Colombia 2019: Family and Food

Ah. Nothing like Colombian coffee at least twice a day. And so much bread, often made with cheese. And to combine it all together, a lot of family members to visit - and they all give at least a snack and coffee, of course.

By "family members" I don't mean my own. We visited aunts and uncles and cousins of the coworker who was showing us around, and even stayed at one of their houses for a night. 

Mario and Patricia were the ones we spent the most time with - they picked us up from the airport, took us to Cali and up to the mountains, to Lago Calima, and they welcomed us into their home for the night, with the invitation to stay with them if we ever came back to visit Colombia again. They were very welcoming and kind.

At the Cali zoo - Patricia, me, my brother, Mario, and Mery

Mario and Patricia's home

The pool in which we got to enjoy a swim

We met other aunts and cousins as well, but all of the names I don't recall. We got a second offer of a place to stay if we ever return, from cousin Johnny.

Our first meal in Colombia was made by our hostess, Mery.

Rice, yuca, chicken noodle soup with potatoes, a chicken leg, a small arepa, a salad similar to coleslaw, and lulo juice. The next day for breakfast (along with plenty of coffee!) we had arepas with cheese in them, what I call breakfast potato balls (potatoes in a ball with rice, egg, meat, or whatever you want inside), buñuelos, empanadas, and my absolute favorite: pandebono, which is bread made with cheese. YUM! Not to mention, all that bread kept us full for hours!

Another main Colombian dish is this, called Bandeja Paisa, which we had had at the Cali zoo eatery. (Note: it is missing the fried egg which I gave to my brother, and the fried plantain on my plate I also gave to my brother.) Here there is rice, a small arepa, fried pork rind, chorizo sausage, another kind of meat, and beans. Talk about a filling meal!

One of the meals included chicken soup...with more variety of chicken parts than we are used to in the US, including actual chicken feet! 

We had some miscellaneous yummies, such as what seemed to be the Colombian version of a snowcone, with finely crushed ice flavored with raspberry syrup. It certainly was refreshing on a hot day! We also got some ice cream popsicles; I got coconut, but my brother always chose the guanabana (his favorite new thing). 

Lastly, here is a picture of real coffee beans for you! The darkest one is what a ripe coffee bean looks like. 

And that is one of the most wonderful things about Colombia - the beautiful mixture of food and family!