So long and thanks for all the fish*

Criminal Minds is on right now. 

Again.

It's on every night here, one of the only shows in English so we seem to watch it a lot. The wife of one of Peter's co-workers used to work homicide with the RCMP in Vancouver. I once asked her if she ever watches shows like the CSI and Criminal Minds type shows. She said that she COULDN'T STAND all the CSIs, but that Criminal Minds and Cold Case were both pretty accurate. 

I'm going to miss it, I think... along with a certain Dr. Reid.

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

Although I've written all year about our time here and the things we've done, I haven't spent much time describing some of what makes it such a special place. I've left out a lot of details.

Like the smells.

While I definitely won't miss the smell of the Septima with its thousands of unruly taxis and almost equal numbers of obnoxious smoke-belching buses, there are many smells here that will always make me think of Colombia... the scent of rain in the air (which happened probably 80% of our days here!), corn grilling on street corners and meat grilling on parillas, smoke from cedar and eucalyptus wood fires, and the sweet scent of jasmine flowers (now one of my all time favourite smells).

And the sounds.

The ringing bells of the church next to our apartment building, the buzz of the gate letting cars and people into our complex, the somewhat-out-of-place-yet-completely-normal sound of horses' hooves on the pavement below, the bells of the propane trucks, the vendors in the market, the "buenos dias'" and "buenos tardes'", the "permissos" and "gracias'", the buzz of the phone in the kitchen when the portero would call up, the sound of our doorbell early on Tuesdays and Fridays signalling the arrival of our maid...

Ah, Rosalba, our maid.

At first I was completely against the idea of having a maid. I didn't need help. I didn't like the idea of some stranger being in my house, doing my laundry, touching my stuff. Someone I couldn't even communicate with. Then I got pregnant and so sick I could barely drag myself out of bed before noon. A person gets used to not cleaning bathrooms or the kitchen, or changing beds, or vacuuming, or doing laundry pretty darn quick, letmetellyou. Having some help around here (even if it was only two days a week compared to most people's five) has been nothing short of phenomenal.

But Rosalba is definitely not the only person I'll miss. 

There are other people... great, lovely, amazing people.

The friends we've made here have been really wonderful. The Canadian Embassy is not huge, and there are definitely some, uh, "colourful" personalities within its walls, but in general it's a really nice group. Even though our post was only a year long, most everyone embraced us -and our growing family- with open arms. Many (both Embassy staff and others from the expat community) went above and beyond to make us feel welcome and at home and cared for and loved.

* * * * * * * * * * 

As I sit here, it's after 1am and I'm sure I'm going to be tired in the morning. That will, however, hopefully make the nap I have planned for the afternoon even more effective.

You see, we have this wee overnight flight with four kids that leaves Bogota just before midnight tomorrow night.

(Or more than likely after midnight since the flights from here are rarely on time.)

DOESN'T THAT SOUND LIKE FUN??

Even though we haven't left yet, I'm already feeling a bit nostalgic about this place. This country. This city. These people and the year we've spent among them. I honestly don't know if I'll ever be back here...

There is much I'll miss.

*10 points** to the first person to correctly identify the origin of my post title and tell me who said it.

**In this case, the 10 points will actually be a tagua (also known as "palm ivory") ring that I picked up at the market today. You'll have to agree to send me your full name and address, or we'll arrange to meet if you're local.

ETA: I published this post at 1:12am, and although Kelly commented at 3:01am (so says google reader), Sara aka @squirrellykoala responded to me via twitter (since she couldn't get the comments to work) at 2:21am. I am impressed that you both knew the answer AND THAT YOU WERE BOTH UP SO LATE. The correct answer is, OF COURSE, that "So long and thanks for all the fish" is a parting message from the dolphins before they leave earth prior to its destruction in the fourth book "in the increasingly inaccurately name Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Trilogy" and is also and also the title of said book. Congrats Sara! We'll touch base when I'm back and unpacked.

