Colombia AND Bolivia | Susan Weltman

Before we flew to Bolivia I met Steve in Panama where we spent one night. I visited the new Biodiversity Museum, designed by Frank Gehry, before Steve’s arrival. The next day we went to the Panama Canal (a place we’ve wanted to see) which was as interesting as we had expected. In the evening we took a five-hour flight (it is a long way) to Santa Cruz, leaving in the morning for Sucre. (And yes, Bolivia is the only country in Latin America that requires a visa, equal in price to what Bolivian travelers must pay in the unlikely event that they get an American visa; fair, we thought, though a nuisance.)

In Sucre we stayed in a beautiful hotel that had been built as an administrative center by the Spanish in the 16th century; hotel was complete with a confessional in the sitting room, but no priest. We were lucky to be able to visit the Museum of Indignous Art, ASUR. (Lucky because the next day was the referendum on whether Evo Morales could have his term as president extended–he couldn’t, 60–40 vote. There was no alcohol sold for 48 hours and nothing open, and no auto travel for the day!) This Museum is a gem, everything well displayed, good signage, fascinating work. The Museum specializes in the art of the Jalq’a Y Tarabuco of South Central Bolivia. The website, asur.org, gives a good, description of the work displayed. (For an article on this area see the N.Y. Times, “In the Mountains of Bolivia, Encounters with Magic,” 3/27/16. Wonderful description of an area beautiful and very off-the-beaten path.)

A book I highly recommend is Llamas, Weaving and Organic Chocolate: Multicultural Grassroots Development in the Andes and Amazon of Bolivia by Kevin Healy, an early Peace Corps volunteer. The book is a critique of many of the development efforts of the “developed world” in “undeveloped” countries. Of special interest is the effort to replace frost-resistant, indigenous potatoes (from the fucking home of the potato!) with an “scientifically improved” potato. Did it work? No! This fascinating book gives a good history of ASUR and similar weaving projects, some very successful, some not.

From Sucre, after not enough time in Potosi (silver capital of the world and one of the highest at 13,420 feet, where silver has been mined since the 16th Century) we flew to Cochabamba where we met Dorinda Dutcher. This was the start of our adventure, the trip to Independencia, around which this whole trip was planned! Two days spent in Cochabamba (supposed to be one but there was Steve’s doctor’s visit which is explained in his account. If you ever need a doctor in Cochabamba, Dorinda’s the person to ask for help!) Saw little of the city; it was raining, we were obsessed with doctors, getting bus tickets–what passed as the ticket office has to be seen to be believed–in a little corner of the market, would NEVER have been found without D.) So we had lunch at a Hare Krishna vegetarian restaurant (recommended) and visited the market–always a favorite activity for me. Walked around past the Al-Anon meeting place (universal) and the Fucking Burger restaurant. (What do they think that means? Or don’t they care?)

5:00 AM bus to Independencia. We were VERY lucky! There were no roadblocks on the way, or on 3:00 AM bus back! No need to hitchhike on motorcycles, or walk kilometers around the roadblocks. There is indeed a hill from the bus stop to Dorinda’s–which all her visitors describe on her website. It’s true! And BIG cobblestones to be carefully maneuvered. And a little town square with an (odd) small statue of a naked woman. What gives? And we were finally there! To learn more about Dorinda and PAZA see her website .

Dorinda is a friend from WARP (Weave a Real Peace), an organization created to “foster a global network of enthusiasts who value the importance of textiles to grassroots economies.” Also known as a fabulous group of–largely we must admit–women, many of whom are former Peace Corps volunteers and/or have worked internationally sharing their skills and talents. Who are also politically engaged at home, are tremendous fun and wonderfully supportive to each other. For the six years I’ve known Dorinda I’ve heard her stories of Doña Maxima and the other women in the Club de Artesanas. WARP members–younger, Spanish speaking, skills to teach and share–have visited in the past years. D and I talked many times about Steve and me visiting–and finally it happened!

Dorinda lives in a lovely, simple home with a beautiful garden shared with her landlord and landlady (and their many cats and dog, Dina). There is a large outdoor sink), lines for drying warps, a stove for dyepots, all that is needed when the women come with their completed work to sell to Dorinda, or to dye together, or to hang out and give each other advice about their weaving, or their lives. Some of the women who live in Independencia are there on dyeing days during rainy season when there are dye plants in profusion. On Sundays women stop by after selling their produce at the market to sell what they have completed during the week, or pick up dyed yarn for their next project. Dorinda and Doña Maxima are encouraging the school girls to learn to weave both to maintain the tradition but also to bring in some badly needed money to their homes. The yoga mat straps are a great project as they are completed rather quickly (compared to a bag which requires at least 20 hours of weaving!) Doña Maxima is a Quechua and Spanish speaker; the younger girls have learned Spanish in school and are bi-lingual, unlike most of the older women. The comfortable language of story telling and gossip is Quechua–so at least Steve and I didn’t have to feel so bad about our very rudimentary Spanish.

