C's of Colombia (well C's of Yopal but it doesn't quite have the same ring to it!)

Carbohydrates -
Not one, not two but usually 3 kinds of food from the carb family on one plate. And myth has it among ladies that you can eat plenty of pasta as it's made from cereal so won't make you fat. Oh.

Cheese-
In Hamburgers, I get it. On hot dogs, I'm not so sure. With a fruit salad, now you're crossing the line!
Even on a menu that presents a surprisingly healthy dish for here, somehow grated, sliced or diced that damned cheese will sneak its way in.

Chicken-
If I understood what the lady was saying each time I go to my local restaurant, MR CHICKEN, I'm sure it would be along these lines - "Hola lady, what do you want? How about chicken soup? Maybe some yellow chicken? We do orange chicken too and if not how about a tasty roast chicken? Or a simple fried wing with honey drizzled on top if you fancy?!" I've never seen so much 'pollo' in one town.

Cooking-
I was told before I left for Colombia about the almighty sized pieces of fruit and vegetables. True enough but no-one uses them to cook. Such variety but I always seem to end up with potato or plantain and no, it's not my Spanish charades! Nothing I'm eating is fresh. I've seen lush avocados being sold on the streets and some of the watermelons would require two people to carry it! Fruit sticks were our break time snack at school and the teachers complained. Asking my students about fruit, they were in the same mind set as their mentors, 'yucky fruit'

Coffee-
We've all tried or heard of the famous Colombian coffee, de-lish, outside of Colombia! I guess they export all the good stuff, leaving me with cafe espressos from a Nescafe machine or premixed with tablespoons of sugar. Now days my caffeine kick is actually a sugar rush!

Curves-
None of that lazy third tyre look, just large, womanly (cheesy) curves.

Clothing-
Whatever is worn up top always seems to get tucked in at the waist, guy or girl.

Cleavage(s)-
Woman leave nothing to the imagination… *wide eyes*

Currency-
It's defiantly not Chinese prices but luckily it's not English prices, I guess somewhere in the middle. Products can be cheap(ish) and other items ridiculously overpriced. Around 3,000 pesos to the British pound and my pound isn´t stretching very far. I think I need to write a weekly budget. Darn.

Cash-
You think of oil town and you think of wealth. Correct but here money is being put into the wrong projects or no projects at all. The main water station of Yopal was destroyed in a landslide and has yet to be rebuilt. A constant water supply is sporadic across town, which has become so bad that the Red Cross has set up a water shelter in the centre for people to fill up their jerry cans and buckets for free, along with trucks travelling around homes and restaurants unloading as much water as their plastic containers can take.

Courteous-
"Buenos dias" as a guy from behind walked past me. He didn't stop walking, just wishing me a good morning as he went by. This is a common occurrence.

Cold-
Ha ha! Don't be silly!

CIAO X