Villa de Leyva, the grand finale

If you've missed the initial six-post-long photo bomb of our trip north of Bogota, here are the previous posts from our trip to Villa de Leyva over Easter/Spring break:

swimming

part I (Villa de Leyva at night and our hotel)

part II (the Ostrich Farm) 

part III (Dinosaur Park, more swimming and one of the best pizza joints in Colombia)

part IV (Villa de Leyva Plaza Mayor, family pictures)

part V (lemonades and lattes on the plaza)

Since I recognize the very real chance that you're all bored beyond words of all the pictures from this trip, I'll keep this post low on narration. These are mostly pictures of the colonial architecture that Villa de Leyva is known for -notably the church- along with a few shots of some of the people.

* * * * * * * * * *

By the time we were done our little coffee break at the plaza while waiting for the shops to open, the sun was out and blazing, the square was filling up... and the boys were cranky and in no mood to shop. So Peter took the three of them up to the car while I head a few blocks over to the yarn shop I'd been anxious to peak into.

The wool and other fibre in that store were incredible! All hand carded, spun and dyed. Amazing stuff. They sold many hand-knitted items (some drool-worth sweaters, bags and rugs) as well as the yarn itself. I'd chosen several balls of yarn to buy, with dreams of sweet baby girl knitted things swirling away in my head. The  problem was that none of the skeins were priced. All were weighed on a somewhat sketchy and not-so-accurate looking hanging scale. 

I also have GRINGO practically stamped across my forehead.

Luckily (it turns out), my credit card wouldn't work when I went to pay... good thing, since the total was around $400! Yikes. I'm thinking providence saved me from getting more than a wee bit ripped off there as I hadn't chosen that much wool, but would've had no way to "argue" the price with them. I still thinking longingly back to that amazing wool, but am thankful to have not gotten fleeced (*snort*).

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

I met up with Peter and the boys, we said goodbye to Villa de Leyva and hit the road in search of the pottery town of Raquira. 

We had a map. 

We had a GPS. 

We still got lost.

And we got stuck behind these guys...

After a 40 minute detour of sorts, we did manage to get on the proper highway, headed in the proper direction, and eventually made it to Raquira. By this time, the boys were tired, hungry, even crankier, and not at all interested in getting out a poking around shops. Even amazing shops like the ones lining the streets of this neat little town.

So I got all of 20 minutes to race around with my camera and snap some shots while half-heartedly looking for a sandwich shop or something similar. In the end, I did get some interesting pictures, but only got to buy a Pepsi and a lemonade.

People, I could've spent a whole day wandering around this place. *sigh* But the boys had all come down with bad colds while we were in Villa de Leyva and they just really needed to get home. Their needs came first.

I'm such a good mom.

Cause seriously, check out this place!

This concludes our trip to Villa de Leyva. I'll return you to your regularly scheduled blog full of stories of my kids supreme silliness, complaints about this awful cold (that threatens to be with me until the end of this pregnancy... or the end of time), belly pics and anxiety over name choice.

Thanks for coming along for the ride.

a walk and a reminder

We had such a gorgeous weekend here in Bogota. After rain, rain and more rain, we had an almost four day reprieve starting Thursday afternoon. Friday was perfect, Saturday and Sunday were wonderfully hot and sunny, and although the ground was wet when we woke Monday morning, the day was really lovely. 

When Andrew woke from his nap, the sun was steaming in the windows, so I decided to take advantage of the weather and head out for a quick walk before the school bus showed up.

A block from our place, there's a giant stone medallion. I'd never really stopped to look at it before yesterday. I couldn't read the stone plaque that accompanied it... it was half sunk into the ground and was written in either spanish or latin... which are essentially the same to me! Andrew thought it was great fun to make faces at me through the hole.

I know I should've backed up so you could see the full size of the stone. Sorry. But give me a break. I'm in my seventh month of pregnancy, was squatting down already, and didn't feel like backwards duck walking up the steep slope I was on (ie, I'm pregnant and lazy).

These next pictures were all taken down a little walkway next to an apartment complex that Andrew and I discovered a few weeks ago, on another walk. It's cool and shaded and quiet and is full of neat green plants and beautiful flowers. And at the very back of the walk, Andrew can peak through the fence to see one of the rivers that runs down the mountain into Bogota.

IS MY FACE REALLY THIS BIG?? 

Although our walk lasted less than an hour, I'm so glad we went. The neighbourhood around our place is really beautiful and there are so many areas that we haven't yet explored. Andrew loves waving to all the guards/gardeners/maids/drivers, pointing out all the dogs and motorbikes he sees, smelling flowers, jumping off curbs and over cracks, climbing on rocks and low stone walls... he takes such joy in the little things that I either don't notice, take for granted, or even consider a nuisance. 

