To the Valle de Cocora

Today, we went out of another day trip. We first stopped at a pair of small towns that preserved some vestiges of colonial architecture, Filandia and Salento.  They were very small and not especially impressive.  But we did manage some nice views above Salento. I even tried some panoramic pictures which I've included here.

We also were going to visit the Valle de Cocora to explore the national park there. However, the rains had caused a mudslide and a tree had toppled, blocking the road.  So we clambered over the obstruction and hiked five miles to reach the town. It was mostly uphill, but fortunately it didn't rain much on our hike. We didn't make it to the park at that point though, just opting to eat lunch. The place was a hike in the wall, but we had a very good trout on a fried corn tortilla. This region is known for their trout and the restaurant didn't disappoint.  We were going to take a jeep back but by then the road had been cleared and our van made it up to take us back.

This region is also known for these wax palms, the national tree of Colombia. They are tall and spindly, sturdy and living for up to one hundred years.  See the included pictures.

Pictures of the Finca Villa Nora

Slightly out of order but I finally had a chance to take some pictures of the Finca and I wanted to put them up. It's a really nice, idyllic place. If one had a more leisurely trip, I'd stay here and in the coffee region for a day or two more. I highly recommend this place.

I'm not sure if I mentioned but the Finca is both a B&B and a working farm with coffee, plantains, and a few more. Since we're leaving we didn't get the official tour but I wandered through the farm myself, escorted by the finca´s dog.

Tomorrow, we leave at the crack of dawn for our flight to Cartagena via Bogota.  The finca has started to get busier -- each night, one more couple arrives so we're at six guests now. US, France, and Mexico.

Coffee Day!

In America, today is known as Thanksgiving but here in Colombia there was no sight of any turkeys. Instead, we visited an exclusive coffee plantation called Hacienda San Alberto.  It was started by a family that brought the rigorous quality of wineries to coffee production.  We had a tour of the whole process, from cultivation to drying. They have quality control whereby they only accept the best and ripe beans.  They also have a five step process.  They clearly market this innovation and their coffee does taste good. We had a cup prepared with Chemex in the beginning and then one using a vacuum siphon method. I think that latter tool will be my next coffee toy!  We also had a coffee baptism!  We started by going through some taste and smelling exercises. I was terrible guessing the right characteristics of each sample. Then we observed the infusion of two coffees -- San Alberto's and another. You could clearly taste the differences in the blind test.  I had a long conversation with the owner at the end, exchanging stories and getting tips. I'm going to refer several of the local coffee shops to him... Maybe this coffee will end up at one of them soon!

We had a short lunch stop where I tried a local typical dish. I think it was skirt steak with rice, avocados, plantains, salsa, and potatoes with a light soup on the side. It was very good albeit on the large side.

Our last stop was at a botanical garden. We had a guided tour. The gardens were quite large. The highlights were the butterfly enclosure, the hummingbird feeders, as well as the bird feeder viewing area. We saw a capivera walk by, too! That's the world's largest rodent, the size of a cat!

A fun but long day. We were joined at the finca by a French couple. The plan is that they'll be coming on the tour with us tomorrow...

A short hop to Armenia

We had a travel day of sorts, taking an internal flight to Armenia, the airport for the coffee region.  The flight itself was only thirty minutes though we had about an hour delay.  The flight and airport were both packed even though it was midweek.

We got in in the late afternoon at Finca Villa Nora. A finca is a working farm that in this case has expanded into a b&b.  We're the only people in the complex and it's very peaceful. Well except for the parrots roosting in the trees. There also is a hummingbird feeder that had probably a dozen hummingbirds clustered about. There must have been two or three different species.  And everything is so green here.  This area is dominated by agriculture. First coffee, then plantains, and then other fruits.  Already, I've had a chalupa, a small green fruit with a slimy crunchy seedy interior; a zapato, a sort of sweet squash; and a mango.

The finca made dinner for us -- an excellent pea soup, chicken breast, and warm bananas for dessert.  It got really dark after and I watched tv on my tablet on a hammock before bed.

