Day 4: Pueblito Paisa

This morning we got ready and suddenly our interpreter showed up. He had his car and he wanted to take us to Pueblito Paisa. It is a replica of an old paisa village. It is really neat because it is built on the top of a high hill so there are some awesome views of the city, too.

We drove through town and hiked right up to the scenic overlook. Our interpreter again told us much about the beautiful city of Medellin. I have added a picture, but they really don’t let you see how breathtaking the views are. The city is comprised of mostly brick buildings, and we were able to see the brick factory, government buildings, a bull-fighting ring, and, of course, the soccer field.



Next we went down into the village. There was a replica church, priest’s house, school, and barber shop (among other things). There were lots of vendors selling all sorts of souvenirs, food, etc. One of the most interesting things was watching this a man pull some white stuff that looked like taffy. We asked our interpreter what it was. He explained that they take the ligaments, nerves, etc. from a cow’s leg and boil it down. It turns black, thick, and gooey. They then take that and add in sugar and pull it (like taffy), adding in oxygen and it makes a candy. In case you were wondering, we didn’t try any.



After that we let the girls eat a snack (potato chips, of course) and then back to the hotel. It is Sunday and some of the main roads are closed to allow people to bike, rollerblade, etc., which makes the other roads very crowded. The driving here is interesting. It seems more like there are “suggestions of the road” instead of “rules of the road.” The white lines are merely decoration because as many cars and motorcycles as possible squeeze into the lanes.

Just a quick word about our hotel. We have slowly been getting to know the other occupants. One mother and her two kids have been especially kind to us. Our interpreter told us that most of the people who stay at this hotel are waiting for some type of transplant. Apparently Medellin is a noted place in Colombia (and even South America) for transplants. The family that we know best have been here for 4 years waiting for a heart transplant for their son. The people here are warm and generous and we are enjoying getting to know them. The wireless connection is great because we keep a translator up so we can communicate better.



P.S. I have no idea why some of the photos are small and some are large. I hope you can see them.