Colombia

I celebrated New Years with old and new Norwegian friends in Colombia. We had an outstanding trip in Peru´s neighbouring country, experiencing both the big city, some of the mountains, the countryside and the jungle. I just get more and more in love with the South American continent, both its marvelous nature, fascinating culture and lovely people. I never stop being amazed by the hospitality and warmth I meet here. We met a lot of new people and got to know many families, thanks to the acquiantances of Inghild Skeiseid. She has studied in Bogotá for the last six months, and has been living with a spirited Anglican priest called Alfredo Torres. He helped us a lot on our way around the country, and took us on a tour in Bogotá and the areas around.














Alfredo had been involved in the building of a whole new borough which now has 2 millions inhabitants. 25 years ago it was all desert. He told a interesting story of how the illegal construction began, and how the state gave in and legalized the borough when they saw how successful it was. Now he is the president of a peace organization cooperating with the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia). He has been arrested 5 times because of his work. According to Inghild, who has been with him on some of his travels, their cooperation with FARC is peaceful and problemfree. And we did not notice any disturbance in any parts of the country. We only saw a lot of young policeofficers in the city and in the mountains.


On New Years Eve, we went with Alfredo´s big family and friends to a village in the mountains outside of Bogotá called Melgar. We were told the journey would only take 1 1/2 hours, but we ended up spending 6 hours on the road. It was a nice trip, and we picked up more and more people on our way. We were not quite sure of where we were going, and became a bit worried when the woman who knew the place we were going to suddenly said that there was no more road. By this time, we had passed all the signs of civilization and were practically on a field in the middle of nowhere. It was hot and sunny, and we were tired and thirsty. We started walking and became more and more critical to this whole arrangement. But when the trail stopped and we saw the place we were staying, we very positively surprised. It was a huge house with a large open space in the middle, surrounded by many hotel-alike bedrooms, three pools, hammocks, pooltable and maloca (a round indigenous house without walls and a special roof of leaves). It was perfect. Just outside of the house were cows, mangotrees, orangetrees and even some parrots. We didn´t do much besides hanging out in the pool playing volleyball all day, but that was pleasant enough. In between our baths, we did some capoeira, danced, conversated, picked oranges from the trees and of course, ate and drank lot, some more than others. Alfredo gave a speech when we entered the new year, saying that it was time to forget about all the things that happened in the old year and focus on the present and the future. He gave many wishes for new loves, friendships and exchanges between Norway and Colombia in the year to come. Then he moderated his speech into saying that we should not worry too much about the future either, because it is the present, this moment that matters. An important part of the latinamerican mentality, I have gathered. Why worry about the future when you have all you need right here?





















After New Years, the boys went home to Norway and we girls went to Leticia. We lived with the priest Julio and his family, and slept on the floor and in hammocks in their Presbyterian church. Leticia is all the way south in Colombia, close to the border to Brazil and Peru. Actually it is only 360 km away from Iquitos, and I could have gotten there by boat. But it would have taken two days up the river.It is a cosy town with 30 000 inhabitants and about the size I imagined Iquitos would have. From there, you can walk across the border to Tabatinga, and you are in Brazil. You can also go by boat to Peruvian islands. We did both, bought breakfast at a Brazilian market and visited indigenous families living on Peruvian islands. One of the other islands in the Amazone river close to Leticia, is an island of little monkeys. We went there to feed them. They were a bit shy in the beginning, but when we sang our junglesong and waved with giant bananas, they slowly showed up, one by one. They were very cute and tiny, but also hungry and strong. They grabbed large pieces of the banana and climbed up the tree to eat.














We travelled around the whole day in a boat called "Mi linda Betty" which means "Min sóte Bente" in Norwegian, for those of you who didn´t know.


















The day after, we went to the jungle and visited an indigenous family that belonged to the Bora-community. They were friends of the family we were living with. "Bora" means fighting woman or fighting man. They were the second Bora community I have visited, so they must be a large group. Boras have their own language and live in reserves owned by the state. Those we visited got free education from the state and made their living by selling fruits the harvested from their "garden", that is, the rainforest. They had both pineapples, mangos, yuccas (the sweetpotatoe) and many other plants I don´t know the name of, growing nearby their maloca. And we got to taste what they made on their farm, for instance some flour and bread they had made out of yucca. It was awful..



We went swimming in a little river next to their house. The water was surprisingly clean and cold, almost like in Norway. It was a very refreshing experience after having walked several kilometres in the hot and humid forest with jeans and long sleeved sweater on. We had to dress out the mosquitoes.















