Saturday we walked a block away to the grocery store so I could buy some wine for hostess gifts. The store was large and similar in look to a Vons. I learned that it’s not common here to send greeting cards (nor Christmas cards). They aren’t stocked in many places.

From there we strolled to Juan G and Martica’s house to pick up their car. It is Juan’s old car which he nickname Shamoo. It’s mid-size, but for Colombia it is huge like a whale.

We picked up Juan’s girlfriend, Lala (Laura Henao), who had just returned from vacation. Then we continued on to Juan’s mom’s(Patricia Medina) house in an area called Chapinero Alto. It is a pretty, quiet neighborhood of red-brick buildings. It’s near a nice restaurant area called Zona G.

Outside Patricia’s home was a horse pulling a cart. I’ve seen those all over Bogota, even on busy roads. They pick up the recycling and Juan says they cause traffic jams. The apartments here have doormen who unlock the doors when we arrive.

We visited for a while. Patricia and Lala finished preparing lunch. It was yet another special home and amazing spread. We had Patricia’s special, extra-crispy (because they are cooked in carbonated water) chicharrones, 2 kinds of friend plantains, arepas, and beans with toppings of avocado, “meat dust” (meat put through the food processor so it is extremely fine), white rice and sauces.

After lunch we had coffee (which Patricia makes the old fashion way without a coffee-maker), and Obleas (wafer sandwich with caramel in the middle). We visited for a long time having sweet conversation.

When we said goodbye we went back to the grocery store and bought Colombian candies and snacks to cary home as suvenier gifts.

The Betancourts were on their way back from Uni Centro (a shopping mall nearby) so they met us at Juan’s apartment. While the grownups (Mauricio, Nancy, Juan and Lala) had martinis, the kids (Maria, Ana and myself) watched Herculese in Espanol.

We had to leave to be prompt for dinner at the home of Juan’s dad (Juan Guillermo Lalinde) and his wife (Martica). Their apartment is a beautiful space, the true owner of which is their yellow lab, Nala. Martica created the painting in their bedroom.

We sipped wine and chatted leasurly before dinner. Martica made a salad of tuna, peas and artichoke hearts and a rice dish with saffron, steak, tomato and two kinds of cheese. It was a wonderful dinner.

After dinner we lingered, savoring old stories and new inside jokes. All the while we listened to great music on Juan G’s playlist. He gave us a ride home, only after we had lingered for hours. It was late and time for bed.

Main Square of Villa de Leyva

Juan Guillermo, Martica, Juan Felipe and I left early in the morning (6 o’clock hour) to avoid traffic and drive 3 hours to a colonial town called Villa de Leyva. Once you leave Bogota-proper there are tolls to use the roads, which are very narrow but well maintained. The drive was beautiful. About an hour out we were in the countryside. The landscape looked like Julian (San Diego County) with rolling hills, grass, and a few big trees here and there. Occasionally we’d pass grazing cows or greenhouses were flowers were being grown.

We reached Villa de Leyva mid-morning and had breakfast at a French bakery. The owner is a chef who visited the town once, fell in love with it, moved there, and opened the shop.

French Bakery in Villa de Leyva

Juan’s friends, Andres and Ana Sandoval (whom I had met in Las Vegas a few months ago) stopped-in to say hello. They’d been vacationing in Villa de Layva for several days with their two girls, Antonia and Miranda. (For Colombians this is the last vacation week of the Christmas season which begins in early December.)

Here children often go to private schools. There is a German School, an English School, an American school, etc. In their senior year, students prepare for a big exam to allow them to be admitted to college in the country for which they’ve been preparing. Antonia and Amanda attend the American school and spoke English beautifully as they sweetly showed me photos of their trip.

The town was hot, but it was a dry, unlike the humid heat of the Coffee Region. We walked around and looked at the Colonial architecture with its Spanish style balconies, cobblestone streets, and large central square. There were people strolling and dogs napping.

The old homes, whose architecture features an open courtyard in the middle, have been converted into little restaurants and shops. We sat in one such square and had a drink.

The Streets and Architecture of Villa de Leyva

Juan Guillermo, Lisa and Martica in Villa de Leyva

We drove back toward Bogota, stopping an hour short at Entre Pues, a Medellin-type restaurant. Medellin is the second largest city in Colombia and has unique cultural characteristics such as the people’s use of many idiomatic expressions, their propensity to exaggerate, and their jovial nature.  The restaurant is decorated with wood placards displaying myriad humorous expressions used there. The city also has its own variation on culinary flavors.  We shared plates of those traditional foods.

Placards at Entre Pues

Alcohol is ordered by the bottle or half-bottle. The whole thing is brought to the table like a pitcher of water would be. We had aguardiente, the signature spirit of Medellin. It tastes like annazette with a strong licorice flavor.

Half-Bottle of Aguardiente Light

Toasting with Aguardiente

Where bread would be brought automatically in the U.S., a plate of fried pork meat (chicharrones) and small corn cakes (arepas) were brought out.

I have tried many varieties of arepas but was yet to try Juan’s favorite until this meal. It’s a sweet corn pancake topped with butter and the soft cheese called quesito-delicious. I also tried something like a sausage casing stuffed with rice and other ingredients (and cooked with blood), more choriso, and sweet plantains.

