What I am going to write has probably been witnessed all over the 3rd world: Africa, Asia and Naaarfuk.
We've been in Colombia 9 days now and slept in 5 different places as we've been moving around.
1. In-laws in Bogota.
Working class folk, terraced house with 6 bedrooms but in need of TLC. Their car gets parked in the living room! As no-one in that area leaves vehicles parked on the road overnight.
But the altitude and pollution were getting to me, couldn't sleep without a liberal smearing of vics to assist breathing.
Working class area, the sort that Control Risks or HMG would probably advise against visiting, let alone staying.
2. Mother in laws in Mariquita.
Her place is a new build arranged over 3 floors, the top being a glorious sun terrace, in an area that is yet to be fully developed. The principle services are there; water, sewerage and electricity... But no roads, only tracks.
HOT, sunny. But at night my son and I were feasted on by mosquitoes, who ignored wife and daughter.
3. Hotel Casablanca, Hacienda Nappies
Looked nice, had a/c, swimming pool, bar, restaurant and more staff than guests as far as I could make out. Breakfast was disgusting, in a country where the food is excellent this is the second hotel to disappoint me good wise. And I had to pay an extra quid for this over the breakfast included in our room rate.
The two swimming pools were heated, I'm sure, as I've been to hit places with unheated pools and they go cold overnight, the pools here were almost too warm to provide relief from the heat.
4. Guarne
At the Hacienda / finca owned by a former BA colleague of TWTD poster Pimball Wizard.
This is the stark contrast, the home of someone receiving a good pension paid in pounds; 6 bedrooms all en-suite, multiple reception areas, separate spa area, bar/man cave, stables with 2 horses and a few acres of land. No kids, probably as much a reason why they can afford this.
5. Bello, Medellin
Sister in laws
Upper(?) Working class area and what they term English style terraced houses. Hmm. Bars (cruel way of describing decorative steel) on ground floor door and window. No back garden, 3 bedrooms over 3 floors, one of which is windowless. The place is no more than 4 metres wide, 7 metres deep. It's tiny for 2 adults, 2 kids, oh and 2 dogs, even though one is the size of a rat.
The other stark contrast is the people living in the shacks beside the rivers in which trash has been dumped... All of the family places are palaces in comparison.
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