Cometas

Something has happened here, the weather has changed, I'm really busy at work, and addicted to desserts.

First the weather, sometime in the last week, almost on cue with the arrival of August, the skies became more blue and the sun came out a bit more. Everyone told me that August is the Month of the Kite here, in part because of the winds that come and blow the clouds away. So far it's true. This weekend I'm heading to Villa de Leyva (not far from Bogotá) for some hiking, camping, and relaxation. This small town is also the host of Colombia's most famous annual kite festival. Though it is not this weekend, I am sure the place will not disappoint.

Part of the reason I am excited about this trip is that it will last until Tuesday. There is another holiday here and everyone has Tuesday off, so some people (like me) are making it a 4 day weekend. It's great except when I turn to my calendar and I have little time remaining here. My project is picking up and starting to roll. Part of it involves sitting down with some of the City's decision makers with regard to parks, and so that I must get down before I leave, other GIS and DB management, statistical stuff can be done from Atlanta.

Finally, I hinted at it earlier but I am getting used to the sweets and desserts that are a staple of the Colombian diet. Is this a good thing? It's a delicious thing. Aside from desserts the most amazing thing about the cuisine is the array of fruits that exist here. It doesn't help that I am bad with foods in the first place. I don't know the names of a lot of fruits and vegetables in English, but I believe that the fruits here don't have names, as far as I know, in the US and that is making it hard to remember what I've tried. Maybe I've had tomarillo, ochuva, lulu, guanabana, lucuma, and maracuyá but I am not entirely sure. I will try harder to remember exactly what I am eating and drinking. If it's a fruit in the produce section, it's a juice in the restaurant.

Of course, this was written on a rainy morning and I just had a donut.

Villa de Leyva
Festival de las Cometas
Photos from the trip