Columbia

Ok, sorry Columbia, but I have got to lightning speed through your blog to get them all done before it's June. (Blame my OCD for that one). 

It's a country that is type-cast as the bad-boy of the Americas, with one of the trademarks being drug wars. The country does have an official US Department of State Travel Warning, but many people visit the country's Andean Peeks, rain forests, and savannas every year without any trouble at all. 

Columbia = Coffee. It was our among our trademarks and landmark (Specifically the 'Coffee Axis' area). There you'll find jeeps full of coffee pickers and poncho wearing senior citizens sipping coffee in cafes. 

Columbia also produces somewhere around 90% of the world's emeralds. 

And apparently supplies us with a ton of flowers. (Over 450 million flowers are exported to us from Columbia just for Valentines Day, every year!) 

In cool geography, they have  El Totumo, a 50 foot high crater that is full of mud (and you can get in at and 'swim' around). 

They also have 'The Liquid Rainbow', which is said to be one of the most beautiful rivers in the world. The rock formations make the water seem like it's all kinds of different colors (red, green, bright blue, yellow and orange). 

In history, we have the legend of El Dorado that originated here. El Dorado is the king who supposedly covered himself in gold dust and threw gems into a sacred lake all to impress some goddess. 

And as for a wide variety of life, this country supports somewhere between 10-20% of the world's biodiversity. 

This is also a country with 'lost tribes' including the Nukaks. Nobody has come in contact with this nomadic group of hunter/gatherers since 1988, because they live so deep within in the Amazon forest. Apparently they dunk types of vine roots in rivers to release a drug that stuns the fish and makes them easier to catch. 

Oh, and as for fun facts, Columbia's Avianca Airline was the first commercial airline founded in the Americas. 

The boys made their postcards. 

Calib's featured flowers and people drinking hot chocolate with chunks of cheese in it (we weren't brave enough to try that). 

Peyton's featured a coffee farm and the Nukaks living deep within the Amazon. 

And Hayden did a two sider. On the first, you could see mining for emeralds, and on the second side, Shakira was holding a concert. 

The Publix on the way to Costco has an awesome international section, and we found these little cookies, 'product of Columbia' there. (And oh my gosh, I just realized we had Columbian pop in the secret pantry and I didn't use it. Crap!) 

For dinner I wanted to come up with something a little different, and easy (it was a long week), so we had Colombian hot dogs, Papas Chorreadas (Potatoes with cheese sauce),  Ensalada de Aguacate y Tomate (Avocado and Tomato Salad)  pineapple and the Flips. 

This dinner earned five spoons up, but some of the things on the plate were hit or miss. 

First, let's discuss those hot dogs. I was fine with the pineapple sauce, and the cabbage coleslaw. But then when it said 'top with ketchup, mayo and mustard-- and then a few crushed potato chips, they had lost me. But, I try (really pretty hard) to make sure that I at least give the recipe a go in it's entirety, even if I'm skeptical. So, I might have made a face while I did it, but I put everything on it the recipe said. (Peyton skipped the condiments, but the rest of us went all in). 

Asa ate his just fine (but he wasn't thrilled with them), Peyton took one bite, made a face and swapped out for a normal hot dog, mustard only (see, I saw that coming and came to the table prepared, thank you BOGO hot dogs at Publix this week), while Hayden and I enjoyed ours and Calib made a second just like the first (to be fair, Calib and I are pineapple as a pizza topping people, so we were on board with this one). 

I wish my camera took better pictures- or took pictures at all when I told it to (boo!) 

Now the rest of dinner everyone enjoyed. Those potatoes, come on! It's potatoes and cheese, and it is every bit as amazing as it sounds. I even snuck avocado into the salad, and Calib was the only one who noticed. The boys might be getting slightly sick of pineapples, but when we are anywhere tropical, and Sprouts has a good deal, it's become my go-to. 

Those Flips were gone in a second. We go around the table trying our food, and I looked over after we tried everything and all of Peyton's Flips were gone. 

Wednesday is our Sprouts/shopping days (today we did Target, Sprouts, Trader Joes AND Publix), so we picked Columbia coffee for this week in honor of today's country. 

Hayden colored in Columbia in a light blue, and did a wonderful job, I might add. (He was nervous after his Vanuatu debacle). 

 That's 89 countries down, 104 to go! We are getting there, just check out the table! 

Next Up: We are off tomorrow for Calib's birthday, and then we're back to it with South Korea. 

Cote D'Ivoire

On to another African country: Cote D'Ivoire, or as you might know it, the Ivory Coast. 

