La Ceja

Shortly before landing from my long-haul flight, I was greeted by a spectacular sunset over the highlands of Colombia and then welcomed by Sebastián, with whom I was to stay for a week. Thus, the Antioquia region was the first step of my travels on this continent. I met Sebastián in Eichstätt, like many others whom I will soon meet again. Sebas is from Medellín and, after a year of studying in Germany and a year at the Universidad Rosario in Bogotá, moved three months ago to his parents' finca in La Ceja, a place about an hour's drive from Medellín. The community, known primarily for its flower cultivation, is experiencing, like the entire periphery of Medellín, enormous population growth, which is evident from the large new housing complexes surrounding the simple, grid-patterned town center.

On the finca, I was immediately welcomed with Aguardiente and typical Colombian cuisine, which mainly consists of a lot of meat, corn, and beans. Sebastián's parents, in particular, made every effort throughout the week to fulfill my every wish as a guest, which I found both very comfortable and somewhat uncomfortable. To show my appreciation, I prepared schnitzel and potato salad with Sebastián on the third day.

Since Sebastián returned from Bogotá, he has been investing a lot of time and energy into establishing a store for Colombian and international beers, whiskey, and cigars. As a result, our joint activities were unfortunately limited to everyday life on the finca and in the store, except for two excursions to Medellín.

EN

Shortly before landing from my long-haul flight, I was greeted by a spectacular sunset over the highlands of Colombia and then welcomed by Sebastián, with whom I was to stay for a week. Thus, the Antioquia region was the first step of my travels on this continent. I met Sebastián in Eichstätt, like many others whom I will soon meet again. Sebas is from Medellín and, after a year of studying in Germany and a year at the Universidad Rosario in Bogotá, moved three months ago to his parents' finca in La Ceja, a place about an hour's drive from Medellín. The community, known primarily for its flower cultivation, is experiencing, like the entire periphery of Medellín, enormous population growth, which is evident from the large new housing complexes surrounding the simple, grid-patterned town center.

On the finca, I was immediately welcomed with Aguardiente and typical Colombian cuisine, which mainly consists of a lot of meat, corn, and beans. Sebastián's parents, in particular, made every effort throughout the week to fulfill my every wish as a guest, which I found both very comfortable and somewhat uncomfortable. To show my appreciation, I prepared schnitzel and potato salad with Sebastián on the third day.

Since Sebastián returned from Bogotá, he has been investing a lot of time and energy into establishing a store for Colombian and international beers, whiskey, and cigars. As a result, our joint activities were unfortunately limited to everyday life on the finca and in the store, except for two excursions to Medellín.

ES

Poco antes de aterrizar de mi vuelo de larga distancia, fui recibido por un espectacular atardecer sobre las tierras altas de Colombia y luego por Sebastián, con quien me quedaría una semana. Así, la región de Antioquia fue el primer paso de mis viajes en este continente. Conocí a Sebastián en Eichstätt, como a muchos otros a quienes pronto volveré a ver. Sebas es de Medellín y, después de un año de estudios en Alemania y un año en la Universidad Rosario en Bogotá, se mudó hace tres meses a la finca de sus padres en La Ceja, un lugar a aproximadamente una hora de Medellín. La comunidad, conocida principalmente por su cultivo de flores, está experimentando, como toda la periferia de Medellín, un enorme crecimiento poblacional, lo cual es evidente por los grandes complejos de viviendas nuevos que rodean el sencillo centro del pueblo, dispuesto en forma de cuadrícula.

En la finca, fui recibido de inmediato con Aguardiente y la cocina típica colombiana, que consiste principalmente en mucha carne, maíz y frijoles. Los padres de Sebastián, en particular, se esforzaron durante toda la semana por cumplir con todos mis deseos como huésped, lo que encontré tanto muy cómodo como algo incómodo. Para mostrar mi agradecimiento, preparé schnitzel y ensalada de papas con Sebastián el tercer día.

Desde que Sebastián regresó de Bogotá, ha estado invirtiendo mucho tiempo y energía en establecer una tienda de cervezas colombianas e internacionales, whisky y puros. Como resultado, nuestras actividades conjuntas se limitaron lamentablemente a la vida cotidiana en la finca y en la tienda, excepto por dos excursiones a Medellín.