Landing in Tumaco (Colombia)

I arrived to Colombia 3 weeks ago and after two days in Bogota (the capital city) y travelled to my last destiny in the Pacific South coast, a town called Tumaco.

The first days were especially intensive because everything is new. I didn’t know almost anybody and I wanted to get use to the new routine as fast as possible. So the adaptation process could advance in a better and more satisfactory way.

Although places, cultures, and people lives have their own rhythm and features, we come with our own one and it is our responsibility turn to get use to this reality, changing ourselves. Otherwise we have a big problem because it is much more difficult that everything around us will change, that we will be the ones who change and adapt to this new conditions.

And now, after 2 weeks in Tumaco, I begin feeling that I am getting use to this new routine.
– The crazy traffic with a lot of motorbikes (most of them moto-taxi) without any rule. At the moment I haven’t seen surprisingly any accident neither big disorders.
– The wonderful landscapes, beaches and a lot of places of this town which contrast with the poverty of part of the population. In this region, one of the most disadvantaged of the whole country, it exist precarious living conditions with all aspects in life as housing, water supply and sanitation, livelihoods, education, health, rights, freedom, etc.
– The armed conflict and every situation that it causes. The most evident for me at the moment is the big presence of public authorities (police, army, intelligence, etc.) in some points of the town. There are also other effects not so obvious and very negative, mainly suffered by civil population.
– The hot weather, humidity, the music and the life that it transmits. So as the strength of the most of people who live here searching and finding his life with dignity and with the options that life gives them.

In resume, it exist a lot of aspects and contrasts in this town. It is sure that I don’t realize about much of them because they are not very clear or very complex. There are others that I have heard about but I am not conscious about them. And others that I won’t realize because 5 months it is time but not enough for know everything. But something that I know it is that I feel very lucky about being able to live, learn and enjoy this experience.

About the working time the situation is similar, I am in the adaptation process, pleased to the whole team for their support, time and accompaniment. I am getting used to the general and specific activities, projects, methodologies and contexts, travelling always more to the projects areas to learn more about practical issues. In this way we are trying to define in which specific issues (related to infrastructure and housing) I can contribute in the best way to provide useful results which can improve as much as possible the activity and daily work of my colleagues. We are going forward about it, finding common interesting areas to work and I am sure that we will find more with time.

Grettings from Tumaco.

Jorge Núñez.