Cold showers...

This morning I got up nice and early to have a long shower and wash my hair. Seemed like a good idea at the time. As soon as the conditioner was in, the hot water stopped. I waited, hoping it was a temporary problem, but the hot water did not return and I had to finish my shower (including the hair rinsing) in cold water. One of those moments when I tried to count my blessings and think about the people in the world who are less fortunate than myself and would LOVE nothing more in life than the opportunity to have a cold shower. We have spent a pretty lazy day hanging around Los Palmas waiting for Mauricio to come to take us to ICBF. He came at 2:30 pm and by 3:30 pm we were back with our Certificate of Compliance. So we are now officially finished with all beaurocratic stuff. No more waiting, no more signing, no more getting out passports. Our only other official thing is in London when we go to get Marianna's Australian Visa. I am hoping since we're going to the Australian Embassy things will go smoothly - at the very least we'll all be speaking English!!! If you have noticed I have spelt Marianna's name with two NN's. Something went wrong during the legal process and since our lawyer was checking all the paperwork we only glanced at it along the way. Thus Mariana has become Marianna. I first noticed when I was filling in the paperwork for her British visa. I looked at her passport and looked again. I then went to the file and looked at her new birth certificate. All with two NN's. Shit! Jason and I talked about it and decided it was probably easier all around to keep the two NNs and just get on with it. There's always something, isn't there!! A few thoughts on Colombian driving. It's hell on earth! I will never again about traffic and/or driving in Sydney (well, until I'm on Epping Road during peak hour while construction for the tunnel is going on next time or I'm on one of the Harbour Bridge approaches on a Friday night). The traffic here is somewhat organised chaos. It's like they get their driver's license and then promptly forget everything they learn. Indicators are NOT used (I think it may be illegal to use them). Horns are used constantly. Lane markings are only used a very vague indication. Basically cars go everywhere, anytime, with very little regard for what other cars are doing. You want to go somewhere, you just go and hope that the cars around you stop or at least slow down. As a passenger it is nerve wrecking. Each trip involves at least a dozen moments where I'm sure we're all going to die. Often Jason and I giggle nervously as yet another near miss occurs and our driver doesn't bat an eyelid. You have to experience it to believe it. Colombia is just like Australia, except sort of broken. They have mostly the same shops, giant shopping centres, giant supermarkets, giant home centres. Everyone is upwardly mobile or trying to be. Apartment buildings are going up like weeds all over Medellin and Bogota and we have been told a two bedroom apartment in the good suburbs of Medellin cost around US$800,000 - who can afford that here? Apparently lots of people, they can't keep up with the demand. There are furniture shops everywhere and according to Vicky the Japanese minimalist style is in at the moment - very bizarre. You drive past glue sniffing beggars curled up in blankets in the middle of the road and minutes later you are passing exclusive appartment buildings with swimming pools, tennis courts, full time security and Christmas lights and decorations in every window. The shopping centres are chock full of very finely dressed people shopping up a storm. You can't get a car park. There are expensive, new or nearly new cars in every parking spot. The cafes and restaurants are full of people eating and drinking. People are buying jewellery, clothes, shoes, homewares wherever you look. It is hard to reconcile the two sides of what you are seeing around you. When I say Colombia is just like Australia but "broken" I mean the cities look like any Australian city but everything is just a little "off". A little dirtier, a little less maintained. Whereever there is construction it is chaotic with much more manual labour and mess. The roads are all potholed, the buildings sort of crumbling around the edges. The pollution is chronic, with road fumes really almost unbearable. But then in Medellin, in the dirty heart of the city, you have the beauty of Botero's beautiful giant bronze sculptures gracing the public square. There really are so many contrasts. Today I feel far from home and desperately wanting to be home. I really feel "rootless" (stop that, those with a dirty mind!). Home seems like it is so far away and that I haven't seen it for a very long time and will not see it for a long time to come. Strangely, last night as I was doing washing in the laundry room here at Los Palmas I suddenly missed my washing machine so much I had tears in my eyes. Isn't it funny how such mundane things can stir up such strong feelings. I would have given anything to put my undies in my own washing machine and then to hang them out on my own Hills Hoist in my own backyard. Anyway, enough of my pathetic musings, Marianna has just woken from a late afternoon nap and wants her bottle before our dinner is served. I have to say, yet again, what a wonderful baby she is. She is happy most of the time, chatting and smiling. She loves to stand up while we hold her hands and we do our little "get down and boogie" dance. She loves it. She is starting to learn to crawl but only manages to go backwards. She does a mean push up - possibly a career in professional aerobics?