Colombian Culture, Colombia Adoption and Raising Colombian Kids

Hallacas are the Tamales of the Llano. It is served during important holidays throughout the region. These are popular in Venezuela also, but every recipe that I have read has been very different from this one and from each other. If you do not like this version, just google another :) Ingredients 2 pounds of chicken 2 pounds of beef (preferably a pot roast) 2 pounds of pork5 eggs (boiled and sliced) 1 1/4 pounds of arepa flour The following are all finely chopped and some are doubled -- once for the marinade, and once again for the Sauce (Guiso). Some recipes include tomato, others do not. The woman that gave me this recipe did not use tomato. 1/2 head of garlic x 2 2 pounds of onion x 2 1/2 teaspoon oregano x 2 1/2 Tablespoon cumin x 2 1/2 teaspoon annatto (achiote) x 2 1/3 cup chopped cilantro x 2 Salt to taste 1/2 pound green peppers BANANA LEAVES -- these can be found frozen in many Latino Grocery stores. Makes 20 Tamales INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Marinate the meat in all of the c...

Today's myth comes to us from the Llanos of Colombia (Arauca, Casanare, and today's department, Meta). It is called La Bola de Fuego or The Fireball. In a strange turn of events, I have 2 nephews, 1 niece, 1 grand niece and 1 grand nephew who live in the Llano. One of my nephews insists that he has seen the Bola de Fuego. You be the judge. La Bola De Fuego Some say that the Bola de Fuego is a fiery ball about 2 meters in diameter. This ball rolls about the countryside moving very quickly from one place to the other, going over hills and crossing crevices with ease. When the ball stops, sparks fly and it emits a sound similar to a gas lantern. Up until this point, one might think that this Fireball actually sounds like Ball Lightning, a strange atmospheric phenomenon. However, this is where things turn ugly. The story is told that this "ghost" of the plains came from a ranch on the plains whose owners were a young a couple. The wife was quick tempered, malevolen...

The Silbón (or Whistler) is a common myth of the Llanos that connect Colombia and Venezuela, and it appears to date back to the 19th Century. It is the myth of choice for our department of the day -- Casanare. The Silbón is an otherworldly, ghostly type man. He is very tall (over 6 feet) and very skinny. In a sack on his back, he carries his father's bones as a curse for having killed him. I have read various accounts and it seems that the reason he killed his father varies in each of them. Most explanations are rather gruesome, so I'll avoid the gory details here. Now, here are some tips to help you avoid any problems with El Silbón. The Silbón wanders about, but at night, he stops to count the bones he has in his sack. Typically, he will do this on the doorstep of a home on the Llano. If the occupants do not listen to the clanking of the bones as he counts, it will bring them bad luck, and perhaps even a death will occur in the family. So, while visiting the Llano, ...

Today's myth comes from the department of Arauca on the Eastern Plains of Colombia. The legend of La Sayona or Mancarita is shared with other departments of the Llano and the plains of Venezuela. LA SAYONA was once a happily married woman. When she discovers that her husband is having an affair with her mother. In a fury, she kills them both, but before her mother dies she curses her daughter to spend all eternity roaming the plains avenging all women whose husbands have been unfaithful. According to the legend, she wears a long white dress and approaches men who have been unfaithful, asking them for a ride, a cigarette, or something else. The two will begin to talk. Eventually, the man will see the skeleton face of the woman and she will attack and attempt to kill him. This story is hoped to deter men from straying.

