How do I call Ben in Colombia?

This is Kelly, Ben's sister, posting some info on how you can call Colombia. Before I begin, I should mention that I called Ben yesterday and he answered on the third ring. I do not believe that has happened since the mid-90s. But, I digress...

I asked Ben to check with his fellow teachers, especially the ones who have been there longer than one week, to find out the best way to call him there. Doing a Google search yielded sketchy results on "clubs" I could join to make phone calls to Colombia. I'm not joining anything until I hear of at least one person who has had a positive experience.

In the meantime, I used a service I've used before to call other countries. It's called 10-10-987. Simplest thing in the world. Just dial 10-10-987 and then the number that Ben posted (I added the international 011 to it in case you had written it down prior to that). From the US, it costs $1.13 to connect and then 18 cents per minute.

http://1010987.com/index.asp?Country=Colombia

Happy chatting!

The Other Side of Medellin...

OK, well I think I was a little premature when I originally described Medellin. I guess I should have seen the entire city before I described it the way I did. For the record, I´ll clarify that the part of Medellin that I live in could be considered the Beverly Hills section of the city. Yesterday, a few of the new teachers and I went out to see a parade, which consisted mostly of horses and guys with big guns. We stuck around for a bit and then jumped on the metro and headed downtown. That place is crazy! The downtown is absolutely jam-packed with people doing all sorts of crazy things, for example, there was a guy who had apparently been doing push-ups for so long that he had a huge crowd gathered around him and a massive puddle of sweat underneath. That was a little strange. There were also lots of other street performers doing various odd things. One thing that´s pretty entertaining, and a bit scary, is the way that people dart in and out of traffic. I could have sworn that I was going to see someone die. The people here drive like maniacs; red lights mean absolutely nothing to them. On the way home in the metro, we were attracting lots of attention, or maybe it was just my shirt that reads "Pour Favor" (thanks Hafners and Meis´s!) with a pitcher of beer being poured into a glass. Either way, it was a fairly ordinary day made interesting by the usual antics of the residents of the city.

Today, I´m going to attempt to get a haircut without getting butchered. We´re also going to try a place called "Sushi to Go" which should be interesting to say the least. For dinner, we´re going to a big chain called "Crepes and Waffles" which seems to be really popular in Colombia.

Talk to you later,

Ben

I'm Here!

I made it! Medellin is an absolutely beautiful city! The idea that this place is a "third world county" may be accurate in some parts (that I haven't seen yet), but Medellin has absolutely everything you'd ever want or need. My apartment is out-of-control. It has three bedrooms, another 3 bathrooms, and a killer view of the city that can be seen from all three bedrooms and the kitchen. I'm on the 7th floor, and it also has a great balcony that I love to sit on (and in the future, drink beer on). The weather has been a little strange, lots of rain, but it's hard to take it seriously. I'm still waiting to see what the city looks like when the skies are clear.

Yesterday, we spent a couple of hours at "Exito", which is the local superstore. IT was a crazy place! They served brandy and had a band to advertise it. Good thing I don't like brandy...

It was a bit challenging to shop for two reasons. One, I don't shop well and two, everything was in Spanish (obviously). There were several occasions where the workers would try to help me, but that always ended awkwardly. Actually, I have been able to use quite a bit of Spanish with moderate success. I'm learning a lot though, and every time I do pick something up, I try to write it down for future reference.

Last night was my first official night out. We went to a place called Parque Lleras, which is definitely the party place. It's a city square that is completely surrounded by bars and restaurants. Even last night, with all the rain, things were still pretty active. It's a happening place, and I will be spending a lot of time there. We went to a nice restaurant, where I ordered a steak, based on the waiters suggestion. Since it was dark, I couldn't quite see that it was covered with gravy, eggs, and ham, but it was absolutely delicious (or maybe it was just the Mojitos)...

Today, we are at school doing an orientation. In the city, we're at about 1500 meters, but when we come up here, we climb another 1000. It's WAY on top of the city! Later, we're going to check out our classrooms, and tonight we're going to go out again. Should be interesting...

Please, keep in touch. I know that in the future, I'm going to really need and want an email to help me keep sane (OK, maybe it's a little too late for that). I will also keep checking my various email accounts, so you can write to any number of those. Also, I have a phone number if any of you would like to give me a call. I'm two hours ahead of most of you (one hour behind the East coast) and this has something to do with daylight savings time, I think.

The number is:

011-574-311-1095 (dial it just like that)

Ben

Pictures from Ben's Adios Party

I'm Taking Over

Alright, I finally figured out how to login to this site. That's step one. Next, I hope to learn how to USE this blog to keep everyone in the loop. Today is Tuesday, and I leave next Monday morning. I haven't actually done anything to prepare for the trip yet, however, I did pick up my VISA today here in San Francisco. I am currently at Bubba's house (also in SF) where we'll catch up for a while before a farewell dinner with Justin and Craig later tonight. Tomorrow, I think I'll start packing and boxing things up around the house. My time here is almost up! I'll post again, maybe from Miami if I can get computer access. If not, I guess the next time I post, it will be official...my first Colombian blog!

Ben's New Blog

This is Kelly, Ben's sister. I am setting up a Blog for him so he can keep the rest of us in the loop with his adventures. For any of you who have known Ben through previous trips abroad, you'll understand why keeping his travels documented is so important...