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Cartagena slum

Originally uploaded by Anders L. Hansson.

Cartagena, or Cartagena de Indias as the city’s full name goes, does not leave anyone without impressions.

After a flight from Bogota, lasting a little over an hour, offering some magnificent views of immense jungle, numerous lakes and the Magdalena River, the Avianca MD83 was approaching Cartagena.

Cartagena accomodates Colombia’s second largest seaport, important for oil exports and trade. Descending toward the airport, it was therefore no surprise to see ships and containers.

But the view of extensive slum areas is breathtaking. The attached photo gives you an idea of how a lot of people in Cartagena - and other cities - have to live their lives. Apart from that, the photo also gives a hint of the local economy: cheap labor and a rough struggle for survival.

At the same time Cartagena represents a hispanic history dating back to 1533. And this history, expressed in the the well-preserved old town and the famous, surrounding walls, represents an enormous potential for the tourism industry. I bet that Cartagena soon will be a common place to visit for many more travelers than today.

Anders

Yesterday I went by air from Bogota to the Caribbean city of Cartagena. Even though the government has put a lot of money into the army, it still feels safer flying, rather than going by bus.

The climate, the culture, the people, the food - a lot of things are quite a bite different here. Cartagena is listed by UNESCO as world heritage, and for sure this city is a beautiful place. I’m staying here a few more days, before continuing the trip. I hope to be back with pictures soon. Apart from that I also have some stories that I’d like to share.

So do stay tuned!

Anders

At the village square

Originally uploaded by Anders L. Hansson.

This past weekend I left Bogota for a couple of days. With some friends I went to a village about one hour away.

A picturesque place indeed - on this photo one of the streets at the village square. The location in a valley makes the climate rather different from Bogota - maybe you could call it subtropical.

For the first time I got a sense of what the internal security problems in Colombia mean in reality. People are very friendly and helpful - but cameras may rise suspicion, and sometimes there are topics that you cannot discuss.

Anders

The Gold Museum

Originally uploaded by Anders L. Hansson.

Colombian indigenous peoples became well-known for their skills in producing marvellous artefacts of gold.

Spain became well-known for stealing the gold away.

Now you can admire parts of the old treasures in the Gold Museum (Museo del Oro), located in central Bogota.

According to the museum guide, you will find a considerable amount of Colombian gold items in the museums of Madrid. In spite of Colombia asking for the gold to be sent back over the Atlantic, Spain refuses. Wouldn’t this be a political issue for politicians of Catalunya?

Moreover, the situation reminds me of Scania’s treasures - stolen by Stockholm and put in museums 600 kilometers north of my home region.

Anders

Bogota and the mountains

Originally uploaded by Anders L. Hansson.

The Colombian capital is situated on 2.600 meters. But just a short trip - and you can find yourself on a mountain summit even higher, or in the tropical low land.

This picture gives a good idea of the typical panorama when you’re in Bogota down-town.

Anders

PA010045

Originally uploaded by Anders L. Hansson.

The trip to Melgar last weekend was quite an experience.

As the bus was going thru the poorer southern parts of Bogota, we were offered all kinds of food. On this photo a lady is selling shortcake.

Apart from food, we could listen to latin music, streaming out from the tv monitor in the front at a sometimes dangerously high sound level.

Anders

Bogotá: Coconut street vendor

Originally uploaded by Anders L. Hansson.

The amount of street vendors is impressive here in Bogota.

On this photo you find a coconut street vendor. When you’re out walking you pass stands with all kinds of tropical fruits, oftentimes in the shape of fruit salad.

A Colombian fruit salad is a number of fruits cut in pieces, topped with cream mixed with some sugar and a thick layer of Mozzarella “pizza version” cheese. Nothing less than delicious! However, for the cause of my sensitive European stomach, I prefer to eat the fruit salad in a decent restaurant or at a private home.

Anders

Bogotá: slum area in the north

Originally uploaded by Anders L. Hansson.

It is quite easy to get used to life in the northern part of Bogotá.

Life here isn’t that different from Europe, really. A couple of days ago we went food shopping at an Exito hypermarket. The place has a little over 50 cash registers, and is for sure not the only or even the biggest one in the metropolis of Bogotá.

