Caribbean Colombia

After arriving in the Tayrona area, we were treated to a snack at Casa Tayrona los Naranjos while we waited for our room at Villa Playa los Naranjos. The snack: a fruit drink (lulo) and a potato salad with roasted potatoes, cherry tomatoes, boiled egg, onion, roasted sweet red pepper, and cilantro served with two sauces (avocado and tomato.) These hotels are in a small, private development. The only restaurants are at the lodges. We chose Villa Playa because of it’s more extensive menu and good restaurant reviews.

Upon arrival at Villa Playa, we were treated to chilled coconuts...each was punctured and had a straw inserted. It was a mighty fine refreshing drink. Continuing to sip on our coconuts, we checked into our very spacious suite and appreciated the view over the mouth of the Rio Piedra and the Caribbean. This room was only available for one night but we enjoyed it while it lasted. Our next room was equally nice, just missing the view. After settling into our room we took a walk to the beach.

For dinner, we partook of beef carpaccio followed by grilled fish with garlic sauce along with a fresh mixed salad.  All accompanied by a bottler of Santa Rita 120 Chardonnay. The wine “list” is small but quite good. And the wine is available throughout the day from an honesty bar. 

The next morning we wandered around the hotel grounds and grabbed some photos of the local fauna and flora…birds, caiman sign, cows...

Our excursion for the day was to the Tayronaka Archeological Site with ruins from ancient city of Tairona dating from 2000 BC. Enroute to the site, we stopped to pick up some sun lotion and insect repellent. The shop was interesting because it was laid out to discourage wandering through the aisles…although, if asked, they will provide access by rolling aside that showcase in the front of the photo below.

We chose to walk into the site rather than take the boat upriver. Upon arrival at the site we met our local guide who led us through the museum and the site...and later served us our meal. An interesting range of jobs for one person. And as long as she talked slowly we didn’t need our area guide to translate...amazing. Our Spanish is improving! Still we took advantage of our English speaking guide (Antonio) to clarify points as well as to make observations about his own culture. He is a Wayuu (one of the several indigenous groups, this group is from the plains/desert, not from the mountains.)

The highlight of the museum was what is probably a funerary pot. It was fairly large, maybe 2 feet high and 18 inches around. Inside it features about a dozen characters surrounding  a prone character in what appears to be a funeral ceremony. 

The site features remains of round buildings built on terraces at various levels. The higher the level, the higher your status in the village. Houses for men and women were separate. Women’s housing had doors facing the moon, and men’s housing had doors facing the sun. (We are unsure what they really means. Facing the moon when??  Nevertheless, it was clear that the entrances were oriented differently.) Even in the common buildings women and men had separate entrances with women entering through the doors facing the moon. Note the Tayronaka people are the ancestors of today’s Kogi people. When we late visited the Kogi village, we learned they still have separate housing for men and women and they still maintain the same orientation of the doors. (Note: We don't get it either...how can the door consistently face the moon or the sun???)

We visited a replica of their houses which demonstrated that the roofs were made to keep out the rain and the walls were made to allow air flow for cooling. 

About the peacocks, they are just hanging around in the trees.

The tour was followed by lunch, some very tasty shrimp, rice and patacones. Pantacones are bananas that are sliced and pressed into flat pancake like shapes and then fried. Just one of the MANY ways they serve bananas (plantains) here. After lunch we floated down river on tire tubes. This was truly a float, not a sign of a ripple in the water.

We drove back to the hotel through numerous banana plantations.

Back at Villa Playa we enjoyed spaghetti bolognese for dinner with a bottle of 120 Merlot. A lemon bar for dessert completed our repast. Later we talked with a young couple from Toronto (Ping & Joy) who were looking to speak a little English. Interesting conversation about life and travel.

