Llegada

Somehow it didn't hit me until I was already on my way to the airport - the time had come.

I am now in Bogotá, resting at the apartment of the children of a woman that sometimes volunteers with the program I will be working for, after landing in Colombia at 4:30 this morning.

Bogotá so far seems.... latina. It almost has the same smell as Cusco did, a mixture of earth, clear air, pollution, high altitude, and wood burning fires. It is gorgeous. Heaven in my nostrils. Smell memories abound.

We drove through the city while it was still dark. Flying in, I could see nothing at all one minute, just the light from the wing behind my window, and suddenly in the distance a golden city appeared, visible only by the street lamps illuminating the night. I tried to take a picture, as it was such an interesting sight - no lights AT ALL coming from the rural areas around Bogotá, and then a shining oasis of life - but the camera kept capturing the reflection from the plane cabin rather than the rare view of the city.

Natasha brought me to the apartment building of her parents, where we sat in the lounge on the top floor, talking about the program, my role, opportunities for me to learn more about the organization and the program through travel, and more while we watched the Andes etch themselves out of the black with a thin lining of pink, and then gold, and then a rainbow of sunrise climbing their peaks.

My first impressions of Bogotá, once I could see it: NOT Lima. The mountains hug the city like in Cusco (though only on one side), and the buildings are distinctly Latin American. For some reason Lima felt like a city pretending to be located in Florida. Bogotá is very clearly Latina, and the buildings and other streetside attractions reflect that. Later today I am sure I will head out and explore the city. But for now, I plan to add a couple more hours to the 4 that I slept last night.

Adios, queridas.