Day 1: Arrival & First Class

"I arrived yesterday evening in Bogotá. After an 18-hour trip, emerging into Bogotá’s night air and a huge expectant crowd of Colombians was somewhat disorientating. I woke up the following day to jetlag compounded by the effects of the altitude, which can cause headaches, dizziness and sickness.

It’s worth it though, as the Andes make a great backdrop to the city. My first class that afternoon was on the other side of the city. Bogotá has no subway so without a car you are at the mercy of buses and taxis. The roads are very congested, and the standard of driving uniquely hair-raising. Colombians say that if you can drive here, you can drive anywhere in the world. Journeying across the city above ground gives a feel for Bogotá’s vastness: mile upon mile of 3-lane avenues and pedestrian bridges laid out in an extremely logical but utterly confusing grid system.

Arriving at Astrid’s house I encountered another side of Bogotá – a neighbourhood serenely nestled in the mountainside. The tranquillity was disturbed only by the sound of gunshots. I feared the worst, but it turned out to be exercises at a nearby army base. Astrid was younger than I’d expected, but any doubts I had about her experience were dispelled by her confident and professional manner. Our first class focused on introductions – ourselves, the course content and Colombian socio-economics!"

Day 3: Colombian Etiquette

"Today we arranged for Astrid to come and give the class at my accommodation, which made things a lot easier for me. Her flexibility in this matter was extremely helpful. Today we read ‘El Tiempo’ from cover to cover as a crash course in Colombian current affairs. By the end of the morning, I was appreciating the intense nature of the course. A half-day class with just two people means a lot of talking. However, Astrid’s enthusiasm made it less tiring.

Colombians are as a rule very friendly and hospitable to visiting foreigners, especially as there’s not a huge tourist trade. If you are lucky enough to be invited out somewhere, you can expect to be treated like royalty by your hosts. Of course, in terms of safety, it’s as important to know where not to go as where to go. As any Colombian will tell you, there’s no need to ‘give papaya’ (‘dar papaya’). To give papaya is to allow someone to take advantage of you. The concept’s two guiding principles are as follows:

1. You should never give papaya
2. If someone is giving papaya, you must take it!

How true this holds remains to be seen..."

Day 7: Spectacular Views & Firewater

"Today’s class was a bit of a struggle, after a long weekend due to a national bank holiday. Astrid arrived late due to bad traffic. The class was mainly focused on grammar difficulties I had identified myself, and those arising from my preliminary Language Level test. Among other things, we looked at the difference between ‘ser’ and ‘estar’, and reflexive verbs. I certainly got my money’s worth today!

On Sunday, I visited Monserrate, a cathedral in the mountains above the city. Even at 9am the crowds were impressive. You have the choice of ascending by cable car, funicular railway, or on foot (strictly for fitness fanatics – the Colombian football selection use it for training!). The views from the top are amazing. In front of you the city sprawls into the distance, as far as the outlying shanty towns, and behind are the Andes. Right at the top next to the cathedral is a market where Sunday morning church-goers stop for lunch. There are lots of local delicacies such as guava paste and cheese, tripe and aguardiente – the local strong liquor, translated as ‘burning water’."

Day 8: Avocados As Big As Coconuts!

"The best thing about Colombian food is the amazing variety of fresh produce. In the fruit and veg section of any local supermarket you find avocados as big as coconuts and an array of exotic fruits like feijoa, granadilla and maracuya. All are as delicious as they sound and available in every imaginable form: juice, smoothies, ice-cream and even fruit paste. Dairy products are also prevalent, especially cheese - eaten with everything, including hot chocolate! Arepa - a thick maize pancake – with cheese is another favourite. Plantain is also very popular, eaten as fritters, crisps, soup and so on. As a vegetarian, I occasionally have to ask for an alternative, but most places are very accommodating.

One of the things I’m finding most helpful about the course is the amount of incidental conversation it involves. This is partly due to having the teacher’s undivided attention. Astrid and I are the same age so finding things in common is easy, and she’s a good conversationalist! Out and about in Bogotá, I get the chance to practice my Spanish on taxi drivers and waiters. Bogotanos speak clearly and quite slowly which has helped. Most of the time we seem to understand each other, although I did buy what I thought was coconut tea, to discover it was actually made from cocaine leaf! (It’s otherwise known as maté, from Argentina.)"

Day 9: Slap-up Lunch For Just A Few Pesos

"Today we had an excursion. Astrid picked me up early in the morning and we drove into town. Our first visit was to the National Museum. The collection starts with pre-Hispanic archaeology and collates more than a thousand years of Colombian history, up to the present day. What fascinated me most was the building: it’s an old prison, constructed in the nineteenth century, with very thick stone walls and the outlines of cells still visible, down to the bars on the windows!

Next stop was La Candelaria, Bogotá’s oldest neighbourhood, right in the centre of the city. We took in the Botero Museum (dedicated to Colombia’s favourite living artist) and had a full three-course lunch with coffee and wine for around £3 each. The sector is full of little interesting-looking cafes tucked away in shady courtyards. A substantial amount of colonial architecture remains, with long, low houses, white-washed churches and winding, narrow streets only wide enough for pedestrians. It’s a striking contrast with the neighbouring Plaza Simon Boliver, Bogotá’s centre of power. This majestic square is flanked by buildings housing the Colombian executive, judiciary and legislature. The Palace of Justice was the scene of a devastating terrorist attack and hostage-taking in 1985. The square still has a heavy police presence, and the atmosphere is strangely sedate."

Day 10: Last Class & First Purchases

"The weather in Bogotá is even less predictable than in England. It can change from downpour to sunny and back again within an hour, and at times gets quite chilly. I used this as an excuse to buy a woollen 'ruana' (short poncho) at a handcraft market. There are some really beautiful handmade items to be had, such as traditional machilas (shoulder bags), musical instruments and pottery. Usaquen, a colonial area in the north of the city is particularly good, full of street traders by day. By night, the area is more tranquil but still worth visiting for its small cosy cafes. It’s slightly less frenetic than the popular Zona T, which is packed full of bars with terraces for those who wish to see and be seen.

Today’s class was the last of my 25-hour course. We fitted this into just 6 days so there was no time to relax, even on the last day! To wrap up we did a short role-play in preparation for my research work. This really helped me to put into practice some of the things we’d studied together. Astrid and I have agreed to stay in touch after a really successful course. For me, the best aspects were its flexibility, and the quality of teaching. Astrid’s expert knowledge, sense of fun and enthusiasm really made the course."

Day 15: Feeling The Heat In Cali

"I arrived in Cali today and what a contrast to Bogotá – it’s like a different country. The plane journey was very short but extremely picturesque, as most of it was over the Andes. The first thing you notice about Cali is the heat. It also seems a lot greener than Bogotá, with exotic looking-foliage all over the city. The people are famously more open and sensual and wear fewer clothes than in other parts of the country! Cali is also the salsa capital of Colombia and people certainly like to ‘rumbear’ (party). The city is still in the mountains, although they are not so immediate as in Bogotá. In fact, Cali seems to be encroaching rapidly on the surrounding countryside. The nearest hills are covered in telephone masts, religious figures and shanty settlements.

Arriving in Cali fresh from my language course has really put my Spanish to the test. Here, I suddenly have to cope with operating in a Spanish-speaking working environment. On top of this, there are some distinctive linguistic quirks such as a different form of second person singular (‘voz’) and a distinctive accent to contend with. But the main benefit of the course has been in building my confidence in writing and speaking. It helped to fill some basic gaps in my knowledge and clarify some areas of doubt. It was a very useful, enjoyable introduction to Colombian culture and Colombian Spanish."