Random Thoughts and Words from the Street: Colombia!

So in Colombia I shot mostly, GASP, film! I took my camera with me on the weekends to the pueblo and the jungle, but I feel in Medellín the chance of getting robbed is pretty good. Maybe it isn't, but all the people that I talked to when shooting with my film cameras told me to be very very careful, even when I was using my Holga! I tell everyone, of course I would be bummed if it got stolen, but much more bummed if it has film in it! The camera cost me $10! Now, i know people in Quito do the same, and I feel a lot of the time they are being overprotective, but i don't know that city as well as I know this one, so I took the advice! Here are some of the images I took with the digital including the jungle, the famous drug lord Pablo Esobar's hacienda, Santafé Antioquia, and a few around Medellín. I thank Yoho, Tom, and even though I didn't see him much, Paul for their excellent hospitality! Thanks guys, you rock.

View from Yoho's baller Holiday Inn esque apartment.

Welcome to the jungle, we got spiders in caves!!

Some cave action.

This guy/lady was HUGE! Mind you this is shot with a wide angle lens, the spider is probably 15 feet above me, with a few flashlights lighting it. I was wishing for a zoom lens for the first time in a LONG time!

Guy chilling on a leaf.

Can you spot this guy? Probably the most scary of the spider encounters! I was photographing it and it moved so fast I didn't even see where it went. I thought it jumped on me!!! When you zoom in, you can see his fangs..... eek!

The hippo herd at Pablo Escobar's famed hacienda.

Vince, Yoho, me, and Tom enjoying the hippo statue!

This is one of the only original things left at the hacienda. Pablo had a stone statue dinosaur park on the property. After his death, the government fought his family for the property and won. They let it deteriorate through the years, and since have reconstructed many of the things they let go to ruin. They hired the original artist who designed the first park to recreate a new one, keeping in in the same spirit. You can see some of the new statues behind the dilapidated one.

More new dinosaurs!

What dinosaur park would be complete without a brontosaurus!

This is a tapir.

I am a little obsessed.

When/if I ever have a big yard and enough money to afford one of these, I will for sure get one or two! They will be my equivalent to a jester. I love them and their ugly cute faces!

This guy wanted to kill me. You can see Pablo's bullfighting stadium in the back round! Little side not about Pablo's hacienda. They aren't glorifying him in the least. They turned his house into a memorial/museum for his victims, and have torn the property up looking for hidden money. They use the property for tourism in order to make money. A few people we talked to the week after said they went to the hacienda when Pablo was still alive, because it was somewhat of a zoo and the public was welcome to go check it out. Fascinating stuff.

The Salsa Club in Santafé Antioquia!

This guy and his lady had all the salsa instruments and we passed them around! We pretty much rocked out until closing time!

A friend I made with my refusal of dancing!

My room in the monastery turned hotel that we stayed at.

Outside of my room at the monastery! Beautiful, no?

They have masses every day. Or maybe just every day in the weekend, but there was a mass every day I was there.

The delightful pool! It was way hot there. I liked the pool. And my sunscreen.

Wonderful girl I met, Vanessa.

Cowboy in the town square in Santafé. Colombians are way cowboy. Well at least the Antioquians.

1/1000th of a second! Talk about timing!!!

I think this lady was modeling for me! She was cute.

Hey there cowboy!!!

Check out this guy's machete holder! Very popular accessory amongst the Antioquian cowboys.

This guy honked his horn and scared the shit out of me. He then proceeded to laugh, and I asked for this picture.

Some boys in the square in Santafé.

Fruit cart guy in Medellín!

I really like this old sign for this Saloon. Medellín.

View of Medellín from the (almost) top of the Metro Cable.

Cute kids who asked for a picture. I took one in film and they wanted to see it, so I busted out the digital. I had it with me a lot, but didn't take it out of my bag much.

I went to go to this new park at the top of the mountain on my last full day there which was a Monday. the Metro Cable is a cable car system connecting the neighborhoods high on the mountain with the regular metro. The one going to the park was closed on Mondays, grrr! So I made lemonade and photographed around the neighborhood and had a great old time! I can't wait to see the film!