Silvia.

We took a day trip with a tour company to a small town called Silvia located several hours south of Cali on the edge of the Cauca valley.  We had been eager to see more of the country since the 180-day lockdown kept us from leaving Cali and postponed any vacation plans. We wanted to minimize any health risks as best we could and, therefore, ended up doing a private tour through a local company. Going with the tour company also gave us the opportunity to have a local guide from the community and gain a better insight into the town and culture.

The mural could use a cleaning.

Greeting you as you arrive in the town of Silvia is this large sign with faces carved out of the side of the hill.  Silvia is known as a tourist destination because it is largely populated by an indigenous group of people called the Guambiano, or Misak.  They wear pretty distinct traditional clothing that includes a black bowler hat worn by men and women, as seen in the above rock carving. 

Looking over the beautiful valley just outside of Silvia.

The town sits at about 2800 meters above sea level and is situated in a picturesque corner of the Cauca valley high in the mountains.  You can visit the town pretty easily by taking a couple of buses, but because we had decided to take a private tour, we were able to avoid bus travel.  Having your own vehicle is nice when you are traveling with kids as you can stop whenever you want.  It's always the worst when a kid has to go pee while you are on a packed bus and the bathroom doesn't work (a common experience in Colombia).

Chiva buses in front of the central square church.

Maria, our local Misak guide, took us around the town and explained the culture to us.  She also happened to be an elected representative of the Misak community's government.  The Misak have autonomy over their land and largely create their own laws and governance.  They democratically elect leaders every year and they alternate the gender of the person eligible to be elected every year.  So one year the community will be led by a male representative and then the next year will be led by a female. A lot of the Misak culture seem to revolve around the balance between male and female emphasizing their equality, but also differences.  For example, the women wear blue shawls with black skirts, while the men wear black shawls with blue skirts.  It was a neat display of cohesion and harmony!

Hugs in Silvia.

We read some things online stating that the Misak don't like getting their picture taken. But our experience was a little bit different, largely (I assume) because we were accompanied by a local leader.  People were mostly indifferent to us and our picture taking and some even seemed to welcome it. Tourism used to be a substantial income generator for many people in the community, so I'm sure many were just happy to see any tourists.

Church at the top of the hill.

At one end of town, there is a hill with a Catholic church situated at the top of a steep staircase.  We could definitely feel the elevation as we climbed the steps.  The boys practically ran up the entire thing seemingly unaffected by the elevation, at first.  But as our trip wore on, there was soon cranky complaints of being tired, which I'm going to 100% blame the elevation for.  The church wasn't open so we couldn't see what the inside was like.  According to our guide, many of the Misak follow Catholicism or other Christian faiths although some still hold to more traditional beliefs.  There is no doubt some syncretistic practices in places also, which I always find fascinating.

Inside the famous Silvia market.

Along with learning about the Misak people and culture, Silvia is a popular destination for tourists because of its lively and traditional market.  Unfortunately (fortunately?), there were fewer people in the marketplace than normal when we visited due to COVID-19 restrictions, so it wasn't as busy and full of stalls as it should have been.  Many of the items on display are similar to things we can find in the markets in Cali, but there were a few interesting new fruits and vegetables, not to mention various products made from illicit plants (the Misak government allows the cultivation of plants that would be illegal elsewhere).  Those we didn't try - though maybe we should have taken advantage of it?  Kidding.

Brown potatoes, brown and pink potatoes, and pink fake potatoes.

Being high in the Andes and having connections to the Quechua peoples, potatoes and their many varieties are a staple in the region.  The little pink fingerling-looking things are not potatoes, but a pre-Columbian tuber called ullucus (pronounced "oo-yoo-kos").  You can find these all over Colombia, but we had yet to try them (since we had no idea what they were).  We bought some and brought them home to cook.  Similar to potatoes, you can boil or pan fry them and they are also commonly used in soups.  Their flavour is similar to beets, slightly sweet and earthy, but less strong.

Fruits, vegetables and masks.

Unbeknownst to us, the kids were not allowed in the market as a bio-security requirement, so we took turns between the two of us walking through it with our guide.  We bought some other fruits and things we had not tried yet to bring home.  The kids kept themselves busy playing soccer and fighting with each other in the charming central square.

You can practically see the pure mountain air.

