Manizales - one tip of the coffee triangle

Marc's addiction led us here.  Months of appalling quality product also meant he was really craving a good hit.  Since I do not partake in such things, I left the research up to him.  He found the growers, the dealers and the suppliers and set off to meet them all.

This meant we were headed deep into the heart of Colombia, into a place the locals call The Coffee Triangle.  We did have plans to visit each of the three towns which make up said triangle, but it was all a little more expensive than expected so we only made it to one tip of the triangle, and a little way down a side.

Manizales was stunning, situated in a lovely valley, it was lush and green.  We made our way to our hotel, Ecohotel la Juanita, which was a little out of town but so lovely and secluded.  We soon realised we were the only people staying there so had our pick of rooms.  Unfortunately it was quite dark by the time we arrived so we couldn't fully appreciate the view.  The next morning though we realised how stunning the place really was.

View from our hotel

Morde!

Local wildlife - Barranquero birds

Living above the clouds

On our first full day in Manizales we were told to visit Recinto del Pensamiento, a nature park just outside of the town.  It was an amazing park with hummingbirds, a butterfly enclosure, japanese garden, and an orchid forest type thing.  We started our tour with our non-English speaking guide (less informative) but luckily one of the other visitors was able to translate for us (super informative).

Recinto del Pensamiento

Hummingbird cuteness

One Japanese bridge does not a Japanese garden make...

Two bridges on the other hand has got to be authentic.

The next day we decided to visit some of the coffee fincas.  The hotel organised a private tour for us with a lovely English speaking guide.  We headed off to the town of Chinchina to Happy Coffee, a wholesale coffee exporter.  Here they showed us the coffee selection process including the tasting room where they roasted small batches of coffee.  It was amazing to see the vast quantity of coffee that was processed through the place.

Grades of coffee 

Coffee tasting 

Marc having a sniff

The wall of coffee

Our next stop was to a lovely little finca up in the hills.  We were met by Cesar whose family had owned the property for 5 generations.  He took us through the whole coffee process, from growing the plants, picking the beans, grading the beans, preparing the beans for roasting and finally, roasting the beans.

Coffee roaster made from recycled materials

Our next stop was Hacienda Guayabal where we had booked a nights accommodation.  Hacienda Guayabal was a cute little hostel run by a old Columbian Couple. On arrival we were quietly shocked as they were hosting a large party of retirees who were in the middle of a very intense round of bingo. Louder than any RSL these old Señors and Señoras were dancing, drinking and scarily enough, swimming. We were shown the available rooms and chose one with a private bathroom. This was located next to the party and we imagined a horrible night sleep.  Luckily, once we were settled, the party moved on giving us a  some quiet serenity.  The property had some lovely walks, one of which was to a look out where you could see the whole finca.

Looking back down to our Hacienda (the white house slightly hidden by the trees).

That night during one of the many downpours we lost all power and were forced to have a romantic candle lit dinner.  The worst.  But we struggled through and made it to morning.

The next day we were taken on a tour of the coffee plantation.  Here they also walked us through the whole process BUT they also let us pick the beans from the trees!  My nimble Asian hands would have made perfect cheap labour for the farm.

This is what fresh coffee beans look like

Marc struggling with his big man hands to pick coffee

My nimble Asian fingers, which are used to sewing Nike shoes, breezed through the picking.

Carrying my load back to the hacienda

Super cute chickens with fluffy heads!

The coffee triangle was beautiful and we both wish we could have spent more time there but the Caribbean coast called so we thought it was about time we started to make our way to Cartagena (with a short stop over in Medellin).

Bogotá

First impressions of Bogotá were not great.  The city felt gritty and a little unsafe, and it was freezing cold, not what we had bargained for.  We arrived at the hostel in La Candelaria (the historic area of Bogotá) and were greeted by the staff who immediately took our bags from the taxi.  Everything happened so quickly that there was a brief moment of panic where we thought our bags were being stolen by a petite Colombian woman and an older gentleman.  The hostel was lovely with a big open courtyard, which all the rooms centered around.  As it was dinner time, Marc asked for recommendations for something to eat close by.  Our choices were Mongolian or a pub dinner at the local Australian run establishment.  Both very Colombian options obviously.  We opted for Mongolian and wandered down the dark pothole ridden streets.   I was a little anxious as I was positive everyone was going to mug us, even the sweet little old lady who was doing laundry.  I’m positive there was a switchblade hidden in her detergent, or at a minimum, ninja stars.  Dinner was surprisingly tasty although not overly authentic and it turned out that the little old lady really was just doing laundry.

The next day we planned a gastronomic and cultural tour of La Candelaria.  Our first stop was for breakfast at La Puerta Falsa.  It was a quaint little eatery with an array of delicious sweet treats in the front window, beckoning us to eat them and die happily in a diabetic coma.  We were directed to eat the popular and common snack, chocolate completo which is hot chocolate made with water, served with cheese (like a firm ricotta I suppose, which you are meant to put in the hot chocolate), buttered bread and a biscuit type thing (biscuit in more of the American sense of the word, so similar to a flattish scone).  It was an interesting meal, especially with the cheese in the hot chocolate.  Nonetheless, it was a very cute establishment. 

At first a little apprehensive to put cheese in his hot chocolate...

Marc soon realised it was delicious!

The super cute La Puerta Falsa

Our next stop was the Botero Museum.  Botero had a love for all things fat so obviously I was very excited to see his artwork.  Unfortunately so were 50 Colombian school kids.  We managed to navigate our way around the rabble and found ourselves in a beautiful building housing some amazing art.  I think I can safely say that Botero is now one of my favourite artists.  Normally I dislike taking photos of artwork but for blogging purposes we thought it necessary.