Steve and I stayed in the (only) hotel–name forgotten but if you want to stay there we’ll look it up—a room with three beds, large kitchen with refrigerator! (quite a luxury) and stove and a bathroom with occasional water. A five minute walk from Dorinda’s. Our room looked out the one of the schools, a large sports field (rarely used we’re told) and an enormous “coliseum,”–big enough to fit a large part of the town of about 2,000 residents. This last is a “gift” from the government; who was asked if they preferred this to sinks for their homes? We can report that the school has a band that practices for hours; we are witness to this as we heard them practicing “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” for at least three hours without the trumpets ever getting it right.

Our days were spent going to the market to buy food for breakfast (buy six eggs, even if you only want four, because This Is How They Are Sold). Then we went to Dorinda’s where we might go for a stroll to pick flowers for dyeing, or sit and read while dyeing was going on, or hire a truck for an hour drive and several hour walk to buy alpaca fiber and see the beautiful countryside–in the rainy season (though we were lucky to have very little rain). I had brought two silk scarves that were dyed in the dye baths; why didn’t I bring more? Guess I have to go back! Dorinda bakes bread and treats for the women and girls in the Club; we certainly enjoyed these treats!

The women are weaving yoga mat straps, which are sold and transported to the US by D’s visitors, or by D when she visits once a year. Postage and mailing from Bolivia are too expensive and cumbersome. I came with orders for twenty, sold in US for $25.00 each. I did not bring enough back (they were all sold before I even got home). Luckily Dorinda will bring more when she visits in May. They are strip woven, natural dyed, of wool spun by the weavers; these women NEVER have idle hands! We also brought back several beautiful chuspes, shoulder bags – again all sold by the time we got home; more coming in the Spring! The money for these handwoven items goes directly to the weavers who need to buy school supplies and medical care for their children. They are quite thrilled to have this income over which they have direct control.

After five days we returned to Cochabamba, on our way to La Paz. On the return Steve was happy? to learn that the bus left at 3:00 AM, rather than 5:00 as it did on the way there. But, after the driver turned off the loud music, it was an uneventful drive. A night in Cochabamba, last pizza meal with Dorinda, and off to La Paz for three nights!

Although La Paz is the highest administrative capital in the world (Bolivia has functions of the capital disbursed between different cities–don’t ask!) we did not experience any altitude problems as we had been at slowly increasing altitudes since our arrival in Bolivia. We stayed at a wonderful old hotel in the downtown of La Paz, in easy walking distance from museums, shops and restaurants. When I say that La Paz is busy, it’s an understatement! People are out buying breakfast on the street by 7:00 AM and there are crowds! There were stands across from the hotel selling only hamburgers, open from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Only hamburgers! Crowded as the streets were, it never felt unsafe (which is what I’d say about every other city we visited on this trip). People were so kind about our linguistic errors and misunderstandings, especially when giving us correct change for our sometimes enormous overpayments.

We visited two outstanding textile museums in La Paz. The first is small and privately owned; Museo de Textiles Andinos Bolivianos. The exhibit explained that, just as an offering is made to pachamama every time an endeavor begins (“a sweet table in worship;” I like that!), an offering must be made when people weave. The small museum explored the weaving process and structure and had a map of the Bolivian regions where traditional textile work continues. They had wonderful exhibits of work from throughout the country, with good explanations. (By the way, Bolivia has 36 indigenous groups recognized by the country’s constitution.) The second was the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore, a short walk from our hotel.

We did some hiking around La Paz; it takes amazingly little time to get out to beautiful countryside. The geology of the area is astounding. We also spent two nights at an eco-lodge on Isla del Sol in Lake Titicaca; for more on that see Steve’s write-up. A highlight of this visit–in addition to the wonderful hiking, views, flowers, people, accommodation–was meeting the Korean-American couple who complained that they did NOT like Peru (indeed part of the Lake is in Peru). We pointed out that, luckily or not, they were actually in Bolivia. They were not impressed.