We then headed out of town and even higher up the mountain, passing fields of poppies and hemp.  Surrounding Silvia are various small Misak community dwellings and farms.  We visited one woman's house to see what life is like high in the mountains.  We were encouraged by our guide to take of our masks, assuring us that the air was "pure of COVID" being up so high.  The crisp clean air, green mountains, elevation, and cranky kids made it all very breathtaking.

The quaint kitchen, in a smokey-blackened-in-soot sort of way.

We were invited into a smokey kitchen for some hot panela tea, a common Colombian drink made of unrefined cane sugar.  I'm not sure if the stove and oven worked or not, but there was a small campfire in the middle of the kitchen heating up water and smoking some mystery meat.  The Misak own and run their own water system, as well as many other services, including their own radio station.  They also have their own language, which they teach in their community-run schools in order to pass the tradition to younger generations.

Traditional Misak shovel and hose.

By this point the boys were pretty much done with the trip - but little did we know that the best was yet to come.  We headed back down the mountain to eat a late lunch at a restaurant beside the main river flowing through town.  Trout is a specialty in Silvia since it is cultivated there, so that is what we ate while overlooking the river.  We noticed that behind the restaurant in the middle of the river was an island that had been turned into a playground.  So it was all the boys could think about during the meal.

Everything fun is also a little dangerous.

After we ate, we headed down to the playground, crossing a bridge that was not up to Canadian safety standards (the best kinds of bridges), and arrived at an equally dangerous merry-go-round thing.  Human-powered, you sit or hang on to a rope and run around in circles until you build up enough steam that you can lift yourself up and practically soar over the river.  It was a lot of fun if you didn't think about the possible consequences.  Fortunately, no one got hurt and the kids loved it.

Us with our Misak guide, Maria.

That was pretty much our trip to Silvia.  We all fell asleep on the windy 3-hour trip back, stopping briefly on the side of the road for a false alarm puke of Judson's.  It was a nice little day outing during a time when we felt that we desperately needed to get out and enjoy a bit of the beauty and diversity of Colombia that the pandemic has been preventing us from experiencing.  Silvia was an interesting look at one of the lesser-known cultures and towns in Colombia.

salt mine turned sanctuary.

Looking down into the main sanctuary of the Salt Cathedral.

Just north of Bogota is the town of Zipaquira. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country for locals because it is home to a large underground cathedral. It is one of those places that we hear about constantly from Colombians encouraging us to see what they call the “8^th wonder of the world”. So, of course, we had to go see it.

Centre square of Zipaquira. Little hills covered in brick was interesting.

The cathedral is located in an active salt mine, although in a part of the mine that is no longer being used. When they extract the salt from the mountain, they dig out huge rooms and leave them empty. In some of these rooms, artists have carved out chambers that contain the Stations of the Cross, several naves and a sanctuary filled with statues, crosses, and confessionals all made out of the surrounding salt rock. The site is very interesting and beautiful. It is also regularly used for mass, so it's not all just for show.

Entrance into the salt mine.

The mine starts near the base of the mountain where they extract the salt rock. It is a very popular tourist destination for Colombians and a site that they are extremely proud of so there is a good amount of infrastructure at the entrance of the mine. You are required to take a guide who walks you through the sites and leaves you deep in the mine with the idea that you can walk back through everything at your own pace.

The boys overlooking a large room, which is too dark to see.

Photo opps at one of the Stations of the Cross.

The mine does not go down into the earth, but rather straight into the mountain. The tour starts with the 14 Stations of the Cross. Each is essentially a room that was hollowed out in the course of mining in which a Colombian artist has carved out a large cross, often including benches for praying and platforms for taking photos. Each cross is unique and carved in a different style than the last, and they are lit up with different coloured lights. You can see a few people taking the time to pray at some of them, but most people use them for selfies.

Salty birth of Jesus.

From the altar in the sanctuary, rough-cut walls on either side.

After the Stations of the Cross, you arrive above the sanctuary looking down into it from a balcony. There are some large angel statues carved out of salt as well. While the Stations of the Cross are slightly underwhelming, your first view of the sanctuary really is impressive. There is a huge cross carved out of the wall at the far end of the room, which we were told is the largest of its kind.

Salty Michelangelo replica.

Then you follow stairs down to access the sanctuary, which also has a carved re-creation of Michelangelo’s "The Creation of Adam." On either side of the sanctuary are rooms of equal size with some other statues and tunnels. There is also another smaller wing perpendicular to the sanctuary that has a statue of the Virgin Mary and a series of confessionals carved out of salt. These smaller, more intimate spaces were just as interesting as the larger room.

