10 Tidbits about the department of Tolima

I haven't been consistent with blog posts, but I thought to post some things I've learned from being in Colombia for 10 months now. My recent email update gives a more complete overview of what I'm doing in Ibague, department of Tolima.

Being here in Ibague for 6 months has given me much insight into the daily life of Colombians, and the context in which they live... continuous learning I'd call it. Here are some small things that I have observed since arriving (this picture is a view of the mountains from the church doorstep in Modelia):

• Ibague is the musical capital of Colombia, with a nationally renowned Conservatory. They teach both classical and traditional Colombian music. I've been to 1 concert and hope to take some flute lessons there in the future.

• Ibague is the city with the highest unemployment rate in the country, at 19.1%. Many people are economically displaced, as they leave for Bogota to look for work. Although one can walk in several parts of the city safely, you always have to be careful, as armed robberies are becoming increasingly common (due to desperate financial situations).

• Tolima has pine trees. I didn't know Colombia had pine trees.

• Ibague is home to a national fiesta: the Fiesta of San Juan every June. The traditional dance of Tolima is the bambuco and the Sanjuanero is danced throughout Ibague during the Fiesta de San Juan.

• Neighbourhoods in Colombia are divided into government-defined stratas ranging from 1-6 (6 being upper class). In Bogota, lower stratas are in the south and upper ones in the north. In Ibague, a strata 5 neighbourhood can border a strata 1 or 2. My neighbourhood for example, is strata 3 and is surrounded by strata 2 and strata 6 neighbourhoods. In my opinion, this system is a compromise: people pay rent and utilities according to their strata which makes it

• Ibaguereños are friendly, generally more laid-back than Bogotanos, but not as animated as people from the Coast. (many Colombians say Costeños talk with their hands more than their lips)

• Typical Tolimense dishes: lechona and tamal. Lechona is a mixture of rice, peas and pork cooked right inside the whole pig on a spittle. Think of turkey stuffing at Christmas time. It's surprisingly super tasty! The tamal is pork, chicken, beef, potatoes, peas and perhaps carrots steam-cooked in a corn flour and wrapped in plantain leaves. Caution: not daily dishes. Risk of obesity but worth it.

• The majority of displaced people in Tolima department have arrived to Ibague, as it's the department's capital. Amanda has worked with displaced communities for the past 8 years and now is working specifically with 2 neighbourhoods: Modelia and Martinica. Modelia is the main community I'm working in. There is still strong guerrilla presence in the south of Tolima, where the FARC guerrilla group was born in the 1960s. The highest displacement rates occurred in Tolima in the early 2000s, but still continues today.
  

• Cajamarca, a beautiful town nestled in the Tolimense mountains, is known as the breadbasket of Colombia, providing food ranging from carrots to tomatoes to onions, yucca, beans, corn and potatoes. Several international (including Canadian) mining companies are also scouring these same mountains for gold deposits which, if found, would begin an open pit mine close to the town. There is strong protest from both the town and Tolimenses.
• Ironically, people generally take time out to relax more than in Canada, but they drive 3 times faster, eat faster, and talk faster. It's an interesting irony: I'm slowly learning to talk faster! :)