After another great meal, we retired to Juan’s for the evening.

Juan Guillermo and Martica picked us up and we drove to the foot of a sheer mountain near downtown Bogota called Monserrate. From there we took a gondola up the steep slope to the peak. The vantage point allowed us to look out over the entire city, which lies in a savanna.

A catholic cathedral stands at the summit and is known for drawing people who wish to pay penance for their sins by climbing stairs to reach it. Some do so on their knees for additional suffering and punishment. We spent a few minutes in the church, and then took in the views. After that we had lunch at a restaurant also nested on the top of the mountain, and with the same incredible view.

Juan at Monserrate

Martica, Juan G. Juan F. at Monserrate

From Monserrate we went into downtown Bogota, passing the residence of the President. For about a dollar per person we purchased tickets to the gold museum (Museo del Oro) which contains a world renowned collection of gold art effects. Among the ancient treasures on display are crowns, jewelry, and religious objects.

We returned to Juan’s and worked for a few hours in the evening. We have been eating dinner much later than we would in the United States, (around 9:00 on average). Juan’s friend Marcela picked us up for dinner and we went to back to Usaquen to a fusion restaurant called Abasto.

Juan and Marcela at Abasta in Usaquen

After dinner we walked to the square, decorated with Christmas lights. There were a lot of people about because it was the last night the lights would be up.  We purchased Obleas from a vendor on the street. They are like extra-large communion wafers sandwiching a caramel sauce called arequipe. The wafers are about the size of an Eggo waffle, but paper-thin.  

Having an Oblea in Usaquen

Again I enjoyed the wonderful conversation with Marcela and Juan. And like all of my gracious hosts, they were incredibly sweet in wanting me to experience all Colombia has to offer.

Breakfast and the Jungle
Pato’s parents (Amanda and Alvaro) came over and we had breakfast with them. I was so fond of them. Pato showed us the equipment they use to harvest coffee.

Then Pato, his mom, Juan and I took a ride into what they called the forest. It is national preserve and looked like a jungle to me. We needed the 4-wheel drive of Pato’s Trooper (a vehicle of nastalgic value as he’s had it for 26 years). We walked and looked at the trees, plants and flowers. It was dense and lush. Then we headed back to the house, packed up and headed for the coffee park.

Alvaro, Pato, Amanda, Juan - At pato's House

Juan & Pato with the Trooper in the Jungle

Plantain Trees and a Wasps Nest

Pato Giving Us a Tour of the Jungle

A View of the Coffee Park Land

We went through a museum which showed the history of the Colombian coffee trade and how coffee is harvested and prepared. We took a train around the park. While it moved along a “house band” played music and it was like we were part of a partying brigade.

Where as Bogota is in the mid 70′s during the day and a cool 40 or 50 degrees at night, it was 90+ degrees and very humid in Armenia where the park is. We had to wear hats and seek shade.

We took a photo with a classic of the Armenia region, a Willys. Willys are a kind of Jeep. They are like taxis but it is a fixed price for  the price for as many people and as much cargo as will fit on them. So it’s common to see Willys driving along the winding roads completely weighed down with huge loads balanced precariously. They stack the cargo high and people grab on to any bar or bumper they can find. We saw one on the road in front of us with at least 14 people.

Juan & I on a Willys in the Coffee Park

Juan’s dad picked us up and shuttled us to the airport to take a commuter flight to the coffee region of Colombia. As we flew we could see one of 3 large mountain ranges which run through the country. The tallest peak, El Nevado, is snow covered.

As we descended we had views of green farm land punctuated sparesly by colorful casitas (traditional-style farm homes).  Juan’s friend, Maurico Gutierrez, nicknamed “Pato“, met us at the airport and took us to lunch at Estacion Paraiso, a covered patio with an island feel. The air was much warmer and more humid than in Bogota. It felt almost tropical. My hosts ordered an array of new foods for me to try, among which were,  fried plantains, chunchunllo (fried pork intestines), choriso (sausages), and a bean dish called cazuela.The cazuela was  a delicious combination of beans, sweet plantains, and fried pork. The toppings were cheese, and avocado and cream.

New Foods - Mmmm

Arepas, Choriso, Chunchunllo

Coffee in Salento

We set out toward Pato’s house and on our way we passed through a small town. Pato pulled up to one of many storefronts which lined the narrow streets, he beeped and asked if the man had a small saw blade. The man replied, brought one out, and handed it to Juan in the passenger side window, and took the money. The whole transaction took about 45 seconds. It was like a drive-through hardware store.

We arrived at Pato’s coffee plantation and took a dirt road through plantain, banana, coffee and citrus tree groves. He showed us what coffee plants look like in their various stages. Little white flowers become red berry-like pods. Inside the berry are the two beans.

Pato's Coffee Plantation

To harvest the coffee beans the berries are put into a machine which breaks them open and separates the skin and beans. In another process a film is washed off of the beans. Then they are dried in the sun. Later they are toasted.

Pato’s weekend home is being constructed. Two bedrooms are completed, as is the  covered patio. It was there where we relaxed in hammocks into the night.

It was another day of extremely generous hospitality as Pato extended himself, showing us all around that beautiful region, and opening his home to us.

Pato Under His Covered Patio

Juan on Pato's Covered Patio at Sunset

Bedroom at Pato's House