Highlights of the weekend included-
My family held a Mondongo Soup party. What is Mondongo soup, you ask? It is a traditional soup here made out of cow intestines. And cow tendons. From cow legs. It also includes things like pieces of corn on the cob, potatoes, parsley, and cilantro. Did I mention the cow intestines?
What brought on such a spate of cooking craft? The auspicious event that family was visiting from Venezuela. The family was asked to name their favorite food they wanted prepared. It could have been coconut rice. It could have been shrimp rice. It could have been lasagna. Well, clearly, it could have been anything. But in this family we let nothing get between us and our stewed cow intestines.
As the house filled with the smell of what I tried dearly to convince my nose was simply a stronger version of hotdogs, could even be hotdogs, I studiously avoided the kitchen since my nostrils were literally burning. When I was ushered in to see the grand activity, I was so surprised I forgot my camera—there, on the stove, was not only the biggest pot of Mondongo soup I’ve ever seen…it was the biggest pot I’ve ever seen outside of an industrial cafeteria, period.
I also managed to miss the ridiculously Kodak moment when, later on, our pet parrot stole a piece of intestine from a bowl with his beak, and then, gripping it in one claw uncannily like a person, nibbled away.
Did I try it, you ask? Well, I couldn’t refuse a small bowl. The corn was delicious :)
Though nothing could overshadow that event, I headed off to improve my day at Festival de Comparsas, a giant dance competition with all the dance groups from the country and beyond who were performing for Carnaval. We’re talking, over a hundred dance groups. A free event in the public stadium, it started at 6 and lasted well into the early morning, although I was long gone by then.One highlight was, among all the amazing groups, a mentally handicapped group performed. They were wildly supported by the crowd...and danced about 500 times better than the average American. Pretty cool.
After the dances, we hit up the big Salsa place, La Troja, where Carnaval fun had already started in the way of aerosol cans of bubbles and packets of flour, which were liberally applied by all attendees to strangers and friends alike.
Sunday was most notable for the Mariachi band. I’ve seen mariachi before…in Mexican restaurants, on the streets of San Antonio, onstage at Austin City Limits…etc. What made this particular performance unique was location—My coteacher was hosting a small party for her parents, who were returning from vacation. This was the Colombian sort of party, which includes sitting in a circle of beach chairs with random food and soda being pressed upon you by the hosts. (We volunteers have taken to calling this the “Colombian Circle.” Sitting in semi circles or full circles in beach chairs on patios is basically the only way to go about socializing here)
As we sat and chatted, almost no one noticed the white van pulling up curbside. People barely looked up as dark suited people piled out. But what finally caught our attention was when, with a blast of Mariachi music, the group filed into the Colombian circle, toting along their “EuroPower Pimp2000” speaker set.
And then they proceeded to set up shop and belt out music, fully amplified, to our small group sitting five feet away. I’m sure the neighborhood enjoyed the free concert! Or if they didn’t…well, only the local dogs complained.
(Even now, as I recline on my bed at 10:00pm at night, I’m restraining myself from nicely asking my sweet, reserved host family to TURN THAT D*!M MUSIC DOWN! from where it’s blasting in our main living area… Nothing like losing my hearing at age 23! Oh the hazards of the Peace Corps… )
Fun with foam at La Troja:
Colombian Dance Competition:
Cumbia!
Personal Mariachi Band:
Neighborhood dog tried to complain...but who was she kidding--no one even came close to being able to hear her barks over the music!
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