Dish ware of Colombia

I was spending time with a new friend one Sunday, she asked me if I would like to go see various pueblos in the area to see what they offer so we took ride about 25 miles north or San Antiono,to La
Cejas. This sits at the base of the Andes, small old town very congested but full of shops and stores, we had a traditional Colombia coffee called Tinto, sorta a shot of espresso more or less.Then continued to another little darling hillside town called CARMEN DE V. I found this town very
charming,  lots of windy hillside roads, farms, and beautiful flower growers surrounding the   mountain Pueblo. This is where some of the most beautiful Dishware and plates are made from the      clay in the surrounding areas, all made by hand and painted by hand as well. Pricing seems so
 reasonable. Years back I fell in love with a line of dishes called MAMA ROE, it is from Italy, same idea, made from the clay of a small town in Italy all made by hand and hand painted but Mama Roe is simple, elegant and wonderful bright colors. These in Carmen DE V were all well made,but mostly patterns and some brightly colored. I loved them If could I would by them and shipped them back! So beautiful! Here are some examples of what they made.

       

 

       

            

 For some reason I. Was atraced to the black and white, dramatic and very Beautiful! I asked how long they have been making these dishes the woman pretty much explained its been a tradition for over a hundred years. The shop was just immaculate, they had many people to attend to you, and they sell in sets, although they create many pieces separately that match what you are intersested in and they custom make to your designs whatever you desire.

 Fluted fruit  or  pasta dsh

Large jar 

Most all the butter dishes  are in this form.

I found some in pastels but the dark blue with yellow seems to be a predominate pattern and most liked in Colombia, the Colombian flag is Yellow, Red and Blue. So lots of items here are based on that color scheme.

  

 

 

 

Napkin holders soup touring, salads, dessert and dinner plates,milk pitchers water pitchers and chocolate pitchers,  THEY DRINK LOTS OF CHOCOLATE HERE! It was fun to explore this town, I would recommend you take a trip to this area if you are a plate collector, and the prices are extremely reasonable! 

Shoes of Colombia

  I brought these 

It all started because I had so many blisters on my feet from walking in Proflora, from the shoes I brought with me, they were not appropriate for the amount of walking I have been doing, so I set out to find the best pair of tennis that would be good with some of the clothes I have. I took a bus to Rionegro about 5 miles from San Antonio de Perrera Antioquia Rionegro, the rate about 75 cents in    

American money. I asked the bus driver to please help me as I was looking for an area where they sell shoes, in Latin Countries they have sections of all the same thing, so you hunt down what you want in

   that area. I got off of the bus in front of a plaza, and saw a beautifully dressed young lady tall,       gorgeous noticed she had cool shoes on, and said where is the area for shoes, she directed me to this   

little alley way where there was tons and tons of shoes and after that you cross a park and on the other said it continued.   

Beginning the hunt for the ones I liked and felt I could afford, with out any idea of how much the shoes cost here, I just browsed and asked if I could take photos, at first the photos were so I could  look back and see which ones I liked but then it became a game to see who had the best, and thought wow this is a good story! How many of us Woman love shoes?? I use to be a real shoe horse,it started at a young age, my mom would let me go shoppping on my own at the age of 12, sent me away to visit my sister and shop and buy as many as my money could spend.  Now I am very conservative,I live simple, very little money,  and just try to buy what I need, sadly enough it does not satisfy my 

desire to have the most beautiful and comfortable shoes. I wandered and found the crazy, and strange styles but looked all the while at what people were wearing and discovered it seem to be a trend here to wear platform tennis, actually they are very comfortable and some are really cute.  

      

       

   

  

     

   

I do like these and yes they are considered tennis here, although I did not buy these but they are!

I continued on and saw so many diffferent styles that I got confused and just thought oh well take photos then look back and remember where you saw the ones you want and buy them, the first one at the top of the page with the flowers were only 28 mil which equals to about 9 dollars. I found some where not as good as others of course but the prices were really good. I continued on my search and found a shop of just nail polish and bought two and some removed all for a  $1.00, then I found a blouse I loved for less than. $10.00, Continuing on I began to love the trend of the green army green so I went back and exchanged me polish for an army green an found many shoes in this color. 

        

      

Then I found a store that I absolutely was in love with, named COSMOS! OMG the shoe's and the bags in this la Tienda was amazing, the prices of course the most of all the stores, but I could not leave that place I was searching and looking and trying on shoes I had so much fun! I love all the shoes the bags and back packs wow! I honestly never have seen hand made shoes in the same country that were so good as these and very comfortable. I found one pair of Green Heels that I want to get as soon as I can! In person they are really beautiful the iridescent leather and the pattern on the leather the style the comfort wow! 

