turning paleo. meal ideas to heal a gut.

While I began playing around with a paleo diet in October or November, I cheated VERY regularly - I kept dairy and processed, gluten-free foods. I was careful to cook dishes at Thanksgiving in Mississippi that would avoid any potential for cross-contamination with gluten. And I still got sick. I know it wasn't gluten that got me (that reaction is VERY quick!), but something was still off. The day after Thanksgiving, I dealt with blood sugar issues and moodiness. (I swear that's a symptom - just ask my family!) While out shopping, my sister bought me Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo. I devoured the book on the flights back to DC - I was (and am!) determined to not feel like that again for a while. 

Shout out to this book: I highly recommend it to anyone with digestive or intestinal issues. She takes our complex body systems and breaks it down into easily digestible (pun intended) processes, then lays out thirty day meal plans and recipes to help solve a problem or just to feel better.

So here is a quick, dumbed down summary of leaky gut: the inner lining of the small intestine should allow only tiny particles (think amino acids) to pass through it's barrier and into the blood stream. During 'leaky gut', the lining of the small intestine is damaged and, therefore, allows larger, unbroken particles to leak through and into the bloodstream. When this happens, the immune system (of which 60-80% resides in our bellies) reacts and causes a reaction. And that's where the fun begins.. Reactions can vary hugely between individuals - anything from a weak immune system, to arthritis or restless legs, to insomnia or fatigue, or sinus allergies in my case.

After reading Diane's take on it and doing some quick online research, I realized I have leaky gut. My first clue at this was a feeling of phlegm / cold like symptoms after my morning fruit and Greek yogurt. Once I made this connection, I realized that I would feel sinus symptoms after I had a latte, yogurt or gelato. Yes, I'm serious. What a terrible (but amazing) discovery! My diet has been causing my immune system grief for years!

Personal history: I have had bad sinus allergies since middle school. Throughout the last five or so years, it was common for me to have two sinus infections annually all while taking two allergy medicines a day. If someone was sick nearby, I was going to get it. I also had digestive issues such as heart burn and indigestion and blood sugar issues. Since changing my diet over the last two months, I feel worlds better and have stopped one allergy medicine completely. (I'm still taking one on an 'as needed' basis.) I no longer take any medicine for indigestion or heart burn. 

Next first step once you realize there's a problem: start solving it. Leaky guts can be healed - and mine will be if not by sure will. :-) I have become very, very thoughtful about everything that I eat and am cooking every meal myself. I may stick to the paleo diet for a long time out, but right now I am being even more strict than that. By trial and error, I've learned that I currently need to avoid FODMAPs. Without going back to my organic chemistry textbooks, certain foods are deemed to be FODMAPs as they have compounds that are more difficult for the small intestine to break down. A few examples of fruits and vegetables that I am avoiding: broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, apples, apricots. I also noticed that eggs weren't the best for me, so I'm taking a break from them as well. 

Since I was diagnosed with Celiac last year, it makes sense that my small intestine is damaged. For those with Celiac or a gluten sensitivity, wheat, malt and barley causes an autoimmune reaction in the small intestine, causing an inflammatory response. Eventually, the small intestine can become so damaged that important nutrients (such as calcium) can no longer be absorbed (causing osteoporosis in the case of calcium deficiency). While I most likely will not be able to eat gluten again (and why would I??), I feel confident that I will be able to eat dairy and other foods once I am healed.

So what am I eating? A LOT of amazing, fresh food. My current diet includes lots of protein - bacon, beef, chicken, fish. I'm trying to maintain a mix of vegetables even though I'm counting all of those FODMAPs out. Current vegetables are squash (butternut, yellow, spaghetti), zucchini, tomatoes, spinach, carrots, cucumbers, green beans. Fruits include bananas, oranges, dates, blueberries. I am very careful with spices now as they have potential to be cross-contaminated and feeling poorly is not worth having spicy food; I am using sea salt, black pepper, fresh rosemary. Lemons and limes are also great for adding flavor naturally. I drink hot tea (caffeinated only as a splurge once or twice a week) and kombucha (fermented tea that includes probiotics). Speaking of probiotics, I have also begun supplementing L-Glutamine and probiotics to help heal my tummy. 

