Hasta la wego Columbia

Where to end it all... 1o days have flown right out the window and into the past.... Memories have been made and new friendships have been forged.... Its funny to think that these people existed before i met them but that is the way our world works... Billions of people are out there and there are billions i will never know... Its good to know that good people exist everywhere...

The last couple days have been some of the best i have had so far (and its not because i got to go to the beach a couple times or relax a bit). Its more about the friendships that i was able to dive into and the people i have come to know. Even though my spanish is very poor i was able to communicate decently with some kids down the hall here. I have had a great time and their mother makes the best smoothie on earth (its made from the Lulo fruit its heaven in my mouth!) I had an afternoon where i just followed Bob around and he showed me this city that he grew up in. I was amazed cause everywhere we went people would come up to him and say hello (I could tell by the way they looked and spoke to him that they respected and loved this man.) Story after story would come out of his mouth about this street and that about the meat market, about a Doctor we visited who treats the needy for free. The life this man has lived and the love he has for these People and God pours out of him with every breath. But behind every good man is a GREAT woman (Right ladies?). And Bob wont let an hour go by where he doesnt mention her. Ruth Ann must be some lady to have followed Bob to Columbia then to the Jungle, then the Desert and finally Santa Marta and all with 3 children!!! Amazing!!! Getting to know Bob this week has showed me what a true servant is really like. I know he doesnt gain anything financially by coming here and the amount of time and effort he pours into his work without expecting is very honorable.

Today i was able to hang with John his wife Amanda(who is a great cook and 1 of the most hospitable women i have ever met, she is a true servant.) and their son Parker(they also have a 4 year old daughter named Kendall) at the beach. When we arrived at the beach i rented some snorkel equipment. So John and I took off for some water action. It was good time me and john had out there. We saw puffer fish, sea urchins and we stumbled upon an eel hiding in a few rocks... So of course i told John that we should try and see if the eel would come out so we could see how big he was. Well needless to say john kicked the rock and out like a torpedo shot an eel that was close to 4ft long! haha! It shot right out at John but swam past and disappeared into the Murky waters. Was an amazing experience (one might want to bring an extra pair of swim trunks for that kind of excitement.) Even though John was with me the jaws theme never stopped playing in my head. My knowledge of sharks and the fact we were in the Gulf in 12ft murky waters led me to believe we were in the perfect habitat for the #1 killing shark the Bull Shark... Oh well didnt see 1... All in all it was a good trip.

This evening i made Cowboy cookies for our hosts. Kendall tried 1 and told me they were awful then and hour later told me they were the best cookies ever and finally came to the conclusion she didnt like them. Oh well i think John liked them! Amanda made us tacos which were great. Then like a mooch i headed down the hall to Julios house(pictured above with me and his family) and of course his wife made me some (lulo juice.. I cant express how good that stuff is!) Then I just hung out with the kids and we talked about anything and everything. I helped them with their english while i tried to work on my spanish. I said goodbye to them and headed home. I also said goodbye to Kendall and Parker who both gave me a hug and both surprised with a kiss on my cheek.(Those kids are so cute!)

The trip has been awesome. i think it has been a sucess. So many things to comprehend and soak yet. Its amazing how every culture is different and hopefully i can get a little something out of theirs. Wish i had a bit longer to stay but i guess it is better to leave wanting more then to stay wanting less. Thanks to everyone for your prayers and support throughout this trip. They are much appreciated. Please pray for safe travels tomorrow and that nothing happens to the tapes and footage we have shot during our time here. God Bless.

