Bucaramanga My Second Home

Bucaramanga

I remember when I got an email from the Colombian Embassy that I will live in the city of Bucaramanga I was a little disappointed. First, It's not the capital and second, it was a small city that even The National Geographic book has only written a few paragraphs about it. So I was not too excited about it.

But after arriving and living there everything changed.

About The City

Bucaramanga is the capital of the department of Santander, in north-central Colombia. It is the fifth largest city in Colombia with only one million people in it. So it means that this city is a perfect place for me to study and get to know Colombia and its culture. I lived in an apartment in Soto Mayor. It was a safe neighborhood near the city attractions like malls, supermarkets, and the boulevard of calle 33. I only need five minutes to walk to Exito one of the biggest supermarkets and about 15 minutes to my beloved campus Universidad Autonoma de Bucaramanga (UNAB).

 

Bucaramanga is also known as The city of parks and The beautiful city. Why? Because this city is filled with lovely green spaces and that is what makes it beautiful. One of the closest parks to my apartment is Parque San Pio. This huge green space is always full of people; a young couple, kids, street food sellers, and police. When the city held the biggest event in town, Feria Bonita, this park was full of food vendors, stage performances, and thousands of people. People are gathered to enjoy music, food, and picnic around the park.

Hanging out in Parque San Pio

Enjoying Feria Bonita

Exito My Favorite Supermarket for Daily Needs

One of the biggest malls in this city is Casique. It only took 10 minutes by bus or 20 minutes by walking to go there. I considered myself a fan of this mall, why? First, it was the closest mall to my apartment. Second, it has a lot of stores including Forever 21, Victoria's Secret, Velez, etc, and big department stores Falabella and of course Exito. Third, It has a grand food court that contains many food vendors, including Asian food. One of my favorite restaurants in Asian Garden serves seafood fried rice. I think it is one of the best-fried rice I ever tasted during my time in Colombia. It tasted so close to our fried rice in Indonesia. Fyi, there are much Chinese food restaurants in town but the taste was bad, I think it was a lack of spices.  Third, this mall had a cinema with many studios. But the tricky part is all of those films are dubbed in Spanish. So if I want to watch a movie in English with Spanish translation I only can watch it at night around 7 pm and only a few films.

Cinema at Casique

 

What I love about malls in Bucaramanga is they not using air conditioners, they only use them in stores and cinemas, but in general no. But don’t worry because you will not feel the heat because you still can feel the wind blowing from the rooftop. I loved it! It’s very different from malls in Jakarta. In my spare time, I usually hang out in coffee shops like Juan Valdez Café and El Gualilo while doing my homework or just learning Spanish. For a coffee addict like me, I felt like in heaven simply because Colombian coffee tasted good and had a friendly price. The price of a cup hot latte is 3500 – 4500 pesos, which is cheaper than in Jakarta. For ice blended is pretty much the same prize. 
 

Now let’s talk about the traditional mall or Mercado Central. It is located in Calle 34 about 15 minutes by bus from my apartment in Soto Mayor. This is the central market in Bucaramanga with 4^th- a floor court with all manner of local eats, all kinds of fruit and vegetable sellers, and all housing stuff. I remember my teacher Dilma took us to this market on our second day on campus. We took a cab to get there and I literally surprise by the ambiance it was so lively, busy, and dynamic. People were walking around, crossing the streets, and selling things just like in Pasar Tanah Abang in Jakarta. Near Mercado Central there is Catedral de La Sagrada Familia. This church was built in 1887 with white classic architecture. It was located in front of Parque Santander. 

La Catedral de La Sagrada Familia

  

If you are interested in knowing the history of Simon Bolivar's "El Libertador" of Colombia, Casa de Bolivar is definitely a perfect place to visit. I went there with my teacher and friends and the location is not really far either from Mercado Central. Casa de Bolivar means House of Simon Bolivar, it looks like a typical old Latin house. With a giant wood gate in front, big windows, and many rooms that surrounded a little park in the middle. Surprisingly for me, the guide of this Casa de Bolivar tour is a policeman. It was not his part-time job but it was his actual job as a public service. 

The Park at Casa de Bolivar

Hall of Bolivar

About Dancing

So almost all Colombians love dancing, from salsa, merengue, vallenato, reggaeton, bachata you named it. At night they will go partying and dancing all night long in a club, and the best part of those clubs they not allowed people to smoke so people only enjoy their time by dancing or drinking. It was a very pleasant time to see them dancing salsa with great moves, sensual, energetic yet so lively. All of this time I only watched it in movies but now I can see it personally. Bailamos! During Feria Bonita, I can enjoy salsa music in Concha Acustica. It is a small space for people to enjoy the live music of a salsa band. The unique part is people were not just sitting and listening to it but they stand up and danced in their seats. That was awesome!  

Salsa night at Concha Acustica

Bumangeses were all very enthusiast

About Public Transportation  

So most Bumangeses (People who live in Bucaramanga) love walking, but sometimes they use public transportation like buses and taxis. There are two types of buses, Metrolinea like Trans Milenio in Bogota, and regular bus. All of the public transportation here also not using the air conditioner. Which is so different from Jakarta, I mean Bucaramanga’s weather is quite hot but I don’t know why they are not tempted to use AC. Another thing that interests me is the way they drive, I think it’s just bad, especially for the taxi driver. But they were all really nice, every time I got into a cab they will say “Buenos dias!” or “Buenas” and after you pay it and say thanks, they will say “A la orden” or “Con mucho gusto” both mean my pleasure. 

Bucaramanga Yellow Cab

Public Transportation in Bucaramanga

About The People  

Generally, Colombians are super nice and warm. They will not hesitate to call you and ask how’s your day, like “Hola! Como estas?”, “Como ha ido?” or “Como te fue?”, all three means How are you. Then they will give you a big hug and a kiss on your right cheek. My teachers, friends, and family, they were all doing that almost every day.  That makes me feel welcomed and loved. 

Colombian Are Very Nice

So that is all reason that I can think about why I loved my city Bucaramanga and consider it as my second home. It is only the fifth largest city in Colombia and it is not as famous as Bogota, Medellin, or Cartagena but it is definitely a great city to live in and to study. 

Photo credit : Primarita and Aditya