All meat is organic. Beef grass fed when possible; chicken FREE RANGE (not cage free); bacon organic and with as few ingredients as possible. Fruits and veggies - check out the 'dirty dozen' - always try to buy organic lettuce, spinach, berries/grapes.

There are many non-dairy options such as almond milk and coconut milk, but neither have been sitting well with me. I've been cheating a bit with Lucy's cookies - gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free and DELICIOUS. 

What follows are some great meals that I've cooked at home. These date back to October, so some may contain foods that I'm not eating currently. (If I didn't list it above, I'm not eating it currently.) 

ground beef sauteed with mushrooms and tomatoes served with thinly sliced eggplant

(eggplant was delicious! pan seared it with butter until the juices/sugars came out)

seabass, tomatoes+mushrooms, roasted cauliflower, brussel sprouts, butternut squash

squash+zucchini quiche and bacon

(see practical paleo for this recipe) 

roasted chicken thighs and sweet potatoes

flank steak, roasted carrots, roasted beets with oranges and fennel

(meal inspired by Practical Paleo)

persimmon and asparagus salad

skirt steak, sauteed spinach and cherry tomatoes, roasted carrots

roasted chicken thighs and tomatoes, sauteed carrots and spinach

roasted chicken stuffed with fresh herbs and lemon with carrots+tomatoes+sweet potatoes

roasted chicken + bacon + roasted squash and zucchini + sweet potato + carrot

spinach salad with tomatoes and carrots + roasted sweet potatoes + flank steak + bacon

steak + roasted sweet potatoes

fish wraps :-)

chicken + bacon + sweet potato + green beans (all roasted!)

steak with bacon and green beans

burgers + roasted sweet potatoes + sauteed carrots and spinach

roasted chicken + sauteed spinach and carrots + sauteed tomatoes

(cooked is easier to digest than raw)

spaghetti squash + spinach + yellow tomatoes + roasted chicken

roasted chicken + bacon wrapped dates + carrots + green beans

spinach salad with tomatoes and olive oil

butternut squash stuffed with bacon and ground beef!

steak and bacon with green beans and sweet potato

spaghetti squash + heirloom tomatoes + spinach + chicken

crock pot chicken with lemons and rosemary

stew beef + green beans + carrots, squash, zucchini

steak + spaghetti squash + spinach sauteed in bacon 

sauteed spinach, tomatoes, and chicken

fresh marinara (pureed tomatoes, celery and carrots) + diced parsnips, carrots, tomatoes, ground beef

served over spaghetti squash

ground bison with bacon, spinach and tomatoes + green beans and butternut squash

roasted bananas and dates topped with coconut milk ice cream (dairy free)

this was delicious, but I think my stomach isn't ready for coconut milk..

I hope this provides some inspiration. :-)

Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie (gluten free and semi-paleo)

My first food posting! Keep in mind that I am not following true Paleo (I eat dairy!), and my house is gluten-free (even each of my spices). I am not much of a planner as of late, so I tend to use whatever vegetables and meat I bought earlier in the week - the majority of which are fresh. I normally cook very quickly for one and dirty A LOT of dishes - this may not be practical for families or large groups. 

Tonight I used a recipe from Intro to Paleo by Abel James as my inspiration. The Caveman Casserole recipe is attributed to George Bryant (www.civilizedcavemancooking.com).

George Bryant's recipe calls for a gravy made of ghee, arrowroot powder, and chicken broth. I decided this was too much for me - I was hungry!! He also called for an onion (I didn't have one), and I added mushrooms.

The meal was really good and VERY filling. Learning for the future: coconut oil was a bit overpowering. Either I poured too much or I'm not accustomed to the taste yet. Next time, I'll consider using only butter or less coconut oil and rely more on the fat in the beef. Great for a cold, rainy night. Total prep and cooking time was less than an hour - I move pretty fast in the kitchen. :-)

sweet potato shepherd's pie (#GF)

• Heat coconut oil in a cast iron skillet and brown garlic. Add ground beef and spices (I used fresh oregano and thyme, salt and black pepper). 

