Vagabundo del Mundo

My arrival to Colombia had not been well planned, but rather a spur of the moment decision based on a layover in Bogotá, and an earthquake in Peru. Upon entry the immigration officials gave me 60 days to visit their beautiful country, and it would turn out not to be enough. As we arrived to the southern stretch of the country the pressure to keep a more pressing schedule started to set in.

The city of Popayan was our first destination in the south, having skipped the famous party city of Cali. Popayan is an attractive city, but the downtown is similar to just about every Colombian town. The whole town is whitewashed, and has a definite sterile appearance. There isn’t a ton to do, but it serves as a good launching point to the famous destinations of Tierradentro and San Agustin. For many years the territory of San Agustin has been occupied by paramilitary groups, and has suffered as a result. The government has invested a surprising small sum into the development of the territory, and the highway is the worst part.

The trek to San Agustin from Popayan is about 70 miles but takes all of 6 and a half hours. The road is completely unpaved and in desperate condition. I was lucky enough to get the last seat on the bus of the last departure of the day. The trunk of the minibus, now full of potatoes and food goods, didn`t offer space for my backpack. This meant that it would have to ride in my lap. Not so uncommon as the passengers to either side of me also had their children in their laps. If you can help it is best not to sit in the back of the bus on a ride like this, because it is basically like sitting in the back of a rollercoaster. Every bump and dip is exaggerated about 3 fold. Needless to say I was happy to arrive and leave that whole experience behind me.

Fortunately, waiting in San Agustin was the most comfortable hostel I have ever visited. The owner is Swiss (Rene)and his wife (Paloma) Colombian/Italian. The whole place is based around ecotourism and situated on an organic farm. The rooms were both palapa style huts and bamboo cabins. Paloma makes a mean curry, a very welcome flavor after months of unseasoned meat and potatoes. The scenery in San Agustin is amazing and the views are spectacular from every angle. The hostel is called El Maco, if your ever in San Agustin.

A visit to the archaeological park shows an exhibit of one of the lost cultures of Colombia. The are large stone sculptures which are tombs of a former Indian tribe about 3000 years ago. Little is now about, what became of them, or the significance of their sculptures. Information has been extrapolated through anthologist studies of other tribes in the area. All guess work as far as I’m concerned. None the less, a fascinating tour and worthwhile afternoon.

The following day we headed out on a horseback tour of the valley. I had never been horseback riding before, and 4 hours was probably a bit much. The trip took us into the spectacular canyon of Chaquira, and through farmer’s trails to see other tomb sites. It was an excellent combination of natural beauty, archaeological mystery, and extreme fun. The horses were well trained, and knew exactly where to go, when to gallop, and when to trot. My horse had a bit of a complex (probably for being the smallest) and always wanted to be at the front of the pack. Honestly there a few things more fun than riding a horse in full gallop when he takes a sharp turn. With 7 horses behind you, you know your toast if you don’t hang on. After a few days of recuperation, I was ready to get moving again. Knowing we had a rough ride back made it easier to stay and relax a few more days at El Maco, but eventually we had to bid a sad farewell.

In the Chaquira canyon there are stone carvings that are perfectly illuminated at sunrise on one side, and sunset everyday

Before crossing the border to Ecuador, a quick trip to Las Lajas is well worth the time. This is a small cathedral built into the walls of a canyon. The altar is actually constructed from the stone face of the canyon wall. There is waterfall shooting out from the left side, and a base that rises easily 50 feet bridging the river and providing the foundation. The church is known for having delivered in more request for miracles than any other church in Colombia. Along the walk down the walls are lined with plaques and thanks for miracles received. There must be at least two thousand of them. Not sure I buy into all of that, but it is definitely and impressive site, and a beautiful last glimpse at the spectacular Colombian vistas.

All in all it was a spectacular two months in Colombia, and we crossed the border with just a few days to spare. As always I`m about 10 days behind in publishing this blog, if you want to see where I am today check out the map below. In two days I`ll be off to the Galapagos Islands which will slow probably keep me from updating for the next two weeks.

There`s no doubt that we were a bit disappointed to be leaving Salento, but we were determined to find a way to spend some time on a real Colombian coffee plantation. After all, Colombia is best know to the rest of the world for two things, cocaine and coffee. The two sort of go hand and hand, as Lt. Bogermill says " Drugs are sometimes packed in coffee beans, the scent throws of the dogs."
We arrived into a city called Pereira, and started to inquire. As it turns out it is harder to find than one might think. The coffee region is full of farms that offer hospitality, but they are usually high end B&Bs with meeting facilities, swimming pools, etc.. Not exactly what we were looking for. One night I struck up a conversation with the owner of our hotel (Diego), and as it turned he owns a coffee farm. He offered us free lodging in the old caretakers house, and promised to introduce us around to people who could give us tours of the facilities. A generous offer to say the least, we accepted and were on our way.
Once we arrived to the nearby town of Altagracia, we got situated into our new digs. Modest to say the least, One room was full of horse saddles, and riding gear. The entire place smelled like a horse stable, and we shared the place with every insect and rodent that wanted in. There was no glass in the majority of the windows and the freezing cold water shot out of a pipe in the bathroom wall. I was on spider killing duty just about constantly. The inside of the place wasn't what we were there for and we took advantage of the surroundings. Diego brother had a tangerine orchard and we often passed afternoons sitting on the hillside eating all of the fresh picked fruit we wanted.
The entire area is coffee farms and often fills the air with the enticing aromas of fresh coffee beans. A trip to the nearby town of Arabia we were introduced to a group of coffee farmers who educated us on the entire process. From picking the coffee beans to drinking it.
here is a short recap
This is a typical coffee plantation

Coffee grows best in Colombia between 800 and 1800 meters above sea level. The plant typically last about 5 years if well maintains, and produces a twice a year harvest. The beans must all be picked by hand. They actually look more like berries than anything else. In Spanish they translate to coffee seeds, which is more accurate than beans in my opinion.

