Wait, There’s a Little Slice of Germany in Venezuela? Here’s the Fascinating Story of Colonia Tovar!
In a picturesque town nestled among cloud-topped mountains, classic German black and white timber-framed buildings line the streets and are scattered across the hillside. Atmospheric restaurants sell sausages and sauerkraut served by staff in traditional German clothes, and bakeries proudly display Black Forest cake with decadent layers of chocolate, cherries and cream. While this might […]
How Cali in Colombia became the capital of salsa
Cali, the most populous city in southwest Colombia, is often celebrated as the “capital of salsa,” and it didn’t take me long in the city to understand why. Music pours out of shops, houses and buses, and caleños, people from Cali, spontaneously sway to its infectious rhythms wherever they may be. Colombia’s third largest city is […]
Is Macondo Real? The Truth About the Magical Town from ‘100 Years of Solitude’?
In a small town in northern Colombia surrounded by banana trees, yellow butterflies flutter through the streets, a train line cuts through its heart, and a sign at the entrance of the town reads in large letters: Macondo. Bookworms might recognize the place as the centrepiece of the globally renowned prize winning novel, “100 Years […]
Sip by Sip: The Story of Colombian Coffee and Its World Domination
Will yours be a tinto, café con leche, or perhaps a café carajillo? In Colombia, coffee isn’t just a morning brew. No, it’s so much more than that. It’s a way of life. Each morning, the familiar, enticing aroma of coffee fills homes, cafés, and streets as Colombians enjoy a cup with breakfast or on […]
The Arepa Wars: Colombia vs. Venezuela — Who Really Invented Them?
Have you ever wondered which country can truly claim the arepa as its own — Colombia or Venezuela? It’s a heated culinary debate that has spilled over from real life to social media. Take the social media platform Reddit, for example. In the subReddit askLatinAmerica, the question sparked a heated, and funny, online food fight. […]
Colombia’s Arepas: the Snack That Sums up National Culture and Pride
Hot and fluffy with lashings of sweet condensed milk, plain and thin served stuffed with finely grated cheese, or fried and crispy with an egg and minced meat inside. Arepas can be found almost anywhere across Colombia, at pretty much any time of day. The flattish round patties are usually made from cornflour and usually […]
Understanding the Wayuu, Colombia’s ‘Forgotten People’
In a small community on Colombia’s la Guajira peninsula, a family takes a few strides across the sun-scorched land to a tall, bladeless windmill that has stood broken for years. They attach a tube to a long rope, lowering it slowly into the ground. Taking turns, they crank a heavy handle – a makeshift solution […]