• In a separate pot, steam sweet potatoes (thick slices with skin still on - more vitamins!!). Whip potatoes with butter and a small bit of milk.

• When beef is nearly cooked, add in mushrooms and carrots. Add frozen peas once everything is tender and hot. Drain any fat / excess oil.

• Smooth whipped sweet potatoes on top and bake at 400F for 10 or 15 minutes.

Gluten Free and Paleo #GF

Three years ago, I began this blog for my family to know I was safe while traveling alone and to help memorialize my travels. Now as a homeowner with a #realjob, I am not traveling as much but still have something else I need to remember: good food.

After struggling with stomach issues (think indigestion and other unmentionables) since I was in high school, my body reached a tipping point this spring. At first I thought it was my gallbladder: pain near my diaphragm, right under my rib cage. I tested positive for H.Pylori, a bacteria that can cause ulcers, so my doctor prescribed antibiotics. The pain continued until I was uncomfortable at least 75% of the time. I continued to eat when it was time though I had completely lost my appetite. I knew I would be in pain after the smallest snack. I eventually went to a gastroenterologist who, within a week, did blood tests, a breath test, and an upper scope. Breath test = no bacteria. Upper scope = beautiful stomach, no signs of an ulcer. Blood test = inconclusive: I'm deficient in an "immune complex" that would allow the doctor to see if I had a gluten allergy or intolerance.

It was time to take matters into my own hands: I stopped eating gluten and dairy. Like flipping a switch, I felt better. Food finally tasted good. During this test week, I had a piece of Orbitz gum.  Within minutes,  my throat started burning, so I tossed it. I had a cup of Tazo tea - Green Ginger was not my friend. Gluten was the culprit. My doctor found the Celiac gene though did not see any Celiac antibodies - perhaps because I had stopped gluten cold-turkey or because of my immune deficiency.

When I tell this story, most people say they couldn't go gluten free. My response: you can do anything you set your mind to. Eat everything and feel so bad you aren't living? No, thanks. I'd prefer to eat delicious food and actually live. I'd prefer to eat, power my body, then have energy and the ability to work, travel, play. I'd prefer to spend my time enjoying a healthy meal then actually LIVE. Celiac is not like high cholesterol - which can cause a heart attack and kill you in five/ten/twenty years. Celiac is immediate: If I eat something with gluten, I feel it within the next 20 minutes.. and for the next 48 hours. If a Celiac has the tiniest bit of gluten (ex: chicken cooked on the same griddle as bread), they WILL feel the effects - either with GI issues like me - bloating, indigestion, bathroom maladies, pain and pressure; with skin irritation such as rashes; or even neurological symptoms like migraines, irritability, fatigue and sleeping disorders. (I won't try to blame Celiac on all of my moodiness throughout the years, but it sure as hell makes sense looking back.)

Since June, I have been Gluten Free outside of the rare contamination. I have no problems with will power (chocolate cake looks like poison to me now), but a strong will isn't all you need. There is a lot to learn about gluten and modern food manufacturers. I won't be the go-to resource on what to eat/not to eat - there are hundreds of books, articles, and blogs that can help with that. Instead I want to focus on solutions and meals that I am excited about.

Visiting my family in Mississippi a few weeks ago, I spoke with my cousin who follows a modified Paleo diet. Earlier this year, I laughed at Paleo followers thinking they were crazy. Now I can appreciate how much food can impact energy, sleep, and even moods; I get it. I understand. I want to feel alive and well - if modifying my diet a tiny bit more will make me feel even better, count me in.

So what does a gluten-free, Paleo diet look like? Fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, meats and nuts. (My modified Paleo diet includes dairy and gelato, though that definitely isn't by the book. :-))  When I go to the grocery store, the only things I buy within the middle section of the store are organic juices, olive and coconut oils, coffee, and nuts. That means no cereal or granola; nothing processed like cookies, crackers, pasta, chips; nothing canned like canned green beans or tomato sauces; definitely nothing prepared that cooks in the microwave or only needs to be heated; and, yes, no bread.

