Old Friends, New Surprises, Little Secret Escapes

It’s been months since I went on a last-minute day-trip with a few friends. Our objective was nothing more than a small roadside restaurant along the highway. La Colina is little wooden shelter that holds maybe five picnic tables and sells the typical Guatemalan meal of sausages, frijoles, pungeant cheese, grilled onions and blue, hand-made tortillas. The little-known place is about a 35, 40-minute drive outside of La Antigua. While the meal seems simple… it makes my mouth water and my stomach growl every time I think about it. It’s simply one of those great little secrets that you absolutely delight in. The drive through the rolling mountainscape – with chilly air rushing in through the open windows as you stick your head out to fully take-in the stunning landscape of dark green peaks flooding into neon green valleys and puffy, patchwork clouds hanging so low you feel you could pluck one from the sky – makes the trip more than worth it.

To warm ourselves in the chilly air we order rich, authentically Guatemalan hot chocolate (always with a zing of cinnamon). The hot chocolate comes in these charming clay cups that have been hand-molded, glazed and fired in a rich red-brown earth tone.

On the way back, stuffed as we might be, we can’t resist the elote – grilled corn – sold along the highway. We stop and share a few minutes with the wrinkled old woman who spends all her afternoons fanning the smoking cobs in the crisp mountain air.

There were four of us – Joaquin, Bomba, Michelle and I – on this trip. Bomba has been nagging me these months since for the pictures I took of our little outing. Finally, I sent them. And his response totally took me by surprise: a small passage of beautiful, Spanish prose. I had no idea Bomba could write!!

“El aire inunda mi armazón, los colores me enseñan los surreal de su realidad, y el espíritu vuela flotando sin cesar.
Todo lo que es bueno viene de las manos del que lo moldea. El humo con sus sutiles manos abraza al apetito. El resultado es un desfile de sensaciones vagabundas… comida del alma, espiritual, dedicada, amorosa!!!”

English translation (although better in Spanish):

“The air saturates my bones, the colors teach me of both the surreal and of reality, and the spirit floats without rest. All that is good comes from the hands that shaped it. The smoke with its fine, delicate hands hugs appetite. The result is a parade of wandering sensations… food of the soul, spiritual, dedicated, lovely!!!”

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This entry was posted on Monday, October 12th, 2009 at 10:25 pm. It is filed under Guatemala, Inspirational, Latin America, Musings, passion, Travel and tagged with food. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.