The thing to do for kids, adolescents and adults alike in Antioquia is to go to the river. They use the verb “parchar” which can be “chill” or “party” but in the sense of “parchar en el rio” it probably means just hanging out, swimming, and bringing food! They love making “sancocho” by the river which is a traditional stew… if you ask me the days here are way too hot for that but the rivers are cold so I guess it works out.
The rivers are, as you see, GORGEOUS and a great spot to spend your days. Unfortunately, I’m plagued by mosquito bites (sangre rica) so going to the river is fun but I end up with a lot of mosquito bites so please wear bug spray on your trips to these lovely pieces of paradise! The river “culture” reminds me a lot of what I encountered in Hawaii- people very familiar with the land to the extent that they can dive into the seemingly shallow river from high up rocks. I wouldn’t recommend it but it’s awesome to see!
The river is always a relaxing and refreshing place to go. It’s like the Paisas’ ocean. Another interesting cultural tidbit I’ve noticed is that most everyone swims in clothing- boys with shirts off but many times just any shorts not specifically swim trunks and the girls often in a tank top and shorts) so don’t worry about bringing a swimsuit. Then you just sit out on a rock and “parchar” until the sun dries you off! I would always recommend going with a friend who is familiar with the town/river or a tour guide to avoid any danger. The rivers here flow incredibly hard after rains (which are frequent) so as fun as the experience can be, always be careful of the strong tide when in the water!