The country decided in the mid 80's to go by the formal name of 'Core d'Ivoire' (according to them, it should not be translated into the 'Ivory Coast', and it is actually illegal to do so). In case it wasn't obvious, it was one of those French owned countries until its independence in 1960. But the French influences are still abound in this country that, was once the success story of West Africa (but was thrown back into a Civil War in 2002, and again in 2011). Things have stabilized since, though, and there isn't any official US Department of State Warnings, so if you know where to go, and probably, more importantly, where not to go (hint: the southwest) in the country, you can visit and enjoy it's gorgeous beaches, rain forests and mountains. 

Also implied in the name, is that they have a lot of Ivory, or elephants. But in actuality, because of the Ivory trade, and poaching, there really aren't many elephants left. Some numbers have it as high as 800 elephants, other's have it as low as 200-300 elephants living in a few isolated herds. Either way, it's sad. There's no official numbers for just how many elephants were in the area when the French set up shop there in 1600's, but experts estimate there were hundreds of thousands. Most of the elephants were likely hunted in the early 1900's, when the price of ivory skyrocketed, but there are still plenty of people in the Ivory Coast selling trinkets made from ivory (nobody knows exactly where they are getting their supply from). 

Today, though, the main exports are petroleum, cocoa and coffee. The country actually supplies 30% of the world's cocoa (making it the largest producer in the world). 

Back to animals for a second, there many not be tons of elephants there anymore- but it is home to some of the smartest chimpanzees. In the Tai Forest, you'll find chimps using stone tools to break nuts, and chewing leaves to use as sponges. 

Cote D'Ivoire is home to more than 60 ethnic groups (the Akan people are the most prominent). Some of those ethnic groups live up in the mountains, including the Man, who are known for their mask ceremonies and stilt dancers. 

It's a soccer crazed country, where the national team is considered to be one of the best teams in Africa. (It probably helps that one of the best players in Africa, Didier Drogba, calls Cote D'Ivoire home. (Fun fact: the national team is called Les Elephants) 

 Apparently I missed taking a picture of the Cote D'Ivoire flag, but if it looks familiar, it's because it is just like Ireland's flag, only backwards (they are orange, white, green; while Ireland is green, white, orange) 

And our landmark is one of the two capital cities in the country. Yamoussoukro is the political capital, but Abidjan is the economic capital and the most populous French-speaking city in West Africa. Twenty percent of the county's population lives in  Abidjan, with exciting nightlife, and ten buildings that are taller than 279 feet. 

I also forgot to take a picture of their postcards, so I just had to go snap a few. 

Calib's featured the chimps and some Ivorian's playing soccer. 

Peyton put the skyscrapers of Abidjan off in the distance, and had some of his stick people dancing the popular 'coup decale' (cut and run) movement. (Reggae is also very popular there). 

And Hayden's post card featured the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace. Inspired by Saint Peter's Basilica, this church is even bigger (86,000 square feet bigger to be exact). In fact, it's the biggest church in the whole world. 

For dinner we needed a little help from Amazon. So, we ordered the Maggi seasoning (cubes that look kind of like chicken bouillon), and this cous cous like stuff that you just add water to and then warm it up in the microwave. It's really weird, but it did say 'product of Cote D'Ivoire' which was exciting. (Also, cameo by our pineapple for dinner there too.) 

 So for dinner we had the Attiere (couscous), with Poulet Braise, Ivorian Tomato Sauce, Ivorian Salad, and pineapple. 

This one earned two spoons up. 

Asa and Peyton were the fans here. 

Calib and I didn't mind it, but we wouldn't be asking for it again. Hayden ate the chicken and the tomato sauce and the pineapples, but basically skipped the salad and attiere. 

Peyton surprisingly also didn't care too much for the attiere (and he really likes cous cous), but he ate about half of his, and the rest of his plate. He has like three pieces of chicken too. He REALLY liked the chicken. 

Asa gives almost everything a spoons up, so there's that. (But he does still talk about the 'grass bananas') 

Peyton colored Cote D'Ivoire in a nice pink color, right there on the Coast of Africa next to Burkina Faso and Liberia.  

That's 88 down, 105 to go! (Won't it be so fun when that second number goes below 100? We're excited for it!) 

Next Up: Columbia 

Solomon Islands

Heading out to the South Pacific, to Melanesia, we're off to the Solomon Islands. Located out there to the east of Papua New Guinea, the country has 6 major islands but over 900 smaller islands (many of those are uninhabited, as just about half a million people call the Solomon Islands home. 