More on our trip back to Bogota

Continuing on our tour, we visited a winery.  The vineyard worker gave us a tour but she spoke very fast in Spanish. The few nuggets I got was that they grew sauvignon blanc and cabernet sauvignon grapes, though they are planning for the experimental planting of a few other varietals.  Also, they harvest twice a year here. I suppose that's the advantage of the climate here.  We had a chance to taste a glass. It was passable but nothing extraordinary. Oh, and the guy who started this winery studied inoculture at UC Davis.  A Colombian wine our guide recommended was Marques de Punta Larga. This winery was apparently started by a former NASA engineer.

After our wine tasting, we went to Raquira, a small town that is known for its clay pottery. We first had lunch. Both of us ate conseulas boyocas,  a local soup with beans, beef, tripe, and a type of collard greens.  It was paired with arepas (a type of flat corn bread) with cheese, plantains, and rice.  The Columbian soups here are very hearty and filling.

Many of the clay stores were touristy -- there were Angry Birds and Despicable Me minions objects. But we each managed to come away with a pair of glazed mini-goblets.  We did see the place where they were made so we knew they were genuinely local.

The skies opened up and it was pouring on the way back. There were some mini-waterfalls on the side of the road from this rain. It took us a while to get back. We also hit traffic on the way back.  Dinner became a local cheese that we picked up (8 oz. for $2.25!) and a bottle of wine.  The cheese was a semi-soft cheese that was like a slightly more aciditic mozzarella ball. The wine was a Chilean Cabernet Merlot blend. A very makeshift dinner but it sufficed.

A Packed Day in Villa de Leiva and Environs

Lots of little stops today.  The first pictures are of the Spanish style courtyard of our hotel.  After a standard breakfast of an omelette, fruit, and coffee, we first visited a nearby hotel that our guide, Noreia, wanted to show us. It was only a little more expensive and was more like a resort. What was amazing there was the view (see the picture) and the garden. There were so many plants and flowers.  Many plants that I have indoors are here are much bigger and outdoors.

We did another walking tour if the town in daylight. It was quite different seeing it in light. The main highlight was getting our ATM situation worked out.  We also visited a museum for a local independence leader.  Colombia has had a complicated history, having once been part of a Gran Columbia with surrounding countries.  It's not clear what prompted the division into disparate countries.

The next stop out of town was an Archaeological Museum. There was a complete fossilized skeleton of kronosaurus there as well as those of mollusks. This area was once at the edge of a sea so that's why we see those sea creatures.

We briefly stopped for a drive-by of pazos azulas, which turned out to be green man-made ponds. Then we continued on to a former monastery.  It was nearly 400 years old and was a very nice and tranquil stop.

Our next stop was at the Los Infernitos.  This was an Indian site that was believed to be an Indian solar and lunar observatory. However, the Spanish invaders though they were pagan religious structures and beyond all of the stones. These stones were long circular pillars that were re-erected for display.

More later..

Into Villa de Leiva

Continuing on the highway north, we stopped for lunch at a roadside restaurant. All restaurants in the towns we tried ended up being closed so we picked this one pretty much randomly.  It turned out to be really good!  We both had churrasco and it was better than the fancy restaurant we went to in Bogota... and it was only twenty dollars for the two of us. Try doing that in the US!

We passed through more and more rural areas punctuated by small towns. There were lots of cows amidst rolling verdant landscapes.  I should get some pictures on the way back tomorrow.  It was a lovely ride.  Our guide and driver was quite daring on these roads, darting out to overtake trucks with a small margin.

We got to Villa de Leiva just after dark and after a brief rest we went out on a night tour of the town. This town has been preserved with historical cobblestone streets and building facades.  There is definitely a feel of similarity to Andalusia. The hotel had an open-air garden courtyard like the hotel we stayed in Cordoba. And we actually ate at a restaurant named Andalusia even. I had my Spanish favorite of jamon tapas.

We had a nice conservation with a guy from Spain. He have us some nice tips on what to do in Cartagena. We also talked about the Spanish economy. It sounds rough there.

Okay more about the town tomorrow. Time for bed...