Exposing the Beach

Alarm goes off... 7am be at the school... Alarm goes off... 7am be at the church... Man it seems i would of learned by now... its 7 til its 8 here! Nevertheless I show up drink coffee snap some shots, shoot some video, and then head into parts of town i dont know and take more shots and more video. I dont think i have seen much of Columbia besides what i see through the (28mm f/4 lense of my camera.) Oh well that is what i am here for so... of course when i get an afternoon off what do i want to do... take more pics and video of my travels of course. Beach day has arrived and went faster then, Sheldon(Big Bang theory) can saw vroom vroom on caffeine. But it was a good relaxing afternoon. John Howard the guy i am staying with took me and my partner on a beach trip today. But of course while i am playing with Parker(2 year host) the word BEACH slips out of my mouth and he is instantly wanting to go. I felt bad because he got sad when he was told he couldnt come ( but oh well).

We took a taxi over the mountain and then we were asked if we wanted to hike the rest of the way or take the boat. I was immediately in for a hike cause i needed more pics of course. Steve (my partner who is a few years older then me(so he has seniority) obliged so we took the hike. Cant really say it reminded me of anything but there was 1 point where the path got real narrow and i remembered my 2 brothers and I playing on the side of a cliff in Russia on a camping trip. Looking back if my parents would of only knew what kinda of cliff we were playing on i am sure a half a dozen wooden spoons would of met there death that day. As we got to the top of the mountain(or at least it would be considered a mountain for indiana) I could see a bay with three different beaches. John pointed out which 1 we were headed too. I noticed if we were 2 hike further there were other beaches. He said he had heard 1 of them was a Nude beach. I was immediately in for a little further hike.... MOM i am just kidding.... As we came down the mountain and onto the beach there were a row of houses going down the cliff. i was amazed at how they were still clinging to the side of the mountain. One house on top of the other. It was amazing architecture to me and i couldnt help but wonder how they were built and who's dream house they originally were. After the beach we decided to grab lunch at a hole in the wall cafe John had never tried it. I ordered a tuna sandwich(by far the worst food i have had all trip), and a 300ml Coca Cola in a glass bottle. Side note... Coke in a glass bottle should be the only way to drink a coke tastes so much better. And why is it that Coke tastes so much better in other countries.. As i raised the coke to my lips and looked out across the ocean the song Kissed by a Rose by Seal started playing in my head... after a second i realized it was playing in our cafe haha oh Seal... The day at the beach all in all was definitely relaxing and fun. I snorkeled for a bit(until i realized i was in deep murky water and the Jaws theme wouldnt leave my mind), i think i snapped a couple good pics, saw some amazing architecture, hiked a mountain, learned to never order the tuna at that cafe again, and sipped on an ice cold Coke from a glass bottle while listening to a classic. We have alot left to do in the next couple days. God Bless

Its 7 til its 8 here in Columbia.

I thought 5am was an early until I met the Wayuu and 4am was like sleeping in for them. A very stubborn people (I would probably fit right in haha). The Wayuu wake up way before sunrise and go to bed way after the sun sets. The Wayuu live in the Guajira Desert. Where they have a rainy season and a dry season. I was definitely visiting during dry season, since i was standing in the middle of where a 30ft deep river flows during rainy season. Their diet consists mostly of goat (its a very greasy meat but very fatty as well.. I loved it! i had the great oppurtunity of playing with a goat that later nurished my flesh and bone.) Their main source of hydration is a drink called Chicha, made from corn... When i learned how they made it even I, Nate Norris, found it a bit hard to stomach. ( A few of the old ladies in Village gather around and chew the corn off the stalks and proceed to chew it up and then spit it out into a pot. The pot is then set aside so that it can ferment. And then finally served to me haha.)

Patience is definitely a virtue that is needed with the Wayuu. They are quick to tell you when and where to be but have no conscience for your desires or needs, when it comes to time. I have learned in Columbia that when someone tells you they will arrive at 7. That basically means somewhere between 7 and 8.