Memorial Day this year just happened to be JFK's 100th Birthday, and sometimes when it's a president's birthday, I try and pick a country that goes along with it. (See: James Monroe and Liberia) Our landmark was a nod to JFK, with Kennedy Island. This island (also known as Plum Pudding Island, or Kasolo Island) is one of those uninhibited islands, but it's notable for it's roll of the story of PT-109 (which of course you all remember from JFK's birthday, right? You guys! I even have the coconut prop!)   Anyway, it's the island the crew of PT-109 swam to when they were attacked by the Japanese in WWII. While nobody lives there, there is a small shrine to Kennedy that a local man  who aided in the rescue, built. (Good luck trying to find what it looks like, I googled forever, but I did find an article about the guy who created it. He died in 2014 at 93 years old. ) 

From dense forests to traditional villages, the whole country does have something in common: it's not only off the beaten path- there is no beaten path. Islanders are peaceful and friendly, and laid-back, but they still practice ancient arts and till their village gardens the same way they have for centuries. 

It's a country who's trademarks include spear fishing, animist beliefs, shark calling, underwater volcanoes that erupt into the sea, hot springs, deep sea fishing, snorkeling, scuba diving and spooky sunken WWII warships. 

The country has two seasons: dry and rainy. 

They also have lots of mangroves full of salt-water crocodiles (they're super common, so you have to be careful near ANY body of water in the Solomon Islands). 

Oh and Megapods! They are these big chicken like birds that bury their eggs nearly 3 feet underground. When it hatches, the babies have to find their way out! 

It's also home to the smallest type of seahorse in the world: the pygmy seahorse. 

The islands are all different and diverse. 

The Are'are people on Malatia are famous for their panpipe instruments made from bamboo. Handcrafted, they are made perfect pitch every time. 

Skull Island contains a wooden shrine filled with the skulls of famous chiefs and warriors. (It's protected all hours of the day, like our Tomb of the Unknown soldier.) 

There's also the Munda village where they have a legend of the 'Cave of the Custom Shark'. They believe that in this cave each village has it's own shark to protect it. 

The boys made their postcards. 

Calib's was not, um, impressive. But to be fair, this was they day we discovered he was slightly color blind (he has trouble with dark greens apparently), so we got sidetracked with online color blind tests. By the time he got back to his postcard it was quite a while later, and we had moved on to other stuff. 

Peyton made sure that his islanders featured their trademark blond hair. Nearly all of the residents of the islands are of Melanesian decent. A genetic mutation unique to the Melanesian nations cause strikingly blond hair. 

Hayden particularly enjoyed that the islanders pull their handmade boats up to cruise ships to sell their goods, so he added that to his postcard.

Sometimes finding recipes can be tough. I mean, I am not the first person to be blogging of our adventures of cooking a meal for every country in the world. But some countries the same thing comes up over and over again. Fish is a staple meat in the Solomon Islands. And, as we have established, I just can't get behind fish. I just cannot do it. So the island countries who of course eat what they can catch, make it particularly difficult on me. 

What I'm saying is that I didn't have a lot of choice when I decided on  Papaya Chicken and Coconut Milk, along with a mashed sweet potatoes, and a tabbouleh salad with a little citrus and tomatoes. For our fruit we had bananas, but they do like to drip their bananas in caramel for a sweet treat, so the bananas doubled as our fruit and dessert. 

This one earned three spoons up, I think (it was a few days ago, I remember parts of it being popular - and other parts being not so popular, though). 

First of all, we've discussed my entire family (myself excluded) hates sweet potatoes. And how I keep trying. But, we did still have a few left from that ten pound bag for $1.99 at Costco, and I was getting really frustrated with finding a recipe for this one, so I think my wonderful husband just took one for the team and made (and ate) them. 

Hayden, meanwhile LOVED the Papaya, which was good because Peyton picked out all of his, so Hayden got double. 

The Tabbouleh was popular, and I know Peyton had seconds (and then was found eating some out of the bowl after dinner was over and we were cleaning up). We did cheat a little on that one though and just buy the boxed stuff and added in the tomatoes. 

But for me, this one was just ok. It's largely forgettable, and not something I would personally ask for again. 

So forgettable in fact, I must have forgotten a picture of the table. 

But, that's 87 down, 106 to go! 

Next Up: The Ivory Coast! 

