Recorrido de Manizales

The first picture is the first time I have ever seen the top of Nevado del Ruiz from Manizales! It is usually shrouded in clouds, and in fact it was again when I went back out just a couple of hours later. It is so beautiful, it's a shame that you can only see it early in the morning!

Well, it certainly is easy to get a lot of interviews in when there is a room full of potential interviewees and program coordinators eager to help you out! I was able to attend a training session for the Guardianas de la Ladera, and then they allowed me to interview the women one at a time while the training was still going on. I am now up to a total of 25 interviews, which is pretty good for a 2 week period.

After the interviews, I was taken on a tour of the city by another person who works at the local disaster prevention agency. First we went to Ingeominas and checked out the seismographs, then we drove around looking at homes on precarious hillsides. The second picture is a view of Manizales from a hilltop just outside of town to the south. There is some interesting stuff going on around here. The third picture is part of a neighborhood that they are trying to tear down. The disaster prevention folks say it is because they are in high risk zones, which they are, so it is basically another relocation program. However, it is a bit controversial because they are going to replace the homes with shopping centers and a major avenue. The construction has already started in Macroproyecto San Jose, which you can see behind the houses in the photo. The last photo is a building ready for demolition, you can see the red X painted on the side. Either way, many of these people have lived there for generations in homes that they own, and now they will have to rent somewhere else or in some newly constructed apartments.

There are so many interesting angles to these issues, I'm not sure what I will end up doing! I certainly do not have a shortage of contacts to help me out, either. I have learned a lot and look forward to more after the workshop in Panama. I am also really looking forward to Panama, if I can ever get there! My flight was canceled today, so I'm stuck in Bogota until the morning. Not too bad, though, I got a bed in the same hostel, ran over to the bike tour shop and talked politics with the owner, and then got some dinner. I met a lovely girl from Japan in the hostel, who is making and selling jewelry as she travels. She just started learning how to make the jewelry 6 months ago, but she does phenomenal work. I bought the only piece I could afford, since I wasn't planning to stay in Colombia another night and I am running out of COPs. Hopefully the flight tomorrow is still on! I do have a conference to attend!