friday was filled with activities- from teaching methods to applying for national ID cards. Most of it went...
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Mi Tierra & The Botero Museum: Week 224
Mi Tierra is reached via a long hall lined with vintage posters and punctuated with a neon sign. Unlike the bars on the other side of the church square, there was no one waiting outside to hustle you...
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Apartment Hunting in Colombia: Week 225
After six weeks of living out of my backpack, I wanted to find an apartment in Manizales as soon as possible. Initially I began the search online, however I quickly realized that what worked in Sydney...
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First Week at SENA: Week 226
Now that I have been at teaching at my center for a few weeks, I can look back on the first week with wisdom. A few observations on teaching at SENA, a technical college in Colombia: The cafeteria is...
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Salento & Valle de Cocora: Week 227
Colombia has a lot of three-day weekends. They are called puentes, which means bridges, and when my first one came up I leapt at the opportunity to get out of town. So early Saturday morning Barret...
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Gallinazo: Week 228
Gallinazo is a vereda, a very small rural town, on the outskirts of Manizales. If it weren’t for the nearby hot springs, it probably wouldn’t be on anyone’s map. However, given its fortuitous...
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Ecoparque Los Yarumos: Week 229
We didn’t quite know where we were going when we set out Sunday morning; we were just heading in the direction of a giant yellow statue. It is quite visible, especially from our apartment in Cable. It...
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El Peñol de Guatapé: Week 230
The route between Manizales and Medellín winds heavily along rivers and mountain ridges. Despite the narrow shoulder, houses, restaurants, and truck stops cling to the entire route. It is a beautiful...
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Colombian Fruit Review: Week 231
Colombia’s overwhelming preference for meat is the reason I was surprised to discover vegetarian and even vegan restaurants in Manizales. Barret and I tried two different places over the same weekend-...
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Bolero Multibolo: Week 232
On a Saturday night, the basement of Multicentro Estrella is filled with cosmic bowlers. Bolero Multibolo only has six lanes, but each one holds a large group of people. The lights are low and a small...
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Tejo & Alcohol & Gunpowder: Week 233
Tejo is underappreciated by the youth of Colombia. This great national sport combines throwing heavy objects with explosions and alcohol. That description alone should be persuasive enough. However,...
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A Weekend at a Finca: Week 234
In Colombia it is very popular to rent a finca for the weekend, especially around the warm coffee-growing regions of Caldas. Fincas are country houses, often with pools, that are rented out to large...
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Manizales Book Festival: Week 235
It was that time of year when ambitious students print up their zines, tastefully display their most shocking art, and try to earn a bit of beer money. It was time for the Feria del Libro de...
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El Día de Amor y Amistad: Week 236
For the last few weeks I’d been noticing an accumulation of heart-shaped chocolate boxes in the supermarket. I hadn’t known the reason until Barret and I were invited to a special dinner for el Día de...
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Catedral Basílica de Manizales: Week 237
Overlooking the massive Plaza Bolivar, in the heart of downtown Manizales, is the Catedral Basílica de Manizales. It is a massive concrete structure that is both raw and refined at the same time. In...
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Salamina: Week 238
Salamina is a beautiful little colonial town in the coffee-growing region of Colombia. Unlike other colonial towns, such as Salento, Salamina hasn’t quite been discovered. This was apparent to my...
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