Breakfast and the Jungle
Pato’s parents (Amanda and Alvaro) came over and we had breakfast with them. I was so fond of them. Pato showed us the equipment they use to harvest coffee.

Then Pato, his mom, Juan and I took a ride into what they called the forest. It is national preserve and looked like a jungle to me. We needed the 4-wheel drive of Pato’s Trooper (a vehicle of nastalgic value as he’s had it for 26 years). We walked and looked at the trees, plants and flowers. It was dense and lush. Then we headed back to the house, packed up and headed for the coffee park.

Alvaro, Pato, Amanda, Juan - At pato's House

Juan & Pato with the Trooper in the Jungle

Plantain Trees and a Wasps Nest

Pato Giving Us a Tour of the Jungle

A View of the Coffee Park Land

We went through a museum which showed the history of the Colombian coffee trade and how coffee is harvested and prepared. We took a train around the park. While it moved along a “house band” played music and it was like we were part of a partying brigade.

Where as Bogota is in the mid 70′s during the day and a cool 40 or 50 degrees at night, it was 90+ degrees and very humid in Armenia where the park is. We had to wear hats and seek shade.

We took a photo with a classic of the Armenia region, a Willys. Willys are a kind of Jeep. They are like taxis but it is a fixed price for  the price for as many people and as much cargo as will fit on them. So it’s common to see Willys driving along the winding roads completely weighed down with huge loads balanced precariously. They stack the cargo high and people grab on to any bar or bumper they can find. We saw one on the road in front of us with at least 14 people.

Juan & I on a Willys in the Coffee Park

Juan’s dad picked us up and shuttled us to the airport to take a commuter flight to the coffee region of Colombia. As we flew we could see one of 3 large mountain ranges which run through the country. The tallest peak, El Nevado, is snow covered.

As we descended we had views of green farm land punctuated sparesly by colorful casitas (traditional-style farm homes).  Juan’s friend, Maurico Gutierrez, nicknamed “Pato“, met us at the airport and took us to lunch at Estacion Paraiso, a covered patio with an island feel. The air was much warmer and more humid than in Bogota. It felt almost tropical. My hosts ordered an array of new foods for me to try, among which were,  fried plantains, chunchunllo (fried pork intestines), choriso (sausages), and a bean dish called cazuela.The cazuela was  a delicious combination of beans, sweet plantains, and fried pork. The toppings were cheese, and avocado and cream.

New Foods - Mmmm

Arepas, Choriso, Chunchunllo

Coffee in Salento

We set out toward Pato’s house and on our way we passed through a small town. Pato pulled up to one of many storefronts which lined the narrow streets, he beeped and asked if the man had a small saw blade. The man replied, brought one out, and handed it to Juan in the passenger side window, and took the money. The whole transaction took about 45 seconds. It was like a drive-through hardware store.

We arrived at Pato’s coffee plantation and took a dirt road through plantain, banana, coffee and citrus tree groves. He showed us what coffee plants look like in their various stages. Little white flowers become red berry-like pods. Inside the berry are the two beans.

Pato's Coffee Plantation

To harvest the coffee beans the berries are put into a machine which breaks them open and separates the skin and beans. In another process a film is washed off of the beans. Then they are dried in the sun. Later they are toasted.

Pato’s weekend home is being constructed. Two bedrooms are completed, as is the  covered patio. It was there where we relaxed in hammocks into the night.

It was another day of extremely generous hospitality as Pato extended himself, showing us all around that beautiful region, and opening his home to us.

Pato Under His Covered Patio

Juan on Pato's Covered Patio at Sunset

Bedroom at Pato's House

I woke up and Juan’s housekeeper, Roselia was here. She prepared a traditional Colombian breakfast for us of arepas. They are like a thick pancake and there are many varieties of them. The ones we had at breakfast had cheese inside them and we topped them with another kind of soft cheese on top. We had fresh juice from guanabana. They are green on the outside and the meat inside is white, producing a milk-like color.

guanabana juice

We answered emails and lounged until Juan’s father, Juan Guillermo Lalinde and his wife, Martica came over. We had a really special and fun visit with them. Roselia made us a traditional Colombian soup called Ajiaco. It contains 3 kinds of potatoes, chicken and corn. The toppings are avocado, capers, and a kind of cream. We had passion fruit juice as well. We finished lunch up out in the sun on the terrace having coffee and cocados, which are coconut candies.

After lunch we went for a walk and went to a mall. We bought some plane tickets to fly to Armenia tomorrow. Then we strolled some nearby streets and window shopped. We went to an ice-cream chain called Mimos for a mango Popsicle which is served with salt. And we had a mango ice cream frappe too.

We walked from there to the home of Mauricio & Nancy Betancourt and their two girls Ana and Maria (6 and 8 yrs old). We had such a sweet visit. At first I wondered how we’d communicate because I speak so little Spanish and the girls are learning German in school. But before long I noticed we were talking and playing.

The girls wanted me to stay and have a sleep over with them and they were coming up with really creative ways to make it possible. It was really cute. Nancy and Mauricio prepared a beautiful table of traditional afternoon foods for us. We had hot chocolate, a different kind of arepas which were absolutely delicious, and some other types of pastries. Then the girls showed me their artwork.

Mauricio drove us back to Juan’s. The hospitality and welcome I’ve received here from Juan’s family and friends has been really amazing and humbling. Also, all of the people we encounter are very courteous. All of Juan’s family and friends are incredibly warm.

Shortly after we returned from Nancy and Mauricio’s, another friend of Juan’s, Marcela picked us up. We went to an area which is like the Gaslamp District of Bogota. We sat and had a couple of glasses of wine on the patio of a restaurant called Isola. Then we went on to dinner at an Italian place called DiLucca. It was fun conversation about world travels, government, family relationships and life in general.

It was after midnight when we headed home. It’s been a full and wonderful day.

I flew through Houston to Bogota. The plane was full of U.S. business people many of whom are in the petroleum industry. They said Colombia is oil-rich like Venezuela, but unlike Venezuela it has a stable and friendly government. So business is fleeing from Venezuela into Colombia.

Juan and his dad met me just outside baggage claim for a beautiful drive to Juan’s house. The air temp was about 55 degrees and it felt fresh. They took city streets so I could see more of Bogota. The Christmas lights here are amazing.  There was very little traffic which is unusual. Ordinarily there are driving restrictions in Bogota. Cars with  license plates that end in odd numbers can be on the road some days and even on the others. The city is 8,600+ feet above sea level. It’s metropolitan and modern. The people are really nice.

30-40 min from the airport we arrived at Juan’s house. We chatted for a while and then turned in for the night. I’m staying in his guest room/office which was really comfortable. It gets cold here at night.

I arrived in Bogota on Sunday night.