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.