No Sabo No More
1 Week Spanish Immersion in Villa de Leyva, Colombia
Spanish Language Reclamation As Resistance
Language As Resistance and Love
English dominance is another form of colonization. We resist by speaking Spanish because language is where we tell our creation stories, share our values, and show our love for our families, our people, and the places we come from. We resist by speaking Spanish and that brings us one step closer to freedom. Hating Spanish cuts us off from our Hispanic culture and from loving ourselves and our peoples. Resentment is not the way. Love is.
Spanish Moves Us Towards Freedom
Spanish is the gateway through which we can learn our Indigenous languages. We will be hard pressed to find an Indigenous heritage speakers from Latin America who speaks English. If we want to learn our Indigenous languages, we need to be able to communicate to our heritage speakers in a language we both have in common: Spanish.
A Profound Act of Allyship
On both personal and political levels, one of the most profound acts of allyship that you can to help Latin immigrants and our descendants is to speak Spanish. It shows us that you have invested a substantial amount of your own time and energy into understanding and loving our peoples, our cultures, and our ways of being. Spanish language interpreters at ICE facilities are needed now more than ever and people shouldn’t have to spend extra energy always translating in their heads to be understood by non-Spanish speaking relatives. It is a sign of respect and deep love.
Who We Are
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We learn by doing. Whether we are weaving traditional baskets out of straw or swimming at the nature spring water pool, we use our environment as our classroom. Using an Indigenous language acquisition model as our foundation, we practice speaking and listening while we develop new skills in a new place.
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Curiosity, perseverance, and support guide everything that we do. Your mind will make intuitive connections as you grapple for words, your accent doesn’t matter, and you will always get the encouragement to keep trying. We don’t care how long it takes or that you get it ‘right’, just that you keep going. You are smarter than you think.
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So many of us who are the children of immigrants from Mexico on down lose our Spanish being raised in the English dominance of North America. We couldn’t speak to our abuelas, felt embarassed about ordering our own people’s food, and were made fun of sometimes at the family BBQ. Learning Spanish gives us access to a whole new layer of who we are and the tools to make decisions in our next steps to reclaim who we are from there.
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Mountains of Gachantivá
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Weaving with local artisan
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Town Square Villa de Leyva
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The Spring Water Pool
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Pre-Hispanic Clay Musical Instruments
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Local Swimming Hole in Gachantivá
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Ana Lopez Camargo picking berries on her finca
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Traditional Basket
What’s Included?
What Is Included In Each Session?
5 days of Spanish language immersion by doing:
Monday through Friday
Hiking, Biking, and Swimming
Local Tourist Attractions
Workshops with local artisans (drawing, weaving, etc.)
1 open day (Saturday)
1 travel day (Sunday before and after)
7 nights of lodging at a hotel in Villa de Leyva, Colombia
Breakfast and lunch provided either at the hotel or at host homes
Traditional Colombian cuisine
Dietary restrictions can be accommodated with advance notice
Transportation to and from the Bogota Airport on the Sunday before and after
ONLY during a pre-arranged window of time
Otherwise private transportation can be arranged for an extra cost
WiFi and use of public space at the hotel
Many carriers such as Verizon and ATT also have plans that include data roaming in Colombia
What Is NOT Included In Each Session?
Flights to Colombia
Transportation and cost of whatever activities you choose to do during the open day (Saturday)
Dinner time meals
Cost of lodging, transportation, and meals if you choose to come early or stay after the sessions are over
Private excursions outside of group activities
Frequently Asked Questions
What level of Spanish do I need to have before coming?
None. We simply ask you to be willing to fully participate in the immersion model, and work through moments of stress or discomfort when you are trying to figure out how to communicate.
Do I need to speak English to come to this immersion camp?
Yes. This is a bilingual immersion where we are learning from English to Spanish.
Does it matter if I understand more than I speak?
No. Our Indigenous teaching model will give you confidence to have real conversations.
Who is this Spanish immersion week for?
We will centre non-Spanish speaking descendants of Latin immigrants who want to reclaim our roots, but it is open to all.
Will I have a roommate?
If you are a solo traveler, yes. Couple or families, no.
Will I have a choice in the room or roommate selection process?
No. We appreciate your flexibility as this is a small program.
Can I bring my pets?
No. Getting the required health certificates to get a pet outside of Colombia is extremely onerous and time consuming. You won’t be able to fully participate in the experience.
Meet Your Instructors
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Rosa Blumenfeld-Romero
LEAD INSTRUCTOR
20 years of teaching experience, professional Spanish language interpreter, and founder of Reclaiming Indigeneity
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Ana Lopez Camargo
LOCAL CHEF & FARMER
Ana grows berries, makes traditional cuajada cheese from the cows on her farm, and is an excellent Chef of traditional Colombian cuisine fresh from her own produce.
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Johanna Suárez Peña
LOCAL WEAVER & FARMER
A family tradition passed down to Johanna by her mother Lucy and her father David. The baskets are woven out of local materials on their farm in Gachantivá.
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Fernando Botero
LOCAL PAINTER
Fernando has lived in Villa de Leyva for over 30 years with standing exhibits at 2 hotels in town and makes the world’s best hot chocolate.
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Aleli Pulido
LOCAL ARTESAN
Aleli is trained in all kinds of pre hispanic crafts from clay musical instruments, to traditional weaving, and natural jewelry making on her finca.
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Manuel Botero
Manu was born and raised in Villa de Leyva and is a professional tour guide, avid cyclist, and photographer. He is also the co-owner of Hotel Ruta 40.
Sample Schedule Monday - Friday
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Breakfast at the hotel. A chance to hang out with each other with no formal agenda.
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We learn by moving! Whether its a bike, hike, or swim, we will explore the area, build community, and have fun together all in Spanish.
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Whether we are in Villa de Leyva or Gachantivá, lunch will be provided by local chefs at the hotel or on site.
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Hands-on time to learn Spanish as we draw, make musical instruments out of clay, or weave baskets out of locally sourced straw.
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Some days will go longer than others, but once we are done for the day you are free to go back to the hotel to rest, and/or explore Ville de Leyva’s restaurants, bars, and night life.
Upcoming Experiences
No Sabo: Solo Travelers
Learn Spanish with other solo travelers. This is a full week long Spanish immersion experience where you will build community with each other as you learn to speak Spanish by doing: art making, body moving, and sight seeing. Limit 10 spots.
No Sabo: Queer Solos and Couples
Learn Spanish in Colombia during Pride Month! Villa de Leyva is a small town of ~20,000 people where we will build Queer community as we speak Spanish together all week. Speak Spanish with pride! Limit 10 spots.
No Sabo: Queer Families
Learn Spanish through play with kid led adventures amongst other Queer Latin families. There will be lots of movement, art, and sight seeing activities during our week long Spanish immersion experience. Limit 5 families.
No Sabo: All Families
Learn Spanish through play with kid led adventures amongst other Latin families. There will be lots of movement, art, and sight seeing activities during our week long Spanish immersion experience. Limit 5 families.