Fall Break

Okay, kids, here's the deal. Post 100 was a lie, and I haven't updated in a few days because I've been super dedicated to graduate school things. So whatever. Deal... I will finish my vegan-info posts, but right now, it's time for you to be massively jealous of me.

I'm going on vacation. HA! And yes, Post 100 was a lie because I'm not going on the vacation we originally planned. Things fell through, and although we considered about ten thousand other options, we eventually settled on cheap and warm.

We're spending a week on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, first at a condo that our school rents out and lets teachers stay in for free (see beach 100 yards from the condo above) and then 3 nights in Cartagena. It's definitely not my dream vacation, but it is warm and stress-free.
The pool at the condo where we are staying.

We ended up getting lucky--we're the only LPV souls headed to the condo during this break, so we'll have it all to ourselves for four blissful days. Then, we're heading to Cartagena. We've been to Cartagena before, but now, as experienced travelers, we knew where we wanted to stay, what we wanted to do, and how important a roof-top pool was in relation to our personal enjoyment of the city (the answer--VERY important). We're staying somewhere that I hope will be fabulous, but honestly, anything will be better than where we stayed last time. On our last trip to Cartagena (end of our 6 week stint here in 09), we stayed in the school's house. They are currently in the process of renovating it, and well... it still needed some work. I happened to stumble into the kitchen in the wee hours of the morning and caught a glimpse of the largest rat I've ever seen in my entire life... so really, with a roof-top pool and a guarantee that I won't be allowed in the hotel's kitchen, we're doing really well.

We have almost no activities planned. We're taking books to read and study materials and movies and sunscreen. We've planned to spend one day at this resort while we're in Cartagena:


And honestly, Cartagena is probably the most beautiful city in South America, and it's easily one of the most romantic places I've ever been. So... yes. Vacation. Finally.

Ciao! (Below: Cartagena. Imagine it lit up at night, and imagine strolling through little streets with flowered-covered balconies. Didn't I say it was romantic?)

Melody's Guide to Being Vegan in Colombia: Introduction

Welcome to the beginning of a series of posts about being vegan in Colombia... and let it be known before you read this post that I totally get/understand/don't need to be told that veganism is a choice. It is a personal choice I made over three years ago, but certainly one that I'm freely able to change my mind about. I get it. Don't attack me for it, okay? The point of this post is to talk about something near and dear to me: the challenge of being vegan in Colombia, and how to overcome said challenge.

I really do love Colombia, even when I complain about my job and the other frustrating things that happen here. It's a beautiful country full of truly wonderful people, and I absolutely encourage people to travel here and experience it.

Despite this, Colombia is a very, very difficult place to be a vegan, and even a fairly difficult place to be a vegetarian. The main reason for this is that people don't even really understand vegetarianism, and so veganism is something that confuses most Colombians. This isn't because they are stupid or anything, it's because it is very uncommon for people to be vegan/vegetarian here. Vegetarians in Colombia come in many different versions, too. Some people consider themselves vegetarians if they only avoid red meat. Many vegetarians still consume sustancia (chicken broth) and other kinds of animal products, like gelatin and beef juices. A lot of vegetarians do avoid meat and meat by-products, like broth. Even so, people who work in the food business will not understand exactly what vegetarianism is, generally speaking. For example, if you order beans, there's an extremely high chance that they were cooked with meat. They might not have meat IN them, but they might have been cooked with a bone or meat juices or just big chunks of pork fat. This is very typical, and generally it is safe to assume that most beans served in restaurants are not safe for vegetarians to eat. I've ordered beans before that the cooks swore did not contain meat, and there was a big chunk of pork in my bowl when they were served.

In the States, if I didn't have a lot of time to make a meal, or if I just didn't want to do a lot of prep, there were always lots of alternatives. I could easily eat out, even at a fast food place like Taco Bell (not healthy, but definitely convenient), I could grab a carton of packaged hummus, I could buy a frozen Amy's burrito from almost any grocery store, or I could even cook something using packaged foods, like canned beans or fake meat. Even tofu is less work in the States because you can get it at almost any Thai restaurant OR you can buy packaged, flavored, and pre-cooked tofu at a health food store. At that was in Springfield, not New York City or Portland. In Colombia, being vegan or vegetarian requires a lot of work. It takes a lot more effort to get the necessary amount of protein and calcium in my diet here. It can be exhausting and frustrating to constantly be prepping food just to meet my nutritional needs.

During the next food days I will be posting about what foods to avoid, what foods to eat, where to find vegan products, what to bring to Colombia from the States if you are vegan, vegan recipes, and how to ask questions in Spanish that will help you survive as a vegan in Colombia.


At the Chicago Diner for my birthday last year. Best restaurant ever.

Traveling in the Coffee Region of Colombia, Part 2.

Okay, so let's say you've seen Plaza de Bolivar in Pereira, taken the bus to Salento and the Termales, and now you are looking for something else to do. Great!

