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2 Weeks in the Life of a CLT Client: Spanish in Colombia

Melanie Lombard came to Cactus looking for a last-minute and highly personalised Spanish course in Colombia in July 2005. At short notice Cactus arranged a 2 week Individual Course of 25 lessons tailored to her individual needs, with a qualified, native teacher, in the pulsating capital of Bogotá.

Here's what Melanie wrote about her experience, from her initial decision to go, to her first thrilling words in a Spanish-speaking work environment.

Making The Big Decision

"It was actually a piece of spam that inspired me to go to Colombia. A Colombian friend sent me an email about the injustice of popular perceptions of Colombia as too dangerous for tourism, when the reality is that, despite ongoing internal strife, this beautiful country has so much to offer. Its astonishing biodiversity - taking in Caribbean and Pacific coastlines, jungle lowlands, the Andes mountains and the Amazon river - and the generosity and warmth of its people are chief attractions.

The idea of going there fascinated me, so when the opportunity arose to carry out some research in Colombia for my Master's course, I jumped at the chance! With a deadline looming later in summer, I had only limited time in Bogota which meant I would be unable to fit in with an organised Spanish course. I wanted some classes tailored to my individual needs, but it was proving difficult to organise a suitable course in Bogotá by email. When I phoned Cactus they came up with a suggested individual package really quickly, with one-on-one lessons from a qualified, experienced teacher based on my requirements." 

Continue to Melanie's online diary >>