What do I buy? Lots of produce: papaya, pineapple, carrots, asparagus, mushrooms, tomatoes, cauliflower, squash, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, apples, oranges bananas, lemons and limes, avocados, brussel sprouts, greens (spinach, lettuce, cabbage), fresh herbs (thyme, oregano, parsley), the occasional sweet potato (most would say that's NOT Paleo). Meat: chicken, fish, beef, bison. Dairy (#paleocheat): yogurt, milk, cheese.

With a beautiful new kitchen (thanks, Dad, for the remodel!!!) and new reasons to stay home and cook (risk of cross-contamination and a mortgage payment), I am very excited and inspired. I hope to journal about the delicious meals I make to help my future creativity and to remind me how GOOD food is.

Adios, Colombia!

Wednesday morning gave us our first sunny day in Bogota! The weather was perfect for a walk around Usaquén and its market. While typically a busy weekend flea market, it was a bit quieter on this weekday morn. Regardless I found a few gifts (for myself and others, hah), and it was from one of these street vendors that I received my first birthday gift: a red, blue, and yellow bracelet - typical Colombian as the colors represent the flag. Not a bad way to begin my birthday morning.

my birthday bracelet.

In walking around the area, Jesi showed us a beautiful nursery, with several glass hot houses.
[I took several pictures to give Mom and Dad ideas for their future nursery. ;-) ] 

glass greenhouse.

inside.

We also stumbled upon a gift shop with Christmas decorations and housewares. Here I fell in love with a scarf. Silly, I know. Although it was imported (Germany, I think), it still has a Latin flair. I'm wearing it now as I sit in the airport!

On the way back home for a wonderful birthday and last-day-in-Colombia lunch, we stopped to pick up dessert. Ale and I searched the entire weekend in Cartagena to find a gift that would suffice in expressing our appreciation to the Torres family. They (and the rest of Colombia) have been so hospitable, thoughtful, helpful, kind, and welcoming. Señor Torres gave Ale and I beautiful photo books of Colombia sights.

beautiful pastry shop.

my birthday cake!

Señora Torres made a traditional Colombian lunch (Apologies for the lack of Spanish vocabulary today. Ale and Jesi aren't here to tell me what things are called.) with meat and vegetables, rice, salad and mashed potatoes, made from tiny yellow potatoes specific to Colombia. They finished our meal with a Spanglish rendering of "happy birthday". So great! The meal was amazing, the company full of laughs, and perfect dessert and coffee to finish us off!

As I may have mentioned earlier, Ale and Jes and family are attending a wedding this weekend a few hours out of the city. In preparation for that and my trip to MS/NYC, we took advantage of the great prices and had our nails done! What a great way to spend my birthday: shopping, being pampered and eating too much! All of my favorite things.

colombian coffee and delicious cake? si, por favor!

By the time we finished nails/toes, it was time to get ready for dinner! We went to Gaira Cafe for dinner, a restaurant owner by Ballenato legend Carlos Vives.  The restaurant is reminiscent of the House of Blues in New Orleans: the walls are decorated with photos and paintings of musicians and celebrities; the tables  are arranged as a normal restaurant, but a huge red velvet curtain lines one full wall; live Ballenato music plays each night.

The restaurant serves coastal food, mainly from the region around Cartagena. A few friends of Ale and Jesi's also joined us, making it a perfect birthday celebration and a chance for old friends to catch up. When the meal arrived we all shared tastes of each plate: my favorite part of dining out.

jesi and i. what a wonderful host!

my meal. shrimp and plantains with arroz con coco (coconut rice).

the group and Guillermo Vives (famous Ballenato singer).

jesi, me, and ale.

birthday crown. woop woop.

me and my birthday band.

All in all it was an excellent birthday and a great finale to Colombia!

Now it is back to real life... Sitting in an airport, awaiting my six hour flight and mentally preparing myself to take a similar trip tomorrow. I leave BWI (Baltimore) at 6:50a for Gulfport. I can't wait to be home, see family and visit with friends in Starkville, but I can't say I'm ready to make the trip. :-)

Thanks for reading!

Cartagena for the weekend!

Unfortunately the rain didn't stop after it began earlier in the afternoon, so a taxi was not to be found. Jesi's mom was gracious enough to drive us through the terrible traffic to the airport. This was a huge favor - I don't know how we would have made our flight without her driving us. 

