COLOMBIAN ENRICHMENT COUNTRY EXPERIENCE

PITALITO - TIMANA SHOPPING DAY

2008-07-15T11:40:00.000-07:00

PITALITO

Check out this video: Pitalito (Huila Colombie)

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TIMANA

SERENATA -DINNER NIGTH

2008-07-15T11:30:00.000-07:00

ENJOY TRADICIONAL ROMANTIC TRIO BAND STYLE AND DINNER ...

WARNING COLOMBIA VIDEOS

2008-07-15T11:24:00.000-07:00

SUGAR CANE/PANELA DAY

2008-07-15T09:50:00.000-07:00

learn the sugar cane facts ,a unique experience ...

visit the fields,horse riding available.

Panela is an unrefined food product, typical of Central and South America, especially Colombia, which is basically a solid piece of sucrose and fructose obtained from the boiling and evaporation of sugarcane juice.
Common spanish names: chancaca, papelón, piloncillo, panocha, rapadura, atado dulce or empanizao. In India and Pakistan a similar product is made which is called gur or jaggery.

Economics of panela
The main producer of panela is Colombia (about 1.4 million tons/year) , where panela production is one of the most important economic activities, with the highest index of panela consumption per capita worldwide. To a lesser degree, panela is also produced in Perú, México, Panamá, Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia. In Colombia, the panela industry is an important source of employment with about 350.000 people working in nearly 20.000 trapiches (panela farms).

Process
The sugarcane plant is processed in a large press, to obtain the juice, which is cooked at very high temperatures. The panela can be manufactured in disc-shaped pieces or in cubic pieces of cake form and is usually gold or brown in color. Besides Sugar, panela also contains small amounts of proteins, calcium, iron and ascorbic acid.

Uses
The main use of the panela is in aguapanela which is one of the most widely drunk beverages in Colombia. Also it is used as a sweetener and in the preparation of desserts. Since it is a very solid block, most Colombian homes have a resistant river stone (la piedra de la panela) to break the panela into smaller, more manageable pieces.
In Perú chancaca is used in typical food such as "champús", "picarones", "calabaza al horno" and "mazamorra cochina". In Costa Rica it is used in preparations such as "tapa de dulce" and "agua de sapo".
In México the term panela is applied to certain types of cheese similar to feta cheese. It's white and salty cheese with soft consitence. They use these in carrizo baskets called "Chiquihuetes" to give it a round with ridges shape.
In the Philippines Panocha or in filipinized term Panutsa is traditionally used ingridient for "Latik" and "Kalamay".

CHOCOLATE DAY

2008-07-15T08:37:00.000-07:00

LEARN ABOUT COCO BEANS AND THE PROCESS TO BECOME CHOCOLATE
VISIT THE COCO BEANS FIELD
AND HOW TO DO HOME MADE CHOCOLATE !
ENJOY A HOME MADE HOT COCOA ...

COFFE FACTS DAY

2008-07-14T07:19:00.000-07:00

ASPRODEL. ASOCIACION DE PRODUCTORES DE CAFÉ ESPECIAL DELICIAS

LOCAL COFFEE PROCESSING PLANT.

http://efasenayamboro.jjsystem.net/Cafe.html

LERN ABOUT COFFEE

VISIT COFFEE FIELDS

VISIT THE PROCESSING PLANT

colombian coffee ,sip to sip great pleasure!

REPRESENTANTE LEGAL: NORBERTO ALVAREZ
SEDE: VEREDA DELICIAS ELIAS HUILA.
NUMERO DE ASOCIADOS: 32
ALTITUD: 1.450 A 1.650
AREA SEMBRADA: 75 HAS.
VARIEDADES:
CATURRA: 65 HAS.
COLOMBIA: 10 HAS.
PRODUCCION ANUAL DE CAFÉ:
CAFÉ DE ALTA CALIDAD: 80.000 KILOS
CAFÉ CORRIENTE: 100.000 KILOS
TIPO DE SECADO: AL SOL
DISTRIBUCION DE LA COSECHA.
MITACA ABRIL- JUNIO: 30%
PRINCIPAL SEPTIEMBRE- DICIEMBRE: 70%

RAFTING & FISHING MAGDALENA RIVER

2008-07-14T06:56:00.000-07:00

LET'S GO TO THE RIVER AND ENJOY AN AWESOME DAY IN NATURE...
FISHING LIKE AN AUTOCTONE WAY ,HOW THE LOCALS DO IT...

