aimee's corner
December 2005
My dad was born on March 17, 1962 on a river boat on the way to the hospital. My grandmother was having the last of her three children, all boys, and my dad couldn t wait to be born. They were living far upriver in a mining camp where my late grandpa worked as an engineer. My dad would like to revisit his birthplace so I thought I d write about it to help him get ready for the trip.
The Republic of Colombia is hot and very wet along the Caribbean and Pacific coastal areas. The weather changes rapidly (hot to cold) from the lowlands to the highlands of the Andes. The area where my dad came from is called the Colombian Pacific plains and are among the most rainy parts in the world, especially at the north (Chocó). This area is known for growing sugar cane, cotton, soy, and sorghum , and coffee crops in the mountains. My mom wants my dad to remember that there is mining for gold and big emeralds in Colombia!
The Colombian Andean music has been strongly influenced by Spanish rhythms and instruments, and differs noticeably from the Indian music of Peru or Bolivia.
An IVA 10% tax is charged to your hotel account, as well as a hotel insurance of approximately US$10.00 per person. The insurance varies according to the hotel. You should expect to pay around $100 $200 a night. I suggest you stay in the northern part of Bogotá where you will find the best malls, food, and entertainment. The country is 95% Catholic, so expect to attend church on Sunday. The currency is the peso and one US Dollar is currently worth 2,274.70 COP.
Lastly, for my devoted readers, I m including my dad s favorite dish: rice.
| 2 c | rice |
| 4 c | water |
| 3/4 t | salt |
| 1+ | garlic clove |
| 1 | onion |
| 1 T | oil |
Pour the oil into a medium saucepan and fry the onion and garlic for about 30 seconds.
Add the water and when it boils add the rice and salt. Let it boil for about 1 minute then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 20 min to ½ hour.
Serve the rice hot in a large dish decorated with parsley as a side with your favorite meat dish.
(Note: We love garlic at home so my mom uses one clove per person and my dad loves extra onions. Also, we only use olive oil because I love black olives from Spain.)