Side note, in an effort to ease traffic and  help the environment, there is regulation on driving in Bogota during the day: each day only half of cars are allowed to drive. This can be compared to the tax in London, where cars must pay a certain amount to enter and drive in the city each day. 

We arrived at the airport with plenty of time, but the line was suuuuper long. (Again I thought we were too late.) Ale used her native Spanish to ask an employee if those who weren't checking bags needed to stay in line. Answer: no. Whew. We got our ticket, went through security, and realized our flight was delayed. Notice a trend? 

We got to Cartagena around ten, went to our hotel, dropped bags and left in search of food and a drink. While we didn't find food to suit our needs, we did find tropical drinks and a salsa joint with live music - a place you could imagine finding in Dirty Dancing or perhaps Cuba - the Sofitel Hotel Santa Clara. Imagine a huge building with orange/coral stucco. You enter the front door, pass through a foyer and walk into a luscious courtyard with trees and flowers. Along the inside border, a number of areas are set up: couches, sets of tables for restaurants. We hear music, but cannot find the source. Ale asks a server, who leads us to a huge wooden door in the far corner of the courtyard. He opens the door and voila: a beautiful dimly-lit room with tall white stuccoed walls and a huge dark-stained wood bookcase.  A live salsa band playing under red lights, and couples dancing here and there. A vision of Caribbean heaven.

inside the Santa Clara salsa room.

We sat at the bar and enjoyed a piña-lime colada - a combination that should be more common in the US. By the time we finished our drinks, the kitchens were closed. Oh, the sacrifices one must make while traveling. :-)

We stayed in the Hotel Cochera de Hobo (on the street Calle Cochera de Hobo). While fairly inexpensive,  I think we expected more than what we found, but all in all it was okay. In preparing for the trip, Ale and I searched for quite a while to find a hotel within the walled city - more on the walls later. This is a more difficult task than it should be: locations were not always correct on Google maps, especially in this small city with winding streets whose names change each block. While reviews ere available and the description listed location as 'within the walls', we were too scared to book without being sure. After determining if a hotel was in the walls, it was a balance of online photos and price. The photos of the hotel looked great: small pool, balconies, rooftop deck. The real place: awesome location, clean, great service... unfinished deck (construction workers were putting on stucco today), dirty pool (from the stucco?)... great coffee, hot breakfast. They made arepas con juevos for us, they booked our day trips, searched for us when we were late, and compensated for the lack of amenities. Overall, we got our money's worth but will most likely recommend another spot for friends traveling in the future. 

Cochero de Hobo - white stucco with blue.

inside the courtyard of the hotel.

Saturday morning began bright and early. Okay, so not too early, but it definitely was bright. Each morning we would wake up to the sound of food vendors walking the street and shouting their offerings to the world: "yucca", "aaaahaa", etc., but I was able to quickly fall back asleep after they wandered down the street. 

As soon as we opened the curtain, heat surrounded us. Yay! We spent our first day wandering the streets of the Old Town - that within the walls. Founded in 1533, Cartagena was one of the first colonial towns. The town became the primary Spanish port on the Caribbean coast and was continually sieged by pirates. In response, a series of forts and a wall around the city were built. Today the heart of the city is in the old town, including the inner and outer - this is where Alejandra and I spent our time. The inner part of Cartagena can be best compared to Venice: a series of small, winding streets that house a number of plazas and churches, surrounded by a definitive barrier (water in Venice, a wall in Cartagena). 

 

in the plaza of the iglesia de san pedro claver.

the iglesia de san pedro claver.

hotel charleston santa teresa.

inside the cathedral de cartagena.

We began by walking ON the wall; while quite high in parts, the majority of the wall can act as a sidewalk, similar to a board walk. It was really pretty: on one side you can enjoy the sea and the sights from the old city on the other.

a view of the new city from the old city wall.

from Cafe del Mar. you can see how this was a fort.

looks like they were setting up fro a wedding.

