the group

This is the BUEC 663 that travelled to Bucaramanga to visit EcoPetrol's ICP research centre

thank you

A big big thank you to our friends at the Unversidad de los Andes (Roberto, Alberto and Nestor) and at EcoPetrol (Freddy and Luis) for making this trip a most memorable one for myself and the students.  the visit opened our hearts and minds to the beauty of Bogota and to Colombia.  I myself will return again in the future.  Mucho Gusto.  Doug

Sample of the meals we enjoyed

Hi folks,

Can't resist putting this on the blog.

It was truly an exciting experience. Worth every cent and surely a place to visit for holidays in the near future.

Enjoy.

Deji

Julio Villarreal

we met professor Julio Villarreal on Wed where he gave a presentation/lecture on the electricity system in Colombia and their plan when there is a shortage of water.  63% of Colombia's electricity supply is generated by hydro so when there is a drop in water levels it affects the country's supply.  Professor Villareeal decribe the options market that has developed to ensure electricity flow during the times El Nino hits (like it is right now).

Professor Villarreal set up two presentations for us in the afternoon with ISA (electricity transporter) and XM (administrator of the electricity market).

Afterwards Professor Villarreal took us to dinner at  Aurnes (sp)?  It is a restaurant bar that has 8 floors and is a restarurant by day and disco by night.  They have people who are dressed up constantly walking the floors entertaining patrons.  Oh yeah - did you know it was Richard Dixon's birthday today?

A very big thank you to Professor Villarreal who was a great host and a very nice and interesting man.

hola cartegena

we were up nice and early on Thursday to go to Cartegena.  Cartegena is along the Caribbean coast and is a hot place.  We arrived in Cartegena to tour the refinery plant there.  It is one of 2 refining ports that EcoPetrol have.  The tour and presentation we received was excellent but again were blown away by the openness and hospitality they showed.  I didn't mention yet that in Cartegena was 32 degrees.  Our visit was done at 4 pm and off to our hotel we went.  in my head i had a long list of things to do.

#1 - cerveza
#2 - cerveza
#3 - cerveza
#4 - nap
#5 - cerveza

unfortunately, I didn't end up doing #4 until later in the evening.

Other than being hot and humid, Cartegena is an old colonial city.  We walked in the old city where there is a vibrant street market where you can by shoes, electrical items, food and souvenirs. Just walking the city gives you energy and excitement.  I'm coming back here again!  I am planning on being here longer than 20 hours next time.

time to go home

It's saturday morning and our last day in Bogota.  I'm currently waiting for "my guy" to get some stuff... Our friend Nestor is coming by the hotel today at 8:30 am with some authentic native bags for us to purchase.  I am looking forward to seeing them.

Had the most sleep i have had all week - 6 hours.  the local workday here is Bogota is from 6 or 7 am to 5 pm.  That is a long day but as i was told, they like to enjoy their day by socializing during the day.

Went up to Monserrate last night for dinner.  The Universidad de los Andes honored 25 engineers who graduated with their M.Sc in Industrial Engineering.  This was a group of engineers who came to Edmonton in the summer of 2008 for 2 weeks.  It was great to see them again.  great guys.  It was also very nice that we were invited to this very important dinner.

What a day!!

It was a busy busy day as usual.The lab facilities of Los Andes University are second to none. The lecture on the Electricity generation and the ISA, XM presentations were excellent!! The dinner was a brand new experience in Colombia-Wow, a venue with a difference.

It was good to see Rachel (normally quiet) enjoying every moment of it.

Photos in next blog!!

day 4 - another jammed packed day

On Tuesday we visited the HQ of EcoPetrol.  EcoPetrol is largest energy company in Colombia and is listed on the NYSE.  Our host at EcoPetrol for the day was Freddie Diaz.  During our morning presentation, the president of EcoPetrol Javier Gutiérrez Pemberthy, took time out of his busy schedule to come meet us as well as personally greet us one by one.  Wow!  This doesn't happen everyday.  Mr. Pemberthy, spoke to the vision of EcoPetrol over the next 6 years and it is a very aggressive vision. He also  was able to field a few questions from the students.

day 3 - off to a great start

Our first day of visits started at the Colombia Ministry of the Environment.  We were presented (by Marcella pictured to the left with Deji) with the issues that the Department is tackling in Colombia such as air quality, regulation, and security.  The issues faced here are much much different then they are back in Alberta. The discussion was a real eye opener for many which led to a lively discussion.  What was very interesting is that environmental rights are protected in Colombia's constitution.
We also had a presentation from a professor (Eduardo picture to the right) at the Universidad de los Andes.  His presentation focused on urban pollution. Next to Mexico City and Santiago, Bogota has the 3rd worst air pollution in South America.  Eduardo's research centre is the main driver of the TransMilenio rapid bus line which has helped Bogota address its air quality issue. 
Our 3rd visit of the day was at Condensa, a Colombian power generation company.
For the first day, it was jammed packed.

