Colombia,,ants,,culona's

BARICHARA, Colombia  The first loud crackle tastes and feels like popcorn, but by the time the juices spray wildly in your mouth and the filament-like legs slide down your throat, there's no mistaking this toasted ant queen.

The people of sun-soaked northern Colombia have been eating ants for centuries. They believe the accurately named hormiga culona" big-butt queen ant is everything from a natural form of Viagra to a protein-rich defense against cancer.

Now the invertebrates are going global: A businessman in Santander province exported more than 880 pounds of the inch-long queen ants last year,

But even as the delicacy begins to expand beyond Colombia, the ants appear to be dwindling in Santander, and that worries the region's ant-eating bipeds.

This year's harvest, which usually begins around Easter and lasts as late as June, was one of the worst on record, with peasants in the artist colony of Barichara reporting half their normal year's haul.

Entomologists say the winter was unusually harsh and spring rains were late, which may have disturbed the virgin queen ants' nuptial flights — the one time a year when they emerge from their dune-like ant hills to seek a mate and form a new colony. Almost as often, the queens are grabbed by lizards, birds or humans.

Expanding fields of beans, tomatoes and tobacco also have replaced the region's last remaining wilderness and farmers consider the leaf-cutting ants — the species atta laevigata — to be serious pests.

"It's an age-old dilemma for the farmer  should I kill it or eat it?" said Andres Santamaria, who was given a $40,000 grant from Santander's government to develop an environmentally sustainable, export-oriented program for breeding the ants.



"We're never going to eat Colombians out of their ants," said Todd Dalton, a 30-year-old chef in London whose yen for the exotic dish led him to create Edible, a novelty food brand whose products are not for the squeamish.

Last year, Edible sold some 220 pounds of the ants,

In Colombia, people generally toast the ants in salt at community gatherings and eat them as a snack. But there is innovation. Restaurants in Barichara offer an ant-based spread for bread and an ant-flavored lamb sauce.

Stuffed tortilla "atta wraps" led the menu at a recent tasting at the Montreal Insectarium, an insect museum in Canada.

"In France, they're so highly regarded people started calling them the caviar of Santander," said Stephane Le Tirant, curator at the Montreal Insectarium.

During harvest time in Santander, ants by the bagful are sold at almost every roadside stop. But although relatively abundant, they're not cheap costing as much as $11 a pound.

The culona is a source of regional pride, its image gracing everything from the logo of a long-distance bus company to the provincial La Culona lottery. It also connects locals to the province's indigenous past, when ants were a part of a complex mating ritual of the Guane Indians.

Rising demand from the outside has helped push up prices that peasant harvesters are getting.

A few years ago they cost half as much," said Hernando Medina, the province's main exporter.

Not everyone is cashing in. Jorge Raul Diaz maintains 37 ant colonies on a small farm outside Barichara, but in homage to native culture, he gives them away.

During last year's harvest, he organized the first culona-gathering contest, in which 22 participants competed over two months to see who could bag the most insects.


Farmer Carlos Bayona tosses a big pot of "Culonas" ants while cooking them in Socorro May 20, 2009. Every year during the April-June season thousands of Colombian farmers and inhabitants of Santander province collect ants (Atta Laevigata) as part of a traditional ritual in the region. The ants, named ulonas for their big size, are cooked and sold as exotic, specialized food.

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Medellín Colombia

Vote for the Most Innovative City

Medellín Colombia

Population:
3.5 million
Area:
1,165 sq. km.
Demonym:
"Medellinian" "Medellinese"
Primary Industry:
Steel

Reason for Inclusion:
Urban Land Institute: Progress & Potential
First Round Voters: Progress & Potential
The city’s crime rate has fallen significantly in recent decades, thanks to aggressive local policies.
The city has seen great advancement in public transportation, with more than 500,000 residents and visitors using its Metro train system each day. The city also boasts a public bike-share program.
New facilities and landmarks include the España Library and a cultural center in Moravia.
The Metro system reduces Medellin’s CO2 emissions by 175,000 tons each year.
In 2011 Medellin opened a large outdoor escalator, allowing residents of the city’s elevated Comuna 13 neighborhood to safely ride down the steep hillside, the size of a 28-story building.
The city’s public utilities company, Empresas Publicas de Medellin, have helped to support community goals and public goals, such as improving education.

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Colombia Visa Rules

Colombia Visa Rules How to Spend More Time in Colombia
It happens to many a traveler  you head to South America on a normal backpacking trip, with an end date in sight and a return flight home. Suddenly though, you find yourself in a place you can’t imagine leaving and going home doesn't seem like such a good idea anymore. For me that place was Colombia.
If you do end up falling in love with Colombia, or any of the other countries in South America, you will have to navigate the oh-so-annoying long term visa process. Here are my tips on surviving the process in Colombia after two years of doing it.
The Tourist Visa Rules
Colombia Tourist Visa
First, it’s good to understand the standard tourist visa rules since you are likely to first enter the country on this sort of visa. The government agency in Colombia that use to be in charge of issuing visas has actually been completely replaced over the last year or so. DAS Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad was shut down many say due to corruption and replace by Unidad Administrativa Especial Migracion. This change was very, very good for foreigners for a number of reasons, but mainly because it made the whole tourist visa process a bit more predictable.

