Colombia (Lonely Planet, 5th Edition) - Jens Porup [281]
orquídea – orchid
paísa – person from Antioquia
paradero – bus stop; in some areas called parada
paramilitares –paramilitaries; see also autodefensas
páramo – high-mountain plains, at an elevation of between 3500m and 4500m, typical of Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador
parapente – paragliding
pasillo – type of music/dance played in the Andean region
pastuso/a – person from Pasto
piso – story, floor
plaza de toros – bullfighting ring
poporo – a vessel made from a small gourd, used by the Arhuacos and other indigenous groups to carry lime; while chewing coca leaves, indígenas add lime to help release the alkaloid from the leaves; a sacred ritual of the indigenous people of the Caribbean coast
porro – musical rhythm of the Caribbean coast; also, leek (the vegetable)
propina – tip (eg for the waiter in a restaurant)
pueblo paísa – a typical Antioquian town
puente – literally ‘bridge’; also means a three-day-long weekend (including Monday)
refugio – rustic shelter in a remote area, mostly in the mountains
requisa – police document search, sometimes a body search; military checkpoint
ruana – Colombian poncho
rumba – party; popular musical style originating in Cuba
salsa – type of Caribbean dance music of Cuban origin, very popular in Colombia
salsateca – disco playing salsa music
Semana Santa – Holy Week, the week before Easter Sunday
sobrecargo – surcharge
son – one of the main rhythms of Afro-Cuban music, a kind of slow salsa
soroche – altitude sickness
taberna – pub/bar/tavern
tagua – hard ivory-colored nut of a species of palm; used in handicrafts, mainly on the Pacific coast
tejo – traditional game, popular mainly in the Andean region; played with a heavy metal disk, which is thrown to make a mecha (a sort of petard) explode
Telecom – state telephone company
teleférico – cable car
telenovela – TV soap opera
terminal de pasajeros – bus terminal
torbellino – music/dance typical of the Andean region
totuma – cup-like vessel made from the hollowed-out dried fruit of a tree cut in half; used in some areas for drinking, washing etc; vessel used in the poporo
trapiche – traditional sugarcane mill
tunjo – flat gold figurine, often depicting a warrior; typical artifact of the Muisca people
vallenato – music typical of the Caribbean region, based on the accordion; it’s now widespread in Colombia
viejoteca – Colombian disco for those in the 30s or 40s-plus crowd
zambo/a – person of mixed African-indigenous ancestry
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The Authors
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JENS PORUP Coordinating Author, Medellín & Zona Cafetera, Cali & Southwest Colombia, Pacific Coast
Jens went to Colombia looking for danger and was greatly surprised when he found none, but decided to stay anyway. He lived in Cali for two years, where he wrote several guidebooks for Lonely Planet. He has lived on three continents, is fond of ancient Greek poetry, worked for several years as a Perl programmer, loves dancing salsa, has written numerous plays for the theater and recently finished a novel about Colombia. He currently divides his time between North America and Colombia. You can follow Jens’ doings on his website, www.jensporup.com.
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KEVIN RAUB Caribbean Coast, San Andrés & Providencia
Kevin grew up in Atlanta and started his career as a music journalist in New York City, working for Men’s Journal and Rolling Stone. The rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle took its toll, so in need of an extended vacation he took up travel writing. In Colombia he has taken to the skies in government helicopters over cartel country, suffered a mild crush on a former mayoress of Santa Fe de Antioquia and toured with DJ Paul Oakenfold – all before it was fashionable. He has previously coauthored a number of Lonely Planet guidebooks. He lives in Brazil.
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ROBERT REID Bogotá
Raised in Oklahoma, Robert studied journalism at the University of Oklahoma and took frequent trips south of border (way past Texas) into Latin