After the beans turn to a reddish color, they are ready to harvest. The most painstaking part of the process is definitely hand picking every individual coffee bean. The second most difficult part used to be cleaning the coffee. That has been made simpler by a machine with a large hopper that sheds the outer peel, and all of the juices, leaving only the coffee beans. The juices, or syrup are then used to feed the pigs, and other indiscriminate animals.

Of course, to properly clean the coffee you`ll need one of those fancy machines and a guy with a wife-beater and a shovel. Fortunately we had all of that on hand

Most of the time the various functions of preparing the coffee are performed in the same farm. However, there are tons of freelances who only complete part of the process. The people I met buy the coffee beans from the farm, then clean it, then sell it to the local cooperative. From there, there are several more phases. A sample of the beans are taken and then milled to further remove remaining dirt and debris.
Here is Jhon taking a sample

Later the beans are sifted and sorted to determine what percentage of the harvest is good and what percentage is bad. This helps to determine the selling price of the raw beans. The bad stays in Colombia for internal consumption, and the good leaves for export only. So for those of you who think you`ve come to Colombia to drink the best coffee in the world, guess again. Your better off drinking it in your own country. Also for those of you whop have lugged kilos of Colombian coffee for months in your pack, you would have been better off with lama wool!
This is the good and the bad

Of course the coffee still needs to be toasted, and finally ti can make it into your cup. Most of us put the grounds into the machine without ever considering the number of backbreaking hours, nor the millions of people who livelihoods depend on our consumption.
And for those of you who think your doing your part with Starbucks, think again. Starbucks has decided that African coffee is cheaper, and thus allowing them to charge reasonable prices for the coffee that finds its way into your morning cup.

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After a good time rafting and hiking in San Gil and Villa de Levya, we decided to cross over to the western side of the country to Medellin. Originally we only planned to spend a day in Medellin, and then head of to the coffee region. Medellin is the second largest city in Colombia and only 15 years ago it was virtually prohibited to visit. The city sits in a valley with the majority of the poor population stacked on top of each other along the hillsides. Many people recognize the name Medellin as having been associated with the drug empire of Pablo Escobar (the Godfather of Colombia).
Medellin is an extremely interesting city with a dynamic mix of people. The natives of Medellin call themselves paisas and take great pride in occupying what they say is the heart of Colombia. After years of Organized crime and guerilla warfare the city and its people have been left permanently marked by the distress. The main center has a park called Botero Park. There you can see dozens of the most famous sculptures of Fernando Botero. Botero is famed for having created all of his works to over exaggerate the obesity of his object. In San Antonio Park he placed the famous "bird of peace." In 1996 it was partially destroyed by a Guerilla bomb, it was left damaged and a replica was placed beside to express the damage and futility of violence.

Some good films to give you a bit of a feel for what life was like just a few years back in Medellin are Rosario Tijeras and the documentary The Sierra or La Sierra They both have a lot to do with the violent hillside slums of Medellin. If you take a ride on the subway, your ticket includes a cable car that takes you up to the top. You get a view from the window, although walking around is not recommended. A young Australian who was with me told me he just loved those types of places and wanted to walk around. I enjoyed the view from the top and headed back. Overly cautions? Maybe, but if you see La Sierra you`ll understand.

After 5 days (it was supposed to be 1) we were finally ready to head of for the coffee region. A kilometer and a half worth of landslides turned our 4 hour journey into 13, but we arrived safely to Manizales. Manizales as a town/city leaves a lot to be desired, so we didn`t stay long. Instead we decided to head to the small town of Salento.
I did however, like the attitude in Manizales about kidnapping translates say no to abduction

Salento is home to the national tree of Colombia, the waxed palm. The trees grow to up to 200 feet and tower high above the forest. The trunk is coated with a thick white wax that protects it from insects and gives it the strength to withstand the high winds and its top-heavy nature. A 30 minute jeep ride takes you to the Valley of Corcora where you can set of a 8 mile hike through a nature reserve and finally to the peak where the palms grow. A Dutch biologist discovered the trees and said that they formed a canopy above the canopy, unlike any other in the world.
I’ve placed a few photos here because this place is spectacular.
Here’s one of a lonesome palm just before sunset

Here is a field of them that reminded me of a windmill farm in California

The hike takes you up to two small farms. These farms have their own trout ponds, cattle ranches, fruit orchards, and coffee fields. The finca Montaña has amazing views of the nearby central mountain range and the snow capped volcanoes. They offer lodging and if I had been better informed I would have taken them up on it. We tried to go back a few days later, and arrived on horseback. However, catching a 7:30 jeep is harder than it seems for a couple of travelers and we had to make other plans.
Our next plan was get a move on to the nearby city of Pereira and look for an opportunity to stay for a while on a coffee farm.
Befoire leaving the center we were treated to a marching band in the center. The buses are called "Chivas" and are really traditional Colombia transportation. They all have names, and some sort of painted theme. Pasengers can be seen riding inside, outside, and on top. Everything is transported this way in most rural parts of Colombia.