Our shopping continued: Ale wanted a mochila and I a big floppy hat. [Mochilas are woven bags that can come in a variety of colors and styles.] Throughout Cartagena, similar to other touristy cities worldwide, vendors sit on sidewalks or walk around selling various crafts and trinkets. The kinds most prevalent in Carta are vendors selling jewelry, hats, mochilas and other gifts. Needless to say, we met many vendors and costed out many, many hats and mochilas. 

After walking around the old town for awhile, we decided to search for gelato - an Italian speciality - in "exotic Colombian flavors" per our travel book. Ale had zapote and arquipe (sweet cream, like dulce de leche); I had coconut and another tropical flavor - yum! 

We meandered around a bit longer until getting lunch at Mulata, a restaurant with great daily specials frequented by the locals. Ale and I ordered the same: fish with a seafood sauce, coconut rice, fried plantains, a small salad and seafood soup. Absolutely delicious, but I could have taken a nap afterward!

After lunch we wandered to a small tourist market place, where we finally found a mochila that can function as a perfect yoga bag! The cross-body strap ties on a ring, allowing the bag to change lengths; I plan to use it for yoga and maybe grocery shopping. Perfect! Since we were in the shopping mode, we went to Mercedes Salazar's jewelry store. Ale first learned about this brand through a family friend - the friend had on a simple woven bracelet with a gold heart engraved with a special proverb or saying. Next Ale saw it in Georgetown, but at a high cost. Muy caro.. As she planned the trip to Colombia, finding this jewelry store was at the top of her list! She found a beautiful purple bracelet, and I bought a simple gold necklace. 

inside a beautiful hotel.

yes, we used their internet and swung on their swing.

That evening, we split a pizza for dinner and enjoyed tinto de verano - a chilled red sangria, went to Santa Clara to enjoy live salsa, then over to Cafe de Mar. Cafe de Mar sits on a corner of the walls and overlooks the Caribbean. It was beautiful. 

at dinner.

dinner entertainment.

another drink at the santa clara.

Sunday morning we rose early to take a day trip to Isla del Sol, one of 27 islands that make up the Islas de Rosario. A taxi picked us up and drove us to the dock. There are many islands and many boats, so we chose to follow our hotels recommendation: we went on a small boat (approx 26 people) that offered a package including fruit, lunch, and coffee. The small boats can be sketchy at times, but we had no problem: the staff was very professional and got us to the island quicker than possible with the large boats and safely. The beach was VERY small, but there were bathrooms and drinks available. 

view from the beach.

cabana house.

If a friend goes in the future, I may recommend they spend a night on the island at Playa Blanca. While it wasn't something we planned for, one can rent a cabana and enjoy a beautiful beach that we only heard about. The sun was nice and hot. Since there were so few people - only those on our boats and the islanders - we were able to nap in the sun, especially after our huge lunch of freshly fried fish, rice, plantains and yuccas. After the entire island napped, we awoke to wonderful Colombian coffee and then took the boat back in. Typically I am exhausted after a beach day; not with those naps and coffee!

We took our time walking back to the hotel, showered up, grabbed dinner, and met the ride for our next adventure at our hotel. In an effort to do/eat as many local things as possible, we went on a chiva ride. A chiva is an open bus - you may have seen these before in movies or paintings. They are typically bright colored, full of merry people sharing a bottle of rum, with fruit or other produce on top of the bus. The touristy version of this includes a ride around the city with multiple strangers, lots of bottles of alcohol and a Ballenato band! (Ballenato bands consist of a drum, accordion, and maracas or a washboard type instrument.) 

as the chiva was loading.

We had a great time and made friends with some Uruguayan women and an older Chilean couple! We saw many of the sites and some beautiful residential areas. 

site-seeing.

We also stopped at Las Bóvedas - a market place in what was once a jail - for a Ballenato jam dance party. 

jam session in the market area.

view of the chiva and a random vendor.

At the end of the ride, the chiva brought us to a discotheque - a bar with music for dancing. We had a great time. The perfect last night for our short weekend trip to Cartagena. 

