Colombian Fruits!!!

What better than surrender to the delicacies of a place?
I really recommend eating as much frut here as you can, whatever you can't find in the country where you are coming from. i'll describe some of the fruits that we have here, and perhaps some of which we share with other tropical countries, plus some traits and even the "format" (I chose that word capricously) in which you should eat them Colombian-style. Some of our landmarks...

1. LULO!!!!

I consider this one my very favorite, as it not only grows in a hostile plant full of thorns and has an almost-hostile texture to touch, but also has a very strong sour flavor, as if the fruit itself were warning you not to try it since the first encounter, persuading you not to succumb into its delicious flavour. Format: Juice (water or milk, but sugar is a must, even if it's a little bit. Also mousse... and ice-cream!!!! WOW!!!





2. MARACUYÁ (passion fruit):

Maracuyá is probably known to many people already, but I'd like to share the time my dear Bosnian friend was leaving Bogotá and opted for carrying several flavors of juice pulps to his country: guayaba (guava), maracuyá, lulo, mora... They sell them in very thick plastic bags, so he was confident he'd get them through. When I asked him what he'd do if the officers asked to check for illegal substances (because the pulp was pretty liquid), he said he had all figured out: if they asked him, he'd say suspiciously "no, la de guayaba no!" so they'd check and tear that bag, and leave the maracuyá one intact. Last thing I knew was that he posted a photo of his favorite maracuyá juice on his Facebook wall, form Bosnia.
Format: Juice (water or milk). Sugar is necessary, but if you prefer a little only, it's ok. My favorite is in mousse!!! and ice-cream, of course. Try the "helado casero de maracuyá con leche condensada"! mouthwatering!

3. CURUBA:

This one is one of the nicest flavors I've tasted. It's just a tiny bit sandy if you like, but it's always refreshing, with a little touch of bitterness, just enough to make you want a second glass of juice. If I ever go to a nice restaurant and want to have a nice glass of robust juice, curuba will be my first choice.
Format: juice (necessarily with milk). Also ice-cream, but the only one I know is the most recent addition to the menu of our famous restaurant called Crepes & Waffles.


4. GULUPA:

This one I recently discovered, and I was born and raised here!! its seeds are covered by a crystalized, juicy membrane that resembles that of Maracuyá or granadilla, but this one is a bit stonger yet sweeter than maracuyá.
Format: juice (water)




5. GRANADILLA:

This fruit is a bit controversial. Some people say you should just open it and swallow the shole membrane containing the seeds; others say you shoud put a bit in your mouth and spit the seeds, and others don0t even bother and just don't eat it because it's too much hassle. Whatever method you prefer, its taste is very soft and rather sweet.
Format: fresh.



6. MANGO:

There are about 200 varieties of mango, several of which are common in the different regions of colombia. I used to tell my friends in Sweden that when I was living in Cali, near the pacific ocean, I used to teach at a unversity, and there classes are usually interrupted by mangoes falling off the tree as they ripen. How cool is that?
Format: fresh, juice (water), ice-cream, desserts, with meals!
My favorite format? mango salad with avocado pear and shrimp!!

7. MANGOSTINO:

What's funny about this one is that I came to discover this fruit thanks to a Russian surfer in Cali. I had always seen it, but never tasted it. It's a bit hard to peel, but once you reach the white lobes, their texture and flavour are worth it... like eating cotton but with flavor and personality!
Format: fresh.





8. CHONTADURO:

This image shows exactly what I remember about street vendors in Cali. It's not about a sandy fruit that has little taste (to me) and which people eat with salt and honey (i still don't get that), but it's about the women who day after day gracefully decorate a silver tray with chontaduros all around, and organize more chontaduros almost geometrically perfectly, pffering their best smiles to pedestrians. In Halloween in Cali it's often common to see kids honoring these ladies with their chontaduro vendors costumes.
Format: fresh, with honey.





9. UCHUVA (physalis):

Uchuvas can adorn any gourmet dish because of their paper-looking wrapping that looks like an origami embellishment. The fruit itself is a bit bitter, a bit sweet, but my favorite format is in herb tea. I never see people making uchuva juice or ice-cream, but more and more chefs add this fruit to their secret recipies.
Format: fresh.





10. GUANABANA:

I don't like this one, I'm sorry (it's the only Colombian fruit I never, ever eat), but most of the Colombians I've met all my life love guanábana juice. Even the pronunciation of the word is tough! ha ha ha... The fruit is huge, and its outside protects its delicate contents. The internal part is soft and slippery. Sometimes you can see it with street vendors, and though I don't like it, I still have to include it, as many CSers have asked me what on earth that is.
Format: juice with milk or "merengón".