I have slept in a handmade hammock, eaten goat for breakfast, lunch and dinner, drank the sweet Chicha, caught a red tailed boa, played with the Wayuu children, and hung out with the elders of a Wayuu tribe. I am also still amazed by Bob a 72 year old man with so much life in him it makes me look like an old man. He still floors me with his stories. I think i have heard it all then he pulls another amazing story out of his box. All i think about is... that would be a good film. haha. Well i am back from the Guajira safe and sound. Time to stretch myself in Santa Marta. I think I have a day off tomorrow. Beach sounds good. :) God Bless

5am was our call time this morning. Due to the fact school in Columbia starts at 6am! (and i use to complain and play sick because i thought 8:10am was to early.) 3 cups of coffee later kids started to show up. They came by foot, bus, taxi, bike, and Moped and were all dressed in their school uniforms. Today we wanted to film a normal day at school. Yet how can things be normal when you have 2 gringo's running around with cameras and a 6'6" asian hanging around. Gym class started at 7am for the older kids while the younger kids went to English, History or a Comp. lab. After filming the school we headed out into Santa Marta. We hit up the beach, although i was dressed in jeans and a tee-shirt, the market, and random alley ways filled with people selling things legally and illegally. (Anybody need a copy of Shutter Island?) It was definitely an eye opening exploration of Santa Marta.

Robert... He goes by Bob. Is a 72 year old Gringo. Who came here in 1965 on a 2 month construction contract. Obviously he never left. Bob helped start the school here in Santa Marta and also helped start the first protestant church. His life is a movie.... From being held by Guerillas to seeing people being killed right in front of him. He has some of the best/horrifying stories i have ever heard. He has seen things no man should ever see. He is also a very humble man of God.

Sorry to get side-tracked about Bob. I have met far too many people today for me to be able to remember, I have tried food whose name i dont know, I drank tomato tree juice, walked on Coal stained beaches, and enjoyed a Birthday Party tonight, where they substituted candles for 1 giant fountain firework that filled the whole house with smoke. Another beautiful learning experience in Columbia. God Bless

HEAT!

HEAT! That was the first thing that hit me when i stepped off the plane. Followed shortly by thick moist air entering my lungs, feels like Indiana after a good rain in the middle of July. Exiting the plane i noticed to my left an old prop plane that must of been the plane from Raiders of the lost Ark. I was finally in Columbia after 3 different planes! Shortly after getting our bags and getting through customs we were informed that the van picking us up had broke down 2 different times on the way to get us. So.. we jumped in an old Toyota T100 pickup. It was definitely a cozy ride with 5 of us in there. Windows down on a 2 lane highway with our Driver driving like he was Jason Bourne, I noticed a very pungent smell. I was informed that we were following a truck full of cow hides.... interesting... Every stop light we came to there were kids trying to sell me things i have never scene and fruit i had never heard of... i was definitely not in Kansas anymore. We arrived into Santa Marta at 8pm where i was greeted by our hosts, 4 year old Kendall, and 2 year Parker. They were very quick to show me and around and tell what i could and couldnt do. Of course my fee for staying at their house, is giving them piggy back rides whenever they please:). All in all today has gone well. Things have definitely not gone exaclty according to plan but they have more then sufficed our needs. God Bless

Learning

I am still and always learning new things about this world that we live in. I am in awe of a certain group of people called the Wayuu in Northern Columbia. I will be visiting them and learning their ways in a week. Will probably be one the most interesting experience ever. I love complicated simplicity. Their ways are so old fashion yet they have more rituals then i can think of. I have been reading about them and I am coming to the conclusion that i probably will learn better by living with them. Should be an interesting time in my life. Honestly can't wait to bathe in the Rancheria River!

Recently

I have recently been dumbfounded by the amount of time i spend on myself. It seems everywhere i go and everything i do has some selfish motive to it. I know a lot of people that would benefit from me becoming less selfish. My mother would love it...if i would just sit down and teach her somethings about her phone.:( For some reason this request of hers always seems like a hassle. I have a friend up north who would just love it if i would take a weekend and spend it with him. (This kid is amazing but for some reason i always feel like there is something better to do?) I have numerous friends who would just like to spend an evening together. (yet I choose to hang out with acquaintances, who as far as i know, the nest time we hang might be the last.) A few things that need to change in my life. I guess i just need to learn what to hold on too.