I must start by explaining why i named this blog hacia la colmena. In spanish colmena is a beehive but it is also the title of a novel by spanish nobel laureate Camilo Jose Cela. It refers to the place where everything is happening, where all the world is centred for a small group of people. And dont worry, im not saying that this is the centre of the world, it is only the centre of my world for the next 8 months. Which brings me to the word hacia which means toward in spanish. So this blog is essentially an effort to bring whoever wants to go, toward what is at the centre of my world.
There are strays everywhere here...dogs, cats, people. The dilapitated buildings and the slummy sections of town that I watched go by as I was shuttled to my hostel in a van, are like memories of a painful time, but they somehow dont seem so painful now. Everything is dwarfed by the towering andes which I wont say "loom large" because thats cheesy, but they are enormous and snowy, and form a bulwark that separates this city and this country from the rest of the continent. They rise up, hazy, from the riverbed that runs into Santiago. I just returned from a walk in which i ventured down to the artsy neighborouhood. I crossed the river and looked up (it is fastflowing and very low volume, as well as very murky, likely due to all the turbulence) Through the towering highrises and the river that splits them in two, the brown and white of the arid mountains reaches far above everything, making both people and circumstances feel very small indeed.
When the girl at customs asked me if I was a climber and couldnt wipe the smile off her face, wishing me happy travels, I didnt take it as a good omen, merely a little event that make my day.
I think the dogs will be perpetually lost among these buildings and mountains, but they seem to be faring ok, scrounging whatever they can from about the streets. One final thought: Santiago feels small, and that may, in retrospect be a product of its habitat, its place of birth.
Im soaking up everything i can - (even the tap water that im drinking!)
hasta la proxima
Liam
SO jealous right now Liam! It sounds like you'll be having some very interesting times over the next several months. But can I ask how you made this all come about? I mean, it's clear you plan on working there but how much money did you put aside beforehand? Did you do this through an agency or just buy a plane ticket and go? How many people have you met so far - have you made any new friends? I know it sounds like a cheesy question but I'd guess that's an important thing to do in a new place.
ReplyDeleteAhhh - I just want to know absolutely everything!! Hope to hear from you again soon!!
Un abrazo y un beso,
Pamela
liam! this is janis! i was off facebook for a few months, so i wasn't aware that you had a travel blog. i will now be reading attentively (and living vicariously as i slave away at the books). take care!
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