Monday morning our kind hotel staff made us arepas con juevos - arepas with egg inside, very typical for this part of the country. Then we caught a taxi to go to the Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas. Dating back to the 1650s, this is the strongest fortress ever built by the Spaniards in any of their colonies . The castillo offers magnificent views of the city (both new and old) as well as the lagoons and Caribbean sea. 

from the base.

near the top.

possibly the largest flag i have ever seen. check out the city in the back.

and, almost more importantly, it is here that Ale finally bought a hat! :-)

On the way back to the city, the taxi dropped us in Getsemani - an area that can be compared to the transitioning U Street. It was a very cool area, but everyone could tell we were tourists, so we didn't hang around too long. While we were there, we walked by many interesting shops and restaurants, as well as a long street with graffiti across the walls.

sweet graffiti in getsemani.

on the walk back into the city.

one of the main plazas.

From Getsemani we walked back into the old city and happened upon a dramatic troupe performing to bring awareness to domestic violence. 

As we were watching and taking photos, a guy across the plaza begins waving - Anwar, a friend of Alejandra! The three of us caught up (yes, I've met him in DC with Ale, too!) and grabbed beers/coffee in the Plaza de Santo Domingo. This plaza is widely known as it contains a famous Botero statue of a woman laying down. Before parting we introduced Anwar to our favorite restaurant Mulata, and the three of us enjoyed another daily special. Delicioso. 

enjoying a delicious desert.

saying goodbye to the cochera.

We only had a few hours left in the city, and we decided to finish it off in a chic coffee shop with amazing desserts. We shared a brownie and ice cream. I cannot articulate how great it was. The time to say goodbye to Julio and the rest of the Cochera de Hobo staff came, and we hopped in a cab and rushed to the airport only to learn our flight was canceled. Par for the course. Instead of flying out at 7:00, we made ourselves at home in the airport and took a few hours to read. We finally made it back to Botoga around 12:00 - straight to bed!

After our long night, we slept late, and sweet Jesi made us arepas and fresh juice. We jumped in the car and headed north to Zipaquirá, home of a beautiful salt cathedral built in the underground salt mines. The idea for an underground cathedral began when the original miners would build altars in the mines. The original cathedral was opened in 1954 but was closed in 1992 for safety reasons. The new cathedral features a walk through the stations of the cross and ends at the beautiful main cathedral and a smaller chapel. A total of 250,000 tons of salt were removed in the construction of this. [Local salt mines still contribute to 40% of Colombia's salt resources.]

on our way to the mine entrance.

third station of the cross. (i think.)

fifth station (?) see the air canal to the right. 

up to 5,000 people can tour the mine at once with natural air flow.

end of the stations. balcony overlooking the cathedral.

nativity scene.

salt 'waterfall'. they released water slowly, causing it to look like a frozen waterfall.

at the base of the altar.

up close. :-)

After the one mile trek to the cathedral and back, Jesi drove us to Andres Carne de Res for lunch. Andres was recommended as a "must see" by every Latin American who knew I was traveling to Bogota. Unfortunately we were not in the city to enjoy dinner at Andres, so lunch had to suffice. When we arrived, we learned that only the 'Express' was open. The Express is a bit more informal than the full restaurant, but I think the food was exactly the same. Jesi ordered a combination of plates for the three of us to share: arepa de chóclo con queso (an arepa stuffed with cheese and served with a sweet sour cream), morcilla (similar to sausage, stuffed with rice, beans, peas, and meat), papa criolla (mini potatoes), patacón con hogoa (fried plantain with salsa), and beef and chicken. It was all delicious. Served with a fresh mandarin juice for me, lemonade for Ale, and Coke for Jesi. Since the main restaurant was closed, we walked around the outside and peeked in a few of the windows. The restaurant is like a compound: it is huge! 

restaurant entrance.

we snuck inside to grab a photo.

There is an area for children to play or paint, an outside area if inside is too loud for dining, then of course the main restaurant with a large bar and dance floor. It is decorated with many trinkets - similar to The Shed in Ocean Springs. Too bad we weren't able to enjoy the full experience... next time. 

We drove back into the city to continue our shopping excursion, visiting many Colombian stores. We stumbled across Crepes & Waffles (okay, we planned it) and enjoyed an early evening dessert and coffee. All of this eating, shopping and walking has taken its toll. We are heading home for a relaxing evening in preparation for birthday celebrations and my final day in Colombia  tomorrow!!