Colombia in Winnipeg

Colombia in Winnipeg, originally uploaded by fruedav.

I have an invitation to everyone who lives in Winnipeg, Canada or who wants to take a trip there in august. This is the official invitation:

"The Pavilion runs from August 2 to August 8.Show times: 6:45, 8:15 and 9:45 p.m. Parties on Sunday 2, Friday 7 and Saturday 8 until 2 a.m. There will be two dance groups performing the traditional folkloric dances (Huila Folkloric Ballet) and Salsa Cali style (Afrosees), who also will performe at the Folklorama Kickoff at The Forks. We will sell traditional food. We also will have a cultural display with lots of different Items imported from Colombia, games, videos, books, music, souvenirs, candies and many more."

And the main thing, my pretty cousin, Sonia Juliana is the direct of the Huila Folkloric Ballet. Sorry, but I had to say it.

Pay and Pay

Peaje, originally uploaded by fruedav.

Colombians have to pay a high price to use our roads, an expensive fuel and a lot of tolls. Anyway, it's a great pleasure go around Colombia and visit a lot of diferent places and people. This toll is placed in the Axle of Coffe and it's made of GUADUA, a kind of Bamboo. The Guadua is from our andeans forests and it's used to make hand made crafts, houses, bridges and a lot of things.

En Colombia tenemos que pagar un alto precio por viajar en carretera, un combustible costoso y un gran numero de peajes. Pero en fin, sigue siendo un gran placer viajar y conocer nuestro bello pais. Este peaje en el eje cafetero esta construido con Guadua que es un bambu originario de america usado en la construccion, artesanias y muchas cosas mas.

Getting the Mules Ready

Getting the Mules Ready, originally uploaded by fruedav.

This is my third picture about mules, but this one was taken in "La Linea" one of the highest peaks in the colombian Andes. The mule is an important animal here and it is used every day to help to move food and goods climbing or descending the steep mountains of our country always guided for their muleteers.

Este es mi tercer post de mulas, pero esta foto fue tomada en La Linea uno de los mas altos picos en los Andes colombianos. La mula es un importante animal aqui y es usado todos los dias para mover alimentos y toda clase de mercancia subiendo o bajando por las empinadas montañas de nuestro pais siempre guiadas por sus arrieros.

Trucker

Trucker, originally uploaded by fruedav.

Sorry but I am here again. This is one of our trucks and its driver Rodrigo, with whom I took my trip. He drives very well and I'm not nervous or anything else on the road. It is a new Freightliner Columbia CL120 and we were carrying palm oil from Bucaramanga to Palmira. Our client was FLEISHMAN (Calsa de Colombia).

Siento mucho alejarme de este blog pero bueno aqui estoy nuevamente. Este es uno de nuestros camiones y su conductor Rodrigo, con quien tome este viaje. Maneja muy bien y la verdad que no se esta nervioso ni nada por el estilo al viajar. Este tractocamion es un nuevo Freighliner Columbia CL120 y estabamos cargando Aceite de Palma de Bucaramanga a Palmira para FLEISHMAN (Calsa de Colombia)

Once upon a city

Hospital Armero, originally uploaded by fruedav.

In my trip to the Valle del Cauca department I had to pass by Armero, a little city that disappeared by an avalanche in 1985. 25,000 people lost their lives in the middle of the night, nearly 95% of the population. I do not like taking sad pictures, but this one is a reminder of how fragile life is and the force of nature.

En mi viaje al Valle del Cauca pase por lo que antes era la ciudad de Armero la cual desaparecio literalmente de la noche a la mañana por una avalancha originada en la erupcion del volcan Arenas. 25000 personas perdieron la vida en medio de la noche, casi un 95% de la poblacion. No me gusta tomar fotos tristes pero esta nos hace recordar lo fragil que es la vida y la fuerza de la naturaleza.

Qué tiene la noche

Qué tiene la noche, originally uploaded by fruedav.

