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Quito and a church of gold

July 13, 2009 in ecuador by kels | No comments

After saying good-bye to our lovely Colombian Tia Marta, we headed off into Quito. We managed to find a really great hostel, Casa Helbling, where hot water actually comes out of the taps in the sink! We were sold and hunkered down for about a week to explore the city.

Quito’s old city is probably one of the best kept colonial towns you will find. With cobbled streets, tiny alleyways and a bustling vibe it is hard to resist this old town’s charms. It also has about a million churches! Ok, maybe not a million but it has more than its fair share of holy homes. We are not the type of travellers who have to see everything there is to see (otherwise we wouldn’t need to come back) so we decided to take in just a few of the churches.

Started in 1605, La Compañía de Jesús, Ecuador’s most ornate church was built over 160 years by the Jesuits and is decorated with some great works of art. Oh yeah and supposedly 7 tonnes of 23 k gold was used to gild the entire inside of this house of God. Known as the most beautiful church in Ecuador, we felt that of all the churches you can visit in Quito, this is the one to see.

The huge paintings on the pillars inside depict the Prophets (whose eyes eerily follow you as you walk away) while the entry way showcases a massive painting of Hell and the Last Judgment which is sure to scare most people into confessing their sins and then some. And, like many churches, La Compañía de Jesús has its very own patron saint, Mariana de Jesus. She devoted herself to God and claimed this church as her home – to this day her remains are venerated in the main altarpiece and lots of religious paraphernalia with her image can be conveniently purchased at the gift shop.

We were properly awed and walked around the church in a bit of a daze, 7 tonnes is a huge amount of gold and seeing it all over the walls, altarpieces even part of the ceiling was quite a sight. Unfortunately we weren’t able to take photos… or so we were told. Deciding that this rule did not apply to us, Tom managed to snap a few sneaky photos though they don’t really do the church justice.

Dear Colombia…I’m fat

June 12, 2009 in Colombia, Tasty treats by kels

Dear Colombia,

You are a country of amazing diversity, incredible scenery, welcoming people and your food – oh the food… Since we arrived we have been treated to various Colombian specialties and our waistlines are now suffering the consequences of all your ridiculously delicious food. But, as we leave the country, we are not sure how we are going to live without your:

Jugos
With your stunning array of tropical fruits, we are now unsure how we will survive without the sweet sour tang of maracuya (passionfruit), the berry deliciousness of mora (blackberry), the creamy lulo, the refreshing melon and the indescribable tomate de arbol (tree tomato). From Colombia onward I will hold maracuya dear to my heart.

Fresh juices!

Almojabana
This savoury cheesy bread, best eaten straight out of the oven, has cast a spell on our hungry bellies. We found ourselves craving this small button of tastiness nearly every morning. And, we both agree, that Pan Pa Ya in Bogota makes the most magnificent almojabana.

A delicious and delectable cheesy treat

Aijiaco
A soup created with chicken, 3 types of potatoes, corn, heavy cream and capers sounds like an odd mix but this traditional soup became a solid favourite after the first spoonful. Comforting, filling and with a bit of a zip from the capers this Bogotan specialty will be sorely missed but hopefully recreated.

Capers, chicken and potatoes...

Arepa de Huevo
Originally from the coast, we first tried arepa de huevo in Bogota where Odette (yet another gracious Colombian host) gave us a crash course in how to make them. Turns out our skills are not very good but with Odette’s help the end product tasted just fine. Amazing that cornflour, egg and salt can taste so scrumptious. Salsa Brava and a dollop of sour cream completed this tasty breakfast.

Deep-fried with an egg in the middle!

Pan de bono
Almojabana’s cheeky cousin, pan de bono filled our stomachs with sheer bliss when we visited Cali. With a harder skin, reminiscent of a bagel, on the outside and soft chewy bread on the inside it was too hard to say no to just one… so we didn’t (which is why there are no photos!).

Sigh Colombia, it is with sorrow and jeans that don’t quite zip up that we bid you adieu.

Colombian Coffee: A huge and tasty industry

May 31, 2009 in Colombia by kels | 1 comment

After chilling out in Bogota we headed for Colombia’s Zona Cafetera. Arriving late in the afternoon, after driving the terrifying La Linea, we rolled into Salento where we toured a small coffee plantation to see where the world’s favourite hot beverage comes from.

It all starts with this plant and the legend of a goat herder in Ethiopia who noticed that his herd became a bit livelier after eating the berries from a shrubby tree. Curiousity got the best of him and he boiled up a batch of berries, had a sip and created the world’s first cup of coffee.

Coffee Plant

Tim, the owner of the plantation and the hostel we stayed at in Salento, explained that there are two types of beans: Robusta and Arabica. Arabica is considered to be more suitable for drinking and, due to this, 75% of the world’s coffee produced is Arabica. However Robusta contains more caffeine and is most often used in blends. South American nations tend to produce Arabica while Robusta is grown mostly in Southeast Asia and Central Africa.

Seeds from the Berry

The berries are harvested and sorted at certain times of the year depending on ripeness and colour. Inside each berry are two seeds, which we call beans. The beans are then soaked in water to remove their natural sugars. Then they are dried in sunlight and during this time every available concrete surface is covered in beans throughout Central and South America.
The beans are then sorted and roasted for specific amounts of time depending on the desired taste. Lighter roasts have more caffeine and less flavour while darker roasted coffee is more flavourful but contains less caffeine. So, those hardcore coffee drinkers who order the blackest roast possible aren’t really as hardcore as they believe.

The outer skin is removed from the bean

Beans are then ground and brewed to make the tasty drink we know and love. In fact, we love it some much that from 1998 to 2000 6.7 million metric tonnes of coffee were produced. And Colombia is the second largest producer of coffee worldwide coming in at 10.5 million bags!