Ibague and Patricia’s

I thought you might like to hear a little more about where we are staying. Ibague is a town of about 400,000 people. As best we can tell we are tucked in a neighborhood 15 minutes from the city center. If you Google Ibague you find little information and from the conversations with people here they all agree – there is not much here. I don’t know how you get a city of 400,000 people with little to see or do – but evidently it is the case. We are certainly not going to venture out to see for ourselves. We follow Patricia’s guidelines on where and when to go.

The traffic here is horrendous. Tom compares it to Mexico City (for those of you who have traveled there or heard the stories…). Taxis and cars everywhere mixed with buses and the scooters/motorcycles that weave in and out of traffic. It is nuts.

Patricia is an older woman who actually looks a bit like Tom’s mother. She has been taking care of adoptive families since 1996. Her family is originally from Bogota where her father was in real estate. After his death she wanted to get away from the craziness of Bogota so she moved to Ibague near her cousin (who lives just around the corner today). She worked for awhile for Diners Club (and a few others I can’t remember) before getting the idea to start this business. She’s never been married and does not have any biological children. She believes that she leaves a piece of herself in every child that comes through her door and that they are a part of her. Her Children. She has very nice photo albums with pictures of all of the families who have stayed here.

We are the only family staying here right now. She can accommodate up to three families (I can’t imagine that many people here). She has two maids that cook and clean for us each day (can you say spoiled?). With our fee we receive 3 meals a day and laundry service. It appears the girls wash the laundry by hand. Patricia also drives us wherever we need to go and is our translator with our lawyer and the courts.

The food has been very good so far – classic Colombian fare we are told. Breakfast is usually bread and scrambled eggs. Plain white rice is served with both lunch and dinner – typically with some type of meat and a salad followed by a cup of fruit for dessert. All tasty.

Everything is very simple here. There is obviously a lot of poverty. Prices seem a little higher than the US – but not significantly. I think the issue is that the salaries are much, much lower. As a matter of fact when we went to the market Patricia shared with us that the girls bagging groceries did not receive a wage – only the tips we give them. We gave the young lady assisting us 5,000 pesos – about $2.50 – because she takes such good care of Patricia. Patricia said that it was very generous.

The street we are on is fairly busy even though it is residential – but is seems all streets are around here. There are quite a few pedestrians along with a few horses and many cars. There are also guys that cruise around the streets selling fruit. They have bull horns to announce their presence.

Unfortunately with poverty comes the fear of theft. We have a small safe in our room for keeping our passports, money, etc. Patricia warned us to always keep it locked. Even though she trusts her maids there is always a risk. The houses near here all have gated courtyards and the stores have bars and heavy locks on them as well as barbed wire around areas that are at risk for climbing thieves. There is a security guard directly across the street from Patricia’s place that is there 24/7. Evidently the neighbors pool their money to pay for his services.

With all of that said I do feel safe. We are cautious on the street as we would be in any foreign country and we don’t go anywhere without Patricia’s authorization. As I’ve read recently and as Patricia told us when we arrived Colombia is improving every day. The current President is making strides against drugs and the FARC. What we have seen of the countryside it is beautiful and the people have been very kind. I hope they can continue their improvements.

There are two temperatures in Ibague – hot and warm. During the day it is about 89 degrees – at night 76 – year round. The house is not air-conditioned – actually part of the downstairs is open air. At the back of the house is an atrium area that is open to the outside. This is where we eat our meals and play cards. There is a tree growing and beautiful plants on the walls and Patricia feeds the birds that come in. The kitchen and laundry areas are open to the outside as well. Actually the car is pulled in next to the refrigerators in the kitchen. It’s interesting. Tom said a cat meandered through the house this morning. Oh, and Patricia has a dog – Natacha. She’s a cute little mutt. There is also an English Springer Spaniel next door (just like Dakota – only not quite as cute!).

I’m not sure what the day will bring – perhaps a trip to the swimming pool.

Have a good day,
Carrie