11. GUAMA:

This funny-looking fruit twists itself as a spíral. It is usually about 40 cm long, and as hard as it is outside, it is extemely soft inside. Little white cotton-like capsules protect a very hadr seed (that you are not supposed to eat!). I like the flavor, the look, and the fact that it's usually found in remote places of Colombia, which makes you miss eating it more.
Format: fresh.





12. MAMONCILLO:

I don't know any better way to spend two hours in a traffic jam eating a fruit that relaxes you as you exercise your jaw. Mamoncillos are tiny, so you buy a whole bunch. The translation of rhis fruit would be "little sucker", which is in no way offensive, but it refers to the long time it takes to put one in your mouth adn suck and suck until the sweet membrane is gone. Lot's of fun! I'd say this is a stress-relief emergency fruit.
Format: definitely fresh.





13.PITAHAYA:

Last but not least!!! and probably the most weird-looking yet exotic one: pitahaya!!!
Many of my CS friends have seen it, doubted it, tried it, and loved it! (in that order). Now, beware of its digestive powers and have only one... I recommend putting it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before tasting it. All you need is a knife and a spoon, and get ready to bite its easy-to-break little seeds, and feel the freshness of a glass of water in a spoonful! You gotta love it!
Format: fresh and cold!



Final note: no, avocado, to us in Colombia, is not a fruit. It's a vegetable to us and we have it fresh with salt :P

First hours in Bogotá?

If you've landed in Bogotá, as most of the travelers do, here are a few emergency tips that can come in handy, and which I'll try to be constantly updating...

BUDGET: All and all, Colombia is a relatively cheap country if visitors convert dollar or Euro rates to Colombian peso (COP). For instance, you can stay at a small hostel pretty much anywhere for 30,000 pesos (don't freak out about the numerous zeros... it's just like 10 dollars). A hostel priced that won't be great quality, but you could find good, clean places since that sum. Of course it all depends on the kind of contact you want to have with people. Some CSers prefer their space, you know...


PHONES: The first thing I'd do in Colombia is buy a sim card for your cell phone. You can ask anyone where to get one and it will be very cheap, but depending on the hour of your arrival, I'm not sure if you can do it at the airport, so it might be better to wait until you reach your CS host or your hotel. Now: the phone company I HAD always recommendeded was "Claro" (previously "Comcel") because of its coverage around all the country -in comparison to "Movistar", "Tigo", or even "Virgin", but the quality of the service in that company has rapidly decreased, to the extent that its signal is is pretty much the same as the other companies now. If you choose not to get a sim card, you'll still be able to find people on the street with a sign that says "minutos", who have several cell phones which you can rent for a couple of minutes and call for very little money. You can see this almost on every main street or park in Colombia. And if you don't many people here will be glad to sell you or give away a one minute call in case of emergency. Buuuuuut----- if you are planning on spending a little more time in Colombia, or if you can't live without checking your email and social networks on your smart phone, then I ONLY recommend getting a simcard with "Virgin Mobile". Not as widely spread as the others, but Virgin is available at stores and big supermarkets in the main cities. Then, you can activate the sim card on the Virgin website, and you can either pay online with your debit or credit card, or at many stores/stationeries in Bogotá, activating your 'plan' by making a voice call. They have this thing called "Antiplan", which means having Internet conection on your mobile, AND getting some phone credit which is counted by second, not by minute, PLUS unlimited Whatsapp, if you plan a monthly fee. If not, you can just buy some credit and then call to activate your data for a certain number of days.
FOOD: Food is also cheap in general if you eat at average restaurants (max. 8 dollars), or a bit pricy if you like to eat at fancier places (about 20 dollars), but keep in mind that Colombians eat lots of carbohydrates, some proteins, and lots and lots of sweet things (and sometimes sweeter things on top of those), so you might gain a few kilos while here. Now, veg food is mysteriously expenisve, so if you are a vegetarian, I recommend looking for a place where you can make your own meals, and being extra patient: many people at restaurants think being a vegetarian is simply "not eating cows", so they can easily serve you a vegetable soup, just removing the piece of meat it had a few minutes ago. If you're very strict about it, make sure you eat salads instead, since most soups and stews here have some animal substance in them whether people admit it or not. Oh, and before I forget: there is no veg jello here; they all come from cows here.

