Our Trip to Colombia
On the 26th of November this year, a team from DLux Roses made a trip to Colombia, and we can tell you that it was an extraordinary experience. The country has a rich history which is symbolized in its flag. With lavish culture and traditions, the yellow of the flag signifies the people’s harmony and justice, gold, and fertile land, with the color of the sun; Colombia has both, splendid volcanoes and mountains running through its center, as well as tropical beaches, deserts, and massive open grasslands, reflected through the blue of the flag. Lastly, the red portion of the flag represents the blood sacrificed by the people for the independence of the country.
Plaza Bolívar, Bogotá
Our first stop upon landing was in the capital of the country, Bogota. A number of places we visited over there were the Monserrate Mountain that dominates the city center; La Candelaria, Bogota’s vibrant heart with landmarks like the colonial-era cathedral and neoclassical Capitol flanking Bolivar Plaza; and Museo Botero, a museum of art collections. We visited the countryside too, such as Tenjo where most of the rose farms are, to fully appreciate the beauty of the greenery. In fact, the purpose of our visit was to look for future endeavors, as we plan to collaborate with these farms in the coming years and fly in their fresh roses for our customers.
Their weather is pretty spring-like all year round, making it ideal for the growth of coffee and a variety of flowers; the country prides itself for its coffee and climate. Interestingly, Colombians have a wide assortment of flavors in their cuisine. Some of our favorite dishes were the Arepa, a fluffy pancake-like dish usually eaten with cheese or avocado, and the Sancocho, a Caribbean beef stew popular in the Latin American cuisine. Then there was the Ajiaco soup, typically made with chicken, three varieties of potatoes, and the Galinsoga parviflora herba, and a favorite of the people in Bogota. Lastly, we tried the Bandeja Paisa, popular in the Paisa region as in its name as well as in the Antioquia department.
We visited a number of places, one of them being Guatape, a lovely resort town with the famous El Peñón de Guatapé, literally meaning the “Rock of Guatape”. It is indeed a magnificent giant granite rock, up which you can make a hundred-stair climb to the top to experience a gorgeous view of the town. Another place we visited was Medellin, a town famous for its festival of flowers, Feria de las Flores. It is traditionally a 10-day event that has been held annually for over 60 years with different themes each time. This year’s theme was “Medellín Florece” or “Medellín Blooms” in English.
Although the first one, hosted in the month of May 1957, was a tribute to the flower business of Medellin, it was shifted to August the following year to celebrate the independence of Antioquia. The whole festival holds a myriad of small events besides the more bigger and elaborate ones. This year’s three biggest events were the Súper Concierto, Classic Car Parade and Desfile de Silleteros. Feria de las Flores is pretty significant for us since we specialize in preserving flowers, and we do plan to participate in the near future.