2 years ago I was on vacation and I really was not having fun because I had no someone to share my free time, but a call changed my situation. It was my father asking if I wanted to travel to Pasto to enjoy the Carnival Whites and Blacks. I decided to travel with him, and for the first time, he and I traveled alone to another city. Until that moment I thought my culture was "normal" in the country, but as soon I arrived, I realized that no matter the distance, each region has its own practices and culture. Welcome to this trip for know what I found in this city.
A new culture
Really, this city has a great cultural and architectural wealth. When I met the city with my family I discovered that Pasto is a very religious city. Although the city is not recognized by this characteristic the city has a church every 3 blocks, but not any churches, are large and imposing churches. In the center of town I visited two wonderful places, the "Plaza Nariño" and "Plaza del Carnaval". In the evenings, groups of older people come together and use as a meeting places, spending hours and hours talking until the night comes. There is really no different activities to do, the most important are visiting the Gold Museum, walking around town, visit the museum of Nariño culture and if you have time, visit the Laguna de la Cocha.
New Menu
Go to Pasto
and not eating the typical dish of the region is a sin. Although not look very
appetizing, cuy is the emblem food of the region. I must confess that the first
time I saw it on my plate I did not feel like eating it, it was like a big
mouse with big teeth. It was hard for me to eat it because this dish is not
typical in Cali, but I decided to try. His taste was wonderful, I could not
compare it with something that I had eaten before but it tastes could compare
with chicken and pork. The problem is that this food is very expensive. A cuy
is sold on average at $ 30,000, but the day I ate I was lucky because that day
was the festival of the cuy and for these reasons the price was moderate.
The carnival
The
Carnival of "Black and White" is the biggest cultural expression in
the region. If you have the opportunity to one day enjoy it, do not miss it.
This carnival has a duration of 1 week. Every day there are different
activities to enjoy, but definitely the main attraction is the parade of
"Carrozas". Most of the year, different groups of people representing
various regions of the department work in the construction of the floats. The
"Carrozas" are gigantic, colorful and reflect the different cultures
of the region. Moreover, this day is known as the white day, and people throw
talcum powder between them, leaving almost white the city.
It is also
famous black day. On this day people go out with black paint and very
respectful paint the body of others. Also, at night Pastusos come together in
the Plaza de Nariño and enjoy different forms until 3am. The Best of the
carnival is the great participation of the citizenry. Virtually everyone can
participate in the carnival, from children, college students, to seniors, all
have their space.