This was the first night of my trip. I arrived very tired but slept well and the next day at dawn, go to work again. This hotel is near to the Magdalena river, where it's hot all year around, but that day the weather was cool.
As the song of Carlos Vives

Que tiene la noche
cosmica virtud
que envuelve mi cuerpo de una magica inquietud
que tiene la gente
que tiene este lugar

Esta fue la primera noche en mi viaje. Llegamos muy cansados pero dormi bien y el siguiente dia a la madrugada a trabajar nuevamente. El hotel esta cerca al Rio Magdalena, donde por lo general hace mucho calor, pero ese dia estaba muy rico el clima. Como dice la cancion de Carlos Vives:

Que tiene la noche
cosmica virtud
que envuelve mi cuerpo de una magica inquietud
que tiene la gente
que tiene este lugar

Mirror

Mirror, originally uploaded by fruedav.

This is my rear view as passanger in this travel. This time we were carrying 35 tons of Palm Oil from Bucaramanga to Palmira (Valle). We had to cross "La Linea", a high pick in the Colombian Andes. Do you know? in our country, weather can change within minutes, it's something called "thermal floors" and it's simple, if you climb a mountain, you can feel low temperatures (5 degrees or less) and if you down, you will feel heat, something like 20 or 35 degrees. No problem, you don´t have to wait months for cold or hot, just move around your city.

Esta es mi vista hacia tras como nuevo pasajero de la Columbia CL120. Esta vez llevabamos 35 toneladas de aceite de palma de Bucaramanga a Palmira. Teniamos que atravesar "La Linea", un alto pico en Los Andes Colombianos. Sabes? En nuestro pais el clima puede cambiar en pocos minutos, es algo llamado "Pisos Termicos". Es sencillo, si sube una montaña, puede tener bajas temperaturas (5 grados o menos) y si baja de altura, va a sentir calor (20 o hasta 35 grados). NO hay problema, no tiene que esperar meses por el frio o el calor, simplemente de una vuelta alrededor de su ciudad y listo.

The beggining

Vista Bucaramanga, originally uploaded by fruedav.

This was my first picture in my travel, a business travel indeed. I need to know everything about my new job (fleet management). I'd never traveled in a tractor truck, but you know, There's always a first time. I'll try to show you a bit of my 10 days travel around my country. This a view of my hometown, Bucaramanga. If you want to see more, click in it (to see notes).

Esta fue mi primera foto en el viaje, un viaje de negocios realmente. La verdad es que necesito empaparme de todo lo que tiene que ver con mi nuevo trabajo (Gerente de Flota) y nunca habia viajado en una tractomula, pero ya saben, siempre hay una primera vez. Tratare de mostrarles y contarles algo de mi viaje de 10 dias por una gran parte de Colombia. Esta es una vista de mi ciudad natal, Bucaramanga. Si quieren ver mas hagan click en la foto (para ver las notas).

Jeepaos

Zona Cafetera, originally uploaded by reilly436.

And now, what do you think about the old Jeeps. Watch their faces and just imagine how fun they are. Don't worry about the police, just enjoy the trip.

Y que piensan ahora de los viejos Jeep? Solo miren sus caras y piensen lo divertido que la estan pasando. Y por la policia no se preocupen, solo disfruten el viaje.

Jeep

Zona Cafetera, originally uploaded by reilly436.

I don`t know if there is another place in the world where old JEEPS are an important part in the life of many people, but here,in Colombia, it that happens. They even work very hard and have to carry people, coffe and everything that you can find in our farms.
I'm trying to choose my new camera and I`m looking for a "Like SRL". This photo was taken by "reilly436" with a Panasonic DMC-FZ28K with 10 mp and 18x. How do you like this camera?

No se si hay otro lugar en el mundo donde los antiguos JEEP sean parte importante de la vida de tanta gente, pero aqui en Colombia eso si pasa. Estos JEEP aun trabajan y muy fuerte, tienen que mover gente, cafe y cualquier cosa que se encuentre en una finca.
Esta foto fue tomada por "reilly436" con una Panasonic DMC-FZ28K con 10 mp y 18x de zoom. Como le parece esta opcion?