A great treat on our last day in La Paz was a visit to Tiwanaku, a pre-Columbian archaeological site two hours from La Paz. (I’m not happy with that term; how about “Pre-Conquest”?) This was a culture that flourished between 200 – 1000 CE; it is believed to have had a peak population of between 30,000 and 70,000 residents. The civilization collapsed around 1000 CE, possibly because of attacks from other groups and eventually because of excessive drought. We were incredibly lucky to visit the site with Mario Sarabia, a Bolivian ceramist (ceramicsarabia.com) and friend of friends in NY. Mario–whose studio we had visited the day we arrived in La Paz–picked us up at a lovely public square near his home. There is a system to limit traffic downtown and Mario’s license plate does not allow him to drive in every day; this system seems to do little to reduce traffic but we can only imagine what it would be like without it!

Seeing the site with Mario was traveling with the best guide we could imagine. Not only does he speak Spanish (although, being of European ancestry though for many generations, he had to produce his identity card to prove he was Bolivian and entitled to resident privileges) but he has worked with ceramists on the site and is very familiar with the history and the pottery. So we got the advantage of his knowledge; we also had a lot of fun!

We met fascinating people both in Colombia and Bolivia. At Gustu (see the New Yorker, April 4, 2016, “The Tasting Menu Initiative”) we were welcomed and told that friend Jeff had called to ask them to treat us well. They did, sitting us at the “Chef’s Table” in the kitchen. In addition to the great food it was fun to meet the New Yorker photographer, Ben Lowy, a New Yorker who went to my high school in Queens, as did his mother, and Noah Rudovsky-Friedman, from Philadelphia who is Evo Morales’ photographer and also an outstanding photo-journalist. Hang around the right places…….

We spent the last three days of our vacation in Miraflores, Lima, Peru, a beautiful neighborhood where I had stayed when in Lima two and a half years ago. Our hotel was a five-minute walk from the Pacific, with wonderful parks along the sea (water much too cold for swimming without body suits–which we did not try!) We finished up our trip with lunches at three great restaurants, all recommended byJeff Merrihue, fan of good eating around the world! At Chez Wong (lunch only, six days a week, ten tables, reservations a must, in a house in a somewhat dingy neighborhood) the only meal served is ceviche and “wok,” meaning stir-fried fish with veggies. As many orders as you want. We were modest–compared to other eaters–and only shared one portion of each. Beer, or wine, or water. That’s it. And delicious!

In Lima we–again–visited two great museums. I had visited Larco Museum before but wanted to make sure Steve saw it. This is another privately owned museum, as is the last one I visited. Housed in a former mansion the museum has a collection of 3,000 years of ceramic, textiles (though not many) and precious metal artifacts. Visitors can also visit the store rooms to see what is not on display; thousands of pots in perfect condition – how were so many preserved is the obvious question. It is also great fun to visit the room of erotic archaeological pieces; as an article says “these are not run-of-the-mill phallic symbols but the kama sutra in clay.” Wow.

The last museum visited on this trip (except briefly a new modern art museum which had a few we thought odd displays but the BEST fruit drink I’ve ever had) was AMANO, Museo Textil Precolombino. This – again – privately owned museum displays Amano’s collection of textiles and ceramics of the Chancay culture. The Amano has only recently been opened to visitors without reservations and is a great addition to a textile tour in Peru.

Traveling in South America–as Steve and I have found in many visits–is a real pleasure. Hotels we have stayed in range from good to great (many old colonial buildings restored; not only beautiful but often with fascinating histories and furnishings). We took many intra-country flights, all on time; they even FEED you for a 45-minute flight, and treat you with respect; how strange is that? Guides are professional, well informed, generally very interested in sharing their stories and in answering questions. Cities feel as safe as any in US. People were very kind about our very poor Spanish, and helpful. Wifi everywhere; well, Independencia a little sketchy! Beautiful! GREAT FRUIT and the best fruit juices I’ve ever had! And great ice cream! (Reason enough to go in my book.)

Susan in Colombia

My trip to Colombia originated with a visit (actually three) to the show, Waterweavers, at the Bard Gallery in April, 2014. It was one of the most powerful shows I’ve ever seen (there is an excellent catalog available). The show, while exhibiting crafts, weaving, natural dyeing, videos, was about the impact of ongoing violence on the life of the country. I came to it with an interest in textiles, of course, but also with an interest in Colombia. At my first job (1972, in Elizabeth, New Jersey) I worked with a woman who was, I’m sure, the first from that country I had ever met, probably the first South American too. I vividly remember her talking about La Violencia, which had wracked her country since the late 1950’s. Little did we know or imagine that the violence would continue for the next sixty years. Or longer. Also, and not irrelevant, I have fallen in love with Ajiaco, though arepas aren’t bad either! Sadly, I discovered that I like the Ajiaco (a chicken soup with corn, avocado, lime) better as prepared by a restaurant on Lexington Ave (Dulcha Vida Cafe) than anywhere I had it in Colombia.

