Spanish lessons - seem to be getting better. I can now have conversations with the teachers, but trying to get understood in a shop or anywhere is still impossible. They just look at you blankly and then eventually when they understand they just repeat exactly what you said to them to start with!! Very frustrating.
On Wednesday Chris and Alice decided they wanted to buy a laptop at lunch so we went to this mall which only sold computer equipment. Its crazy how many shops can sell the same thing. And nowhere advertises their prices so it is quite interesting trying to work out what they are saying when they ask and run the risk of them adding quite a bit on once they realise you don't speak Spanish. Eventually they chose one and we went for lunch at this very nice little cafe where they had home made pizza and pasta. They love Italian food here.
The sleep talking German who had been staying in our room had left when we got back. He was hilarious. He'd have very random conversations in his sleep, but never in German - they would be half in English and half in Spanish. He wanted us to record it but we never had chance.
On Thursday I successfully managed to book another week of Spanish in Spanish. Or at least I think I did! They don't let you speak English at the school which makes things like that quite awkward.
Had lunch at the restaurant where we teach for the first time on Thursday as well - no lunches for once! The food is really good, but spaghetti, rice and chips all in one meal is a bit much!! They do great fruit juices as well. Hardly anyone came to the class today so we just played word games and finished early.
Thursday night we went out with three English girls from the hostel. They are finishing their 9 month round the world tour and had some amazing stories. We went to a cafe bar just down the road which had lots of locals in it. Theres loads of little rooms and you sit on cushions on the floor which is really good - until someone spills their drink!! We tried explaining to the waitress but she didn;t understand so we ended up taking the toilet roll out of the toilets to mop it up. But then had to steal the toilet roll out of the male toilets when we needed the toilet!! Its quite lucky there was toiloet roll though because most places don't seem to have it.
On the way home we walked past another restaurant where some people from the hostel were having dinner - there is something strange about them. But they invited us in and bought us all a cocktail so we weren't complaining. But the time spent with them only made us more speculative of their story . . .
On Friday I had a very good Spanish class and may actually be getting somewhere now! The transmilenio (the transport system in Bogota) was ridiculously busy all day and it took us forever to get anywhere.
We met Magda, one of our students, for lunch and she insisted on paying. Then we went to the class which was a leaving party for Alice and Chris. Magda's son is a dj and was in charge of the music - he set up a full sound system. Then the organiser of the classes came, and everyone said thank you and people bought us presents. It was really nice. Then each of us had to give a speech in Spanish!! Not easy. I want to make one of the kids my personal Spanish teacher - he taught me loads! We then got cakes, and local grape and apple wine, and they attempted to teach is salsa and samba and rumba - I was useless. Laura (who organises all our accomodation and everything) gave us a lift home because the transmilenio was being so busy - its probably a good job otherwie we would still be there now! I don't know how I'm going to escape next week.
We had planned on going out on Friday night because it was Alice and Chris's last weekend in Bogota, but we got home and sat down and then next thing I woke up and it was 2am!
Me and Chris had decided we would go to the Salt Cathedral on Saturday which is in a town outside of Bogota - Alice wasnt bothered about going. It is the number one attractionin South America, and they considered making it the 8th wonder of the world. You can catch a steam train to get there which goes through Colombian villages, but we didn't realise until too late that it only leavs once a day and we wouldn't get there in time. Instead we caught a mini coach - a very interesting experience. You can get on and off them anywhere and they don't really stop. Luckily we caught it from where it first departs and got a seat, but they literally cram as many people in them as possible and never shut the doors. There is a conductor who stands in teh doorway and leans out to shout where it is going.
We weren't sure where we needed to get off, but the people sat in front of us looked like tourists and luckily they spoke English. They had been told to get off at the bus terminal. Fromt there we followed signs for the cathedral and ended up in the square, where the signs stopped. For the biggest attraction in South America it was very poorly advertised!! We asked two policewomen where it was, and they gave us directions which I kind of understood and we found it. At the top of a very steep hill!!
The first thing we went in was the history of how the salt had formed - and it was a 10 minute video, with no words. We were dreading the rest being just as bad, but luckily it wasn't. We then went to go into the actual Cathedral, at the time when there was supposed to be an English tour. They told us it wasn't at the advertised time and to go back at another time. It was raining quite heavily so we got some food whilst we waited, then went back. At the time we'd asked to have written down in case we had misunderstood them. Still no English guide, and we were given another time. A few other people there had had the same thing happen, and no one was happy. It was another hour bfore the next supposed English guide, so we decided to just go on the Spanish one. Once inside we decided we'd actually just do our own thing because we couldn't understand the guide, and all he seemed to be doing was explaining the religious significance of it all.
The cathdral was originally a salt mine and the size when you are inside is incredibe! Although it was a cathedral it didn't feel particularly religious. Everything was very simple, with crosses all cut differently into the rock. There were hardly any statues. You could go wherever you wanted and because it is so big it feels empty, even though there were tons of people there. If you had gone round with the guide you would have needed to go round again to see it all.
You could also gone on a mining tour. You got a hard hat and flash light and went through passageways. They make you turn the torch of for one section and all hold onto the person in front of you and you are in complete darkness.
They then explain how the mining process advanced through the ages, and you got to have a go with the pick axe to try and get some rock - i managed to get a piece but I think its disintegrated already!
Near the end you could look out from one level down into the main part of the cathedral and its that high a women fainted! Afterwards you watch a 3D film that explains how the salt formed in more detail, and how it is mined. Its scary that it doesn't just all collapse. Though this is the second cathedral to be built - the first did collapse!
And to add to Colombia's obsession with football - they had an area with a giant TV screen in that shows whatever football match is on!
You can easily spend several hours looking at the cathedral. This is another reason why it was good we missed the train because you only got an hour there.
When we left we caught the end of a thunderstorm, then made our way back to the bus terminal in a massive downpour. We just managed to catch the Bogota bus at it was leaving! Luckily we got a seat again. The trip back was horrible because of the rain - it was so busy and everyone was soaking wet. The walk back up the hill to our hostel also wasn't fun in the rain, but at least I didn't have flip flops on!
We all went to the Italian for dinner last night and thought we would treat ourselves and have starters - bad idea! We only managd the started and half the main course. Couldn't even fit in a cocktail! Ended up going back to the hostel and falling asleep again.
Today I discovered my Spanish hasn't improved as much as I thought. Last night I thought I had successfully told the hostl owner that I would be there for another week, and arranged to have dinner there at night. Then this morning he seemed very surprised when I said I was there for another week! But I think its all sorted now.
Today we went to the gold museum, but forgot that because it is free on a Sunday everyone goes. You couldn't see a thing so we left and I will try and go next Saturday. There was lots of things going on in the squares today, and some amazing jewellery stores. The weather was also very warm and sunny so we just meandered round for the afternoon. When the sun does come out here it is very strong, and you feel like you are burning.
We had late lunch (at the Italian again!). The waiter is adorable (he's tiny), and we have some funny conversations with him in our attempt at Spanish. After lunch Alice and I went to stock up on toiletries. And discovered that they don't seem to use shower gel here. We got given shampoo, soap, body cream, hand cream, nail varnish remover - they didn't have a clue what we were on about. Eventually, in some tiny dodgy looking store we managed to buy the only two bottles of shower gel they had. And it cost a fortune!
We are going to go to the cinema later, and I have to think what I am going to teach for 3 hours a day on my own for the next week!
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