LA CASONA-THE BIG HOUSE

2008-07-14T06:19:00.000-07:00

THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE WE WILL STAY.

LOCATE AT CROSS STREET FROM THE LOCAL PARK

OWN BY MARTA VARGAS,WELL KNOWN LOCAL TEACHER AND ARTIST,GRADUATED FROM UNIVERSITY OF PLASTIC ARTS IN COLOMBIA

SPANISH COLONIAL STYLE,TWO STORY HOUSE

IT IS A BIG HOUSE TO ENJOY IN HEAVEN

ELIAS -HUILA

2008-07-14T06:03:00.000-07:00

http://www.elias-huila.gov.co/sitio.shtml

Elias Huila (also known as La Mesa de Elias) Is a small town located in the southern part of the Departamento del Huila.

Location of the municipality and town of Elias in Huila Department.
Elias is a town and municipality in the Huila Department, Colombia.

http://www.maplandia.com/colombia/huila/elias/

to know more go to http://www.facebook.com/

elias huila

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=37187030580

ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARKS TO VISIT

2008-07-14T05:22:00.000-07:00

Scenario of unique beauty and magic in the world. For where one crossing you found with amazing sculpture of thousand-year-old times, that count of the life, customs and experiences of a civilization which no one has the ceerteza from where it came and how faded. Know why was declared by the UNESCO as WORLD HISTORICAL HERITAGE OF MANKINDPlace: San Augustine, Huila

Ruin in San Agustín

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Agust%C3%ADn%2C_Huila

Be prepared to spend a good spell in San Agustín. The area is perfect for hiking or horseback riding, with the reward of statues, tombs and petroglyphs. Some of the well-known sites include La Chaquira, Obando, Alto de los Ídolos and Alto de las Piedras. Take the challenge, though, to get to some of the less-visited ones, like Lavaderos or Alto de la Guacas. The Parque Arqueológico encompasses four sites and provides a good introduction. The scenery is equally stunning with dozens of waterfalls like Saltos del Mortiños and de Bordones tumbling through the jungle to join the nascent Río Magdalena, to whose headwaters you can trek or horseback ride. Other such adventures are walking the Macizo Colombiano or riding all the way to Ecuador on horse. Sports are not to be forgotten. There's white water rafting, a huge city swimming pool, and the favorite Colombia layperson's sport of “tejo”—with an interesting twist.
All Ruin in San Agustín

pictures

http://www.tripadvisor.es/LocationPhotos-g445060-San_Agustin.html#17995252

http://www.webshots.com/search?media=photo&query=san+agustine&queryChannel=&sortBy=&source=search_menu

Alto de los Ídolos, Alto de las Piedras & Salto de Bordones & Museo Etnográfico
http://www.turismocolombia.com/DestinosyProductos/Productos/Culturahistoriaytradición/Turismoarqueológico/ParquesAltodelosÍdolosyAltodelasPiedras/tabid/613/language/en-US/Default.aspx

Location: 26 kilometers (15.5 miles) north of San Agustín. Near San Agustín, San Agustín, Colombia
Ruin Types:Waterfalls

San José de Isnos (Quechua for Sacred Rock) is a small village 26 kilometers (15.5 miles) north of San Agustín. Five kilometers (3 miles) west is one of the most important Agustinian sites, Alto de los Ídolos, consisting of 37 funerary monuments dating from 1st century B.C.-6th century A.D. Some of the sculptures at this crescent-moon-shaped site yet retain their paint.

Five kilometers (3 miles) east of Isnos is Alto de las Piedras, a 9th-century B.C. site that is home to the famed Doble-Yo (Double- or Dual-I) figure. This orchid-adorned place contains nine burial mounds with statuary. Another nine kilometers (5.5 miles) along the same road, just before Bordones village, Salto de Bordones, a 300-meter (984-foot) high, chocolate-colored waterfall, plummets through the jungle. A broken stone trail leads to its base (one hour down).

