After I arrived from Brazil, I started working at the workshop. Knowing how assembly and disassembly most of the tools at least the one that I will always use. However, it wasn’t easy, it was hard to know the name, to identify which tools is what and how it works at the field. It was constantly hard work. The good news is that I will be fit all the time, because working at the workshop was like going to the gym.
I spent more less 2 weeks at Coca, but then something happens, my roommate decided to quit the job. She was assign first to go to the driving school and then she will stay in Colombia where she can perform more jobs and be ready for the school. I guess you will thinking why she will go the school?? And you will be asking why she quit?? Well let me explain to you all this new stuff that will be constantly reading in the next posts.
When you join this company most of the time at the age of 24. You are always considered a Trainee, is similar to your first year of college. Everything is new and excited, you have roommates, also you have neighbors, you start making new friends of all ages. Most of your new friends will be guys, it is difficult to find girls in this business but with the time it started to increase the percentage of women joining this oil and gas field.
So I lose my roommate, she decided that it was hard for her to be away from home and to spent almost 3 months in Colombia. So my first question was: what has Colombia? Everyone says that it is difficult and there is a guy that they call “the nazi” or “the one who must not be named”. The first thing you think is that what is wrong with this people?? And you confirm again that you are in a Harry Potter movie. Whoever he was, I could say that the only person that I’m afraid is my mom. Who is not afraid when your mom is mad at you?? Or when you saw more than 10 miscall from her??
Then I had a big conversation with my boss, where he was asking me some question like: are you ok working with us? Something or someone is bother you? Will you quit your job? What are your expectations? And finally after I answer all his question, he said to me that I will go to Colombia for a driving course. I was surprise and excited because it was another course and I love to drive, so I guess this will be another easy course.
Here we go: Bogota my first stop. I arrived on Sunday, I was suspicious where I should go and I heard that Bogota is dangerous and that something could happen to me. But most people travel around the world and they are not afraid. So after I did the check in at the hotel I decided to go out and explore a little of this new city. First question: where I should go? After looking in a map I took the taxi and went to Simon Bolivar’s house. It was a really nice countryside house; I could imagine how they lived in that time. I’m obsesses with history and everything related to the past there are so many things to read and learn. So it is incredible when you travel and visit the old part of the city or the monuments where there is a story behind that.
After my visit to the house it was time to go to Monserrate, according to the guy from the hotel is one of the most visited places. Monserrate is a mountain that nominate the city center of Bogota, it rises to 3152 meters above the sea level. At the top of the mountain there is a church that was built in the 17th century. There are 3 options to get to the top, you can go by aerial tramway, funicular or by climbing. The last option it wasn’t for me, so I use the aerial tramway to go up and see the breathtaking view. Once I arrived I could tell you that the view is impressive, the church, everything. To see more pictures, you can go to Gallery or you will find it in my Pinterest account. To go down Monserrate I used the funicular, it is the best way to go down. Then I visit a square that was close to my hotel and because next morning I need to wake up early morning I decided to go to bed before 10pm.
Next morning, I ate breakfast and was ready to my first class, I met my instructor who was in the same hotel as me. He drove to the base. The class was at that base where you should pass the alcohol check before going inside, sounds ridiculous but that’s the rule in this company. I knew my classmates and my instructors, the first day it was theory and the next days we will travel to Tocancipá a small town that is like 2 hours driving from Bogotá. In that class was a guy that is almost my age, he is a good looking and nice guy. We started to chat after the class and to know each other. We talked about ours jobs and type of work we perform, the difficulties and the hilarious stuff we handle during our start in this company.
On Tuesday my classmates and I were split in different pickups, after 2 hours driving we arrive to Tocancipá, in that place we had again more theory classes and practice classes too. I was thrilled, I will learn how to avoid some situations: frontal crash, overflow wheel, how to use the 4x4, etc. these 4 days will be amazing and I hope I will pass this class with good grades. The next day we started with all the practical lessons. I really loved it, the one that I didn’t like was driving on backwards, for me it was really difficult. I don’t know why it is so hard for me to drive on backwards, hope someday I could perfection this technique. I was the best while driving on a big pound, my instructor was amazed that I drive so good that I didn’t get trap or that the car turns off.
The reason why I’m good driving in a pound is because in my home city, every time is rainy season most of the streets are flooded. So when I was at the university and I had classes at night most of the street was flooded and in order to get home I need to pass those streets while driving my family small car, in that time the car was a Chevrolet Corsa, see picture below and I success driving this car without getting trap or that something happen to my car. Now in this course I drove a pickup is bigger than my small car, so it was easy for me to pass this.
One of the driving test that we need to pass
Finally, the last test was driving from Tocancipá to another town that I don’t remember. According to our instructors the road is difficult and most of the time there are accidents my new friend was the first to drive, he wasn’t very good driving manual cars but we arrive safe to this small town, then my turn was to arrive safe to Tocancipá. It wasn’t a difficult road, even my instructor and my new friend were amazed of how good I drove back.
At the end we all pass the practical and theory exam *happy face again* and to celebrate this accomplish we went to a small bar and drank a lot of “Aguardiente” the traditional Colombian drink, it was a strong drink and I was drunk!!! So the next day when we went back to Bogotá I didn’t go inside the base; my friend and I went to change my flight ticket, thus I could stay one more day in Colombia and we hang out with him and his cousins.
We went to “Gaira Café” is a big bar and the owner is Carlos Vives, most of you don’t know him. He is a musician a really good one, I love his music. The place, the ambience and the shows were marvelous. I felt in love with this place, now is one of the things that I will do when I come back. That’s how my trip to Colombia ended, having an amazing week with great people.
Watch one of my videos of that night!!! if you want more please click on the following link: 5YearStory
What I will do next?? In that moment I wasn’t sure, the only thing that I knew was to be ready for my first school. I need to pass that exam because if I wasn’t ready they will be fired.
NOTE: For more photos of my driving course please review my Gallery or go to my Pinterest account.