Since this is the coffee region, I think exploring something coffee-related is fairly crucial to seeing the area. Most people searching for coffee inspiration head to Parque del Cafe, which is a giant theme park devoted to coffee. I must admit, I'm a bad coffee-region resident, because I have never gone. Another popular place is Panaca, which is basically a giant farm. I haven't been there, either. Here's why.

Although people rave about Parque del Cafe and I do intend to go there before we leave, it's still a theme park. That means it's a commercial business, and the money isn't being pumped directly into the pockets of local farmers. It's also very expensive. Plus, since it has roller coasters, ski lifts over the coffee fields, and various other rides, it's a bit inauthentic. I don't doubt that it is fun, it just wasn't the version of Colombia I wanted to share with my family. As for Panaca, well, my guidebook describes it as a place where people from the "city" (i.e. Bogota) go to see what life is like on a farm. Hello, I'm from the Midwest. I know what a farm looks, feels, and smells like. Skip!

So... what did we do instead?

3. Hike through a hillside of coffee!



I researched this part of our trip for a long time, and although we ended up spending a lot of time walking through fields in the rain and we learned way more about coffee than I personally needed to know, it was definitely a beautiful, interesting, and authentic afternoon, which is what I wanted. We went to Hacienda Guayabal, which is near Chinchina. Chinchina is considered the heart of the coffee region, which is considered the heart of the Colombia by many people, so basically, we were knee-deep in the heart of Colombia. Almost literally, as it was a pretty muddy experience! The Hacienda offers tours (call ahead) in Spanish and English. (25,000 pesos for Spanish, 30,000 for English.) The tour takes you through numerous hillsides of coffee and the guide instructs you on every aspect of the coffee making process. Don't be afraid to ask questions, because our guide seemed to be bubbling with information.

At the end of the tour, they gave us a cup of coffee and then a really cool dessert. We also got certificates that said we were now coffee experts!




The next day we had to go to school (what???), but LPV is sort of like a mini adventure all by itself! My brother and his girlfriend had a great time...


And that brings us to number 4: Spend time with the locals.
My family mostly spent time with our friends and our students, but I think that's a pretty safe sample of Colombian people in the coffee region. I mean, I have 16 students alone who are happy to tell you anything you might ever want to know about Colombia. So my family could get to know them better, and so we could hike around in the mud "experiencing" the ecosystems in Colombia (science unit), I took my family and my class on a hike through the school's sendero, or forest path.


5. Experience the flora.

On Wednesday, my family and the entire LPV primary went on a field trip to the Universidad Tecnologica de Pereira (UTP)'s Jardin Botanico... Botanical Gardens. There are a lot of other ways to experience the botanical abundance of Colombia and this region, and I'm not sure this is the first one I would recommend, although it made a decent field trip. It was definitely pretty, but I personally enjoyed Medellin's Botanical Gardens more, and any hike around this region will basically be just as beautiful. The La Florida region (catch a chiva from the center of Pereira) is supposed to be incredible, for example. Even so, it was a fun trip.

6. Go to Juan Valdez Cafe. (McDonald's is optional, but encouraged.)


Juan Valdez is the symbol of Colombia's coffee growers, and Juan Valdez Cafe is truly a fun place to hang out. Great coffee, cute sweatshirts, and wireless internet. It's a must for experiencing the coffee region. Pereira's largest and nicest Juan Valdez is on Circunvalar, which is like our Zona Rosa, and is conveniently located up the street from our new McDonald's. What what.

7. Go to a working farm.


I took my family to a friend's trapiche, which is where they grow sugar cane and process it so it becomes panela, which is then used for desserts and drinks in Colombia. (For more information and to see my post from our visit there last summer, see this post.) I love this place because it's as green as can be... everything is sustainable. The workers live off the farm (and live on the farm), the horses eat the discarded leaves from the sugar cane, the woody substance from the cane provides fuel for the fire, and absolutely nothing is added to the cane. It's just cooked over and over and the molded into panela blocks. Cool!


8. Spend time eating pineapple in Cerritos, or at least see the mansions.
Cerritos is a little town super close to LPV, and many of my students live there. It's known for two things: money and pineapple. For real. A number of huge subdivisions filled with fancy houses have popped up in the past decade. The biggest industry for all the non-nouveau riche is pineapple. Cerritos is supposed to have the best pineapple in Colombia, and it produces more pineapple than any other region of the country. I can attest that it is truly delicious, and worth a stop if you are ever in the area. Cerritos also has some very nice hacienda hotels, and if you are looking for a nice, luxurious place to spend the night, this would be a good area to look. After our trip to the trapiche, the owners of the trapiche took us to one of the local haciendas for dessert, and then drove us to their home in Cerritos for a warm cup of panela.

Well, that's all for my recommendations today. I'm in the middle of finals at school, but I'll try to post again soon.

Traveling in the Coffee Region of Colombia

Dear Readers and Fellow Bloggers, before you write me off as the worst blogger on the PLANET because I NEVER update, let me just mention that I have posted 15 different posts since Saturday on my other blog. (www.hoyengradoquinto.blogspot.com--no comments, please!) So there. I actually do blog. Just not for you.*

Anyway, without further ado, here is perhaps the most important post I have ever written: What to do in the Coffee Region of Colombia! Where should you go? What should you see? Where should you stay?

