Theatrics in Bogota, by a New Yorker that fell in love with colombia

I was writing just a quick entry to give you a glance of what has been going on in the Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro de Bogota. And I was planning to tell you that thousands of people wearing red wigs stood on the Carrera 7 (7th Street) to watch one of the most impressive parades the city has ever seen, the oppenig parade. And that I was so happy because Colombians behaved in such a respectful and caring way that you could feel an atmosphere of peace, love and belonging.

And also, that this year the Festival has used all technology available. Apart from their web page they also have a youtube, twitter, flickr and facebook account where you can follow and keep informed with what's going on. But what is most impressive (well, for me it is =)) is their  livestream channel which means that all Colombians living abroad and all of you - kindly reading this post - will have the chance to see live most of the shows and performances.

Ok, I'm soooo proud of what Colombia and de Festival have achieved that I could just keep writing. But I’m going to stop now and leave you with a beautiful post that a friend from New York  who has fallen in love with Bogota - and now lives here - wrote for us.

So thank you very much T&T and here you go.... enjoy!

Abrazos

Marcela

Theatrics in Bogota

By T&T

www.bogotabrilliance.com

On March 19, the curtain rose on the world’s largest international theatre festival, the XII Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro de Bogota (12th Iberoamerican Theatre Festival of Bogota) in Bogota, Colombia.  The launch was particularly significant as it also inaugurated the re-opening of the newly renovated Jorge Eliécer Gaitán Theatre with a special performance of Pedro Calderon de la Barca’s La vida es sueño (Life is a Dream), performed by the Teatro Academico Estatal Tartar, and directed by Colombian Alejandro Gonzalez Puche. 

Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro de Bogota: The world's biggest theater showcase

I'm not at all a theater expert , nope. But now that I'm spending a few days in Buenos Aires with my loved one ( Argentina's capital city is filled with theaters and a very active cultural life), I realize the importance of our Theater Festival in Bogota. Its funny, because Bogota's  XII Iberoamerican Theater Festival, today's post topic, was actually an initiative started by an Argentinean actress who lived in Colombia.


No wonder that not many people around the world outside theater connoisseurs  really know about the extent of  this fantastic event,  in which for about 2 weeks theater companies, circuses and performers from all continents take Bogota's street by storm, because, to be honest event most of us, the common non-theater-related people in Bogota are notaware that this is, in fact, the biggest theater showcase in the world....

Colombia's Tatacoa Desert: a weekend trekking, cycling and sleeping under the stars. (Or: get ready for a looong post)

I have to admit  I'm  a (very) heavy sleeper, so honestly I didn't feel the "bumpiness" of  the overnight bus ride from Bogota to Neiva, a small city (pop. 350, 000) well known here in Colombia for its yearly San Pedro festival  and even more popular due to its closeness to a certain Colombia destination I was dying to travel to for a long time: el Desierto de la Tatacoa (The Tatacoa Desert). There I was at Neiva's main square at 7 AM breathing pure unpolluted morning air, enjoying the morning silence while all local stores were closed on that sunny Saturday (its always sunny over there) and even at that early time, the temperature was quiet high.

After a nice local breakfast with scrumbled eggs, fresh bread and a hot chocolate at the same place were all truck drivers stop for an arepa and a hot cofee, we got on the bus and started a short drive towards Tello, the first stop on my journey to Tatacoa.