Arrival into Colombia

As soon as I landed in Bogotá, the reality of being in a country where less than 1% of people speak English quickly set in. The fact that just about everything was labeled in Spanish added to my initial nervousness, and the size of the El Dorado airport, one of the largest in South America, didn’t help either. However, this nervousness was quickly eased by the friendly driver who picked me up. This car ride was my first real experience speaking exclusively Spanish, and after we introduced ourselves for a bit, he asked if I had ever heard of Vallenato. Admitting that I hadn’t, he then introduced me to some of his favorite music, Vallenato being a traditional genre from northern Colombia where he was from.

The next morning before our meeting with the community partner, Meghan Paral (the other Loewenstern Fellow in Bogotá) and I decided to do some quick grocery shopping, where I was surprised to see that eggs and milk weren’t refrigerated. The first of many interesting differences between the US and Colombia. Later that day, at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, which was the community partner we’d be working with, our mentor Dr. Diego Patiño explained the tasks and goals for this summer placement. He also encouraged us to use long weekends and holidays to explore Colombia and gave us a lot of flexibility, allowing us to develop the project how we wanted as well as visit many parts of the country.

I did feel a little homesick in the beginning, especially knowing I would be in Colombia for the next several months. Luckily, these feelings disappeared pretty quickly by staying connected to my family through FaceTime calls and sending pictures to them just about every day. The busy schedule of working on the project, preparing and submitting my medical school applications, and exploring the country definitely helped a lot as well. A couple of days after landing, we decided to visit the Museo del Oro in Bogotá. There, we met a group of professors from a local university who kindly recommended places to visit and things to do in the city. Later that day at the museum, I saw an Indian family and decided to strike up a conversation about what brought them to Colombia. They said they loved traveling and had explored much of South America, and we had a great time talking about their past travels and future plans in Colombia. A couple of days later, they treated me and Meghan to dinner, which was really nice of them. This was just the beginning of many such great encounters throughout the trip.

 

 

Kuisa

In the small village of Kuisa, located in the La Guajira District of Colombia, lies a school that PUJ Bogotá is working with to introduce various technologies, such as solar panels and access to computers and tablets. Traveling there was an adventure in itself. The journey involved a plane ride from Bogotá to Riohacha, followed by a four-hour car ride to Uribia, the indigenous capital of Colombia, and another four-hour drive on dirt “roads” to Kuisa. During our first trip back, we experienced a flat tire, causing us to arrive at the airport just 20 minutes before our flight’s departure. On our second trip, there was a lack of space in the pickup truck since there were a lot of things stored in the truck bed, so some of us rode on the roof. The unexpectedness eventually became something to expect.

In Kuisa, our days started early with the sun rising around 5:30 am, and we had breakfast around 6:30 am before the school day, which usually ran from 7:00 am until 12:30 pm. After lunch, nearly everyone would take a nap, a practice I grew to enjoy. There also weren’t any beds, instead everyone used hammocks. Afternoons were spent either talking with the teachers to better understand the schooling system or exploring the area around Kuisa with the kids, which included a nice trip to the nearby lagoon. We’d have dinner after sundown, and due to the scarcity of clean water, we often drank chicha (a fermented corn drink) or bottled soda. I probably drank more Coca-Cola in those weeks than I had in my entire life.

At the school in Kuisa, we conducted various workshops and activities. Our first visit was fortunate to have internet connectivity, but by our second visit, the internet tower had broken, and they weren’t sure when it would be repaired. Thankfully, the previous Loewenstern Fellow, Caleb Huang, had downloaded several interactive science and math tools that didn’t require internet access. These tools were a hit with the students, many of whom had never used computers before. Watching their faces light up as they explored these new tools was incredibly rewarding, and some students enjoyed them so much that they even asked to use the computers during their free periods. We also hosted workshops about teamwork for the younger students, one of which was a competition to see which team could build the tallest tower using straws. They seemed to enjoy this a lot, and the candy we brought as prizes added to their enjoyment.