The next day was our longest and most strenuous. It started with a 2 hour walk up and down and up... to visit two indigenous villages. Note, only try this tour if you are used to walking a lot on rough terrain. It is very dry territory. Our guide carried a bag of water for each of us to use to water one of the newly planted trees along our route. Along the way, we observed many leaf cutter ants busily carrying bits of green leaves home. And our guide point out where the ants later deposited the debris left after the ants had consumed those bits of leaves.

We first reached the Kogi village and managed a tour through the village but the people chose not to meet with us. It was unclear why. From there we used tubes to cross the river to visit with the Arahuaco people. Here they served us a traditional lunch of sancocho (soup) with chicken and vegetables in a tasty broth. Later we had a tour of the village. The first stop was to see the cocoa trees (cocoa is a main source of income for the village). While there are native trees, they find that trees from India are more productive. Even cocoa from these imported trees is apparently a very fine cocoa. Our local guide picked a large cocoa fruit and opened it with his machete. Then he passed it around for us to taste the fruit that covers the beans. Delightful.  

Several of the men were invited to help press sugar cane (which makes a juice that has a mild nutty taste with a touch of lemon). 

Next the Mamo (the local chief / spiritual guide of the village) demonstrated roasting Coca leaves until they are ready for ceremonial use. 

Nearby were some coca plants and suddenly Pat realized that those lovely red berries we had passed by were on coca shrubs. The berries aren’t used as medicine or drugs, but they are pretty.

From there we returned to the main village for a ceremonial goodbye, which included having 2 braided string bracelets tied on each of our wrists to bring us good luck. We didn’t realize how soon we would need that luck. 

The next stage of our journey was to return to our vehicles by floating downriver on more tubes for about 2 hours. Our small group of four (the two of us and our two guides) had our 4 tubes tied together and had a fine float downriver, being careful to sit high in our tubes in the shallows and holding our breath at the rapids. The others, a group of 8 had their tubes also tied together…but this was a mistake. Two groups of four would have been easier to manage. But that came to pass…on the third rapid, a rock came between the tubes and bone a rope. Suddenly they were two groups but it seemed to work fine from there to where we got out of the river.

The river was low and slow while the rapids were stronger than usual. And it was getting darker and darker. So they called the drivers and had them meet us upriver from the planned landing. It was challenging getting out of the river as it was already dark. But our luck was still with us and everything worked out. In summary, It was a pretty exciting tubing ride with some pretty exciting rapids. Almost as exciting as our rafting trip. Honestly, it was lots more fun than that calm float the previous day. 

One of the local guides captured the float downriver in photos. We hope to receive them but, as you can imagine, the internet service is not so great in the High Sierra.

Being later than planned we would arrive at our hotel after the dining service was closed. Hence our tour leader treated us to a tasty salmon dinner at a local restaurant, Las Acacias.

Our last adventure day for the Colombian trip, was our horseback tour in Parque Nacional Tayrona. A 1.5 hour ride out (with our guides trailing us on foot), along some narrow and steep (up and down) trails to the beach of the park. 

We enjoyed swimming in the surf and exploring the beaches. 

As we walked back along the beaches and through the forest, we saw a caiman, monkeys, birds, geckos, …We had help spotting the flora and fauna from a local botanist, Manfry.  

After a much shorter horseback ride back we stopped at Las Acacias for more wonderfully cooked fish. Mojarra for Bill, Sawfish for Pat.

Later, after a swim in the hotel pool and after a short rest we managed to find room to enjoy some langostinos & salad…I am still not sure how we did that!

Our final day in the area was spent relaxing. reviewing photos, writing our blog and visiting a nearby beach.  A well deserved rest after three adventuresome days. Lunch was the best burgers and fries we have had in a while, both with excellent flavor and texture. For dinner we enjoyed a bottle of Chandon sparkling wine from Argentina along with beef carpaccio and red snapper.