Taking a break from walking by sitting in a small chapel.

That is essentially all there is to see at the salt cathedral; however, there is much more waiting for you a little further down the mine. This is where things open up into tourist shops, jewelry shops, cafes, “museums,” a 3D mini-movie theatre, light show, and a large reflection pool. It is all a little strange and incredible to have all of this deep underground in the mountain. The 3D theatre was the kids' favourite part of the whole trip, which is not surprising since it was their first time in a “theatre” and a 3D one, at that. The movie was a 30-minute depiction of the history of the area and mine, which is narrated by a salt-rock monster thing who seemingly dies in the end as he returns to being a part of the mine – presumably to be dug up and made into salt in the future. It was wonderful in all its strangeness.

Salt mine Mary nave and Jud.

All in all, I would say that the Zipaquira salt cathedral is very cool and unique. It's not something that would make most people's shortlist when planning a week or two in Colombia, but it makes for a interesting day trip from Bogota.

Quarlombia or Colombatine.

Playing in our apartment courtyard with required facemasks.

I wanted to write an update and give a bit of a picture of what the COVID-19 pandemic has been like for us here in Colombia.

Most countries in Latin America, including Colombia, were among the last to get their first cases of the coronavirus and, therefore, we were behind the curve with how the virus progressed. I think Canada was about two weeks into the pandemic when Colombia recorded its first cases in March. So we have been watching things unfold in Canada and the USA to get an idea of what we are in store for.

Doing crafts at home - Ezra's creation birds in a nest

Generally, I think getting the virus later was a blessing for Colombia as they were able to see the seriousness of the situation, how easily the virus spreads, and how best to prepare for it. In response, the Colombian government has been pretty strong with the policies they have enacted, which has been mostly good – but not without consequences. Since March 25 we have been in quarantine and schools have been closed (although classes have been conducted virtually). Quarantine in Colombia looks similar to what I’m sure most people are experiencing, except that it is a bit more strict. Only adults are allowed out of the house (children and elderly are not) every other day, and only for essential errands, such as grocery shopping, medical appointments, and banking. This means that the boys had not really been outside for over a month (except for our small balcony). Kids have only recently started to be allowed outside (for 30 min between 4pm-6pm, on the same days we are allowed out), but it had been weird to not really see many kids or elderly people any more.

Using the balcony a lot more, even for blowing bubbles.

Everyone in Colombia has a national ID card and the days you are allowed out of the house correspond to the last digit in your ID number. The way it worked for a while was that we both had one day a week we could go out, and then we could both go out of Saturdays. We had to try to do all of our shopping, banking and everything else we need to get done on those days. It made living without a vehicle in a mostly cash-based society difficult at times. Things have improved since the past couple weeks, as we are now allowed out basically every other day. However, the restrictions get re-assed and changed every few weeks, so we will see if the restrictions continue to slowly loosen, or will tighten up again.

Drive-by blessings from a local Catholic priest.

In terms of what it looks like for us personally, we are in the fortunate position that the majority of our work can be done online; therefore, we have been working from home during all of this. It has been difficult to juggle work and school/kids at home, as the schools have at times sent a lot of work to be done virtually (as I’m sure many of you can relate). It has been difficult not having an outlet for the kids to go outside, or for any of us to have a break from each other. We have been talking more to family and friends over skype or zoom, and the kids have talked with some friends a few times as well – which has been very nice for them. We have enjoyed participating in online church services from our home church in Vancouver, as well as attending video calls with our old homegroup.

Attending our home church service long distance.

Early into the pandemic in March, the government announced that it was shutting down all international travel, so we only had a few days to decide whether we were felt called to stay in Colombia throughout the pandemic or get out while we still could. This was also something that our exchange participants had to decide on as well.  We did end up having one of our participants leave early in order to get back to the USA. Truthfully, we are in a good place here in Cali – being able to work, having an apartment, kids are still doing school, and the health facilities in Colombia are really good. So even though we would love to be closer to family, it felt like the right decision for us to stay in Colombia. Some of our program participants come from countries and communities where the health system is quite bad by comparison and the governments can not be trusted, so their decision to stay or go has been more complicated. These are decisions that MCC staff all over the world are having to make. MCC as an organization is in the same boat as many non-profit organizations, in that their financial situation has gotten much worse. Not only are donations down, but MCC also depends on revenue sources from thrift stores and Ten Thousand Villages retail stores. Since these have been forced closed, their revenue streams have dried up. Therefore, there are some budget cuts on the horizon that will certainly limit some of the work going on in Colombia and other parts of the world.