The Chigüiro [pronounced chee GWEE roh] (known as Capybara in Brazil) is the world’s largest living rodent. They can weigh up to 140 pounds. They live in herds near swampy areas throughout the Llano. Despite it’s rat-like appearance -- it is what’s for dinner in the Llano. I had heard about this unique food from my Brother-in-law who was living and working in Yopal . Being the curious soul that I am, I wanted to try some, but there just wasn ’t any available in Boyacá . Imagine my surprise when walking down the Calle 53 ( Artesanías Market) in Bogotá , I saw a sign advertising CHIGÜIRO ASADO . My husband, knowing how I love to try new things, asked the chef running the Bar-be- que if I could have a taste. He happily gave me one – for free! It tastes a bit like pork. I also tried Ternera a la Llanera or Mamona (Veal). They were both delicious. We purchased a double portion of meat and made sure the boys both tried it....and even the picky eater liked it. It is definitely an adv...

;"> Joropo (pronounced: ho roh po) is the typical folkloric dance of the Llanos. It is a high energy, flirtatious dance. In this dance, couples strike their feet on the floor in rapid succession. Some people say it looks like the dancers are stomping ants. It is quite a production. Even small children will learn to dance Joropo. A family that adopted a 3 year old boy from Yopal was impressed to learn that he could dance Joropo -- albeit not perfectly, but still rather impressive for a 3 year old. As the children age, they can participate in inter-school competitions. My nephew, who lives in Yopal, has travelled all around the Llano representing his school in Joropo competitions. This is one dance you have got to see for yourself!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK59rQpXoxs&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WqqswODeXM&feature=related If there were a suggestion for a souvenir for a child from the Llanos, my recommendation would be purchasing the traditiona...

The music of the Llano is called MUSCIA LLANERA . It is of both Spanish and Indigenous origin, and belongs equally to Colombia and Venezuela. It is considered a important feature of the cultural heritage of both nations and is a uniting factor of the people along both sides of the Colombia/Venezuela border. The original Llanera music is the rural or campesina music. These songs narrate the stories of life and love in rural areas. They use the language of the rural areas and are played with typical musical instruments: the harp (el arpa llanera ), the bandola , the cuatro (a small guitar with 4 strings), and maracas . It is very calming music for the most part. You can explore this genre of music by doing any of the following: go to youtube and type in musica llanera and watch a few videos, or you can go to http://www.llanera.com/ and look for the link to musica llanera to the left of the screen it has a wonderful list. Here is an example of one of my favorite lla nera songs. It is...

LLANEROS are Colombia’s version of American Cowboys or Argentine Gauchos. Just like the cowboys or the gauchos, their lives are intertwinned with the herding of millions of head of cattle. In fact, cattle herding is one of the top professions and employers of the Llano. Like cattlemen in the US, Colombian cowboys have their own rodeo known as the COLEO . In the Coleo, a group of llaneros on horseback travel at high speeds in pursuit of a bull that has been set loose through a shoot. The bull travels down a track which is long, straight, and narrow (known as the Manga del Coleo – see picture). Then, the cowboys try to flip or drop a bull by grabbing its tail. The Manga del Coleo is divided into 4 areas. The first area is 50 meters long. This is the preparation area and you cannot Coleo in this area. The second area is called the ZONA PRIMERA (first zone). It is 100 meters long. If a bull falls in this area, the Llanero gets more points. The third area is called the ZONA SEGUNDA (sec...

The Llanos Orientales (Eastern Savannahs) of Colombia consist of the Departments of Meta, Arauca, and Casanare. Villavicencio , the capital of Meta, is known as the “Gateway to the Llanos” (La Puerta al Llano) because of its location as the first city between the Andes and the Llanos. Because of its close proximity to Bogotá (about 1 ½ - 2 hours by car), Villavicencio, often called Villavo, has become a weekend getaway spot for many people from Bogotá. Villavicencio is a relatively new city for Colombia. In the 1840’s, settlers from the near Bogotá started a small city, which in 1855 became Villavicencio – named after Antonio Villavicencio, a hero of the war of Independence. Today, Villavicencio might well be considered one of the capitals for the “Desplazados” the people displaced by the Colombian Civil War. Yopal, to the North, a poorer cousin to Villavicencio, is the capital of Casanare. Because of distance and poor roads, Yopal is more isolated. I have heard it referred to as the...