It is 155 miles from Playa los Naranjos to Cartagena. Much of it is along the coast. Some parts were clean and open. Others filled with shacks. Compared to the beautiful beaches we had been enjoying, this long drive is disappointing. We stopped Barranquilla for lunch at a colorful local place. WE shared a plate of  Deditos de Ollaya (fried cheese sticks). Bill had Ajillo con Robalo, actually it was listed as Robalo al Ajillo (but it looked more like garlic with some seabass). He liked it. Pat had Bocachico Frito (Bocachico is a flaky, bony fish. But the bones are small and edible. The fish was quite tasty).

Bill's Garlic with Seabass

Medellin

Medellín, aka "City of the Eternal Spring", at 4,900 ft above sea level has a pleasant spring-like climate all year. Metropolitan Medellin is located in the long, narrow Aburrá Valley, which separates two branches of the Andes Mountains. Official and “informal” communas and townships sprawl up the mountainsides. 

The International Airport is located in Rionegro 18 miles east of the city. It is on the mountain ridge, more than 2000 feet higher than the city, and there is still no highway connecting the two. So driving to the city center takes 30-45 minutes. Notably and unsurprising, Medellín has outgrown the valley and industry is rapidly expanding to the towns to the east of the city so it isn’t hard to imagine that within a few years the highway(s) will appear.

Medellin has a public transportation system to be proud of. It includes two rail lines, a Tranvía tramcar line, and two bus rapid-transit lines with over 200 small feeder bus lines.  And to reach some of the city's informal settlements on the steep hillsides, there are five cable-car/gondola lines as well as electric stairways that climb through Comuna 13. We used some of each during our visit. And if that wasn’t enough we supplemented this with our car & driver, André. 

For our first tour day, André drove us to a convenient Metro station for the ride across Medellin (from south to north). Here we transferred to a gondola that took us up a mountain side to Parque Arvi, an area being restored to its natural habitat. The area had been planted in Pine trees to provide wood for lumber. But as with most non-native species, that had it’s downsides. It turns out that Nico had participated in the restoration of the area. He was part of the team that designed the park and later participated in creating the park. Before exploring the area, we fortified ourselves with a fruit cup of blackberries and strawberries. 

View of "informal" hillside housing from Gondola to Parque Arvi

We toured an area with orchids and anthuriums (plus lots of trees) with a guide, who along with Nico, described the various flora. 

We then headed back down the mountain and transferred back to the rail line to arrive in Centro. Exiting the train we were struck by the beauty of the Rafael Uribe Palace of Culture, a Gothic Revival style building by a Belgian architect Agustín Goovaerts in 1925. It has a distinctive black and white brick facade with rounded cupolas.

Nearby we enjoyed seeing the history of the city as depicted on a mural rescued from a building that had been demolished. The mural is protected by glass so photos were difficult to take.

From, there we wandered into Botero Plaza with it's many sculptures by the Medellin-born artist.

Then we followed a long market street where you can buy almost anything. Along the way, we stopped to admire the Centro Comercial Palazio Nacional, another architectural jewel by the Belgian architect, Agustín Gooavaerts. This former Palace of Justice has been repurposed into a shopping mall with more that 400 stores. Delightfully, the facility maintains many of the fine architectural details. 

We ended up at the old train station and inspected a fine steam engine that commemorates the former rail system. 

From there we took a light-rail line across the valley and then a gondola up the other side of the valley for lunch at Donde Dario; Pat had "Cazuela Tipica” (a tasty combo of beans, ground beef, spicy avocado, smoked chicharron and more). Bill had "Higado Encebollado" (liver with onion, tomatoes, and fresh cilantro). This was one of our tastier Colombian meals. But still, heavy to stewed meat.

Later we toured Communa 13 which was transformed by a series of events. Specifically, government intervention in the early 2000's, followed by the work of street artists and hip-hop dancers, and finally the installation of 1,260 feet of outdoor escalators (providing convenient access to the city below).  What was once one of the most dangerous places in the world (based on murder rates), now is admired by thousands of visitor a day who feel safe and awed by the art and the transformation. And while it is still a poor community, the people have hope for the future and pride in their accomplishments. 

