The Early – Morning Scenes in Colombia
As the sky begins to lighten with the first glimmers of dawn, the streets of Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, are already bustling. Street – side breakfast stalls are selling steaming “tinto”, the strong coffee favored by Colombians. The bitter – sweet aroma of coffee permeates the streets and alleys, enticing those still with sleepy eyes. In the city – center parks, there are people jogging and walking their dogs everywhere. In the southern market, busy vendors are transporting packs of wholesale T – shirts to their stalls on carts…
All of this witnessed by a special correspondent of the Global Times occurs around 6 a.m. At this time, many people in other countries are still struggling with their alarm clocks under warm blankets. A survey by the Organization for Economic Co – operation and Development (OECD) shows that Colombians are the earliest risers in the world, waking up on average at 6:31 a.m., nearly an hour earlier than Americans in the same hemisphere.
During the time spent in Colombia, the reporter deeply felt the “early – rising trend” of the locals. The morning market in Cartagena is quite lively. Vendors set up their stalls in the early hours of the morning, selling fresh fruits, freshly – baked corn cakes, and bread.
Bogotá, with a population of over 8 million, is one of the most congested cities in the world. Many office workers choose to leave home before 5 a.m. to avoid traffic jams. Not only office workers but also students get up early. Many students board school buses before dawn. El País, a Spanish newspaper, reported that before 2009, primary school students in public schools in Bogotá started classes at 6:30 a.m.
The Reasons Behind the Early – Rising Habit
Why do Colombians generally get up early? Besides the limitations of urban public transportation construction, it also has to do with their coffee – growing culture. Colombia has always been a major agricultural country in South America, famous for producing high – quality Arabica coffee beans. Many coffee farmers usually get up at 4 a.m. to pick fresh coffee beans. The early morning is cooler, making it easier to pick and preserve the coffee beans. If they get up late, the hot sun will make the labor more difficult.
Colombia is crossed by the equator and has no distinct seasons. The sunrise time throughout the year is relatively fixed, usually around 6 a.m., and sunset is around 6 p.m. The temperature rises quickly after sunrise. Getting up early helps to avoid the heat in the morning and make full use of the cool morning hours for work.
Moreover, the early – rising habit of Colombians is also closely related to their colonial history. The Catholic culture brought by Spanish colonizers centuries ago has taken deep root in Colombian society. Many religious ceremonies are held in the early morning. The Catholic morning prayer is conducted at dawn, and the church bells mingle with the chirping of birds in the morning, becoming the background sound for many Colombians to wake up.
The Significance and Modern Challenges of Early Rising
The early – rising time of Colombians is not entirely dedicated to work and study. Many people hope to spend more time with their families and share the warm morning light with them. Many families will use the early – rising time to prepare a delicious breakfast and gather briefly in the morning before starting a busy day, sharing bits and pieces of life.
Although the early – rising culture has always been prevalent in Colombia, the development of modern technology is gradually impacting the lifestyle of the locals. With the popularization of the Internet, the sleep schedules of the younger generation in Colombia are gradually shifting to sleeping late and getting up late. Nightlife has become popular in big cities, especially in Cali and Medellín. Young people like to go out for parties at night and return home in the early hours of the morning. This lifestyle makes their wake – up time later and later. Of course, for many older Colombians, getting up early remains an indispensable part of life. Especially in rural areas, whenever the sun is about to rise, the crowing of roosters and the busy footsteps can be heard in the villages as people greet each dawn with hard work.