Video calling for school.

Beyond this, it is hard to predict how this will affect the citizens of Colombia, but it will certainly not be good. Many vulnerable populations are more at risk of contracting the virus, and their means to make a living disappear during the quarantine. We have heard that many Venezuelans, who originally fled the economic disaster in that country, are now moving back to Venezuela as the opportunities in Colombia have become much more limited. We have heard that petty theft around hospitals (one of the few places with a consistent stream of people) have increased. People in the poorest areas of cities and areas in the country are receiving less support than other places. Tourism has stopped and I’m sure it will be very slow for years to come. As well, some armed groups have taken advantage of the situation and are continually expanding their control over some areas.

Fort sleepovers - one of the few perks of quarantine.

As often is the case, increased challenges have a way of bringing people together. The people of Colombia are no strangers to overcoming challenges and we have seen our partners continue their important work in creative ways. We are hoping and praying that the people here will be able to draw on their history of triumphing over adversity and be able to do the same during this crisis. 

exploring the Chocó.

I (Matt) was lucky enough to join an MCC Learning Tour that came from Canada (Abbotsford) whose focus was to visit some of our partners, churches, and workers in a region of Colombia called the Chocó. The Chocó is a region located on the north-west coast of Colombia mostly made up of rain forest.  It is sparsely populated, quite poor and undeveloped, and also apparently the wettest place in the world. I can attest that although it did rain every day we were there, it was the near 100% humidity that was really a kicker. The day I arrived I was waiting in the airport for the rest of my team to arrive, and I was sweating buckets just sitting in the airport doing nothing, indoors in a (slightly) air-conditioned lobby. But that was nothing compared to walking around in the heat of the jungle. From the airport, we took a bus several hours south to the town of Istmina, the site of the very first Mennonite Brethren church in Colombia.

A picture of Istmina from the river. There is one big bridge separating the town in two and a large Catholic church on the hill. This was our main base while visiting the churches and communities in the area that MCC supports and partners with. This is also the end of the line for the road into the vast rain forest of the Chocó. From here on out, it's only boat travel.

A typical small community on the river down from Istmina. The area is prone to flooding, even more so with climate change and illegal mining. One of the things MCC funds and the church pastors work on is disaster relief related to flooding.

Walking up the path from the river to the town of Bebedo, with a traditional hand-carved canoe that is a common site in river-side towns. The town of Bebedo is only accessible by boat and requires several hours of travel on the river. There is not much opportunity for people here, but there is a thriving MB church. Work is hard to come by, so most people are farmers.

These coffee bags can be filled with either rice or rice husks. With the help of MCC, the pastors in the Chocó have developed an agricultural program to help people husk their cultivated rice. Rice can be sold for profit and the husks can be used for fertilizer or animal feed. The pastors also help train and subsidize farmers to move to growing cacoa – the plant used to make chocolate.

This is one of the pastors working in the agricultural project, with the rice-husking machine in the background. There are not many working rice-husking machines in the area, so what this community has is a valuable commodity. The agricultural project charges farmers to use the machine just enough to cover machine maintenance.

The cacao fruit growing on the tree. Bigger and uglier than I thought it would be – but it makes up for it by smelling nice.

The harvested cacao ready to be processed into chocolate. I was told it is a tricky plant to grow, especially in the extreme heat and wet of the Chocó, so specialized training and taking extra care are necessary. A cacao farmer can make an okay living, and a living that is safer and more stable then other crops, so it is an attractive option. The pastors have seen many people switch products, something some armed groups have not been happy about in the past.

One of the pastors preaching in the MB church in Bebedo. Many of the pastors support several different churches in both Istmina and along the river, taking turns spending a couple days in each community. The MBs planted churches all along the river, but the situation with the armed groups eventually made it so that some communities became unreachable. Bebedo is about as far as us foreigners could safely travel, and only with the pastors escorting us. Even then, some people were surprised we made it that far.

A little meeting square in Bebedo. Not much to do around here without electricity, except watch the old coconut tree. It is a simple life out in such communities, but still anything but easy. Luckily, you can take a break on a comfortable concrete bench.

A wall of green, everywhere you look as you travel on the river. Armed groups still operate in the area, despite the recent Colombian peace accords. At some point on the journey, we were told to put the cameras away to prevent us from accidentally taking a picture of something we shouldn’t.