We got to watch Choco 13, one of the most noted muralists, at work (and posing in front of his work-in-process). Later we shared one of the local specialties a frozen mango pop. Just imagine pieces of mango frozen in juice and formed around a stick. So fresh and yummy.

After returning to our hotel we decided to take one of Nico’s dining recommendations and headed to nearby Cafe Zorba. We had a very tasty Kale Pizza with pine nuts and a nice bottle of Bornada. 

The next day André took us to San Antonio Plaza to see more Botero sculptures. Here there are two sculptures of doves. One was installed in 1995 but was blown up (apparently by FARC) later that year during an outdoor concert. In 2000 Botero donated an identical sculpture but insisted both be displayed as a testament to the violence and to those killed by the explosion...whose names are carved on a plaque on the base of the destroyed piece. A very poignant combination.

From there we stopped for coffee at a renowned Tango Bar/Cafe, Salón Málaga, founded in 1957. The place is replete with memorabilia from the era (photographs of dancers, juke boxes, gramophones, ...)

From nearby we took a train to a gondola to ride up the mountain  to Comuna 8 for the views over Medellin from the southeast. Along the way we noted other murals and especially one that honored the textile workers of the city.   

Then on to see the Mercado Placita de Florez (named for the founder of the market). One of the most interesting tastings there was that of a tree tomato crossed with a blackberry. It definitely tasted like tomato but a VERY sweet tomato.  

After the market we explored the Parque Bicentenario area.  We especially enjoyed viewing the sculpture called "Arbol de Vida / Tree of Life”. It has a tree shape with the trunk and limbs formed of human bodies. The bodies are formed of many of the knives (former weapons) that were turned in as part of the peace process. 

Next we visited the Museo Casa de la Memoria, Medellín’s museum dedicated to honoring urban conflict victims. We barely saw the museum but our guide used an interactive display to walk us through the history of Medellin from pre-Columbian days tile recently. Medellin is such a beautiful city and Colombia is such a beautiful country. It is sad that the residents have had so little time to enjoy it.

The history from the conquest to recent times followed much the same path as Mexico, Spanish rule followed by independence. Mexico has had its issues with the drug cartels but Colombia ended up in a full scale internal war between the cartels, guerrillas, and the paramilitary units that were formed by the elite to protect themselves. The 1990’s were the worst times in terms of violence between the various groups throughout the country, cities and countryside fighting for control of the drug production chain from start (raising coca plants through processing and distributing cocaine). It was not until the early 2000’s that President Uribe, with the support of the populace, eliminated many of the leaders of these groups and laid groundwork for peace in Colombia. Fortunately (?) in Mexico, by comparison, the conflict between the government and the cartels has mostly been limited to regions and cities important to the flow of drugs.   

From there we were off to lunch at La Cocina de Tata. Bill had Sancocho 3D (soup with beef, pork, chicken and vegetables). Pat had Sancocho de Bagre (cat fish soup). These soups are based on yucca root, plantain (bananas), and other vegetables. They are served with rice, mango, and crepes on the side. We finally tried Guandolo, a drink made from panela (sugar cane) & lemon juice. Surprisingly refreshing. We don’t want to think of the calories. 

After lunch we drove up to Finca Catedral. This area served as the official prison to Pablo Escobar, the drug lord. And a mighty fine place to be imprisoned. Nice grounds. Watch towers to keep other out, not to keep him in. Great views over Medellin. He still managed to get killed by the the Pepes (a group hired by competitive drug lords) or the National Police or…. The stories vary. But in the meantime he knew how to “live”.  We explored the grounds, now a luxury area to live and a fine retirement home for priests. Enroute to Finca Catedral we spotted a Momotus momota, aka barrancaro, a blue bird with funny tail; The name barrancaro refers to the fact that it builds houses by burrowing into cliffs. The bird was impressive but hard to photograph.