         

        

 These on the  left   and     look  at 

that bag, its all leather made here in Colombia the shoes ran about 50 dollars American, the purse about $55, Gawd I. Want them all!!  I found the so many in Cosmos that I wanted! Its aweful to be addicted to shoes! But I guess I could be addicted to other worst things, the thing is how do I bring these with me on to the next adventure? Buy another suitcase! Yep! Here are just a few more shoes from Cosmos. Please just click on the photos and they will enlarge and you can see all the details its amazing.

       

     

 All are hand   

  made and real leather , the boots the rain boots O Por DIOS!! 

 Slip ons

Metallics are 

hot and so is pink 

 

So I chose some white ones with silver very comfortable very well made for 30 mil pesos equals $10.00 I been wearing now for two weeks and they look brand new and are so comfortable my god. 

 Here are just a few more walking shoes and one pair of sandals I loved plus the ones I bought in Jerico! I m back now in Jerico and going to go talk to the sandal maker so if any of my readers are interested I am going to try to buy a bunch with your sizes and send them to USA and they will be made just for you! Comment if you like or message me but I am serious about this, this man has been making hand made shoes in this  tiny town for 50 years he made mine in less than a day! And. They are so cute, looking for the bag this week to match! SHOES LOVE THEM! 

JERICO BEAUTIFUL JERICO PART 2

As I wandered around enjoying the sites and sounds of the busy little Pueblo I found some interesting things like horses wandering the streets and eating the neighbors grass, hillside views of coffee farms and orange orchards and banana fields covering the mountain sides, the churches so many of them 19, bells ringing as I said earlier, horses riding in the streets with specifically dressed cowboys in the traditional attire for riding, boots of course, and fabulous saddles,  white shirts, the typical Colombian cowboy hat, and a scarf, the horses are very similar to lipisans, they stride as if they are dancing in the streets, spirited and talking all the while transporting there owners to where ever they are wanting to go, I even saw an old horse that was used to carry and transport product waiting in the corner to help who ever was willing to hire them.

           

         

    All   

hand.  made leather saddles and items in this town 

     

     

       

     

     

I continued on my walk for some five hours it was getting hot, the group finally called me and we took tuk tuk which  Is what they use as taxis there to the top of this mountian to overlook the city and see the giant statue of Jesus with his arms spread wide to protect this little cow town. 

    

I found the purses I spoke about earlier in every shop I was curious and finally asked what they were about, and realized it s like a souvenir of the area, I stumbled onto a shoemaker and spoke with him, he was working  on sandals and other shoes and had a whole collection, When I asked if he did this all his whole life he said yes in the same little tiny shop for over 50 years, I purchased a beautiful handmade pair of sandals with cow fur and dyed leather, the details are so perfect. They charged me 28 thousand. Pesos equaling  Less then ten dollars The name of his shop is. ARCANGEL TIRADO located in the very end of this town tucked into the mountain. 

      

I will have to post a photo of the ones I purchased , less then ten bucks for his hard work day after day year after year over 50 years WOW nice people. After the mountain trip. The group walked to the botanical garden for me it was over I walked some 5 hours so I did not go with them but took a tuk tuk instead, went and had local ice cream and walked back to beautiful quiet restful house ok off my shoes eased my sore feet on the cool tile floors and talk to my son on Facebook, then took a nap only after taking some more photos, It eneded far to short and I am ever so grateful for the YASA FLORAL Company for allowing me to experience this once in a life time event! The weekend was the weekend of saints I heard so there was a procession that I posted on my facebook page Marianna Love, and a few other photos! Back to Rionegro far too soon! I thinkI could live there it was so. Pleasant so laid back, the weather perfect, and very inexpensive by the way my breakfast that day cost me $2.00 it included a huge if not massive bowl of coffee with cream, a sausage of chorizo Colombia style, Cheese, Colombian style, Two eyes, and fried Plantain! Ice cream was a $1.00 for 3 scoops YEP THREE SCOOPS!

JERICO BEAUTIFUL JERICO Part 1

   JERICO; Famous Jerico, known for many things, the first and foremost its first saint in Colombia, mother Laura, proud of this heritage, the town has now capitilized on this, and has become a largely toured Pueblo of Colombia.Laura Montoya Upegui who as born in Jerico in 1874 , the name of this town.  In the southwestern Antioqui has been heard all around Colombia, the publicly given to this Colombian Heritage Village is also justified by its moutains, and many traditions such as the manufacturing of the Antioquia Carriel a leather handbag,that is the emblem of this region. Even though I heard it is known all over the country, but not all the people here know where it is. Its about 3-5 hours away from Medellin, depending on the traffic. Some of the roads are not all paved, and there is some damage from a storm on one road, we went thru Bolombolo, that was to stay the least interesting! A long trip but really vale de Pena,  is the expression used. Its worth the pain of doing it.
Over winding mountainsides of the Andes, along giant strong rivers, over bridges,  up hills down hills, view the largest peak on the Andes, its super pointed almost pyramid shape extremly tall. That was interesting, the scenery all the way to Jerico is just beautiful, it changes and the climate changes as well, but so worth the drive, you can take the bus from Medellin  between 44- 46 million pesos, roughly, around 18 dollars round trip. 

