Spanish Unit 6 Culture

What types of specialty goods can one buy in Bogotá?

Jewelry made from tagua, an ivory substance made from a nut; Sombrero vueltiaos, made from la caña flecha tree materials in the ancient style of the indigenous Zenú Indians; pottery; hemp or maguey cactus jewelry; various products made from natural elements.

What type of shopping centers are there in Bogotá, Colombia? What can you buy there?

Bogotá has over 30 modern shopping malls, but also has many shopping districts for specific items. Examples include the southern Restrespo area known for shoes, El centro known for appliances, and 12 de octubre area for furniture. Street or flea markets offer artisanal and handmade products.

Introduce Cartagena to me.

Cartagena is in Colombia and is slightly smaller than Medillín. It is on the North coast of the Caribbean sea. It is very industrialized and was named after the Spanish Cartagena.

What is Colombia's climate like?

Colombia is very diverse in elevation, so it ranges from tropical on the coast to mild and cool in the mountains.

How diverse is Colombia?

Colombia is very diverse with a varied population of 46 million people. The majority of people are mestizo, but indigenous cultures are prominent and each unique; even though Spanish is spoken 99% of the time, over 100 indigenous languages also exist. Most people live in the Andes or along the coast.

Where is Colombia? What is it close to?

Colombia occupies the northwestern corner of South America. It is bordered by Panamá on the northwest, Venezuela and Brazil on the east, and Ecuador and Peru on the south. It has coasts on the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean sea.

What is Colombia's capital? What are other important cities?

Colombia's capital is the largest city, Bogota. Other important cities are Medillín in the Andes, which is the second largest city, Cali in the west, and Cartagena on the north coast.

What are two famous museums in Bogotá, Colombia?

El Museo Nacional de Colombia and the Museo del Oro.

Describe El Vallenato.

El Vallenato, meaning "from the valley", comes from valley areas in Northeast Colombia. This style emerged from a combination of Spanish-traditional farmers and African minstrels who played guitars, gaitas, and flutes. A drum called the lacaja and a ribbed instrument called the gucharaca were also included. Today, more modern instruments like the accordion have been added.

What is the Vallenato Legend Festival?

Every April, Colombia hosts a festival where musicians compete to play the best Vallenato music and accordion.

When and what is the Cartagena Film Festival?

Every March, the Cartagena Film Festival promotes Ibero-American films and culture and Spanish-speaking culture. It is the oldest Latin film festival and has been around since 1976. It has awards ceremonies, workshops, movie showings, and concerts.

Who is Gabriel Garcia Márquez?

Gabriel is a Colombian author who writes in the style of magical realism, where fantasy is present and treated as reality in addition to every-day things. His popular themes were love, solitude and death. Popular works include One Hundred Years of Solitude, Love in the Time of Cholera, and The Autumn of the Patriarch. He won the 1982 Nobel Prize for literature.

Describe La Cumbia.

La Cumbia originates from slave days, and the name itself comes from the African word for dance, "cumbe"; it is a mixture of Latin, Caribbean, and African culture. The rhythm is African, the accompanying flute, called a gaita, is indigenous in origin, and the melodic accouterments come from Europe. Three different percussion instruments are essential in traditional Cumbia as well as the maracas and a guache (a seed-filled shaker).

Where is Medillín and what is the climate like?

Medillín is in the Colombian Andes and is the second largest city in Colombia. Medillín is 5000 ft above sea level, so temperatures are spring-like all year around (59-85 degrees Fahrenheit); Medillín is called the "city of eternal spring".

What are more modern attractions for tourists in Cartagena?

Nearly 12 miles of beaches, made even more appealing by tropical weather, invite tourists for a reprieve. A popular site, called Boca Grande, hosts many cafes, bookstores, shops, galleries, and other businesses.

How do pharmacies in Bogotá compare to American pharmacies?

Pharmacies in Bogotá sell only medicines; American pharmacies are more like convenience stores. Sometimes, medicines are less expensive in Bogotá, but some say they have fewer types of medicine. Traditional pharmacies are being phased out in favor of the more American style pharmacies. Different pharmacies in the areas take turns being open 24 hours for emergency support.

What can one see in the old section of Cartagena?

Popular attractions include the Church of San Pedro Claver, which is approximately 400 years old, and the Plaza de Bolívar to celebrate Simón Bolívar, the man who helped Latin America separate from Spain. Modern businesses occupy traditional colonial buildings.

Describe the Colombian National Museum. What can one see there?

The Colombian National Museum is located in downtown Bogotá inside a very old prison building, once called Panóptico. This museum functions as one fantastic gallery of Colombian history and peoples, with over 20,000 artifacts and exhibits of art, history, and archaeology, from 10,000 B.C. to the 20th century. Some included artists include Weidemann, Botero and Abregón.

What are two special music styles from Colombia?

The Cumbia and Vallenato.

What festival is celebrated in August in Medillín? What is it?

The Festival of Flowers is celebrated in August in Medillín. This 10-day event covers the entire city in flowers, a practice that once celebrated the floral industry in the city. Other events include talent shows, classic car parades, dancing, fireworks, and orchestral music. The hilight, however, is Desfile de Silleteros, where farmers and agricultural peoples arrange gigantic flower bouquets to illustrate the heritage of Colombia. These bouquets are paraded on seat-like contraptions on the back of a person; these constructions are called silletas.

Describe the Museo del Oro. What can one see there?

The Museo del Oro features items made of gold; 34,000 of its 55,000 artifacts are golden in some way. Other items are made of clay, stone, ceramics, or textiles. All artifacts originate from indigenous Colombian groups, such as the Quimbay, Zenú, Muisca, and Calima. The most popular exhibit is the Muisca Raft, discovered by three farmers in 1969 in a clay pot. This raft is made of gold and depicts a figure wearing a chief headdress and banner-carrying soldiers atop a raft made from logs; it illustrates the El Dorado legend, where the heir of the chief would cover himself in gold, and jump with emeralds into a lake as an offering to the gods.

What and where is the Simón Bolívar Metropolitan Park?

The Simón Bolívar Metropolitan Park is in Bogotá, Colombia. It is bigger than Central Park and is made up of 5 smaller parks. The main space, the Simón Bolívar Metropolitan Park, is the main greenspace; it has many lakes, trails, and a place for a concert (the shell-shaped structure gives it great acoustics). The second park is called el Parque de Los Novios or el Parque El Lago, which features a grand lake. A third park is El Salitre Mágico, which is an amusement park. A sports center with many facilities including a massive soccer stadium sits beside the El Salitre Mágico. The fifth and final segment includes a children's museum, swimming pools, gardens, and areas for events.