Croatia

It's the last day of the month, so I'm working on catching up on the last few countries. Asa isn't in the office (he and the boys have a line up of watching TV, playing video games, and a basketball game), so I don't have tons of motivation to get through these. I'm just going to be brief, so I'm not being the lame one doing work tonight. 

So let's move through the 'Pearl of the Adriatic': Croatia, quickly. 

The boys were familiar for this one because it's that oddly (almost boomeranged) shaped country just north of Bosnia & Herzegovina. 

The country has a ton of coastline along the Adriatic Sea (That's the one that's the little sliver of sea that separates Italy from the Balkan countries.) 

So most of the highlights of Croatia  involve the clear blue sea. You can catch a ferry, sail, or paddle a canoe along the cost. 

Our landmark was Dubrovnik, a city in Southern Croatia along the sea, famous for its limestone wall that separates the city from the sea. Just beyond the walls, you'll find a whole slew of terracotta roofs, also a trademark of this small West Virginia sized country. 

Our book told us about some fun Croatian traditions. 

There's Sinjska Alka, a contest that's been had in Croatia since 1715. Alkars (contestants) dress up in traditional gear, jump on a horse and gallop with lance in hand. You score by piercing that lance through a hanging metal ring (we're pretty sure we saw this once on the Amazing Race). 

On one of the islands (there are many), they perform a traditional dance called the Moreska. It's a story about two kings who fight for the love of a maiden. The dancers spin and clash swords.  (Like a really crazy Medieval Times) 

Then there's the licitars, or little ornaments that double as a sweet snack. They are heart shaped, with colorful icing and sometimes they have little mirrors on them. Apparently, they're so popular in the capital city of Zagreb, they are in the logo of the tourism board. 

The boys made their Croatian postcards. 

Calib's featured the walled city, Dubrovnik, along with the terra cotta roofs. But if you look close between those houses, you will also see a Dalmatian. The dogs were first bred in the historical region of Dalmatia. (They also call the area the Dalmatian Coast) 

Peyton noted the Dalmatians as well, along with the walled cities- and then complained about the state of the Sharpies, so I ordered some new ones. 

If you look closely you can kind of tell some of Hayden's guys are wearing neck ties. In the 17th century, Croatia's military wore the accessories when fighting the French. King Louis the XIV liked them, and they caught on as a result. 

There was plenty of choices for food. Croatians enjoy their seafood, sheeps cheese, truffles and olive oil. But that all seems expensive. I was psyched when I found a 'product of Croatia' jam/spread at Sprouts though! (Disclaimer: it was also decently expensive, for this little tiny jar- but I had my eye on it for weeks, and Asa insisted!) 

And then I went with Punjena Paprika (or Croatian Stuffed Peppers). I wasn't so sure about spending money for the peppers, because I knew the boys might like these as far as the filling went, but they would not be thrilled with the presentation in the pepper. But, when they were 3 for $1 at Sprouts, I felt a little better about it. 

The stuffed pappers are usually served with mashed potatoes, and sometimes I REALLY miss mashed potatoes (why do SO many countries eat rice instead of potatoes? it makes me sad), so Asa whipped some up. We also had South Croatian Sauteed French Beans, along with our fruit of peaches and cherries, and then a little bread with our sour cherry spread. 

This dinner earned five-ish spoons up. 

So, the boys all said it was a spoons up. But, Calib was the only one who ate their pepper. Peyton really liked the filling, and ate all of it while leaving the pepper in tact. Hayden ate the part of the filling with the sauce over top, and left the rest- but then he cleared the rest of his plate, so I'll begurdgingly let his spoons up stand. 

Asa and I both really enjoyed it. We should have cooked the peppers a bit longer, until they were a little softer- but we were already really late on dinner. The beans were slightly salty, but nothing too off putting. 

But that sour cherry spread, oh my goodness. It makes me excited for the next time we have peanut butter and jelly or eggs and toast. (I secretly love when we have a few jams and jellys from various countries in the fridge). 

After much discussion about what color to use, Peyton colored Croatia in the a light green. 

 86 down, 107 to go! 

Next Up: Solomon Islands 

Malaysia

Malaysia is the last country on my 'to-do' list, then it's on to laundry and dinner. So, let's try and get through this quickly! 

It was Survivor Finale night, and since this season was in Fiji, and we already have that covered in Hawaii at the Polynesian Cultural Center, we had to find an appropriate country for the day. What better than to go back to the very first Season with Survivor: Borneo. 

But Borneo is only half of Malaysia. The whole country is like a two for one deal. It's a mix of the modern world, and a developing nation. 