As I was planning my trip I began my usual exploration – talking to anyone I knew who had visited there, reading fiction, memoirs, history. I did not realize how much

Colombian literature there was in addition to Garcia Marquez, of course. (I’ll put a short list of the books I found most interesting at the end of this account.) The next step was finding that Jordy, a friend for many years–and fluent in Spanish–was interested in traveling with me. For varied reasons, our husbands were not going to join us. Steve would join me in Panama, on our way to Bolivia, when Jordy returned to the U.S.

After not enough time in Cartegena (never even got to the beaches) we took a five-hour drive (meaning we were driven by a friendly, helpful driver) to Santa Marta, also on the Caribbean; the first Spanish settlement in Colombia (established in 1525). Santa Marta is the point from which travelers can easily get to Tayrona National Park. Santa Marta is known for its Gold Museum; the Museum is in a building dating from 1531 and recently reopened. In addition to the wonderful gold exhibits, it has a good exhibit on weaving and spinning done in the area before the Spaniards invaded. There are indigenous groups in the area that continue some of these textile arts. The building also houses the room where Simon Bolivar was laid out after his death from TB. (The monuments to Bolivar in Colombia and Bolivia feel a little like “George Washington slept here signs in the Eastern US”).

We spent a wonderful day hiking and swimming at Tayrona National Park, a one-hour drive from Santa Marta. The Park is closed to automobile traffic so visitors can either hike or go by horseback to one of several beaches. We hiked an hour to the first beach accessible. There is camping available, motel-like rooms for rent, and a (good) restaurant. Also–a great treat—a “panderia” where chocolate bread is baked. A lovely day!

The next day we flew from the nearby Santa Marta airport to Medellin. I was particularly interested in visiting Medellin as I’d read about its public transportation project which was explicitly planned to “drive societal change.” The Metro, which carries over ½ million passengers a day, was completed in 2006. The Metro Cable, which provides mobility and access for the poorest citizens who live in the hillside favelas above the City, was completed in 2010. (AND there are attractive libraries in Metro stations!) Medellin has made huge strides in recovering from the influence of Pablo Escobar and the drug cartels; there is an Escobar tour available – visiting his grave, homes, etc. We chose NOT to take it!

The Museum de Antioquia had a wonderful exhibit, Medellin International Art Encounter – El MDE15; we saw the 3rd “edition.” The theme was “Local Stories/Global Practices.” The work in this show–while not textile oriented–reminded me strongly of the Waterweavers show. It was especially moving to see school children at this exhibit, which reflects the violence that has torn apart their country, even as efforts toward peace are occurring. The show included video, photography, graphic works, found objects; one display was paperwork that had been filled out by people trying to reclaim property that had been dishonestly taken from them.

(Did you know that in Colombia, as of June, 2014, 6,000,000 people were registered as being internally displaced, second only to Libya? And these are the people who are “registered.” These are people who had to leave their communities due to the paras, the army, the guerrillas, the mining companies (Colombia has the largest open pit mine in the world), agrobusinesses that force campesinos from the land, the narcotrade. And all of these people eventually move to the overcrowded cities). BTW, as seen in the photo below, Medellin has public toilets–which is more than we can say for New York.

We finished our busy day by taking the Metro Cable to its highest point, changing where the city slowly ends, to travel an additional twenty minutes to an unexpected park and wilderness area, just above Medellin, Arvi National Park. But–for reasons unexplained–most of the walking trails were closed. Forced to give up our walk, we returned to the Metro Cable and the city. We were disappointed to be unable to visit the Bibliteca de Espana, which opened with great fanfare in 2007. Since April, 2013 it has been unusable, as construction “did not adhere to architectural plans.” In addition, there were “unexpected” landslides so the buildings are covered in black material while “repairs are made.” It is an enormous eyesore hanging over the city, and a major embarrassment, I assume.

The next day we left on the long drive to Pereira, the heart of the coffee growing region of Colombia. We stayed at the beautiful Hacienda Sazagua; swimming pool, massages, good food, enormous room and bathroom; in NYC the bathroom would be rented out as an apartment. Spent one day visiting local towns, drinking coffee, walking in Los Nevados National Park. On the drive we passed a burned out building, former home of Pablo Escobar or one of the drug barons; kept as a burned shell as a reminder we were told. Also passed a neighborhood of homes built for campesinos who had been forced out of the countryside because of violence; supposedly/hopefully people are being housed and trained for new jobs. This, obviously, is a long and difficult process as so many people have left the countryside for the cities.