GETTING SICK: other than the usual insurance you may have when traveling abroad, you should know that in Colombia there are drugstores everywhere, and they sell almost any medicine over the counter, so if you have a minor incident, you'll find help without needing to resort to a hospital necessarily. You'll find aid wherever you go. In fact, you can even stop a taxi driver for help or directions in the middle of the night, and he (or she) can call the taxi central station to assist you.

COMMUTTING IN BOGOTA: - Bus fare is about COP 1,700 now (about half a dollar in 2018), or a little more for Transmilenio (the massive transportation system) if you are in Bogotá, the huge massive transportation system (for which you need a pre-paid card), or a similar fee for the SITP blue buses, for which you need a card too. Thos can be bought at stores in almost any neighborhood. Just ask for a "Tu Llave" card, and buy some credit ("recargar saldo" in Spanish"), and you're ready to ue it for any Transmilenio station, and for any of the blue buses in Bogotá

-TAXIS: They all MUST have a meter which they MUST place at a visible place, AND a yellow fee list on the back of the seat next to the driver's. On the one hand, this meter works with "units" according to the meters the taxi has moved. But WARNING: if, say, you get 130 units, it doesn't mean you must pay $13,000 pesos! it's less than that, ok? One unit is about 100 meters on the road.
ALWAYS ask the driver for the yellow fee list or "lista de tarifas" (see photo) if you suspect they're trying to rip you off. But you have to bear in mind that you'll have to pay an extra (legal) fee of about COP $4,400 (almost two dollars) if you are going to or coming from the airport. OR about COP $2,200 any day after 8 p.m., and / or other COP $2,200 if it's Sunday or a holiday (we have 14 holiday mondays here throughout the year!).

- TAXIS SINCE 2015: Sadly, the situation with taxis had become very complicated in the recent years, to the extent that most of the drivers, without even opening the door yet, asked you where you were going, and if your destination didn't match theirs, they would just drive off. Naturally, with the arrival of UBER, many customers turned to this safer option. Then, many taxis have participated in demonstrations against UBER, and many customers have participated in campaigns against taxi drivers, since several drivers had become very aggressive. I am not saying all drivers are aggressive or provide a bad service, but the complaints that were rare a few years back, had become the condition rather than the exception. There was even an app now ("Denuncie al taxista") to report the abuses of the drivers. Still today, you have to be a bit careful when your Uber reaches to pick you up, because there are still a few fights if some taxi drivers discover a certain car si actually an Uber service. Just greet the driver in a friendly way and take off.
Anyway, when taking a taxi,  any driver could try to overcharge you just because of the way you look or talk. Also, don't carry too much cash, and hide well your credit/debit cards. Better to be safe than sorry, right?
I guess calling a safe taxi from your host's place or hotel is the best option.
Another option is to commute by riding a bicycle. We have thousands of streets that allow cyclists to go from south to north without much of a problem. If you want to rent one, there is a service in the historical center, but I'd recommend asking your host to lend you one instead, if possible. Since so many more people are commutting to work like this, it has become somehow a little bit safer than before, plus you get the freedom to move around as you please. If you do so, you can get the "bicimapa" App on your phone, so you check where to park in the city, and where to get it fixed if necessary. Well... enjoy your stay!

My Top Five in Colombia

First of all, remember that it's not Columbia, like in the U.S. It's Col-O-mbia . COLOMBIA! :D

If you are still planning your itinerary in Colombia, you might want to consider taking a look at my subjective insights on what I consider are the best places to visit in my country...

My top five:

1. TAYRONA NATIONAL PARK - near Santa Marta, on the Atlantic coast:
I can't believe I waited so long to go there! I was there in 2011 and it IS heaven on earth to me, compared to the rest of the beaches in Colombia I'd been to. Just bring a very small bag with you , and a camping tent if you prefer (or just rent one, or a hammock there), since there's a three-hour walk that you could take up to the first beach (OR you might ride a horse to get in and out). You can get a full display of beaches that differ from one another (or so they say... I haven't seen them all) from that one where you can't swim but stay near the entrance, to the clean, beutiful nudist beaches. I recommend the Tayrona over any other place in Colombia because it's the only one where I have felt it's THE place to escape from it all. Hot weather, of course.

2.CARTAGENA:
It's one of the cutest and most romantic cities we have, full of history and lots of places to visit by walking. But it's rather expensive to fly there sometimes, and keep in mind that especially to people who look like foreigners, salespeople will always try to overcharge you wherever you go. By always I mean every two to five minutes, until you discover that the only thing you can do to avoid them is not establishing eye contact whatsoever. People there are REALLY outgoing and laidback. Great night life if you contact the right CSers. If not, just enjoy walking down its beautiful streets, taking photos, eating nice food at nice-looking restaurants. The beaches are not as clean or white as in other cities, but you can take a little boat to see less touristic ones like gorgeous 'Barú'. Hot weather.

