Couldn’t resist the alliteration. Frank lives in a Finca in the hills of Envigado, about 30 minutes southeast from the Envigado town square. A winding takes you into his neighborhood, where the properties are large and luxurious. It’s a two-way road, but so narrow that two SUVs can’t fit side-by-side when going in opposite directions. This is a piece of the view when you walk out of his gate:
His neighbors have horses, and the weather is much cooler than in Medellin, which is only a handful of kilometers away. It would top out in the mid to high seventies during the day, cool off into the 60’s in the evening, and get even a bit chillier than that during sleeping hours.
The old groundskeeper left behind two cats, named Niña and Niño, and the kids loved playing with them. The cats still live in the crawlspace under the current groundskeeper’s house, but Niña loved eating fancy cat food, and would venture into the house when hungry. She would tolerate pets and being chased by Everest, but Niño only made cautious and distant appearances from time-to-time.
Martha has herbs growing in the yard, and the groundskeeper has mora (a type of tart berry), tomatoes, kale, and other vegetables growing in the garden.The interior is modern in style, with concrete and brick walls, with some traditional twists and pops of color, like my favorite green door that separates the entryway from the hall down to the bedrooms, and a black and white checkered hallway reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland. A cream macrame hammock hangs in the corner of the living room, against tall glass windows with a view of the backyard.
We visited Frank’s landlord in his newly constructed home a five-minute drive away, and practiced some Spanish while touring his equally unique second home.
After a really long day trip to Guatapé, we spent a few days mostly just hanging around the house, with the exception of short trips to nearby malls and playgrounds.
The kids were particularly taken with Cafe Santa Leña at Mall Indiana, which featured a children’s kitchen. We went to Mall Indiana for the playground, but ended up spending even more time at the cafe (and came back the next day too).
One evening, while Frank was at a business meeting, we met Darren at La Rufina, a fun restaurant and bar nearby with outdoor sheds for a charming and fun dining experience. There were fire pits, live music, craft beers, and classic American pub foods. The best way to describe this place would be stereotypical American. There were pictures of cowboys/cowgirls on the bathroom doors, random cans of Chevron gas serving as tabletop decor, vintage pickup trucks in the grassy areas, and a cover band playing Oasis and Red Hot Chili Peppers tunes.
I imagine the people who came up with the concept just mashed together all things that enter a Colombian’s mind when they think of “Americans,” and it wasn’t exactly inaccurate. We loved this place, and I wouldn’t have minded coming back, but even being here a month, there is so much to do.
We took it easy for a few days, but ventured out into downtown Envigado one day, walked around town square, had a French brunch of eggs Benedict and meatballs, snacked on pastel de guayaba and other pastries, and let the kids buy some knick-knacks.
Jenn and Kyle Fun Times 