Feria de las Flores (Festival of Flowers)

So last week I wrote about how amazing the plant life is here and if I were a botanist I'd probably be skipping my way through the valley. Well the people here of Medellin take a week out of the year to celebrate their claim to fame, which is their ability to cultivate a wide range of beautiful flowers. Not only is it a celebration for those forms of life that get their grub on through photosynthesis, but for those forms of life without cell walls. That's right; it's a celebration for the workers who toil and sweat in the fields to bring us some of nature's most aesthetically pleasing eye candy. The first year the festival was staged in 1957 that included the Medellin Gardening Club as the primary sponsor- careful you don't show this to your moms if they have green thumbs-and the idea actually corresponds to the end of slavery here in Colombia. Back when the Spaniards ran the joint, they used to have slaves or silleteros to carry their officials and their belongings across the mountain passes in the Colombian Andes. So during the festival, instead of carrying men or women on their backs in their wicker saddle chairs, they have a parade and carry artistically designed flower arrangements  to the various exposition sights in the city.

And that is the first day.

Now, the rest of the week is filled with various expositions and musical acts, along with other festivities. However, I arrived mid festival to Medellin, therefore I didn't get to enjoy as much due to the fact I was trying to get my life in order. No worries though, because I prefer to go out with a bang on most occasions and the last day of the festival, the Cabalgata (horse parade), gave me that opportunity. During the Cabalgata, the whole city fills the sides of the major highway that runs North to South. The sides are lined with tents where families and businesses set up their own private tents. Luckily, my buddy Jorge works as an event coordinator for a beer company down here, so I got VIP access to his tent. Sometimes, "It's Good to be the King." Anyway it's basically a day long party where you watch a parade like any other we have here in the US but then is followed by 12,000 cowboys and their horses marching down the highway. It is quite a sight. (see pictures) Anyway, beer was cheap and we drank steadily all day. I met many of Jorge's friends and they kept making me dance salsa, which is fine because I need to learn. But we had a private DJ who also spun other tracks,from reggeaton to hip hop imported from the good ole USA.

Now the night ended with a special Colombian tradition, Trovas, or in relative U.S. terms: Rap Battle. Two people stand up and to a constant beat that is looped in the background proceed to make fun of each other, the crowd, the country, and whoever or whatever else gets caught in their crossfire. Something you have to see to really grasp I guess, but it was hilarious and put everyone in a great mood. The chorus they break up every few turns is "Estamos pasando bueno" repeated mutiple times, which means "We're having a good time!" I attached a small clip, please watch.

After the party closed down, we went to park and ordered some of the best chicken crepes I've ever tasted. Then a Taxi ride home and bed. I mean cmon, it was Sunday, I had class the next day...at 6:00pm.