Big Bonus: the cold version of Cartagena is Villa de Leyva, in Boyacá, bout 4 hours from Bogotá if you take into account the hour it takes to actually get out of Bogotá. Reeeeeeeally romantic town, and perfect for walking and practicing sports around the town during the day (hiking, horse-back riding, speleology, rappeling...) as well as for 'romancing' or drinking at the central plaza at night. That's by far my favorite place in Colombia. Hotels are usually owned by families, so you can feel as if CSing sometimes, or you can camp near the main cathedral. Warm weather during the day, and a bit chilly at night.

3. BOGOTA: The capital:
A must-see. Maaaaaany free places, cultural activities, museums, libraries and parks to go to. Commuting is a pain in the neck (especially during rush hours if you use the "Transmilenio", the massive transportation system), so be patient and enjoy the ride somehow. People are sometimes hostile, just as it could happen in any capital city, but never to foreigners. This is partly due to the fact that everyone comes from a different region of Colombia, there's little sense of belonging, but almost every traveler enjoys Bogotá for one reason or another. There are maaany things to do and see here! . Kind of cold weather. We don't have seasons per se here, so keep in mind that we don't have central heating almost anywhere in Colombia, so you might get a little bit chilly sometimes.

4. The Coffee Region : THE COCORA VALLEY
The coffee triangle is made up of three cities: Manizales, Armenia, and Pereira. Surrounding this triangle you can find lots of places which offer an incredible scenery, apart from the experience that is visiting farms where the best coffee in the world is grown. However, there is this one magical place near Salento, which holds one of Colombia's biggest treasures: the Wax Palm Trees, the tallest palm trees in the world! the view is majestic! if you go early in the morning, you can take a 3-hour hike to see all from above. If not, you can just walk inside this natural park and feel how tiny we humans are compared to the vastness of nature. Lie down and look at the sky, rest a bit, read for a while, or better: hug a palm tree, as old as nay of your human ancestors!

5. MEDELLIN and CALI:
Medellín is as we call it, an "intermediate city" here. Famous for incrediby friendly people (and for generally attractive women and men if that matters), nice food and good quality clothes. Distinctive architecture in comparison to many other cities in Colombia and very nice museums. Typical food can be really heavy, but you have to try "bandeja paisa". Warm weather (the perfect weather, in my opinion).

And Cali is the capital of salsa --and to many, the capital of plastic surgeries. I wouldn't particularly say that Cali has many icons to visit, but people are Very nice and friendly there. Cali's two hours from the pacific ocean, so it's easy to treat yourself to a nice beach retreat, or to San Cipriano. Expensive food sometimes, but it's so easy and fast to commute that being there is very pleasant! fantastic hot weather, especially after 5 p.m., when if gets windy, and people can have a drink at an outdoor restaurant and enjoy the view (did I mention the plastic surgeries?), and get ready to party!!! no, salsa in cali is nothing like salsa online that Europeans know, or the ballroom dancing salsa like as seen in U.S. Salsa in Cali is different. It's unique.


BONUS:
The overrated: personally I wouldn't go on my first trip to Colombia to cities that seem to offer comparatively 'less fun' to a traveler, like Popayán, Barranquilla -except if you go in February, when they have their famous carnival-, Pereira, or Pasto...but everyone has a different taste for places. I have been to all of them, and people have been so nice, that I wanted to stay longer, but again, it all depends on your taste. Now, if you want to see the most beautiful parks of Colombia, I recommend Manizales, especially I'd suggest visiting the "Yarumos" park, where hiking and rappel are some of the best I've tried! You'll end up all wet and muddy!
It's also worth mentioning that -as far as I remember- there are about 46 officially registered natural reservations in Colombia if you prefer keeping it more nature-oriented.
The underrated: Amazonas (the most southern point) or Guajira (the most northern point): both super exotic! to go there sometimes you have to get some vaccinations in advance, so check before you come here; you don't want to risk getting sick, right? Mosquitoes can be merciless in both places, but in both places you can see some of the most amazing sunrises and sunsets in Colombia, plus you get to eat exotic food and to sleep in a hammock if you like. Really hot and humid weather.

For further information on what to do in different cities in Colombia, check http://www.turiscolombia.com/ferias_festivales_fiestas_colombia.html