Medellin, Colombia

The diversity of Medellin was striking to me. There were modern buildings and ancient preserved structures. There were areas of nature in the middle of the city as well as bustling crowded streets.

One night, I went to an outdoor market. There were food stalls lining the streets. 

I watched as giant banuelos were being fried and walked by a stall nearby with empanadas being cooked. There were people everywhere! It felt like a festival.

One unfamiliar thing that I tried was a cart with fried cow intestines, but there were many sights and sounds and new foods that I saw that night.

Another day, I had a traditional morning treat of plantains spread with guava paste and melted cheese. It is such a decadent combination to have sweet and salty flavors on the slightly crispy plantains. 

A fruit unfamiliar ot me, tomate de arbol, became one of my favorite treats while in the city. Here I am having some tomato de arbol juice at an outdoor cafe with my tour guide and friend.

COFFEE FARM!

One of my primary wishes while in Columbia was to visit a coffee farm. I was intrigued to see what the plants looked like and to see the processing of the coffee. 

Above, I am picking my first ripe coffee cherries and below is a view of the coffee plants on the landscape.

The landscape of the coffee farm was quite steep and wild with some narrow paths cleared for the farm workers to navigate between the foliage.

After walking all around the farm, I went to a nearby facility where the coffee beans are evaluated, as pictured above, as well as being sorted by size, as shown in the picture below.

Above is pictured the green coffee beans ready to be shipped! 

Another memorable experience was having a genuine homemade lunch provided by the owner of the coffee farm before I departed. It was overflowing with homey warmth and authenticity. 

Cocoa beans are also found in Columbia and I got to see them growing on a tree on another farm. In a little cafe, I tasted the richly thick, but slightly bitter, hot chocolate.

One of my favorite memories was learning how to make Sancocho. This is a soup typically made of yucca, corn, plantain, potato, cilantro, green onion, and a variety of meats, often chicken. Because I am allergic to chicken, my hostess made this without any chicken, carefully demonstrating all the steps to prepare the soup as she cooked.

Finally, she also taught me to make patacones, which is made from a smashed plantain that is then fried. It is a really delicious treat with simple ingredients. 

Medellin was a beautiful and diverse city! I was so fortunate to visit northern Colombia and fulfill my desire to visit a coffee farm. I will always appreciate coffee more than I did before this trip. It is a work intensive crop and important to the economy.