Awesome Things To Do in Medellin {Colombia}

¡Buenos días! It's been some time since I've shared about travels, so today let's visit Medellin - one of my favorite places in Colombia. Some people are surprised to hear that Colombia has really changed a lot since it's drug and crime ridden past some 20 years ago. When I went in 2011, it was apparent that tourism is really growing and being invested in. And I really did feel pretty darn safe the whole time there. Ten days is not enough time btw, unless you like to hop around really quick or just stay and get to know one place. Anyway, I completely recommend visiting this beautiful and vibrant culture!

Uno. Fería de los Flores. 

The 'flower festival' happens every August. In this big celebration farmers create giant bouquets of their flowers(silletas) and flood through the streets carrying them. I'll let this video capture the feeling.

The whole city really gets decked out for this and you can also find about 7 giant flower sculptures around the city, like the virgen below. Very impressive and colorful!!

Dos. Take the MetroCable. 

This was a really unique experience, partially because of the gondola-like transportation system. At the top you will arrive to a big green forested park, Park Arvi. We took a little walking tour and learned some of the native plants and animals. 

Fun fact: "It was designed to reach some of the least developed suburban areas of Medellín. and is largely considered to be the first Cable Propelled Transit system in South America." (The other is in Caracas but carries passengers to a luxury hotel...a bit different.) 

Tres. Malls.

I'm not really a supermall person. Like, really not. But in Medellín I fell in love with malls. Why? Because of all the amazing(and free) exhibitions and activities they host! We wandered into several malls because at least during August there are lots of things going on. At one we admired a huge collection of bonsai trees, complete with a giant buddha statue. At another mall there were tons of orchids and still another had a showing of birds. It's kind of juxtaposed with nature next to a 'sale' sign, but I like that at least in the midst of all the buy-and-sell is something green :)

Cuatro. Museo de Antioquia. 

Here in the Plaza de Botero, you will find...this museum, yummy foods, a lot of Fernando Boltero sculptures, and a checkered cathedral. A fun place to hang out and a very extensive art museum, with permanent and temporary exhibitions from all time periods. I was fascinated by the Botero and contemporary showcases.  

"I fatten my characters to give them sensuality." -Botero

Cinco. Get a hat!

We both were eye-ing the beautiful woven hats hanging in carts and perched up along sidewalks. So we both decided it was a necessary souvenir, to be stylish in the sun. Don't you think? 

And una más extra: Pablo Escobar Tour. This sounds pretty interesting, visiting significant places and learning about the drug cartels. If only we had more time - we didn't get a chance to do it! 

Now your turn ~ what's a must-do in your own city or from a trip?

Linking up with Expat Diaries 

My Top 10 Peruvian Foods ~ The Expat Diaries

Hello friends. And hello to winter holidays in the heat of summer! The holiday season hasn't quite hit me because of the weather and the under-commercialization of Christmas here in Peru. Although, I was really glad to indulge in all kinds of Thanksgiving delights last weekend with good friends. Life's good, I can't complain :)

Woohoo - I'm linking up with Rachel, Chelsea, and Kayleigh for The Expat Diaries!! Thanks gals for opening up this community space for expats and travelers to share. I'm going to bring the focus back to food...I hope you're on-board with that. 

So Peru is becoming more and more well-know in the food scene. Before I even came here I began to notice quite a few Peruvian restaurants popping up back in states. While there are tons of dishes and things out there I could go on about (perhaps there'll be a 2nd edition), I just narrowed the list down to 10 that I find particularly delicious and/or interesting. So, join me for dessert (it's always first, right?)?

Top 10 Peruvian Foods

Uno. PICARONES: These are pretty much fried sweet potatoes dough drizzled with a spiced honey syrup. Oh my yum (can you tell by my expression?)

{photo: Katie Alvarado}

Dos. ARROZ CON LECHE and MAZAMORRA: Another typical dessert which is sweet rice (with milk and cinnamon) and a pudding-like sauce from maÍz morada (purple corn). Mixed together, they're a perfect combo in my book!

{source}

Tres. ANTICUCHO: A very typical street food that are basically meat skewers, punctuated with a potato. In the evenings, mamítas(women) bring out their barbecues to grill these up! Oh, and they're typically made from beef heart (I'm not fond of) but there are other types too.

