First thing in Colombia, Coffee

Colombians like their coffee. Usually, black or tinto as they call it. First thing was first while waiting at the airport in Bogotá was I need a coffee. It was early in the morning and I had been up for too many hours thanks to Continental Airlines screwing up the first day of my trip because once we were on the plane, they discovered that "the computer was not up to date". How reassuring.

Café con Leche at Juan Valdez Café

Anyhow, I needed coffee to wake me up. So I went to have my first Colombian coffee where any Colombian would get theirs. The Starbucks of Colombia, Juan Valdez. Yes, the guy we grew up seeing with his donkey on TV commercials is the mainstream Colombian coffee chain. You will find these in malls, airports and stand alone cafes throughout the country. And you can count on it to be a fresh, good cup of coffee. Better than any Starbucks in the states.

Pastry with guava filling at Juan Valdez Café

So, I had a great cup of coffee sweetened with panela (dried sugar cane) and a pastry filled with guava. Yum.

Use Panela (dried sugar cane) to sweeten your drinks for a richer flavor

Louie's Passion Fruit Munchies

What can be better when you're high at a party than to find out you're friend, who happens to work at Bottega Louie in Los Angeles, happens to have pastries in the back seat of his car. That's a quick way to get me into the back seat.

We joined him in the car for a tasting of gold leafed macaroons, passion fruit eclair and chocolate raspberry tarts. That passion fruit was a like an explosion of wonder in my mouth. What a wonderful way to satisfy the munchies.

Not the best photo of these treats. They had quite the trip through the rain and in the taxi cab.