Though I thoroughly enjoyed Santa Marta’s beaches and historical sights, let’s not pretend that one of my favorite things about my trip to Santa Marta wasn’t the eating part. Food is way up there on my list of reasons to travel, and Santa Marta has lots of great things both to eat and drink.

Though Cali is justifiably famous for its nightlife and salsa clubs, weekend days in Cali are noticeably more tranquil. Come Saturday and Sunday afternoon, it can seem like everybody is either at their mother’s house for lunch or at the mall, shopping (Cali’s second favorite pastime after dancing)— and many of them are.  A very large amount, however, are likely to be found down at the Pance River (El Rio Pance), in the southern part of the city.

If you sit down at any neighborhood joint in Colombia for a bite, you will see small bowls filled with something that looks like a watery relish. This is ají, and it is delicious and not at all relishy. Ají is vinegary and salty and a bit spicy, and it is served with all manners of Colombian food, but especially with empanadas, papas rellenas and other fritanga, as it is a perfect complement to heavier fried foods. Along with hogao, the tomato and onion base used for much of Colombian food, ají is one of the defining sauces in Colombian cuisine.

Though I normally find statements like the one I'm about to make annoying and overblown, in this case I find it entirely appropriate: if you haven't had arepas, you haven't really tried Colombian food.