Coffee Region Part 2

Nicole and I had one more (rainy) hike in us before bidding goodbye to the Eje Cafetera. This one brought us back to the city of Pereira where we caught a 'chiva' bus to the Ucumari Nature Reserve. Chivas (goat in Spanish) are flamboyantly-painted, extra-wide school buses. (see the San Agustin entry for a better picture!)

Inside of the Chiva. Imagine wooden seats, no suspension, and un-paved mountain roads :)

This busker at the Chiva station improvised his lyrics based on passer-by and his captive audience. When I heard the word 'rubia' (blonde) I knew I was the target.

Once boarded, a couple of backpackers sat next to us. Fairly confident that we were headed to the same place, I started conversation. It turns out that they we were indeed setting out on the same trip, a 3 day trek in the mountains, staying in the lone mountain 'refugio' or cabin for hikers. This fact became became an aligning of the stars as we gleaned some more information from the guys. It turned out that the refugio was a lot farther than my Lonely Planet guide had indicated. If we arrived at the trail head around 5pm, we would be hiking in the pitch dark for at least 2 hours. Without a map, without a clue, and speaking for myself, without a flashlight!

Our hiking salvation, Guillermo and Rubén, from Zaragoza, Spain.

Like gentlemen, the guys offered to hike with us and Rubén even let me borrow his better headlamp when night descended. The way in was gorgous and lush, as usual. After a couple hours in the jungle, watching the light get dimmer and dimmer, we emerged into a meadow, cleared for pasturing livestock. We must be getting close! It was pitch black except for the scattered flashes of millions of fireflies. I felt like a just stepped into a fairytale, and let go of my increasing anxiety about being lost in the woods in the dead of night. After enjoying the moment, we forged onward,despite having no trail markers to show the way. We reached the refugio right as I resigning myself to a cold uncomfortable night. (Can you even imagine how I would have made it without the guys??)

Upon arrival at "La Pastora" we were greeted by the host and his wife, employed by the government to take care of visitors. Lucky for us, the guys had made a reservation and Reinel had some food to prepare us a meal. Even luckier, he happened to be a former chef! Most delectable camping meal ever: Tuna ceviche with fried plantains! Bellies full, we relaxed by the indoor fire pit and prepared for the next day's hike.

The sun greeted us in the morning and revealed the beauty of the place that we had missed in the dark on the way in. The red cabin was surrounded by flowering gardens and a perfectly placed waterfall off in the distance. In high spirits, the four of us set off for a glacial lake in the Los Nevados (snowy peaks).

Don Pedro coming to check out the newcomers.

The infrequent shepherd abodes dot the stunning landscape.

Here is about where the weather turned on us...in a matter of minutes, a cold strong breeze brought in thick fog and consequently, a steady rain. Fortunately, we happened to be by a shepherd's home and we asked him if we could take shelter on his porch. At this point we had to make a decision: continue through the wind and rain to the lake, or descend (also through the wind and rain) to the cabin and its cozy fire. As much as I wanted to reach our destination, Nicole's rationality convinced me to play it safe. Rub'en, seemingly unaffected by creature discomforts, took off upon realizing our lack of resiliency. By this point we were huddling together for warmth and we knew we had to get moving. 

The way down the mountain was hands down the most uncomfortable hike I've ever experienced! The trail had essentially been converted into stream and we were hopping from rock to rock to keep our feet dry. (there had been no rubber boots available for rent this time!) After falling on my derriere one too many times, I gave up my fight to avoid the water and  just put one foot in front of the other, disregarding any previous strategy. We thought the trail would never end! When I finally reached flat ground and saw the cabin peaking through the trees, I cannot describe my relief and happiness. I skipped the cold shower and laid out by the fire until dinner. Just when we were starting to get worried about Ruben and the quickly fading light, his springy stride could be seen approaching in the distance. I was amazed how positive and full of energy he was after so many hours in the cold rain!
The next morning we took off to catch the chiva at the trail head  Of course we didn't budget enough time and only made the bus because our host Reinel went on ahead and held it!

 Despite the time crunch, Ruben made a little detour.


You can take the man out of Spain, but you can't take Spain out of the man.

The chiva ride was a lot less abrasive after our post-trek beer and we got back to Periera having had a unforgettable experience with our new friends. The next morning I was taking a bus to a city in 'tierra caliente' or warm-weather region to meet up with the family from Bogotá. I couldn't wait to be hot and dry after a wonderful but wet two weeks in the coffee region!

Coming full circle in the Coffee Region

What better way to wrap up my time in Colombia than with a visit to origin of my Trader Joe's Colombia Supremo brew. The Coffee Region, or Eje Cafetero, is located in the fertile mountains and valleys south of Medellin, in the Paisa region. Conveniently, I connected with a friend I made volunteering on the Caribbean coast and we met up to explore the region together.