First off, you have peninsular Malaysia, hanging out on the bottom of Thailand and connected to Singapore by the 'second link' a bridge/causeway combo. In peninsular Malaysia, you'll find sprawling cities, forested highlands, and some fringing islands. The high tech, mega-cities, like it's capital Kuala Lumpur, are thanks to the countries moderate oil wealth. 

It's in Kuala Lumpur where you'll find the Petronas Towers, the tallest twin towers in the world at 1,483 feet. The towers also feature a double-decker sky bridge connecting the two towers at the 41st and 42nd floors. It's the highest two-story bridge in the world. 

Over in Malaysian Borneo it is much less sophisticated. It is partly covered by impenetrable jungle where headhunters roam. There's still nomadic people and indigenous people calling this area home.

 Tribal Longhouses and Dense Jungles complete with wild orangutans are Borneo's trademarks. It is one of only two places on earth to spot the super smart animals who build nests high up in the trees using tools. (There are only about 12,000 of them left in the wild). 

Malaysia is a melting pot of cultures. The official language is Bahasa Malaysia, but it's national motto of 'unity in diversity', reflects the blend of Malay, Indian and Chinese cultures (just to name a few). 

But it terms of wildlife, it is also considered one of the 17 mega-diverse countries on earth. Experts believe that Malaysia contains 20% of the world's total animal species. (We looked at some and particularly enjoyed the Malaysian Tapir). 

Plants also get their due in Malaysia, as it is home to the largest flower species in the whole world: the Rafflesia. The blooms can be up to 39 inches in diameter. But apparently the thing is stinky (some liken it to a combo of rotting meat and stinky feet). 

Another record held by Malaysia- the world's largest 'room' is the Sarawak Chamber, a cave system in one of Borneo's National Parks. It's 1,969 feet long, 1, 427 feet wide and 377 feet tall. It could fit 8 jumbo jets in it, with room to spare. 

The boys made their postcards for Malaysia. They all decided to feature both aspects of the country. 

Calib made the Petronas Towers for Peninsular Malaysia, and the stinky flower and the tapir for Borneo. 

 

 Peyton did virtually the same thing, but his featured some orangutans in the trees. 

Hayden's depiction of the two places hands down won my vote. 

 For food I thought about making Chili crab. It's a whole crab filled with a sticky, tangy chili sauce. But, while it is supposedly delicious, it's also notoriously difficult to eat. 

Satay is also super popular in Malaysia, but we had just had that for Brunei, and while Asa and I loved it, the boys weren't really fans. 

So for Malaysia we settled on  Roti John Sandwiches, Malaysian Street Noodles, Stir Fried Kai Lan (Broccoli), Mashed Banana Fritters, strawberries, and a lemon ginger zinger drink we found at Trader Joes (which I forgot to take a picture of- sorry!) 

This dinner earned four spoons up. 

Surprisingly, Calib was the hold out. He did basically clear his plate. But he wasn't a huge fan. His favorite was the broccoli, and his least favorite was the sandwich. He was convinced there was something weird in there- when it's basically meat egg and onion. I suspect he saw the recipe where it says you can add anchovies and freaked out. 

Hayden LOVED the sandwich and had an extra- Peyton's to be specific- because they traded noodles for the sandwich. 

Asa loved the whole meal. 

For, it was kind of weird. First of all, I was convinced I would hate the Broccoli, since it had oyster sauce in it, and I was totally grossed out by the fish sauce that one time. But it was actually delicious. And then there was the the sambal oelek appears in a couple recipes, and I was worried it was going to be over the top spicy. Now, I just don't do spicy, and I think it's because I'm anosmic (I have no sense of smell for those of you just joining us.) I don't really get flavor and heat, I just get the heat. It's weird- and it's really kind of gross 'tasting' when you get nothing but heat. But this- this I actually got flavor AND spice- and it was kind of nice. My lips were a little tingly, but it didn't have that usual spicy awful taste. So I'm not sure what was different about this. I ordered it from Amazon, so we have quite a bit of it, and the recipe didn't use all that much of it. But I'm sure we'll find plenty of other stuff to put it on. It might be the new Chippy Salt (which Peyton asked me to order more of for his birthday). 

Malaysia got colored in pink next to Thailand and Indonesia, and we made sure to not color over Brunei. 

Malaysia was our 17th country in May- the gold standard for how many countries we're aiming to get done a month. But, it's going to be hard to get there the next three months, so we're hoping to squeeze a few more in before June. 

That's 85 down, 108 to go! 

Next Up: Croatia