Ordinarily, a person (me) would not expect a friend of a friend to take a day off work, hire a translator and take you wherever you wanted to go. Colombia is not an ordinary country, nor are its natives. My friend of friend is a Colombian registered dietitian (Patricia) and friend of a Colombian who lives in NY (Lorena). Patricia and I had met once before. As my new Bogota friend, Patricia, took us on a unique adventure. It probably never occured to Patricia to back-out of the day--a Colombian would not do that.
Patricia's first stop was the city flower market with an array of plants and flowers, ready to go into any garden. It was lovely here, but we didn't linger since we wanted to get to the food.
The next stop was the city food market where saw, tasted and admired so many fresh fruits and vegetables that I had never seen, much less tasted. Along the way, Patricia, bought and instisted that we taste the fruits. The range of colors and characteristics were endless.
The seafood and fish were different from what I was used to and strange looking to me, not being familiar with the area.
Mystery fish to me
There were rows and rows of various potatoes which made my heart sing, being the potato-lover than I am.
Sacks and sacks of potatoes were everywhere.
The fruits and vegetables were a dietitian's dream. I wondered if all these wonderful fruits are the reason that I saw very few obese or even overweight Colombians? Was I in Paris? (where most everyone seems to be slim and trim). With the moderate climate and rain, fresh food is readily available. The overall market experience was a highlight of our trip.
Color at its best
Our dear friend, Patricia, took us on other adventures. Here she is with a handsome stranger--a gringo I suspect.
The next post: Day Two of Bogota
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