I took an overnight bus to the city of Pereira, a pleasant and non-turistic city to join my Nicole at a home where she was Couchsurfing. Our host and his family were incredibly kind and welcoming to us wandering strangers and treated us like family, sharing every meal and getting to know us. Understanding our interest in the region's claim to fame, Alejandro contacted a family friend that runs a coffee plantation and arranged for us to have a personal tour! Here are some photos of the excursion:

Baby coffee plants waiting to get in the ground.

Workers dumping their days' loot after weighing. They get paid based on that weight. The going rate for sun-up to twilight work is about $11-14, with meals included, generally

Not cranberries! The red coat is shelled off in the next step. The beans descend to the lower level of this building through a cleaner and then are suctioned up to a large drying rack and oven.

The Jefe of the farm explaining the drying process.

My lovely Swiss friend, Nicole, and I enjoying a DELICIOUS meal given to us by the lady of the farm.

After hanging out with Alejandro for a couple days (one of which we spent soaking in some natural thermal pools!) Nicole and I set out for Salento, a small town known for it's charm, coffee of course, and Colombia's national tree, the towering Wax Palm.

 

Which way?

To see the trees, we embarked on a day hike in the Valley of the Cocora, a 20 minute Jeep ride from town. As we figured out, we had chosen to explore the Coffee Region during the rainy season. As such, I followed the hostel's advice and rented a pair of rubber boots from them for the trek up the mountain.

All geared out. Hoping REI carries these boots.

The boot rental was the best choice I made the whole trip. I trudged right on through each menacing mud puddle and stream without having to worry about soggy feet. The first stop on the loop was Acaime, a wildlife preserve dedicated to the area's the array of hummingbirds that call the cloud forest of the Cocora their home.

The cloud forest was exactly what it sounds like...swirling mist among towering trees and unfurling ferns in a Jurassic-era-like setting.

Hopscotch swinging bridge.

The long-awaited Wax Palm!

After completing the Cocora loop, we caught a ride back with a tour bus of college kids (Thank you Caz) to Salento. Here are a couple of photos from one of our bike rides!

Herding time

Salento is famous for their trout. Mine is covered by their other claim to fame: giant pressed plantains. That's one entire plantain, smooshed and fried.

Grafitti.

Colombia, home of the World's Most Innovative City

Although I have little photographic evidence of it, my long weekend in Medellin was one of my most pleasant. Maybe this is because what I like most about the city were the intangibles: its relaxed vibe, perennially perfect climate and warmth of its people. In Cartagena I had made a friend from here and she made sure I was always in good company!

Not too long ago, Medellin would have been the last city on anyone’s travel to-do list. Throughout the 90’s, it was known for being the world’s murder capital and for its most notorious resident, cocaine kingpin, Pablo Escobar. This year, however, Medellin was named the world’s most innovative city and has seen an 80% decrease in the homicide rate over the past 20 years. How could that be?!

Botero's version of Escobar's rooftop demise

Well obviously the answer is a complicated one but the gist is this: the city started investing in its poorest, most dangerous neighborhoods in urban renewal projects with the idea that rich and poor should have equal access to public spaces and architecture as well as transportation. Getting rid of Escobar helped a little too...





Medellin is nestled in a valley with gorgeous green slopes to each side. As population expanded and the city experienced an influx of poor, displaced families, make-shift barrios developed, higher and higher up the mountains. These neighborhoods were so disconnected from city, allowing the violence to spiral out of control. Though the situation has improved greatly, I was content to check things out from above in the state-of-the-art Metrocable, Medellin's solution to extend the metro system up the mountains.

The houses highest up the slope were humblest I saw in the country.

In contrast to their dark, recent history, Paisas (as people from the region are called) are quick to befriend, love their city, and know how to have a good time. Two of my three nights were spent dancing the night away to salsa with my new friends.

A bird's eye view of Bogotá

The southern edge of Colombia's sprawling capital of nearly 8 million inhabitants. 

There are 3 ways to the top: walking path,
funicular train, and this tramway.

Where to even start with Bogotá? I ended up spending a lot more quality time with the capital than I had intended, due largely to the wonderful hospitality of my host-family. Before heading south, I had gotten in touch with the Colombians I had lived with in Spain, asking if they had any family or friends that would be interested in meeting up with me. They ended up putting me in touch with their family and a month later there I was, ringing the doorbell of their home. To those who know me, this comes to no surprise, as I've adopted the go-where-you-know-somebody style of travel. I find it a much richer experience culturally to see a place with a local's perspective; to see their daily life, eat how they eat, learn how they speak, and find out what's important from their point of view.

Beya, Susana and me.

Nestled in the Cordillera Oriental of the Andes, Bogotanos live at a lofty 8,660 feet above 

My awesome host and friend, Chacho.

sea level. Rising above the city is a peak called Monserrate, considered sacred by the Muisca indigenous groups that once inhabited the area. When the Spanish arrived, they constructed a church atop this mountain in a symbolic shift of religious authority. Nowadays the site is a destination for pilgrims (some penitents were climbing the nearly 2,000 foot rise on their knees) as well as tourists. I met up with 2 dear friends from my Lost City trek for a reunion hike before Susana headed home to Germany. Perfect day! 

