Bean Heads

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Day 108

After catching a taxi to the bus station we are soon speeding our way to Manizales. However one bad thing about Colombia is the roads, especially in the mountain areas where they are very steep and windy. This combined with the previous night’s entertainment, and a drver that thinks he is Schumacher, means that I am concentrating very hard on not being sick. As my face turns a sickly green and I take deep breaths, Em offers her dry bag for a tactical chunder but luckily I manage to compose myself. 4 hours later we arrive in Manizales where we are childishly delighted to find that the transport from the bus station to the town is a cable car - surely the best way to travel? Hostel is great with a fantastic view over the city and we get some fast chicken for dinner.

Day 109

One of the main reasons for us visiting this area was to visit a coffee finca and learn more about the amazing Colombian coffee. So at 8.30 Pedro picks us up to take us to Hacienda Venecia, a working coffee plantation. On arrival we are amazed to find out that we are the only people on a tour, and we have the place to ourselves! Now for the science bit; the area the farm is in consists of several micro climates, land ranges from 1000 metres to 2500 metres and they basically have 2 wet and 2 dry seasons a year which means they get two coffee crops. We learn this and more as we sit in a room and learn about the history of coffee, different types of bean, how to recognise good and bad beans and we even get to roast some green beans. Throughout the talk we keep being offered coffee, and we manage 3 in the first hour. Then it is off for a tour of the farm and fields. Recent floods mean that the two footbridges have been wiped out, and so we cross a small river to get to the processing plant and main farm house. Despite wearing wellies Em manages to get her feet wet by stepping in a deep part of the river, while I stay dry by balancing in my flip flops on makeshift bamboo that has been laid across the water. The main house is beautiful, and there is a menagerie of wildlife there including peacocks, turkeys, weird looking chickens... and dobermans. Em gets a fright when one of the dobermans sneaks up behind her and nudges her hand with its nose, but luckily they are friendly and only want to play. At the main house we have another coffee and admire the amazing views of the valley. Then it is back to the guest house for a scrumptious lunch of Sancocho (a local potato and chicken soup with avocado and corn). Em wimps out at the fifth coffee, fearing a caffeine crash but I continue.

After all the excitement it's time for some R&R so we retire to the hammocks for a quick siesta. I spot an old fashioned game (where the object is to throw small metal hoops into various holes, including the winning shot of getting them in a metal frogs mouth) and after much pestering Em finally agrees to leave her comfortable hammock and partake in some competitive hoop throwing. Imagine my dismay when after a few games Em manages to produce a winning shot straight into the frogs mouth scoring 500 points and then promptly announces her retirement from ‘Colombian Hoopla’.

Before leaving we buy some coffee beans which we hope will help to make our rucksacks smell slightly less pungent. Pedro also takes us to the local market where Em manages to buy dinner for two nights for about £2. I stay in the car, and have a slight panic when Pedro’s friend mentions that the market is not safe for us and I’m even more worried when he explains that the Land Rover has toughened glass and metal to withstand bullets (although I am obviously safer than Em, who is wandering around oblivious to the imminent danger). Luckily we escpe unscathed, and Em makes her speciality veggie tortillas and guacamole for tea.

Day 110

We spend the morning wandering the town looking at the strange statues that are everywhere. The main one high on a hill is supposed to represent the founding of the city and show the natural difficulties the founders faced. People have raved about this staue so we are slightly underwhelmed after hauling ourselves up a hill for 40 minutes, but the views are worth it.

After some skype time we decide we have earned ourselves some more R&R so we head out to the hot springs which are about an hour outside the city. After receiving instructions in Spanish from our hostel, Em feels confident she knows what to do. But we discover there are 4 bus stops where we have been directed, with no signs to say which buses stop there, and the situation is slightly worsened by the fact that various groups of people (schoolkids, people at the bus stops, passing cars) keep shouting, 'gringo' at us. I get so fed up I raised my hands in the air and turn around as if to announce ‘yes the gringo’s have arrived’. We regroup and find a tourist office, where we manage to receive clearer instructions (in Spanish) and we find the correct bus stop and bus - result! After an hour on the bus (having slight panics we might not be on the right bus) we arrive at the hot springs. The journey is well worth it and we enjoy the sunset relaxing in the hot pool with a cold beer. That night we sleep like logs...

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