Our last flight–before Jordy’s home and mine to meet Steve in Panama – was to Bogota where we met the best guide ever, Valeria. I should mention the role that guides play on a trip like this. They are a source of information not only about local history and sights but also about life in Colombia. All of our guides were comfortable talking about their families, education, the violence, the peace process –which sadly all of them are doubtful about, though with varying degrees of hope. Guides in South America have generally got a college degree in tourism and are quite well informed. From our guide in Pereira we learned a little about his life in the Army as a young man in a counter-terrorism group; army service is compulsory–sort of! If you finish high school you serve less time; if you go to college you serve even less time. And if you’re a wealthy screw up (like one of our guides) you can pay your way out.

When Valeria and a driver picked us up in Bogota, we got on the road to Villa de Leyva; a four-hour drive got us to the small colonial town where we spent two nights in (another) lovely Colonial hotel. Villa de Leyva is in a high altitude valley of semi-desert terrain; the area has no resources to exploit and the area has changed little over the years (which is why it is on the tourist trail). The streets are paved with cobblestones (walk very carefully) and many buildings date from the 16th century. We arrived at the end of the Astronomy Festival, a yearly event that attracts amateurs and professional astronomers to the town. This event takes place in the Plaza Mayor, which at 14,000 square meters is the largest square in Colombia.

The area is rich in fossils from the Mesozoic and Cretaceous Eras; it was amazing to see walls cemented, covered– with fossils. Also interesting to see was a near complete kronsaurus discovered in 1977. The Museum was built around the dinosaur and it is displayed in situ.

It was while visiting an astronomic observatory (with many phallic stones–go figure. The Spanish were not too thrilled with these and destroyed many of them) that we met an interesting family who invited us to their home the following day. Parents are artists, daughter a young film student; they had left Colombia when their twin daughters were in high school because of the violence and moved to Toronto. They have returned to Colombia as they feel they can live there safely now. Their home is quite beautiful, designed by the wife and full of their art work; they have a tiny ice cream parlor and make great ice cream.

Another treat for me was a–short–horseback ride. A short ride as the arrangements were–surprise–not arranged and I was picked up late, making this a one-hour rather than two-hour ride. The biggest surprise was–for a tiny price–I got not only a horse back ride but a motorcycle ride to the stable, two for the price of one.

Our last visit in Colombia was to Bogota which I liked more than I expected. (What did I expect, you may ask? A large overcrowded impoverished city with a lot of cops where I wouldn’t feel safe.) Yes, there were more–and more heavily armed–police than we had seen anywhere else. We discovered two kinds of guard dogs–the ones belonging to the police were on strong leashes and tightly held. The ones that the Army had which were bigger, fiercer and scary as hell–though tightly held. And yes, there are poor people and beggars and homeless–but I live in New York City, so this was nothing new.

We did enjoy the fabulous Gold Museum. (Even though it doesn’t have textiles. I try to be open minded.) We stumbled across a small museum, Regional Costume Museum of Colombia, which was close to our hotel. It is in the home of Manuelita Saenz, “tireless” companion of Simon Bolivar; does that mean she was his mistress? Wikipedia says “yes.” The first floor was dark and uninviting, with costumes–many of them recent–from different parts of the country, with little information. The second floor had examples of indigenous looms and weaving and information about how weaving and textiles changed with the Spanish who introduced floor looms.

Oops, can’t go to Bolivia yet because I forgot our Graffiti Tour (free!) in Bogota. A must see, if you find yourself in Bogota. It is legal to paint/draw/decorate walls with the building owner’s permission, which is generally available. This has created an incredible canvas for artists who now come from all over the world to participate. Much–though not all–of the work has political content and the artists are known in the community for their interests and work. I also can’t leave out the wonderful chicha which we shared with our guide (and now friend) Valeria and her boyfriend, David. Thank you, V and D. for sharing chicha and your educated insight into Colombia and the possibilities of peace and reconciliation.

ADDENDUM (Books I’d recommend):

Very little Bolivian fiction translated; try The Fat Man from La Paz (short stories)

Colombia–short list of the many fine books:

Fiction: Laura Restrepo, Juan Gabriel Vasquez, Vanessa Blakeslee, Evelio Rosero.