This is the floor of the entry way into the Monastery Santo Ecce Homo. Yes those are sea bed fossils from site excavations 2600 meters above sea level! Several of the walls on the monastery are also decorated with ancient fossils.

Tethered cows by the road.

As I described in the blog here are a few cows tethered near the road so as to eat vegetation that grows there. Note the narrow gauge railway in the background. The hills in the distance look a lot like areas in the Okangan and Kamloops areas where I grew up as a teenager.

day 2 - Villa de Leyva

We took a 3-hour trip to Villa de Leyva for a little sightseeing on Sunday in Colombia.  Villa de Leyva is an old colonial town that used to be a retreat for military officers, clergy and nobility. 

When we arrived in Villa de Leyva we all went to have lunch at a nunnery. Well it was a nunnery that has been converted into a hotel and restaurant. Too bad I can’t remember the name.

We sampled a local treat called besos de novia (girlfriend kisses).  Yummy!

We also visited the Santo Ecce Convent that was built in 1620.   They had a beautiful courtyard that we full of color.  Being February and from Edmonton, I really appreciated that.

Before heading back to Bogota, we stopped in Raquira to purchase souvenirs for friends and family in Alberta.

A shout out to our hosts Alberto and Lucia Garcia who spent their whole day with the group and were fabulous!

Tomorrow (Monday) we start the study part of the trip at the Ministry of the Environment.

Here is a lesson we might want to learn from Bogota.

Every Sunday two lanes of this major thoroughfare running through Bogota is shut down so that joggers, walkers and bicyclists can use the street. Many, many people take advantage of this opportunity - including singles, families and groups.

Can you imagine Calgary or Edmonton making such a statement about the use of our roads during the summer!

Here is a picture of the Monastery - Santo Ecce Homo. Founded in the early 1600s it is a rich part of the faith history of Colombia. This picture is taken in the inner court yard with a fish filled well, flowers and surrounded by rooms that are now dedicated to the showing the history of this peaceful place.

day 1 - made it to Bogota!

The fort mcmurray MBA cohort and the edmonton MBA cohort met up in the toronto airport for the first time and we were greeted by a 4 hour delay.  What's travelling on Air Canada if there isn't a delay?  It's al part of the Air Canada experience.

Got to the hotel at 12 midnight on Sunday morning and had i would say,  had a pretty good sleep.  Off to Villa de Leyva today.

Greetings all - Our blog for Sunday, Feb 14th,, 2010

We have completed our first two full days here in Colombia and the experience so far in a word: "exciting".

First, about our hosts. Alberto Garcia and his wife Lucia are absolutely incredible. They have gone to considerable efforts to make our trip and study tour very special for all of us. It is a tremondous lesson the importance of excellent hospitality and the difference it makes to strangers and visitors in a new land. We have felt welcomed and cared for. An experience of a lifetime!

On Sunday, they hosted us on a trip north into Colombia to visit among other places the Villa de Leyva and the Monasterio Santo Ecce Homo. Both of these are part of a rich heritage of the people of Colombia, both in politics and faith. They are national treasures that are well taken care of and very inviting. Our hosts walked through both these places, translating and explaining the many sights we were seeing. Part of the fun was buying gifts for families and friends at home where Alberto and Lucia helped in negotiating a fair price.

In this first day of our tour one realizes that Colombia is very much a place of contrasts. Leaving the modern city of Bogota we were soon greeted with road construction that first saw modern earth moving and construction equipment alongside of men with shovels and wheelbarrows. A little farther on it was not unusual to see cattle or sheep tethered to stakes quite near the road where they were eating the grass. At evening they would be watered and the next day moved to a new location a few meters down the road to begin the process over again.

The narrow roads out 100 kilometers north of Bogota are often narrow and windy. As our bus barreled down the road it would past just inches from mules carrying produce for the market. In colourful Spanish style villages along the way people would be sitting in the shade outside of white painted buildings, nodding at us as we passed by on our way to other destinations.

So we are well started on some very special experiences during our stay here in Colombia. And again it is because of our very special hosts who have so graciously welcomed us and given of themselves.

And it gets better! More tomorrow on our first day of business tours.

Richard