Unemployed & Unimpeded: Medellín's Feria de las Flores

Feria de las Flores, or the Festival of Flowers, has been a highlight in Medellín for over 50 years. The week-long festivities include concerts, parades and of course flower displays around the city! It was coincidently perfect timing that David had chosen this week to visit us, when Medellín is overflowing with energy. Earlier in the week, we visited downtown to see the vibrant animal sculptures constructed with flowers, but you didn't have to go out of your way to see a flower display as most restaurants, shops, and hotels had some sort of flower arrangement showcased for the week. Then midweek, we all went to the Classic Car Parade and enjoyed a few Colombian-style micheladas. Micheladas in Colombia are unlike the ones I've had in the States. They aren't spicy at all! The vendors around Medellín coat the rim of the cup with lime and salt, fill 1/5 of the cup with freshly squeezed lime juice, and finish it off with either a Pilsen or Aguila beer. We also devoured candied coconut strips. Quite the combination! The celebrations concluded with the much anticipated Flower Parade. We secured our spots towards the finish line an hour before the parade started. Good thing we did, otherwise we would not have been able to see anything past the crowds. The three-hour parade included dancers, singers, and oddly enough, circus performers. However, the men and women carrying silletas, various types of flower arrangements, stole the show. Since we were near the end of the route, we saw some men and women on the verge of tears due to the weight of these arrangements. But the crowd never stopped chanting the phrase "sí, se puede" while clapping and cheering them on. This phrase translates to "yes we can" and it was awe-inspiring to hear the crowd's chants motivate the silleteros to not only carry on, but with smiles on their faces. This was the perfect way to end a memorable week in one of the best cities in Colombia.

[ flower sculptures ]