Now that I'm feeling better, I hope to get out much more often with him for these little walks. He enjoys it so much, it's great exercise for us both (have I mentioned all the hills around our place and the fact that we're at over 9000 feet??), and I love spending that time with youngest -and last- little boy.

#10photos and a Canadian Thanksgiving in Colombia

Miss Fish is always one for good ideas and her recent 10-10-10 #10photos challenge was no exception. However, we were out most of the day and I only uploaded my pictures tonight, not having the chance to even scan through them until now. 

So I'm going to bend the rules a bit. 

I've never done well with rules.

Instead of a picture an hour for ten hours, I'm going to post ten pictures from our trip to the San Alejo flea market and ten pictures from our trip to the park. Sorry, Andrea, I don't wear a watch and my phone was dead so I had no way of knowing what time it was. That, and I was trying to keep track of three kids, my camera, purse, stroller, etc, AND try to get the chance to browse through all the stalls for treasures.

And so here are my shots from the San Alejo Mercado de las Pulgas (there are eleven actually, but who's counting?),

glassware and ceramics

The boys checking out toys (I always try to dress them in bright colours when 

we're going someplace crowded... helps keep track of them)

Tools and various hardware bits and pieces... these were all new.

Metal/tin/aluminum/silver/brass candlesticks, bowls, plates, vases, 

pitchers... I think I see a butter dish in there...

rollerblade and rollerskate wheels

Almost everything at this booth was brass. LOVE the old keys.

More old keys. I didn't buy any this time, but I do 

have a decor idea that will involve some.

A line of red shoes. I would've loved to buy them all and 

line them up... someplace. Just to be able to see them everyday.

crazy statues

AMAZING old cash register

Had this bike been in working condition, I know the boys would've 

had a blast with it. See the little seat in back? So fun.

After the market, the drive home, a quick lunch, and naps for the little two (during which time Liam enjoyed the 10-10-10 Ben 10 marathon), we headed to a nearby park for some swinging, sliding, soccer and hill-rolling.

I'm so often frustrated with my swing photography. I want tack-sharp, but normally get 

totally-out-of-focus. This is probably the closest I've come in a long time. I'm almost happy with this one.

The last two times we've been to this park, the same group of three boys have been there playing 

soccer. They speak enough english to be able to say hello, make teams, etc. Liam hasn't figured out any 

of their names yet, but they know his and welcomed him with pats on the back all around.

* * * * * * * * * * *

After the flea market and park yesterday, we came home and enjoyed breakfast-for-supper (for me that meant a fried egg, bacon, cheese, and THICK slices of avocado on a fresh croissant... also known as HEAVEN IN MY MOUTH) along with some of our favourite local fruit and veggies, sitting in the livingroom while the boys watched episodes of the Clone Wars on the computer. Maybe not what the pilgrims ate, but delicious nonetheless.

Although we didn't celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving with a big trimmed out turkey dinner (I haven't even checked to see if turkey is available down here, and even if it was I doubt one would fit in our big-as-a-microwave oven), we did have the chance to get together with some of the other Canadians from the embassy this afternoon. Josh and Patrycja were kind enough to host (and wow, the view from their place is pretty incredible!) and I think we were eleven adults and five kids in all. We enjoyed yummy cheeses, grilled portobello mushrooms, homemade hummus and veggie pâté, grilled pineapple, pumpkin cupcakes, dark chocolate cookies, and an assortment of wines... for those not pregnant (although I did indulge in a tiny glass of a blueberry liqueur that one of the guests had brought back from Quebec on their last visit).

And so our first Canadian holiday outside of Canada passed quite quietly. Even so, it was abundantly clear to me how much we truly have to be thankful for. My loving, hardworking husband, our sweet boys, a wonderful apartment to live in, a new car that just arrived tonight, new friends, an abundance of good food, family and friends all over the world who love and pray for and support us. We are healthy, clothed, sheltered, fed, protected, and loved.

There are so, so many in this country (and so many others) who can't say the same thing. On this or any other day.

We are so blessed.