Christmas in Colombia

It was a very hot Christmas down here in colombia, but it was really cool. On Christmas day we went to Paula's (Ruben's sister in law) dad's farm house. There was tons of family there, kids, grandparents, aunts and uncles, music, delicious chorizo and carne and guacamole, TONS of salsa dancing (which, by the way, i'm getting quite good at!), an entire backyard full of avocado, papaya, bananna and other fruit trees and lots of drink (aka aguardente, which is a very strong anis based liquor which is very popular here in colombia)! We ate and drank and danced all day and night. It was a very different christmas than i'm used to but very very fun. Christmas eve night we went to another family's party which was very different with no dancing but it was still cool to be around family and experiencing a Colombian christmas.
I'm beginnning to see an end in sight to my travels. I am really beginning to miss Italy and I want to see my family and I want to see my friends. A large part of me can see myself living down here, somewhere, and starting a new life down here. But then, every now and then, I get this sense of completely not belonging here. And that makes me homesick. A little. But maybe it's just Colombia, because I didn't feel that in Ecuador. Colombia is definately different. The other day, I was in an internet store, writing an email to you, when all of a sudden a body was slammed against the glass walls of the internet store. I looked up and like 3 police men were beating up 4 or 5 guys with their night sticks. All these people were gathered around them like a middle school lunch fight. The women in the store with me were all very nervous and pushed themselves together up against a far wall of the store. Then somebody fired a gun and people screamed and everyone in the store dropped down on the ground. I was just standing there, in shock, and watching this crazy "COPS" like scene evolve in front of me through the glass. "Oh yeah, I'm in Colombia" i was thinking. It was crazy. I waited in the store until it seemed as though the police had everything under control and then quickly snaked my way out through the doors and past the crowd. It was a little scary.

Here are some pictures from Cali, Colombia and Christmas at la finca.

Ruben's sister-in-law's dad, owner of the farm house, dancing. He danced and drank all night long like a 20 year old. Cali is the Salsa capital of Colombia. They love it.

Paula y Samuel, Rubèn's sister in law and nephew.

Me dancing la salsa gringa.

Artisañia y amigos en Cali.