Author Topic: Get me to the Church on Time.... (Read 1798 times)

dennislevy · « **on:** March 23, 2011, 08:00:04 AM »

Here s a recent trip report from a different spectrum of Colombian society ,

Four days ago on Saturday night.....I went to an elegant wedding in Sabanilla just outside of Baranquilla. Sabanilla is a small town, but there is serious money there, with elegant estates overlooking the Caribbean.

My compaÃ±era is a baranquillena, a very attractive 52 year woman never formally married and no kids. She is a public schoolteacher in Puerto Colombia, she teaches Emglish and French and the bride s mother is a long time colleague and friend on the school teaching staff, which is why she was invited. Puerto Colombia is a small town not far from Sabanilla and my amiga KNOWS people, the alcaldesa (female mayor) of Puerto Colombia was at the wedding and reception

The wedding and mass was in the Catholic church in Puerto Colombia, lots of plaster statues of Virgins and Childs, lots of gilt paint. For you catholics who are reading this, you have my respect beacuse those long benches without space between the back support and the seat are absolute killers! Because it was hot the church doors were open...and some townspeople (who had not been invited) came into the church and sat down ands watched.

The novio (groom) is a junior army officer, so he wore his dress white uniform and a sword, there were fellow junior officers in their dress blues and after the wedding and photos the couple walked out under an arch of crossed swords......Very elegant

This was my fifth wedding in Colombia, I have been to two as the padrinio (best man) of American grooms and i ve alsdo been invited by three different women as their date. As a foreigner.... when women invite you to weddings as their date, you know that your Spanish is good enough and they know you won t embarass them!

The reception was first class...at night in a large gated private garden by a pool overlooking the Caribbean, a hundred feet above the sea. I could see the waves crashing on the rocks below and the lights of Puero Colombia in the distance . just spectacular and of course, quite romantic!

Sail shaped sheets had been stretched and staked out with colored gels in floodlights focused on the sheets. so the sheets were dramamtic colors, lavender, a hot pink and a deep red..... The food was top notch, catered and served under a large kiosko....which is a conical shaped thatched roof open structure supported by a network of shellacked tree posts and beams on a concrete foundation.

About 200 people were there and the only negative was that it was breezy....the tablecloths kept blowing up and some empty chairs were knocked over. Some of the women weren t wearing much, thin rayon backless gowns and or with Deep Vs and they must have frozen their proverbial t...s off!

I don t drink but I was amazed at the quantity of whiskey. At each table the waiters brought bottles of Old Parr 12 year old blended whiskey and glass ice buckets and tongs.....and when the bottle was done, they brought another. I checked the price the next day at an Exito in Baranquilla and the price for Old Parr was 78,000 pesos a bottle a bit more then 40 dollars. I can t even imagine how many bottles of Old Parr were killed or the cost of that wedding!

There was a five piece band....lots of salsa and meringue...

and the priest , an uncle of the bride...was a dancing machine. After the ceremony, he took off his collar and vestments and like the other men was wearing a white guayavera and white pants.....and he had women waiting to dance with him. He was a young good looking guy in his 40s, and he never let himself get close to a woman or in a slow dance, but he could dance!

One of the things I like about Colombian costal culture is that if you go someplace fancy or you have an event, you don t need a suit or a tie. a a clean ironed white guayavera, decent clean ironed pants and shined shoes is all you need.

I had a great time, enjoyed myself and I loved dancing!

OK, today, Im in Baranquilla...i this morning I I leave for Monteria.

vaya con Dios, caballeros!

whitey · « **Reply #1 on:** March 23, 2011, 08:31:36 AM »

Sounds like a blast, Dennis ... quite a bit more upscale than my wedding.

I don't know why, but Old Parr is considered to be nectar from the Gods in Colombia ... I'd never heard of it before!

Nazly has been complaining about being cold from the breezes the last few nights. Poor thing ... last night it was "only" 79 degrees and she had to cover her legs with a towel while we were talking on Skype. It's 27 degrees and snowing here in my city today ... waaaah!

Jeff S · « **Reply #2 on:** March 23, 2011, 08:40:07 AM »

They consider it top notch Scotch all over the world except the US. It's popular in Asia too. I've never seen it here either.

Planet-Love.com · « **Reply #2 on:** March 23, 2011, 08:40:07 AM »

dennislevy · « **Reply #3 on:** March 23, 2011, 08:43:32 AM »

whitey

oooh, Your wife will just LOVE her first cold snap in O Canada!

But, she was right, the wind has been whipping at night here in baranquilla. My amiga lives on the 5th floor of an apartment building, just up the hill from the Miramar CC and she was afraid to stand on her balcony with me...because the wind was too much!

Hope you re well and in good spirits!

Researcher · « **Reply #4 on:** March 23, 2011, 08:45:04 AM »

Sounds nice Dennis. Weddings in Colombia are ALOT cheaper than here in the states.Our wedding cost 1/5 of what it would have here in the US.

Researcher

dennislevy · « **Reply #5 on:** March 23, 2011, 08:59:00 AM »

Researcher, you re right....but still by Colombian standards a traditional catholic Church wedding and reception are not chep.

In June of 2009, I was the best man at one of my best gringo friend s wedding in Bogota. The wedding was at Museo de Chico on Carerra Septima and 92. The wedding was in the 16th century chapel at the museum and the reception was in the grand salon of the museum.

For the wedding, to pay the priest to rent the chapel and the salon from 6 00 PM to midnight , to rent his bride s dress for a day, to rent an antique Bugattii for photos, ....for an open bar, dinner and a 4 piece band for 102 guests, he was in at 26,000,00 pesos..a bit over 13,000 dollars at today s rate.

And of course, it would have been exhorbitant in the US.

raycjs · « **Reply #6 on:** March 23, 2011, 09:52:14 AM »

Dennis

the wedding sounds like a great time and i could only imagine the view... i am happy to see you are still enjoying yourself

Ray

Pivery · « **Reply #7 on:** March 23, 2011, 10:32:29 AM »

Wow, sounds like a great time was had by all Dennis.

Another beautiful but super windy place for lovers is the Castillo de Salgar.
I proposed to my lady there at one of the tables facing the ocean, and I almost got blown over a few times while I was on one knee professing my love and asking for her hand but thankfully made it all the way through!

Pivery

Jedironin · « **Reply #8 on:** March 23, 2011, 11:11:34 AM »

Pivery- That would be embarassing!

"Honey, I would just like to say aaaahhhh *plop* ... <cough, cough>"

Dennis- Great write-up!

Pivery · « **Reply #9 on:** March 23, 2011, 04:48:09 PM »

Jedi,

Yeah definitely a Youtube moment I missed that would never get old watching and laughing at!

It's super windy there but very romantic, so it's definitely the place to pop the question but just
hold onto something for christsakes!!

Pivery

utopiacowboy · « **Reply #10 on:** March 23, 2011, 05:09:14 PM »

Back in 2003, the US dollar was worth close to twice what it's worth now. Our wedding was about $5000 which included handmade dresses for the bridesmaids. Yes, they have to have their Old Parr.

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