It use to be that arriving in Colombia, any place besides Bogota, got you a 30 day tourist visa. In Bogota you would be given 60 days and if you were incredibly lucky, you could ask and receive 90 days. Now, whether you arrive by plane or overland, you will most likely receive 90 days without even having to ask for it.
Staying Long Term

So your 90 days in Colombia is almost up and you don’t want to leave? You have a few options for staying longer.


Colombia  The Only Risk is Wanting to Stay”

The easiest and most common option is to simply extend your tourist visa. The law in Colombia actually states that foreigners, from most countries, can stay in Colombia for a maximum of 6 months every year. After your initial 3 months is up, you can visit a Unidad Administrativa Especial Migracion office (still referred to by many as a DAS office) and renew your visa for another 3 months. The process is pretty straightforward – you have to deposit a set amount of money in a specific bank account before going to the immigration office. The amount and account number changes occasionally so it is best to go to the office, get the information, pay at the bank, and then come back for the actual extension. Once you have the bank receipt, you fill out a few forms, have your fingerprints taken, and eventually you are given another 90 days. The whole process can be done in less than a day.
Crossing the Colombia Ecuador Border

Alternatively, you can also just hop across the border to Venezuela or Ecuador or sail to Panama and back. When you reenter Colombia, you will be given another 90 days again. This is a more expensive option but great if you have the time and want to see a bit more of South America.

Want to stay even longer? You can also apply for a student visa pretty easily which will allow you to stay for a full calendar year. Immigration lawyers in Colombia often push this option, even to people with no interest in studying, because it is so easy. Many Spanish schools set up classes just for expats using this visa and the visa is similar in price to an extended tourist visa (though a bit more complicated due to additional paperwork and school fees).
Couple Travel Tips
Always check your visa as soon as the officer stamps it in your passport. They typically give 90 days but have been known to give as little as 20.
Overstaying your visa in Colombia is a serious issue and I’d strongly suggest avoiding it. Occasionally you will get lucky and just get a fine but I had one friend physically deported and banned from Colombia for overstaying a month.
If you are leaving Colombia and traveling to Panama by boat, be sure you give your passports to the captain the day before. There isn’t a immigration office at the port and it can take a day or so to get officially “checked out” of the country. The captains will usually handle the immigration part for you the day before you sail.

Colombia Cartagena’s Fiestas de Independencia

Colombia Cartagena’s Fiestas de Independencia

Cartagena’s Fiestas de Independencia 

Let me give you all a tip: visit Cartagena in the second week of November. Just at the end of the rainy season, Cartagena has the biggest celebration probably anywhere in Colombia – parades, parties day and night, live music, world famous salsa dancers, traditional performances of dance and music, the national beauty pageant, and much, much more!

The whole event is in honor of Cartagena’s independence from Spain in 1811. This small but wealthy city was the first province to declare independence and led the movement for the eventual independence of the whole country.

If you are lucky enough to end up in Cartagena this week (be sure to book your hostel or hotel early because they all fill up) here are just some of the fun activities you should check out.


Colombia  La Batalla de las Flores
La Batalla de las Flores

The kick off to the week of festivals is a huge parade down Avenida Santander. Bright floats filled with flowers carry each of the beauty pageant contestants. There are also local dance groups and musician, and costumed locals in everything from traditional Spanish colonial costumes to costumes representing the Africa culture and influence in the region.

The best place to watch the parade is from the city walls. The good spots fill up quickly and if you do get stuck in the crowd at the foot of the wall, watch your camera and wallet. This is prime time for pickpockets.
Desfile de Balleneras

If your not a big fan of huge, dense crowds the Desfile de Balleneras might be better for you. This “parade” takes place on boats in the harbor of Cartagena. The beauty pageant contestants all ride along on beautifully decorated yachts, while other locals follow in yachts, speedboats, and sailboats. The whole event invokes the memory of Cartagena back when it won independence and large ships sailed away from this harbor filled with gold heading to Spain.


Colombia Cartagena’s Harbor
Miss Colombia Pageant

The final Miss Colombia selection takes place on November 12 in the Centro de Convenciones right in the center of Cartagena. Every year they get big name performers for the show, which means tickets are very hard to come by. Most locals just watch the event on tv before going out to celebrate.

If you really want to be part of the event live, you can also try and get tickets to the Desfile en Traje de Bano the day before. This event is the swimsuit competition part of the pageant and another very popular event.
And Watch Out!