Lately, French Carrefour has taken up the competition, but Colombian Exito has a reputation of being somewhat cheaper. Exito’s selection of food and other merchandise is comparable to what you find in Europe or the U.S. Actually, I think it beats most or all super and hypermarkets you find in Sweden.

Interestingly, one of few slum areas in the northern part of Bogotá happens to be located just outside the Exito hypermarket. It’s just a few buildings, and it’s likely to be gone within short. A number of apartment buildings are under construction, and the character of the area is rapidly changing.

Anders

Bogotá: northern part

Originally uploaded by Anders L. Hansson.

Most time here in Bogotá I’ve spent in the northern, more wealthy part of the city.

It is a bit more chaotic or disorganized than many parts of Europe - the street lanes oftentimes haven’t been marked with paint, the buses are old and run on dirty diesel and street vendors walk between the cars as they stop at the street lights.

But the northern part of Bogotá is home to most of the people with money as well as the middle class. Middle class doesn’t necessarily mean anything spectacular, but it does mean that you can live what I would consider a “decent life”.

On the photo here you find a typical apartment building a few blocks away from where I’m staying.

Anders

Bogota, Calle 85: Private medical clinic

Originally uploaded by Anders L. Hansson.

Monday and Tuesday were busy days. When traveling, a common question is what one could be favorably shopping at the destination. In Colombia, the health sector seems to offer good value for money.

Colombia is, for good and bad, well-connected with the United States. One effect of this is that Bogotá holds a number of excellent medical doctors and dentists. Having scheduled my exams only a couple of days ago, the time for judgment had come.

Let me remark that the professionals I chose to consult were not picked out out of the phone book, but warmly recommended by friends of mine.

Monday, the medical doctor for allergy was first thing in the morning. I was charged 70.000 Colombian pesos, some 26 euros for an examination without any special tests, i.e. about the same I would have paid in Sweden, oftentimes after several months of waiting. Of course - what I pay for a specialist physician in Sweden is only a minor part of the real price - the remainder is paid for thru tax subsidies.

A few hours later I went to the dentist. The price was 60.000 pesos, some 22 euros, and included a thorough exam, cleaning and profylactic treatment. A difference compared to Sweden was that the dentist did not have an X-ray machine of his own, and that the standard four X-rays they do in Sweden isn’t considered necessary here. But in my case there was a suspicious spot on a tooth. So I had to visit a special clinic to get one X-ray picture. Having paid 5.000 pesos, some 2 euros, for that, I went back to the dentist. He checked the pic, and concluded it’s all ok.

Tuesday afternoon I had scheduled an appointment with another doctor - specialty in eye problems. For many years I have had some dust-like feeling in my eyes. An exam with all kinds of advanced instruments was charged with 50.000 pesos, some 19 euros. The result was a prescription for glasses, to wear occasionally when working long hours in front of the computer. In the same building I went shopping for glasses with anti-reflective poly-carbonate lenses and filter. That cost me 380.000 pesos, 141 euros. Compared to Spain that is said to be a bargain - I saved around 100 euros in Colombia.

Another interesting example from the health industry is the laser correction surgery of miopia, that my friend went thru Monday afternoon. She can now throw her lenses and glasses away. 1.900.000 pesos, some 704 euros was the price. Initial check, special exams and three after-controls included. In Spain this same surgery would have been charged with 4.000 euros! What is wrong in Europe, I wonder?

Now, it has to be said that the ordinary Colombian citizen usually can’t afford going to the doctor outside the social insurance system. Long waiting times and problems similar to those in Europe are well-known also here. But I cannot see anything wrong in using comparative cost advantages when I actually bring money into an economy that needs it. Medical tourism is growing: People from Sweden go to the dentist in Poland and get surgery in Thailand. U.S.-citizens travel to Colombia for advanced medical treatment.

So what’s my conclusion? I saved European tax money and got better doctors than I would have been able to get in Europe. And I had the exams now, and not maybe in three months. Finally, European doctors and dentists could learn something from Colombians on how to treat patients with respect. Did I ever see a doc in Sweden wear a tie? And wouldn’t it be time for European doctors to start smiling at work? Let me underline that this is a question of attitude - Colombian doctors smile even when they treat patients that are paid for by the government.

Anders