February 10, 2010 at 06:08 (Context, Life in the Big City)
In the mountains east of Envigado there is a really nice park called El Salado. It is a green space designed for urban dwellers who want to get out of the city for a day trip. The setting is a peaceful rural valley with a clear running stream, landscaped and semi-natural vegetation.
My wife and one of her pals went up to the park to get away from the city yesterday. When Nubia got home she mentioned the sancocho picnic service they offer. Sancocho is a delicious stew and is one of the core dishes in the cuisine of Antioquia. By way of background, a traditional family outing often includes making sancocho picnic style. A large kettle and all the fixings are packed up along with the family and everyone heads out to a favorite country location for the day. Firewood is gathered and a cooking fire started. The stew is prepared while the kids play and the adults chat and perhaps have a beer or two. Everyone eats large bowls full when its done and the conversations, hikes, games and other activities continue until it is time to go home.
The park offers a package deal including a kettle, the fixings and a place to make the sancocho for a very reasonable price. For 48,000 pesos ( around 24 dollars) you get a package feeding 10. The 5 person version costs 25,000 pesos or about $US12.50. The fixings include the meat, potatoes, yuca and other vegetables.
There are 17 very nice kiosks available for day use. These provide a roof in case of rain, benches and fixtures to hang hammocks in addition to the cooking area. They are quite comfortable and most have a good view of the stream. These are provided without an extra charge but it is a good idea to arrive early to get one.
Of course you don´t have to make sancocho to enjoy the park. There are small restaurant facilities available, snack shops and of course you can bring your own picnic if you wish. If you don´t get a kiosk there are benches and other spots to just sit and relax. There also is a store and restaurant just outside the entry.
Getting there is easy from the Metro. Just ask for an “integrado” ticket for el Salado. Go to the Envigado station and take one of the buses which says El Salado. The entrance fee is COP$ 4,000 or about US$ 2.00.
I highly recommend a day trip out there when you are looking for a place just to relax. This is very much a family destination and to my knowledge is as safe as as similar facilities you would find in the States or in Europe.
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January 28, 2010 at 14:10 (Context, Foods and Beverages, Money Matters)
These are taken from this week’s flyer from Carrefour. The price in US dollars is based on an exchange rate of 1988 pesos per dollar.
White Rice 5 kg for 10,600 pesos or $5.36 dollars ($0.43/lb)
Brown Sugar 2.5 kg for 4690 pesos or 2.36 dollars ($0.43/lb)
Soy oil 3000 ml for 12,590 pesos or 6.33 dollars ($0.06/oz)
Olive Oil 1000 ml for 12,990 pesos or 6.53 dollars ($0.19/oz)
Quaker Instant Oatmeal 180 gr for 2490 pesos or 1.25 dollars ($0.20/oz)
Oreo Cookies 432 gr for 3990 pesos or 2.01 dollars ($0.13/oz)
Brown Eggs 30 each for 5890 pesos or 2.96 dollars ($0.10/egg)
White Bread 480 gr. for 1990 pesos or 1.00 dollar ($0.06/oz)
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January 6, 2010 at 18:12 (Context, Foods and Beverages)
I found a nice little shop where ice cream, coffee and crepes are served. Clover Ice Cream is the name and the address is Calle 66 No. 50B 23 in Prado Centro. This is just a block and a half up from the Hospital Metro Station.
They offer a wide choice of ice cream sundaes, fruit salads, malts and both sweet and salty crepes. The decor is bright, colorful and in good taste. The table cloths are a rich orange and contrast well with the green menus. Photos of ice cream dishes adorn the walls. The times I have been there the music was soft North American or British rock with some jazz mixed in. The service is friendly and effective. They also offer home delivery.
I think the coffees could be improved but they are ok and this shop is a welcome addition to the neighborhood. A great place to stop after the commute home from work or any time your travels about town bring you to Prado Centro or the University of Antioquia. This is a relatively new business and they need support from the community to make a go of it.
See you there…
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December 26, 2009 at 18:08 (Uncategorized)
We spent Christmas with family, a brother-and-law, his wife, kids and the boyfriend of his daughter. It may sound prosaic but this is one of things that I like about Colombia, family first. We ate a good rice and seafood plate, with bruchetta, and a tossed salad. The music was tropical dance tunes; salsa, cumbia, poros and more. We had a small bottle of Jonney Walker Red Label, one of Ron Medellin (very good local rum), one of Aguardiente Antioqueno., and several bottles of Tres Cordilleras beer. No one got drunk but everyone had a good, relaxed time.
We talked a lot about intuition, telepathy and how the brain works. The women defended concepts such as extra-normal knowledge of events like the death or illness of close friends and relatives. The guys mostly questioned how this could work. We were careful not to step on toes.
The younger generation is university educated as are most of the older members of the family in fields including Botany, Philosophy, and Engineering. None of us have high incomes but neither are we hurting.
We distributed a few simple gifts. I gave my sister-in-law a massage for a crick in the neck. Aches and pains are the same the world over. Love is the same the world over.
Although no one over indulged, folks went home in taxis. Phone calls affirmed everyone’s safe arrival, then off to bed for a good nights sleep. Prosaic, but these are simple things we did not have in the States. Not much family there.