The hour-long hike was a bit more taxing than expected (I like to credit this to the altitude) but what awaited us at the top was a myriad of stalls selling a smorgasbord of delicious (or as locals say: "deli") Colombian cuisine: take a look! 

Here we have: small potatos (papas criollas), blood sausage (morcilla), various stews and beans, grilled corn (mazorca), tamales filled with veggies and chicken, and my favorite: fried ripe plantains stuffed with cheese and a sort of guayaba fruit jam (platanos con queso y bocadillo)

Chicks in the hot tub.

A woman making dough for arepas, a ubiquitous Colombian staple made from corn flour. Sounds simple but the various are seemingly endless. They can be fried, grilled, or baked and stuffed with cheese, meat and/or eggs. Deli. The pots contain different fermented drinks made from fruit, rice or corn.

Knives flying to keep the plates of cheese, bocadillo and arequipe (Colombian dulce de leche) coming!

And to finish it off: Chocolate con queso! 
Hot chocolate with cheese.
Chacho showing us how it's done...

...and me not quite getting it. I think I'll stick to keeping my food and drink separate ;)

A tropical, desertic oasis

A little desert heat was just what I needed after after two days of soggy hiking. For some reason a raincoat did not make my packing list...

To get to El Desierto de la Tatacoa from San Agustin, 3 bus rides of varying comfort lie ahead. The first was a Kia minivan driven by a a young guy who treated it like a Rolls Royce. Turns out it's his dad's car and that he lets him use it to make a few bucks toting people from San Agustin to the city at the base of the mountains. Next was a 3 hour van ride with a more, shall we say 'relaxed', driver. This 2-lane route is plied by endless amounts of slow-moving fuel trucks, which the driver had no patience for. It seemed like we were either in the wrong lane, flying around a truck, or else I was staring at the Spanish for "Keep your distance, extremely flammable" right in front of our windshield.

Anyway, one more van ride and I was at the edge of the desert, bargaining a 'tour guide' for a ride in. The motorcycle option was cheaper so I found myself hopping on another of those wobbly things, this time with my backpack on. I think my abs were sore for days after that. But the scenery more than made up for the muscle tension!

The bright red hue of the land and its erosion formations as well as the spiky, gnarled cactus reminded me uncannily of Arizona, almost like a mini Sedona without the New Age shops. In fact there isn't much in the way of civilization out there (which was fabulous!) The only inhabitants are the owners of the handful of small hostels. I chose to stay with Doña Elalia, vouched for as being a good cook! They offered me a basic room with no windows. The lack of light probably worked to my advantage as I couldn't see any spiders or scorpions. Ignorance is definitely bliss when it comes to me and arachnids; I think all my family and friends will agree!



As it turns out, a couple of girls I hiked in the rain with in San Agustin were also at Doña Elalia's, so I had some good company the rest of my visit! Upon nightfall, we headed over to the observatory a few hundred meters down the road. What awaited us on the rooftop deck was a bundle of astronomical energy in the

form of a local professor and astronomer. He would dart between his 3 huge telescopes, pointing out planets, nebular clouds, and galaxies, refocusing them as the world turned beneath us. The highlight was definitely Saturn, it's breath-taking rings clearly visible to our eyes! Later, we all sat around as the Professor showed us constellations with his laser pointer and explained the Greek myths behind each name.

I don't think I had ever taken over an hour just looking at the night sky and definitely not in a place devoid of any sort of light or noise pollution. Given its location near the equator, I was also seeing a more complete picture than I would back home. What suprised me was how dynamic it is: before you knew it, Jupiter was past the horizon but Orion was coming into view. Which explains the Professor's swiftness at the telescope. It was just stunning to realize how vast our universe is and how tiny even our entire galaxy is in comparison.

After a dark, spiderless night, the morning greeted us with clean air and blue skies. I had contracted my moto driver to take my friends and I on a desert tour so he met us at the hostel and we set out. First stop: El Laberinto de Cuzco (not to be confused with Perú)

After hiking through the laberinth, we hopped on Juan's moto/golfcart to explore the other end of the desert. the color scheme changed dramatically, trading reds for grays. Juan said it was because this later section was once completely underwater and thus the soil has a very different mineral composition. Who knows...

Street of mud! Felt amazing to squish my way through.

At the end of the trail there was a 'natural swimming pool' about $1.50 per swim.

Why not?

Our desert tour concluded, the guides brought us back to town. However, Juan's we had to stop along the way to pick up Juan's actual moto/golfcart vehicle. Apparantly it had broken down the night before and he was borrowing another guy's. Here how the operation looked:

Colombians are quite resourceful.

 

Success!