                                                                                                   

  We drove in a very small car with five people, crammed into this like a sardine can, swerving in the            rain, avoiding multiple motorcycles, Incase you have never been in a Latin country the majority of people own motorcycles, and they literally control the roads!  We had a little tire trouble and stopped   twice ended up in this hot valley town called Bolombolo, filled with people this roadside town,  bursting with life and music and food, we had the tired changed at dusk in this old run down mostly   dirt tire shop.I walked to this little roadside open air restaurant and waited on them to fix the tire, while my friend had a few beers,we just watched the craziness of this little hill town, the traffic was  backed up as this was a puente weekend so they called it     

  three day weekend so the traffic was insane.   

Back on the road with an old tire with very little tread on it, squeeling around the curvy roads up the mountainside we came to the town of Jerico.

                        

                        

It was dark about nine about 9:00 o'clock at night, we parked and walked to the plaza the roads are all in stones and only arterias are allowed cars, the rest are walking streets, When we entered the Plaza,  it was filled with music laugher, loud talking and lots and lots of people.Various stands of food, and other items were still up and running. We met up with a group of people I did not know, it was some friends and relatives of my friends. I and my friend were giving the opportunity to stay in this   fabulous old world house in the center of town free, the owners of YASA floral in Bogota, offered the  use of there vacation home there, and so I called the care taker he walked up to meet us in the plaza   and walked us  back this fabulous home. No one would ever think that this beautiful place was located in the center of the city, preserved and hidden by large Spanish gates and walls to apprear as a building, but once you open the gate you step into a lush beautiful colorful garden and the entrance to    this wonderful home!

        THE ENTRANCE       

     WALK     THRU    HERE TO   THE  ENTRANCE. 

   KITCHEN   AND    BACK  AREA 

   SIDE YARD      

    ANTHIRIUMS  AND NAVEL ORANGES 

The whole group was in awe but I knew the house was going to be cool because the night before I spent the evening with the owners wife, her house was amazing piece of art, that is a whole not her story but I was not shocked as to what I saw as I knew already how this woman's eye for art and color was very similar to mine. This was a peaceful ZEN place! I enjoyed it ememsely here are some more photos mind you this is in the center of the city. 

       

       

    OLD CHURCH   IN THE BACK YARD 

       

    KITCHEN  OPEN  TO THE GARDEN 

         

        

     THESE  WERE  SOME OF  MY MOTHERS FAVORITES THE CARE TAKER PUT THEM ON THE TABLE FOR ME. 

We all return  to  the plaza after viewing the house now around 10:30 pm, walked up the streets and  

saw many churches, and into the plaza we all had a drink and people watched, they came back and  they had a little celebration till about 3 am! While I tried to sleep but practically impossible!  The  sounds of the bells of th church began early in the morning. I got up fairly early around 6:30 got cleaned up dressed, walked around the fabulous old style garden, taking photos and watching all the birds, all the while listening to all the bells of the 19 churches that are in this cow, banana, coffee, leather, orange growing cowboy town.  So beautiful to hear all them, not at the same time mind you all have there own sequences of bells and timing so all day you hear bells pretty much! I walked  around while everyone was still asleep had a typical breakfast, enjoyed the conversation with the manager of this small hotel where I ate, and then searched for the four museums I heard we're in the Pueblo, filled with action already, people setting up booths for vegetable, and fruits. Food stands, hats panchos and scarfs, saddle gear, statures of Laura,  tons of articles for the churches, Coffee vendors  candy vendors it was just tremendous amount of people and booths, I saw one of the campo buses,   these buses are for the locals who work in the farms or don't mind the open air windows, the old time buses are mostly old Fords, some are International like the one I have photos of here.  

   

   

    

    

These buses are all painted different I think depending on the driver and the area, I have seen them in.  Many colors its so fun to see them filled with people loud music blasting as they pass. I went to looked for the museums and finding all the fronts the facades of the buildings all painted very similar to the buses 

  

 

   

I eventually found a museum it cost me all of a dollar to view and to my surprise most of the furnishings and art work were Italian or Spanish in this old historic home that was owned by one of the most wealthy men in the history of the town, I went to see another museum, they were preparing for a huge holy Christmas display, I did not get photos of that but it was interesting to watch them paint figures and place paper to make mountains and scenary, this particular museum was filled with modern art as well and had a plaza in the center filled with trees and plants very restful place.