It’s not all about the pageant contestants though. In fact, the contestants tend to avoid the street level events which can get incredible messy. Don’t wear anything you really like because you WILL get soaked with buckets of water, sprayed with foam, covered in flour, and smeared with paint. It’s a very fun time but it can get a little exhausting when you literally can’t walk to the market without risking a flour, foam, or paint attack.


Covered in Foam and Paint Cartagena’s Fiestas de Independencia

Remember that it is all fun and games but if you do decide it’s a bit too much for you, book a trip out to the Rosario Islands or Playa Blanca for a relaxing break.
Couple Travel Tips
Carry small change with you. Part of the festivals is that groups of young men roam the street covered head to foot in paint and greasy oil. You have to pay a small “toll” to escape the mess. If you don’t have any change, just try smiling and being polite and they will usually let you pass un-painted.
Watch out for the balconies! People living above the main streets will often fill buckets with water to pour down on unsuspecting walkers.
Join in on the fun! Wear something you’re ready to throw away, leave your camera in the hostel, buy your own can of foam, and enjoy.

Cartagena, Colombia

Cartagena, Colombia

Colombia T – Las Murallas of Cartagena – It doesn’t get any better than a good pirate story… just ask Johnny Depp. Tales of buccaneers and plunders of cities filled with gold bring out the adventurer in all of us. How would you like to get a taste of “Pirates of the Caribbean” in real life? Well, thankfully there is a city, with a long history of pirate plunders and conquests, that still shares its magic charm with people today – Cartagena, Colombia
With Gold Come Pirates


Colombia Cartagena de Indias

Cartagena, Colombia has always been a city with a pirate problem. Located at the top of South America, Cartagena was a major Spanish port in the early days of the New World conquest. Cartagena has a deep, safe harbor and was used as the main port for shipping all the gold taken from the Inca Empire back to Spain. Trillions of dollars worth of gold, precious stones, and other goods passed through Cartagena and it didn’t take long for the pirates to catch on.

Pirate attacks were common in Cartagena and usually ended with the ransoming of the city by the pirates back to the Governor, who would usually flee before the fighting really began. All the famous pirates attacked Cartagena at one point or another – Robert Baal, Martin Cote, and eventually Sir Francis Drake in 1586. Considered a national hero by many in England, Sir Francis Drake was despised by the Spanish crown and viewed as a criminal of the high seas. After Drake’s devastating attack on Cartagena, the Spanish crown finally decided it was time to invest in the city’s defenses.
Las Murallas


Colombia Las Murallas of Cartagena

Visiting Cartagena feels like going back in time. Old colonial home and mansions all cluster together, guarded over by the huge city walls or Las Murallas. These walls, pocketed with cannon wounds and complete with jail cells, stand up to 20 feet thick in places. Began after the attack of Sir Francis Drake, the city walls cost over 2 trillion dollars to build (at today’s value) and took over a hundred years to construct. It was built in three different stages as the city invested more and more into its defenses.


Colombia Las Murallas of Cartagena

You can still walk along the wall, which is still nearly perfectly intact. The best views of both the city and the sea are from the top of the wall, where you can also find the popular Cafe del Mar bar. If you are visiting Cartagena, be sure to visit the wall at sunset. If you begin your walk on the Northeast end of the city about 45 minutes before sunset, you can walk the full length and be at the perfect spot to watch the sunset on the west side of the wall.
Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas

Even after the city walls were complete, Cartagena continued to suffer pirate attacks. The Spanish, in another effort to secure their South American gold supply line, ordered the building of a number of forts, San Felipe being the biggest.


Colombia Castillo de San Felipe

This incredibly well designed fortress has no vertical walls, is designed to deflect cannon balls, and has a number of hidden underground tunnels and passageways so that the fort could survive weeks of constant attacks. In 1741 the fort was put to the test. Sir Edward Vernon, a English Parliament member, declared war on Spain and recruited an armed force of 28,000 men and over 180 ships to attack Cartagena. This was seen as overkill, as Cartagena had been successfully captured with as little as 1000 men before but this time they had a fort and city wall to protect them. The well loved (his statue stands in front of Castillo de San Felipe today) Don Blas de Lezo was the commander for the Cartagena force and with the help of the fort, city walls, and even an underwater wall blocking the harbor, Don Blas was able to conquer the English forces with only 6000 armed men.

If you visit the fort today, opt for a guided tour to hear the full tale of Don Blas’ amazing battle and how this hero saved his city.


Colombia Cartagena de Indias
Couple Travel Tips
If you want to know more about the pirate attacks on Cartagena, visit the Palace of the Inquisition Museum in Cartagena. They have old maps, tales of the battles, and even old weapons from the attacks.
Want to see what all the fighting was about? Across the plaza from the Palace of the Inquisition is the Gold Museum of Cartagena. Inside is just a small collect of the gold artifacts that were being melted down and transported back to Spain.
Ask locals to tell you their favorite pirate stories. There are enough tales to keep you entertained for hours but be careful who you believe. The stories, like any good pirate story, have been “enhanced” throughout the generations.
Posted from my blog
Bud Karas