Don’t Mix Cheese and Pineapple
Day 111
It was tough to leave Medellin today, we had become so comfortable here. We had a daily routine of breakfast at our cafe and then afternoon beers on the patio at the Proximo supermarket. It was a tough thing to leave behind. Medellin was just about the most livable city we have visited so far. Even so I was excited about getting into small town Colombia, we were headed south to Salento. A small town located 2300 metres high in the Andes.
We took a taxi to the large southern bus terminal in Medellin. After again bargaining for our tickets we were off on a good bus for the six hour trip. The scenery outside of the city was stunning. High green mountains all around as the road followed a large river in the valley. We stopped for a lunch break at a restaurant. For some unexplained reason I get a great hunger when we travel. Maybe its boredom but I eat much more on travel days, I also have the luck of somehow rarely getting sick. Jordana is about the total opposite. I searched through the cafeteria style restaurant for something I could eat. Mmmm potato salad, looks good so I ask for a small plate. The woman scoops a plate for me, hands it to me and than says, “queso y pina”. Huh?! You mean this is not potato salad? Cheese and pineapples! Since I already have the plate. I pay and sit down with Jordana. I take one bite and feel sick. First of all cheese should not be mixed with potatoes, this is a general food rule that should be observed worldwide. Second, it was warm! Very disgusting. After I explain to Jordana what I received I was surprised that she not only tried it but continued to eat several bites. “You are going to be sick if you eat more, stop!” She just wouldn’t listen. “I’ll be fine, its not much”. We climbed back on the bus and drove off. About 10 minutes later I hear, “I have to go to the wash room now”. I thought she was joking but I watched her get up and walk to the rear of the bus. I held back on saying I told you so, although it was tempting. She returned a few minutes later. “So how was it in there?” “Dark! The lights didn’t work and I had to hold on cause the bus was turning so much.” Its never a good idea to use a bus bathroom, its even a worse idea to use one on a windy road through the Andes. “I told you not to eat it.” I had to say it, just couldn’t hold back. That led to about an hour of silence.
We arrived in Salento late afternoon as the bus stopped at a military checkpoint at the entrance to the town. One of the first things you notice travelling in Colombia is the huge military presence. No matter the size of the town there is always a few troops just wandering around and usually a checkpoint to enter. The very young looking soliders gave the men on the bus a quick search, including myself and then let us on our way. I never understand why they don’t search the women? The checkpoint worked out well for us as the hostel we were looking for happened to be just down the street. Plantation House, used to be an old coffee plantation. Today its a beautiful house, in an amazing location looking over the mountains and valley below. Its run by a very friendly Brit named Tim and his Colombian wife, Cris.
At night fall we walked down to neat town square. Salento is a small but clean and beautiful town with mountains surrounding it and at 2300 metres high it has a great climate. The local speciality is trout from the mountain rivers. We enjoyed a fabulous trout dinner and then had some drinks in the towns one happening bar. It was a great introduction to Salento, a packed bar with friendly locals, non-stop salsa dancing in the very narrow space between tables and many, many beers all around. It seemed the further into Colombia we got the better it was.
Tags: Cheese, Colombia, Crappy food, Pineapple, Salento
Michael Coroneos
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.