A series of photos that will make you smile. I always tell people living life in the countryside of Colombia is like living inside a painting. Photos cannot adequately display what I see in real life. Always a lot of color and beauty, along with views that literally take your breath away. The city driving is really crazy, but moving along the country roads exploring will take your breath away with the scenes that you encounter. Here are some photos of my life as a pedestrian along the back roads in the mountains.
Public transportation and yes they hold on to the back of these little trucksMotorcycles are main forms of transportation, and dogs are always in the roadsA produce truck that comes buy to sell to the localsThe Chiva as it is called in ColombiaAlways people watching from windows the action in townTruck in the way as we passThey were loading long onions for sale
I visited this old abandoned school here in Palmira, Colombia one day with my friend. He went to this school from elementary through middle school. This was a very long time ago and the school is now just a storage place for whomever owns the property. The chaos has a certain beauty.
We were driving by one day and he pulled over and said “this was my old school before I moved to the United States, let’s see if we can get inside”. In the foyer the first thing I saw was this street dog and bike. The floor was tasteful in the way one might like with antiques. Old style but still pleasing to the eye. The walls chipped and peeling. I was intrigued. I took a bunch of photos as we wandered the abandoned property. It was eerie in a way that can only be shown through photos.
This photo captures the essence of the school. The picture of Jesus with the cross, the curved archways, the old couch with the stuffing hanging underneath. The once beautiful stairs. The tire rims.
We walked out through the archways to what was once the physical education area.
Definite chaos within this photo. A backless chair in the forefront, bananas on the ground, pots and containers, totally unorganized.Not sure what he was doing but he seems to be preparing food
After we wandered the outside we went to check out my friend’s old classroom. It was spooky in the way only abandoned buildings can be. I felt I was on a movie set for a thriller.
These stairs could make you want to run screaming from the buildingYou can see the courtyard that used to be the outdoor activity area and the abandoned hallways where the children would change classesThe floors and walls seem to close in on you while exploringAgain the floors with the metal racks are complete chaos. One can only imagine that children once walked through these hallways laughing and talking
Finally we reach the classroom my friend remembers as his last year at this school.
What was once a school classroom is now filled with junkLoneliness comes to mind when I view this broken window in the classroom
To think that once a very long time ago this was a school thriving with children and happiness. Now just an old building filled with clutter and debris.
Hummings from Paradise 