Finca y Nos Familia de Colombia

October 3, 2009

Nos Familia de Colombia

We need to introduce our Colombian Family. They are our neighbors and the most delightful people. They have appeared in this blog before but have never been properly introduced. Of course Aaron met them with in days of moving in and since then our relations have really grown. There is Isa and Guerillamo, they are the parents and are probably in there late 60's early 70's. They have six children, many who are married and some with grandchildren. We were originally acquainted with Lorianna who was visiting from Miami, we were blessed with her on our first days in the neighborhood and she took it as her responsibility to introduce to everything and everyone. She was so sweet. She even offered to call my parents and tell them that we were safe and that her family would be looking after us. Even when I spoke with her the other day she asked if we had told our families about her family and I assured her we had...hence this descriptive essay in their honor. Next is Rafa, he is a 25 year old college student who visits us often, drinks with Aaron in the streets and loves to be in our company. And then there in Enrique, a 33 year old guy who works in a dentist making molds. I love Enrique he is kind, considerate and always up for hanging out with us. We (Enrique and I) go to dance classes on Tuesday and Thursdays. Enrique, Rafa are the only ones who speak a little English. Then there is Gueriilom, another brother who is always around all the family events. And then the goofy uncle Reynoldo, the first one with the joke, to offer a drink and to tease you. He is the one who hired the band for our party. He is an electrical engineer, he has a beautiful wife and son and is very generous. He loves to treat people to food and drink.Next is the lovely Beatrice. She is so funny and loves to tease, she is as her family refers to her the fat one (gorda) she is indeed quit fat, a rare thing here in Colombia. But her family introduces her as the fat sister, teases her constantly about being fat and from a North American perspective it is very awkward. There is only one sister we haven't met who lives in Belgium. I wish I had some photos of them to share but the camera is officially dead and we are on the search for a new one.



La Finca

Rio Cauca

In Colombia if you are going to your house in the countryside you say I am going to my finca (farm.) It doesn't matter if it is a mansion with a swimming pool or a adobe hut by a river, it doesn't matter if there are farm animals or if you are growing a garden or not, it is always called a finca. So this weekend as we visited our Colombian family for Sunday breakfast there was whispering in the corners in what appeared to be a discussion of a plan. A few minutes later it was discussed that we should go to the finca and that we the gringo neighbors were invited. There are only two people in the family with cars so we squished most of us in the two cars and the boys, including Aaron took the bus. We didn't ask too many questions we just went for the ride. It was a Sunday, we had to work the next day but we figured we were up for the adventure. After about two hours or so of driving we entered another department (state), our first time in another department in Colombia, we came to a galleria (an open air market) this galleria was very different from the ones we experience in Cali, there were many indigenous people who found their homes here in the close by mountains. There were crowds of country people making their way through the tight aisles of rare product, hanging animal parts and fresh coffee beans warming in the sun. Abuelita Isa (little grandmother) was in her glory, she grew up right outside of this pueblo and she enjoyed buying up all the good bargains. Guerillimo bought rounds and rounds of beer in the local Cantina where drunk guys sang along with the ranch music (music that you would hear in Mexico).

Indigenous People of Colombia, Mondomo GalleriaWe were there for what seemed like forever, I was beginning to wonder if this was the finca. But eventually we tore Isa away from the vendors and we drove into the mountains. We made a few random stops to drop supplies of corn and beans to great Aunts and Uncles and finally we made it to a river were the woman went right to work scrubbing vegetables and lighting a fire by the bank of the river and the men opened beers and swam in the river. It felt so nice to be with a family, it didn't matter much that our communication was limited; it is just nice to be around people who are comfortable with each other, who poke fun, have traditions, kiss babies, fight and roll their eyes at each other. Guillermo splashed and pushed us into the river and offered us shots of aquadiente (Colombian Booze similar to Zambuka). We hiked up the river into primitive rain forest, we jumped off trees into the river, we ate meat and potatoes cooked on the open fire. We fished, we played soccer and we swam. The sky started to turn to dusk and I thought we would be heading home but not before we drank coffee and ate bread. The boys stood out on the windy country road trying to flag down buses (with out much luck) and finally we all headed home. I slept almost the whole way home. There were no English speakers and my car and I was just too tired to speak Spanish. Overall a nice Sunday that was some what reminiscent to Sundays with my Nonna and family.