Learning about the indigenous Wayuu culture was another highlight for me. During our second visit, Señor Adelco, who is the leader of the community, taught me about the traditional Wayuu religion. He shared that the lagoon and mountains around Kuisa were believed to contain spirits, and it was common practice to make offerings to promote prosperity. Although he mentioned that everyone in Kuisa is Catholic, these were some of the ancient beliefs of his culture. As a religion major, this conversation was particularly meaningful to me. Drawing parallels between this form of spirit veneration with Shinto in Japan and various tribal faiths in India deepened my appreciation for indigenous religions.

Exploring Colombia

Exploring Colombia outside Bogotá and Kuisa was just as enriching as my experiences in those places. I had the opportunity to visit several major cities, each with its own unique charm, including Medellín, the coastal cities of Cartagena, Barranquilla, and Santa Marta, as well as Riohacha.

In Medellín, I had the chance to spend several days with the Quillacinga and Los Pastos indigenous groups, and learning about their traditional medicine was fascinating. The tribe’s deep understanding of nature was evident as each tree and plant had a particular use, and they’d just pick fruits off the trees to share them with me. Their extensive knowledge of natural remedies and their connection to the environment was truly inspiring, giving me an insight into the way humans have lived for thousands of years. Traveling to Cartagena and the nearby cities, Meghan and I met with Melissa and Alec, the other Loewenstern fellows who flew in from Medellín. In these coastal cities, the vibe was completely different, and we spent a lot of time visiting the beach and late-night bar hopping.

One of my favorite activities during our travels was climbing mountains. I climbed Monserrate in Bogotá several times, Cerro de las Tres Cruces in Medellín, and a random mountain near Kuisa, guided by the local kids. This mountain in Kuisa, referred to as Uchi, was particularly challenging to climb since there was no path like the other mountains, just clearings between the thorny bushes and cacti. The views from the tops of all of them were breathtaking, and I would spend upwards of an hour or two just listening to music and enjoying the natural beauty from there.

Everywhere we went, I noticed that people were pretty curious about my background. When I mentioned I lived in the United States, the follow-up question was almost always, “But where are you really from?” I actually liked it a lot because it was a way to share my Indian culture. Many people were fascinated by the food that Indians ate, and when I told them that 30% of the country is vegetarian, they were pretty surprised. Sharing Indian music with the locals was also a joy, and I was surprised to see just how pervasive Indian culture was. In the big cities, there were always Indian restaurants, but even in the village of Kuisa, one of the school teachers liked watching Indian TV shows dubbed in Spanish, and Señor Adelco was looking at Facebook on his phone when I was pleasantly surprised to hear a song from the famous Bollywood movie “3 Idiots.”

I liked exploring Colombian cuisine, from meals like Ajiaco, Sancocho, and Mojarra to street food like Patacones con Queso, Arepas, Obleas, Limonada de Coco, and mangos with lemon and salt. I did cook a decent amount too, and the affordability of produce encouraged me to cook even more. I often cooked salmon since it was easy to make, and when I craved Indian food, I’d make egg curry using fresh coconuts. Cracking open the coconut and using the stove to separate the inside from the shell was always fun. Near where we were staying in Bogotá’s Zona G, there was also a lot of international cuisine, so we often went out for sushi, Indian food, burgers and pizza, Greek food, and so, so many desserts.

Conclusion

Reflecting on my time in Colombia, I understand how profoundly this experience has impacted me. From the busy cities of Colombia to the serene village of Kuisa, every encounter deepened my appreciation for different peoples’ ways of life. The challenges faced throughout my time here, such as missing flights, dealing with dietary restrictions, the scarcity of water in Kuisa and the water being shut off weekly in our apartment, and the intermittent internet access, were all surpassed by innumerable positives. Babysitting and playing with Kashi, Señor Adelco’s granddaughter, teaching bird calls to the kids in La Guajira, stargazing in Kuisa, seeing the football games being streamed on every TV in the apartment building across the street in Bogotá, enjoying the amazing fruits and food, and most importantly meeting all the wonderful people here made this journey truly unforgettable. The level of independence I gained and learning to embrace the situation when things didn’t go my way were just some of the many takeaways for me as I spent my summer in this beautiful country. As I move forward, I carry these lessons I’ve learned and the memories I’ve made, grateful for the chance to immerse myself in Colombia’s vibrant and diverse culture.

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