Colombia: Barrios and Beaches

I visited Colomba three times, in 2011, 2012 and 2013. I had a job as a visiting professor in Colombia at the Universidad Piloto, a private university in Bogota, founded in 1962 by young architectural students dissatisfied with teaching at Universidad Nacional.

Barrio Cazuca

I first met Maria Ximena when she talked about Cazuca.  Cazuca is a poor barrio, or neighbourhood, southwest of Bogota. The aim was to involve architectural students in a project that would improve residents’ lives. She described how she was working with the women household heads of the barrio. She’d met them through the Fundación de Mujeres, a women’s organisation. We went on to write a book together entitled ‘Cazuca’.

Cartagena

I spent a few days in Cartagena de las Indias, founded in 1533, staying in Getsemaní, south of the ancient walled fortress, once a centre for drugs and crime, that has become Cartagena’s hippest neighbourhood.

Santa Marta and the Kogi Indians

Then to Santa Marta, Valledupar and the Tayrona National Park. I’d wanted to meet and talk with the Kog. Kogi are an indigenous pre-Colombian civilisation, descendants of the Tairona civilisation, living in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, since I’d seen a documentary about them. The Kogi see the Earth as a living being that our actions are weakening her and leading to the destruction of humanity. They believe their mountain is the heart of the world, and they are the elder brothers who care for it.

Published 9 Mar 2018, 84 pages, ISBN 9781912460182