So, after leaving Medellin and Iván, my search for good coffee took me 6 hours by bus south, to Periera and the Coffee Zone. I was met at Pereira bus station by two off Iván's aunts and a nun! The sweetie had arranged for them to meet me and take me to a hotel...I could have managed it myself. Periera is a pleasant but uninspiring town. It does have two nice squares...one with a statue of a nude Simon Bolivar, the hero of Columbia. One good thing though was my first good coffee for a few weeks - in a bakery. I had been woken at 6am by the tinkling bell of the lorry selling bottled gas! I guess it starts early incase people need gas to make their coffee for breakfast.
(Pereira and a nude Simon Bolivar)
Ivan couldn't understand why I wanted to go to a village called Salento. One good reason is that there is a lovely new travellers' hostel there, called Plantation House. I asked the collectivo to drop me off at the Fire Station as directed. Wonderful relaxing place. Before I had even checked in I was drinking coffee and talking to Sam from Boston, Marcus from Switzerland/Seattle, and Jo and Dan from Old Blighty.
That afternoon, after a 45 min walk in the rain, we reached a Coffee Finca (farm). Here is a photo of me with Marcus and a very little guy who showed us around. I probably knew, but had forgotten that coffee beans start life as berries...which are red when ripe. The ripe berries go through various machines to strip off the outer skin and be washed before being dried in the sun, or by electric blowers. I risked life and limb to take these photies - I slipped on a wet tree trunk and fell on my back on another tree stump! Bruised and grazed, that's all.
The little Columbian guy showed us the top quality beans for export, and a rather sorry looking tub of mishapen beans and grit for domestic consumption! No wonder coffee is better back home! The coffee still tasted good...this was an organic finca...especially after I asked for my second cup without the obligatory shovels full of sugar.
(crammed in a jeep)
It was till raining so we crammed into a jeep for the ride back to the hostel. Jeeps are the public transport around here...roads are very bumpy and wet (it rains alot here). Fab local food that night in the village square - trout in a wickedly creamy sauce and topped with a huge flattended and then fried plantain.
The evening ended in a bar playing pool until we were sharly evicted at 11.30. Apparently the army runs the village and had decided that Wednesday would be an early closing night!
(Salento at night)
Heya Chris,
Keeping track of your travels, they are amazing. I know what you mean by the search for decent coffee. I have finally found it!...In London that is. Although it is 5 x the price it is all worth it. We did run into the Exodus mob and it was gr8 to catch up, we hope to see Tariq and Phill soon aswell.
Keep well, hasta luego! Sam xxx