The family seemed very peaceful and content with their life. I can only try to imagine how it must be like to live like they do. What a quiet life. You have only the family and the forest to accompany you every day. They were Christians. And wore clothes. Julio said that was not very commong among the indigenous. We prayed and sang some worshipssongs together. Apparently "O Store Gud" is a international song. Julio said some words of God and gave thanks to our Bora friends before we went back home.

Jula i bilder

Her er ungane i full aksjon pá julekvelden. Dei viser stolt fram snómennene og nissane dei har laga og syng sá hógt dei kan i kor. Sóte Sarai har tatt pá seg nisselua og vesle Mako og Freddy er like kosete som alltid. Stemninga pá vaskeriet er ogsá med.

Y Feliz Año Nuevo!

Vi skriv 2006 og jula er over for denne gang. Juletreet pá torget vart tatt ned i gár og det samme vart krybba med Jesusbarnet og alle indianarforeldra hans. Julefeiringa her i Iquitos likna ikkje mykje pá den heime i Norge. Skulle ikkje tru at snó, kulde og mórke var sá viktig for á fá den rette julestemninga. Det einaste som minna om norsk jul var den snarkokte risengrynsgrauten vi át pá julaften som mamma hadde vore sá snill á sende meg. Vi hadde til og med mandel i grauten og marsipangris til premie. Eg laga grauten og delte opp mandelen i to, i háp om at dei to Skogsrud-sóstrene skulle fá ein bit kvar. Skjónner fortsatt ikkje kvifor begge bitane havna i min tallerken...
Pá La Restinga feira vi jul med alle ungane og tenáringane som har vore tilknytta prosjektet i áret som har gátt. Pá lillejulaften diska julenisse Putchín opp med svinesteik, ris, saus og salat (som er sjelden vare) til middag og etterpá delte han ut gáver til alle tenáringane som var inviterte til middagen. Gaven var T-skjorter med namnet og logoen til La Restinga pá. Logoen bestár av eit blódande hjerte med kors pá toppen . Inni er eit sár som er sydd med fire sting og har teksta "Creo en ti" (trur pá deg). Det symboliserer arbeidet organisasjonen gjer med á hjelpe risikoutsatte barn til á utnytte fritida si pá ein god máte. Dei laerer alt fra á gá pá stylter til á bruke dataprogram, male, lage mat og spele teater. Logoen er (fritt oversatt fra La Restinga si heimeside) "ei synkronisering av offisiell religion og folkelig religiósitet, marginalsering og frelse, folkelig estetikk og religiós ikonografi. Det er symbolet pá livet til alle ting, pá trua som inspirerer til arbeid, motiverer draumane og fórer til realitetar."

Julaften var via til ungane. Alle guttane og jentene som bruker á komme pá leksehjelpa om dagane kom til middag pá kvelden. Guttane var nydusja og hadde finkjemma hár med gelé og reine, fine klede. Jentene hadde oppsatt hár i fletter og enda sótare skjórt og kjoler enn til vanlig. Pá borda pynta vi med englane som vi hadde laga og pá veggane rundt om hang flettekorgene til ungane med karamellar oppi. Etter middagen framfórte vi dei to julesangane vi hadde óvd pá, akkompagnert av Marte pá gitar og Maria, ei av ungane, bidrog med fengande dansing. Herlig usjenert :)

Seinare pá kvelden gjekk vi forbi vaskeriet várt pá veg heim, og vi blei invitert inn. Der var eigaren av vaskeriet og familien til dei som arbeidde der. Marte hadde med gitaren, og vi tok ein reprise pá dei to spanske julesangane vi kunne. Dei lot oss ikkje sleppe unna med det, sá vi mátte ta glansnummera váre "Torn" og "Vem vet". Det vart godt likt, og vi vart spandert pá ein eller anna sterk, tradisjonell peruansk drikk av eigaren og resten av familien delte julemiddagen sin med oss. Vi ság pá bildene deira og viste pá kartet i eit gamalt atlas kvar Norge var. Det var eit ekstremt detaljert kart og viste Thamshavn, av alle smá stader i verda.

Sóstra til ho som pleier á vaske kleda váre sa fleire gonger at ho var sá glad og takknemlig for at vi kom pá besók denne kvelden. Vi var jo berre heldige som blei invitert inn og gjorde ingenting spesielt. Det var ein hyggelig julekveld pá vaskeriet.