Major celebrations are the Carnaval Blanco y Negro the first week of January and Holy Week; the patron saint day, in honor of San José, is March 19. Market day is Saturday.
Getting There All-day jeep or chiva ,traditional transportation, tours include Alto de los Ídolos, Alto de las Piedras and Salto de Bordones. Alternately, you can try to visit these sites on your own.

Travel Tips: Signs at both archaeological sites are only in Spanish.

visit to the Museo Etnográfico at Bordones.

Open Hours from:Daily 8 a.m.
Open Hours to:Daily 4:30 p.m.
Travel Skills: None
You Need to Bring: Water, high-energy snacks, sun block, hat, rain gear, sturdy footwear.

Archaeological sites: Parque Arqueológico, El Tablón, El Purutal, La Pelota, La Chaquira, Obando; some lesser-known ones are Alto de las Guacas and Alto del Tigre (del Mortiño). Natural sites: Salto de Mortiño, the Straits of the Magdalena and the caves at Lavaderos.

Currencies acceptedColombian Peso

El Purutal, La Pelota, La Chaquira & El Tablón

Between San Agustín and the Parque Arqueológico are several quite interesting sites.

El Tablón, only 1.5 kilometers (1 mile) from the village, is El Tablón, said to be dedicated to the Moon Diety, with five statues and an ethnographic museum. A dirt path wends almost 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) through the countryside and across a creek to the Río Magdalena. In a spectacular setting mid-way down a canyon are the massive rock carvings of La Chaquira. Continuing the circuit, you arrive next at La Pelota with statuary (including a warrior, and an eagle with a serpent). On the next rise several hundred meters away is El Purutal, a possible ceremonial site, whose statues yet retain the colorful paints of their creators.
Getting ThereAll the paths are well-signed. The entire 15- kilometer (9-mile) hike takes six to seven hours. To begin at El Tablón, walk up Carrera 14 over the hill to the sign. The preferable direction, though, is to begin at El Purutal, the furthest site (1.5 kilom

Travel Tips: The paths can be quite muddy. You can break the hike up into two days, visiting El Purutal and La Pelota one day, and El Tablón and La Chiquira (two hours round trip) the other.

Open Hours from:Dawn
Open Hours to:Dusk
Travel Skills: beginner/easy.

You Need to Bring: Water, high-energy snacks, sun block, hat, rain gear, sturdy footwear.

Parque Arqueológico, the tombs and museum at Obando, Alto de los Ídolos, Alto de las Piedras and many other lesser-known sites. If you get “ruined-out,” raft down the Río Magdalena or play tejo.
Currencies acceptedColombian Peso

pictures

http://travel.webshots.com/album/562534512rxqwJr?start=0

El Estrecho del Magdalena, petroglyphs & Parque Arqueológico de Oband

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2337258200099626311IWdzkp

Location: Near San Agustín, San Agustín, Colombia
Ruin Types:Nature

Traveling towards the small village of Obando, you’ll cross the Magdalena River at the Estrecho, or Straits, the narrowest point—only 2.2 meters (7 feet) wide—of this río in its over-1500-kilometer (900-mile) course to the sea. Up a few hundred meters, on the other side of the dirt road, is a signed path to some not-often visited petroglyphs. After a further 2.5-3 kilometers (1.5-1.8 miles) the main camino arrives at Obando village, where excavations on burials dating from 11th-2nd century B.C. began in 1992. The painted tombs are now part of the Parque Arqueológico de Obando, which also includes a museum.
Getting ThereAll-day jeep tours include the Estrecho del Magdalena and the Parque Arqueológico de Obando on their route.
Travel Tips: Specific Hours: El Estrecho del Magdalena and near-by petroglyphs, dawn to dusk; Parque Arqueológico de Obando, daily 8 a.m.-noon, 1-5 p.m.

At the Parque Arqueológico de Obando, explanatory signs are in English and Spanish. There is a gift shop with locally produced artesanía.You can alight at the Estrecho, walk to the Petroglyphs and to Obando,

Open Hours from:Dawn
Open Hours to:Dusk
Travel Skills: beginner/easy.

You Need to Bring: Water, high-energy snacks, sun block, hat, rain gear, sturdy footwear.
Parque Arqueológico, El Tablón, El Purutal, La Pelota, La Chaquira; some lesser-known sites are Alto de las Guacas and the caves at Lavaderos..
Currencies acceptedColombian Peso