Above: Murals on buildings within Escobar's prison.
Below: View over the soccer field at the prison,

The next day was a “leisure day”. We started by exploring the Poblado neighborhood, the area where we were staying. There are lots of restaurants and shops in the area. It was Sunday so not all shops were open but the first one we found was Pardo, a men’s shop and we immediately spotted a shirt for Bill. 

Later we decided to have lunch at Romero. We shared a Caesar salad. Bill had pasta with four cheeses and Pat had risotto with mushrooms and a bottle of Dada Art Wine 3 (Cabernet Sauvignon & Syrah) from Finca Las Moras in Argentina. 

From there we walked to Santefé mall. Mind you there is a Santa Fe Mall and a Santafé Mall. We started out for the former which was quite an uphill walk before we realized our mistake. In any event, we finally arrived at our targeted mall. It is quite impressive. We explored a little and then returned to our hotel. 

Later we decided that to return to Romero to have for ice cream It all looked so good, but we just couldn’t manage it at lunch. So now was the perfect time. Bill ordered a cone of “lemon pie” and "white chocolate”, Pat had pistachio and maracuya / passion fruit.

The next day we were off to El Peñól, Guatape and the local lake (Penol/Guatape reservoir) formed by the dam built in the late 70’s. It is about a 2 hr drive from Medellin. Along the way we took a rest stop and tried some  local pastries, Pan almojabana. Our driver called them Colombian Doughnuts. Wonderful light bread dough fried in rings. 

Then we were on to visit the new town of El Peñól. The new town has little character as it was built under duress by the utility company when they were forced to provide homes for the folks displaced when the dam was built. The main places of note are the local cathedral, built to look somewhat like the Rock of Peñól in nearby Guatape and a little cafe that served really great empanadas (triangles of dough with meat filling).

Above: Cathedral build a a replica of Rock of Peñól.
Below: Fine empanadas.

We continued on to Guatape where we climbed more than 700 steps, carved into the northern face, to the top of El Peñól (Rock of Guatapé) peak to the viewing platform (with a few rest stops along the way). Even the young guys were breathing hard on this ascent. Views along the climb and at the top were impressive despite the rain and clouds. The rock rises from the bottom of the hydroelectric dam of Peñol-Guatapé. At its highest part it has an elevation of 7,005 feet above sea level, towering up 650+ feet above its base. 

From the Rock we were off to Guatape for lunch and a walk around town. The town is quite cute and the exterior walls of the buildings are decorated with what they call “zocolos", decorative strips on the lower part of house /store exteriors.

We had lunch of grilled trout, one with and and one without garlic.The garlic one was almost too heavy to garlic, if you can imagine that. The fish and Sauvignon blanc from Chile were excellent. After we explored town some more, we shopped a bit(we bought a couple of gifts) and checked out more zocolos before our boat ride around the lake.  Along the way we made another “narco Tourism” stop at the remaining grounds of Pablo Escobar’s estate (not to be confused with his prison). The grounds were impressive, despite the fact that they are in total ruins. As mentioned earlier, the man seemed to know how to enjoy life, despite ruining it for so many others. Today a portion of the grounds is used for paint ball competitions. 

Above: Ruins of the home.
Below: Paintball grounds.

In the evening we went to Bonhomia for light dinner (plate of 3 deli meats and 2 cheeses with bread) and a bottle of Muga Rioja.  All good and just the right amount. 

Our last day in Medellin we spent blogging, getting laundry done, shopping (buying two pairs of jeans for Bill) and having a light lunch at Greek Connection where we enjoyed the greek salad and fried calamari with a glass of white wine. We were saving space to enjoy dinner at Voila Vinos, a French restaurant started as a way to encourage Colombians to enjoy French wines. So at dinner we did our best to enjoy French wine…starting with a cremant (sparkling wine from outside the Champagne region) with foie gras, then moving on to a red Languedoc to accompany our veal and rabbit, and, finally a Andre dessert wine from Gascony to go with our profiteroles with “red fruit” sauce for dessert.  A very nice evening.