When my family was here (3 weeks ago now, how did that happen??) we did a lot of fun things. They were really only in Pereira for 6 days, and I had to work 3 of those days, so I had to make the most of the time we had together. We missed some really crucial things in the region, but I think I showed them the best that the Eje Cafetera has to offer, anyway. I researched for weeks before their arrival, and I feel confidant in my suggestions below.

Eje Cafetera means "Coffee Triangle." Although coffee is really grown throughout Colombia, the region where I live is considered the primary coffee growing region. My little city, Pereira, is actually the industrial and financial capital of this region, and its largest city. The three departments that make up this region are Risaralda, Quindio, and Caldas. I live in Risaralda. The other major cities are Armenia and Manizales. Cartago is a reasonably large city that is a few kilometers away from Pereira, and Dosquebradas sits across the large Viaducto (our bridge) from Pereira. Because of this, the metro area surrounding Pereira is actually quite large. But enough about that...

If you ever come to the coffee region, you'll probably want to stay in Pereira. It has the largest bus terminal with connections to the surrounding region and the rest of Colombia, the largest airport in the region, a decent night life, reasonably good shopping, two McDonald's, a Domino's Pizza, and, possibly the most important aspect, a giant NAKED statue of Simon Bolivar. (This is actually one of the few things that we skipped when my family was here!) In addition, Pereira has the most moderate weather (Manizales is quite a bit colder) and fewer earthquakes (Armenia is known for its earthquakes), and it has a lot of varied accommodation options. If you are looking for hotel recommendations, I think Hotel Anvamar and Hotel de Pereira are the best and the safest. They are also the most expensive. There are also a few hostels, haciendas, and more moderately priced hotels in the center. Most destinations in the region (Santa Rosa de Cabal, Manizales, Salento, etc.) are reachable by bus in less than an hour. (Manizales is just a bit further.)

So... what should you do?

1. Go to Salento.

Salento is by far one of the best destinations in the coffee region. The little village is quaint, cute, safe, and fun. This is where Colombians go when they visit the coffee region or if they want to get away for a day. It's around 45 minutes away from Pereira, but if you want to stay overnight I would recommend the Plantation House. Their website has a lot of great information, and they have very reasonable prices. I contacted them with another question, and they were VERY helpful. Anyway. Salento is a great base for exploring the Valle de Cocora (more later), and it has lots of cute little restaurants and artisan's shops. One of my favorite places is a little cafe near the end of the main street. It doesn't open until 4, and I don't remember the name, but it's easy to find. Great juice teas, and make sure to use the bathroom... it's awesome.

2. Take a jeep to the Valle de Cocora and eat trout and/or patacon with agridulce sauce.

The Jeep Willys are really easy to find in Salento--they sit on one side of the main square. As soon as they have enough passengers, the drivers depart for the Valle de Cocora. It usually takes around an hour to get there. Once you arrive, eat lunch. It's fantastic. Warren loves the trout, I love the patacon. It's worth the ride, no matter what.

After eating, you can hike or ride horses through the Valle de Cocora, or you can just take pictures and head back to Salento. The trail head is marked (ask around if you need help), and horses are available on the road outside the restaurants, as are Jeeps to take you back to Salento.

One important tip: If you go to Salento on the bus from Pereira and don't plan to spend the night, make sure you make a reservation to go back to Pereira at whatever time you want to leave because the buses fill up quickly. You'll need to be at the bus around 20-30 minutes before it leaves, too, or you won't get a seat!

3. Go to the Termales de Santa Rosa.
Termales is Spanish for hot springs, and Colombia has a fair share of them, especially in this region. Although many are good, I would recommend Termales de Santa Rosa, not for the food or anything, but for the authenticity of it. It was the first place to set up shop, and it is actually cheaper than San Vicente, which is its main rival. To get there, you can take a bus to Santa Rosa de Cabal and then take another bus to the Termales de Santa Rosa. When we went, our second bus was a chiva, which was a great experience.


When the chiva dropped us off, it actually dropped us off at a more commercial "termales." We hiked up the hill 1 km to get to the "real" Termales de Santa Rosa, and I think it was worth it (despite the tour groups... try not to go on a three day weekend, or on a weekend at all). The entrance fee is 24,000 pesos, but you can also spend the night at the hotel, which grants you access to some private pools. I haven't done it, but I imagine it would be very enjoyable.


The hot springs don't offer a lot of activities, just hanging out, getting facials, "hiking" up to a waterfall, massages, you know, basically torture. It's a great way to spend an afternoon or evening. I've posted some pictures to give you an idea of what it looks like... please note that Termales de Santa Rosa has both cold and hot waterfalls, which can be fun to run between!






That's it for today... but tomorrow I'll be posting about coffee fincas, Juan Valdez, the Jardin Botanico in Pereira, Exito, Parque del Cafe, a trapiche, and a few other things... so make sure to check back tomorrow!

*Also, my fifth graders comment WAY more than you people do. Just saying. ; )