Tons of tuk-tuks, something I haven’t seen much of since Copan Ruinas, Honduras. Here, they call them Choo-choos, which is a much cuter name and makes me hate them a little bit less.

This is a cup of Borojo juice. The Borojo is a brown, squishy fruit that is native to Colombia and can almost exclusively be found in the Chocó. This was the first time I have been able to try it and I was looking forward to it. Although, after all the hype I can say that the taste was slightly underwhelming. Some people say it has a kind of fermented apple taste, but I thought it was more like a floral apple taste. Pretty mild though. Not my favourite, but not bad either.

One last picture flying out from the capital of the Chocó, a city named Quibdo. You can see where the two main rivers meet into one, but as you can see, the waters don't feel like mixing for some reason, creating a cool looking 2-tone effect, and perhaps a metaphor for something.

I was moved by the people and the nature of the Chocó, and I feel lucky to have experienced it firsthand. We got to see a tiny glimpse of life there and it is full of a lot of hope and transformation, but also a lot of hardship and fragility. Places like this remind me of why I love to travel and work in cross-cultural ministry where you get to see incredible places and meet inspiring people hiding in every corner of the globe.

top 10: a few of our favourite things.

From the past seven months, in somewhat chronological order, here are the kids' favourite things about Colombia, so far:

1. Riding in taxis everywhere...without car seats!

2. Roasting marshmallows at our team retreat.

3. Feeding pigeons in Plaza de Bolivar, seeing Botero's "fat" paintings and sculptures, and riding the funicular up and down Monserrate in Bogotá.

4. Having a pool in our apartment complex (even though the water is cold).
5. Spotting geckos in our house.
6. So many tropical fruits like granadilla, lulo, guanabana, mangostino, pitaya amarilla, and carambola.

7. The Cali Zoo and seeing exotic animals and birds.
8. Putting candles on the sidewalk for Día de las Velitas to mark the beginning of the Christmas season.
9. Riding a willy jeep through the Cocora Valley that took us to see the world’s tallest palm trees.
10. Going to the beach and exploring the secret tunnels beneath Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas in Cartegena.

a season of change.

Overlooking the Cauca Valley, where Cali is located

In case you didn't know, in the summer of 2018 both of us moved on from our jobs in Vancouver to accept a position with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), a Christian nonprofit organization that engages in relief, development, and peacebuilding initiatives all over the world.  Last September, we made a big move to Cali, Colombia where we will be serving for three years as the Exchange Program and Communication Coordinators for MCC Colombia-Ecuador.  Our role mostly involves overseeing the one-year volunteer programs for young adults coming to serve in Colombia, as well as recruiting Colombians to serve in Canada, the U.S., and other countries around the world.  In addition, we will be working with our team communications and supporting one of our local MCC partners focused on peace education and community development.

The MCC Colombia-Ecuador team (11 admin staff & 11 short-term volunteers)

Both of us had lived and served abroad in the past and knew that living overseas was something we would do again in the future.  A few years ago, we felt it was time for us to explore international prospects which ended up being a four-year process.  We learned a lot about perseverance, faithfulness, and waiting on God’s timing.  God has been gracious to give us the opportunity to work with an organization that holds values and a holistic approach to serving others and living out the gospel with which we resonate.  We have felt affirmed that we made the right decision through our training and the first couple of months in our jobs.  Our kids were excited about plane rides and for the chance to see some exotic animals from the Amazon (although we have had to settle for the local zoo at this point).

Exploring a fountain during an MCC retreat

We loved living in Vancouver, being a part of Grandview Calvary Baptist Church, and living in our community house with some great friends.  Living in East Van with other adults and kids is all our boys have known, so it is not without sadness that we have moved away.  Packing up, moving, and settling in Colombia has been a whirlwind these past several months for our family.  Our turnover was so quick (2 months!) from accepting the job to getting to orientation in Akron, Pennsylvania; we regret not being able to connect with so many of our friends before we left.  However, we would love to stay connected with you through email, social media, or regular (snail) mail. 

Overlooking the city of Cali

Please hold our family in your thoughts and prayers as we continue to settle into our new job, school, culture, and life.  We miss being close to our families and friends, but Colombia is slowly becoming home for us.  We anticipate at least a year of transition for us.  We have learned that although kids are resilient and this is an adventure for them too, they still have moments of homesickness and have hit some rough patches of adjustment themselves.  We have been grateful for God’s peace in the midst of everything.  Thank you for your continued support and friendship.