Fat nun.

Marc reliving his fat girl phase. 

This one is for Anastasia.

Angry pug face lady.

Chubby Mona Lisa

Chubby lady eating a disproportionately small ice cream 

Another one for Anastasia

And again for Anastasia

Birds are always cuter when they are chubby.

Chubby Jesus

Proof that smoking doesn't keep you thin.

The museum was not only Botero, there were pieces by Chaggall, Picasso, Dalí, Renoir, Miró and Monet.

Richard Estes

Dalí

By this stage it was lunch time and we thought we would try out a popular vegetarian joint called Quinua y Amaranto.  We had the set lunch, which consisted of a delicious green coloured soup, followed by a large plate of rice, salad and vegetable frittata.  Here we met two lovely Danish girls and a Colombian guy named Stephen.  We all got chatting and soon found out that he was an architect and had moved to the La Candelaria district for the buildings.  We all expressed our appreciation for the architecture of the area and we soon invited to Stephen’s place to see him apartment.  He lived in a building, which had been a house and was now converted into apartments.  It really was a beautiful apartment, open plan and full of light and included a rooftop terrace with views to the neighbouring hills.

On Stephen's terrace, with everyone staring at Marc's creepy toe shoes

The view from the terrace

That night, on Stephen’s recommendation, we had dinner at A Seis Manos (Six Hands).  It was more of a bar than a restaurant with an area for performance art.  We were lucky enough to be there on the night a French duo were performing.  It was part slapstick, part juggling and very entertaining.

The next day the weather was terrible.  Colder than the day before and raining.  We decided to visit a local shopping mall and to see if any movies of interest were showing (they weren’t).  We headed to the north of Bogotá which is known as the more modern and developed area.  The place was beautiful.  Full of tree lined streets and amazing shopping.  It was so different from La Candelaria and probably my most favourite main city we have been to so far.

On our last day in Bogotá we were lucky enough to be there on the Sunday to visit the Mercado de San Alejo which is a flea market in the city centre.  Sunday is also the day when cars are banned from the main roads of the city and the streets are opened up to pedestrians and cyclists.  Apparently it is an initiative to get Colombians more active and shed the few extra pounds some of them are carrying (nothing compared to North Americans, Australians or the fat little Buddha generation growing up in China).

The lovely car free streets of Bogotá

The market was a lot of fun and had everything from clothes, to furniture to old random crap that I had to stop Marc from buying.  He was eyeing off a rather trendy but unnecessary leather jacket but when we realised it weighed 200kg on its own we decided to pass.  It may be our one true regret of the trip.

Fruit heaven 

Some lovely earthen home wares 

Some lovely earthen home wares next to the hello kitty stall

Marc posing for a Colombian Coffee ad. 

Marc posing.

After the markets we were suckered in to eating at a local asado (BBQ) restaurant, mainly because they offered free samples at the door.  They had live music playing and you could see the meat being cooked and prepared right in front of you. 

So in summary, we haven't been mugged, we haven't been offered drugs and we haven't felt like our personal security has been at risk.  I'm not sure whether to be relieved or disappointed.  

We thoroughly enjoyed Bogotá and could have spent much more time there but Marc’s serious caffeine addiction meant we had to head to the coffee triangle.

Baños, Ecuador

Leaving the Animal Rescue Centre a week early with Barry Fisher a.k.a Fish, a.k.a the pommy, the decision was made to see the highly recommended Baños for the weekend. This quickly turned into 6 days of recuperation and relaxation!

As reported the feel of the town was amazing, relaxed, friendly, not overcrowded with like minded tourists and a great general aura. With some fear that the Baños charm could wear off with an extended stay, we could consider this to home if we were ever lucky enough.

Baños is a tourist township and is designed around the tourist industry. There is no shortage of tour operators, up to the point that it is hard to decipher which are the better ones! During a walking expedition to the mirador to try and see the volcano I was able to try puenting. This experience is unlike bungee jumping where your line has elasticity and you can bounce. More it is designed as a swing off the hard line and diving as far as possible away from the bridge is the only option to not cause any physical damage. The drop in the canyon is around 110 metres and not having seen anyone else attempt the jump raised concerns how the 4mm line would both withstand the shock of the drop and my body not be ripped apart. Unfortunately after summing the courage and jumping I was soon to discover that you jumped 40 metres before swinging on the pendulum. For only $15 it was worth the experience, but I still look forward to a full bungee jump that will get my hair wet at the end!

View from the bridge

View of my impending deathtrap from afar

After Fish departed to Venezuela, Leigh and I planned for a day walking to the surrounding mountains to take in the view and explore this beautiful city. The walk chosen, ended being quite difficult with a consistent 60 degree incline to the top. Absolutely worth the trip, we discovered many other walks in the surrounding mountains which we plan to conduct on our next visit to Baños.

Unfortunately, my neck has been playing up again.  This was made worse as it flared up the night before we were to go rafting. Although this experience has been missed, we hope to get a chance of rafting somewhere to make up for it. The benefit allowed for several more days of small walks and town exploration, sleep ins and local food all of which were delicious.

During our stay we tried Guinea Pig, traditional Spanish tapas and local dishes that cost as little as $2.50. The night life was also great and safe and we enjoyed a good night out with Fish, other tourists and locals. The pick of the bars is the Leprecaun if you ever find yourself visiting the town.

After accepting to stay in Baños a few extra days, it prevented the return stay in Quito and meant a days travelling by Bus, taxi and plane to fly to our next destination, Bogota Columbia….