Ten days ago I began a journey that would take me to a new continent, a new town, a new home. For the first time I set foot on Colombian ground, expecting a great adventure – and so far that’s exactly what I got. Within those first few days I have already participated in a nightly meeting of a moon clan, have dipped my hands in the Amazon river, have stood right beneath a swarm of at least a million birds, was filmed by Television Leticia, and been covered completely in flour, mud and eggs.

But let me start at the beginning.

On Thursday, July 24, my plane touched ground in Bogotá, Colombia’s capital city. A town that makes your heart beat faster and takes your breath away. Literally. The entire city is built at an altitude of more than 2600 m, and the air is thin up there. It will take your body a few hours to adapt before you are breathing normally again. However, the panorama might be worth the physical strain: All along the horizon, the Andean Mountains stretch majestically, gently embracing the town.

For me, Bogotá was only a short stop on my journey to the Amazon. I spent one night with the mother of a very good friend, and there could not have been a warmer welcome – even though I pretty much fell asleep right away, as my day had been seven hours longer than usual. Still, she made sure I felt at home, and the next morning I got a wonderful first Colombian breakfast with scrambled eggs, ripe fruits, fresh juice, and delicious arepas with cheese: Me gusta mucho!

On Friday, July 25, the last part of my journey lay before me. My destination: Leticia, a town only accessible by air or by water, located in the middle of the Amazon jungle. I might just as well have been glued to the windows of the plane which took me there, staring down onto that sea of trees beneath me. La selva – I have never seen anything like it. Imagine a closed green carpet, stretching as far as your eyes can see. No towns, no streets, only occasionally the brown bows of meandering rivers. Until finally the Amazon river itself comes into view, a giant serpent slowly sweeping through the jungle below. This is where we land.

LaSelva

Leticia. For the next half a year, I will stay and study here. Leaving the plane feels like breathing in the essence of summer. The air is soft and warm, exotic birds are calling and palm trees gently swaying in the breeze. I am picked up at the airport by the family I will live with for the coming months, and I could not have possibly found friendlier hosts. Their hostel-home boasts a beautiful garden with coconut palms and papaya trees, with comfy hammocks and an awesome pool. Two dogs and two cats guard the house, birds and lizards stop by for a visit, and nocturnal monkeys live in the trees besides the door. There are always nice people around, good food on the table and a refreshing juice in the fridge. Moreover, the garden is a famous location for all kinds of events, from school swimming lessons to pool birthday parties, and at my first evening the monthly meeting of the moon clan took place.

LaCasa

As far as I understood it, the Clan de Luna is an international association of women who meet to share food and music and to discuss their views on the role of women in the world. This special night, some men were also allowed to participate. In my opinion, it was quite a funny date for a moon-meeting, as it was a new moon night with la Luna nowhere to be seen. Anyways, a great experience! I got to taste some local fruits I had never heard of before, met many nice people, and received my personal horoscope of the day I was born. There were also songs and drums and dancing under the star-lit sky. All in all, quite an exciting first day of my Amazon adventure!