I hope all of you had a good Christmas and were able to share it with family and good friends.
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December 12, 2009 at 15:44 (Context, Life in the Big City, Music)
Last night we attended a performance of the Carmina Burana at the Metropolitan Theater. It was a great production which down played several of the Springtime and Tavern pieces in a way that set off the final Fortuna very nicely. Overall it was gentle in a way I have not previously heard.
The lighting was extremely good using well designed thematic projections on the high walls of the theater.
The Carmina Burana is very popular here in Colombia. The audience appreciated the performance and called the principles back three times. There was a lot of applause for the children’s choir whose contribution was professional. Sarah Cullins sang soprano parts nicely The baritone voice of Camilo Mendoza is deep and rich.
Leaving the theater we entered a December evening in Medellin. Lots of people in the street getting the Christmas season celebrations underway. Music everywhere. The Christmas lights display at the EPM Barefoot Park are great. Clear white lights in profusion covering the trunks of the trees, radiating up from the ground. The effect driving by was like looking into a forest of lights with the canopy a darkish cloud. I have to go back with the camara.
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December 8, 2009 at 17:26 (Gesneriads, Plant Stuff)
I put up a page on the geographic and elevation ranges of Columnea (Gesneraceae) in Antioquia, Colombia. You can find it by scrolling down the list of pages on the left hand side of the screen.
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November 27, 2009 at 12:30 (Context, Life in the Big City, Medellin)
Christmas in Colombia has typically been more of a spiritual than consumer holiday. This appears to be changing. Two weeks I ago I began to hear Christmas music in the malls and supermarkets. There is a lot of advertizing for Christmas gifts, much of it aimed at kids and parents.
On the brighter side, Medellin puts on a spectacular light display every year. The river is decorated to the nines and there are Christmas lights and displays all over the city. A cabbie told me that the city sells its displays every year to other cities both in Colombia and in other countries. This does not surprise me as the work is very good and deserves to be used again.
A nice link can be seen here.
Check out a video stream of this years displays at http://www.tv.une.net.co/zonastream/
10/12/2009
Last weekend they had the official dedication of this years lights display. We were out-of-town and have not had a chance to see them yet. The display along the river looks very interesting. They are using water fountains illuminated by LEDs and synchronized flows to create the effects. Got to ” go down by the riverside” and check them out! More later.
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November 22, 2009 at 08:15 (Context)
Colombia is developing the groundwork to become the leading supplier of electrical energy to the region. It currently supplies power to Venezuela and Ecuador. In September, sales to Venezuela reached 59.3 giga watts and 153 giga watts to Ecuador. This in comparision to 14.9 and 78.4 giga watts respectively during the same month last year. Power production in both countries has been adversely affected by the dry weather associated with El Nino.
Plans are underway to include Panama among its customers. Eventually Colombia intends to provide power to other parts of Central America. Companies here also are beginning to license transmission lines in Peru, Brazil and Ecuador. Plans are being developed to install a submarine cable to supply the Dominican Republic with electricity.
Although Hugo Chavez has restricted the importation of goods from Colombia and revenues have fallen by about 50%, Colombia continues to be a reliable energy supplier for the Venezuelan people. Even talk of preparing Venezuela for war with Colombia has not resulted in a change in policy. Similarly Colombia has been a faithful suppler for the Ecuadorean people while Evo Morales has repeatedly made relationships difficult after the Colombian incursion which took out a key FARC base in that country. This kind of fidelity to its customers and the political maturity of the government will support Colombia’s bid to be the major player this component of regional development.
Factual information in this post is based on an article in El Colombiano published 22 November 2009: http://www.elcolombiano.com/BancoConocimiento/C/colombia_alumbra_en_tension_internacional_mas_inversiones_en_energia/colombia_alumbra_en_tension_internacional_mas_inversiones_en_energia.asp?CodSeccion=19
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November 8, 2009 at 06:02 (Art and Artists, Context, Medellin)
November’s program at the Lido Theater can be accessed here.
Last night we went to see the Antioquia Folkloric Ballet presentation “Colombia Viva” at the Lido. Beautiful, colorful and lively. Music was provided by Tierra Adentro. This is a very good band and are worth seeing by themselves. The folk ballet is a very enjoyable way to spend an evening and will give you a sense of how Colombian culture developed. You also will see the pride they take in their history and traditions.
People were lined up around at least 3 sides of the block waiting to get in! If you come to see one of their shows make it early. We arrived around 06:00 PM for an 07:00 PM performance and were two blocks from the door.
While standing in the line we struck up a conversation with a mother and daughter who also were waiting for the show. Lovely people who typify the friendliness of most people here. If you speak some Spanish it is hard to be lonely in Medellin.
The Lido is a historic theater which was going to be torn down but was saved by the City. Now restored it is the home of diverse cultural offerings for which admission is free. It is located at the Parque Bolivar in the downtown area. We have seen several great productions there and I highly recommend checking out their offerings.
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October 25, 2009 at 10:34 (Uncategorized)
There is a website which provides images of the work of some Colombian artists. It is welll worth a visit.
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