{Photo: Jan Ger}

Cuatro. CHOCLO: This is a variety of corn. I think it's really fun to eat because the kernels are so big! It's often boiled in a big pot right on the street corner and served with some squeaky (and salty) Andean cheese.

Cinco. CEVICHE: One of the most typical dishes in Peru. If you want some good ceviche, there are lots of good places I've heard on the coast in Lima. While I'm not a huge fan, most people really love this fish cooked by a lime marinade. Plus, it's a classic so it had to make the list!

{Photo: Jan Ger}

Seis. CUY: Aka, guinea pig! Yep, this is a special plate often found in the Andes for birthdays or other celebrations. It's pretty taste-y if well-prepared, as I describe in {this post}. If you can get over the little claws and head (nothing is hidden here), then I'd recommend giving it a chance. And you get bragging rights :)

{Photo: Frances McCorkle}

Siete. SALTADOS: Chicken, lamb, noodles...These are typical Peruvian-Asian fusion. Before coming to Peru I had no idea that there is such a large Asian influence (a Chifa post will come), much less that it would show in its gastronomy. This plate is one of my favorites because it's pretty much a stir-fry (can't go wrong!). In this picture, I attempted to reproduce pollo saltado in California for my parents...it turned out pretty well - I think they'd vouch for me ;)





Ocho. HUATIA: This isn't as much a type of food as it is a festival/tradition. Essentially, in the Andes during the harvest, people create underground ovens to cook veggies like potatoes, beans, etc. I really love this celebration of the season!

{read and see more here}

Nueve. TAMALES: These are another absolute favorite (I guess that's obvious because it's on this list)... Typical Limeño tamales are very different from Mexican tamales I'd had often (I'm from California p.s.). First they're wrapped in banana leaves for some extra flavor. And they don't have much meat in them. They are so delicious and the olive just tops it off wonderfully!

Diez. SOUPS: So in the U.S. occasionally you have the choice between a soup or salad at meals. Well, in Peru it's soup, soup, and soup! In fact, it's a typical part of nearly every meal. I miss having salads but I really like this tradition of having soup too. This one below was an interesting one made from some type of banana in the jungle.

Welp, thanks for having a little taste with me! Have you tried any of these? Or do you have another Peruvian favorite?

P.S. Another of my food-y posts here! Expat to Expat Q+A: Yummy Food

Expat Diaries: A Little Look into Lima

Well, hi there! I think it's a good time to hop onto the Expat Diaries link-up with Rachel and Chelsea. The idea is to share travel tips or expat stories. I was going through my brief photos I've taken here in Lima (all taken on my hubby's mini video-cam) and realized I haven't shared many. AND, as I'll be away visiting California for an uncertain amount of time, I want to start re-appreciating Peru for everything its been. So here are some recent pictures and a little bit of the the stories behind them. 

A nice thing about Lima is that it's right on the coast. And we live about 15 minutes from the beach. A very stone-y beach, as you may be able to see, but it's the ocean nonetheless. It's been nice smelling the fresh ocean air and not being at a crazy high altitude. 

Catholicism is a big thing that's expressed all over the place, in all kinds of ways. On the bus a few months ago, I overheard a woman tell her friend they just past a church and the friend responded by a frantic sign of the cross. This little shrine (or what else would you call it?) has become something so second nature to see, which kind of bothers me actually (I won't go into why here though). But I'm very amused by the contradiction of a beautifully adorned figure amidst graffiti...or say a well decorated saint off the deserted highway. 

These two pictures (above and below) are in Park Kennedy, in a nice area of town, where we've been living for the past few months. It is a big tourist area, so it also has a lot of cultural charm - museums, fairs, art exhibits in the park. Above is the torito de Pucara, which is actually a very Andean tradition (from the mountain-region). Small ceramic painted bulls are placed on tops of houses to bring abundance and protection. This huge version was just really cool, since the real ones are very small. 

Playful bundles or sleeping balls of kittens are sure to be found in this park. Several years ago people started leaving cats that couldn't be taken care of at the park. Since then they've reproduced and they inhabit the park. There's probably at least 25 cats! I've made a few friends :)

This picture was taken one day Rafa and I were exploring the center, at 

Paseo de los héroes navales (Walkway of Naval Heroes). I'm not sure what the big official building is in the background - but they aren't an uncommon sight to see. I like the perspective of the photo. My Rafa's a talented one :)

Thanks for stopping by and happy almost-weekend folks!

Abrazos <3