Colombian Coffee Farm Tour

Photo credit: Picasa

Café ... Cappuccino ... Java ... Morning Joe. No matter how you say it, to a coffee lover, there is nothing more precious than that morning cup of coffee. Add the name of an exotic country of origin like Costa Rica, Ethiopia, or Colombia to the label ... and that cup of coffee instantly reaches superstar level!

For a coffee lover, a visit to Colombia is not complete without a visit to see the origins of their beloved brew. So when Jill (certifiable coffee connoisseur) visited us in Medellín, she had one request that I was very happy to fulfill ...

Let's journey high into the Andes Mountains of Antioquia for a Colombian Coffee Farm Tour!

We booked our tour through Toucan, the school where we took Spanish lessons last year. Transportation, English-speaking guide, breakfast, lunch, coffee tour, and tastings cost $70 a person. Toucan has a café in which they brew delicious cups of coffee, and they also have a coffee museum that highlights fun facts about this amazing drink. It is there that we met our group and guide, Fernando. An hour and half van ride brought us over the mountains south of Medellín to the town of Fredonia. From there we loaded into two 4x4 vehicles to complete our journey up twisty, narrow roads that brought us higher into the fertile mountains that produce some of Colombia's best coffee.

Walking the last half mile up to the coffee finca (farm) house just added to the ''authenticity'' of the experience. Humberto Pareja and his wife welcomed us to his family-run coffee business, Café de la Cima (Summit Coffee). We sat down to enjoy a homemade arepa de choclo con queso breakfast and our first of many delicious cups of liquid heaven.

With our guide Fernando acting as our interpreter, Humberto began to explain the labor-intensive process that ensures that we can enjoy our daily caffeine fix. Colombia produces 15% of the world's coffee. High in the Andes Mountains, the perfect blend of sun, precipitation, and soil conditions produces the red Arabica beans that Colombian coffee is famous for.

After introducing us to the process, it was time to get to work. Donned with our sombreros and baskets, we climbed up the hillside for the coffee bean picking experience. 

The best coffee is hand-picked to ensure that only the ripest, most flavorful beans are used. Trying to keep my footing while reaching deep into the bushes in search of those deep red coffee cherries proved to be a challenge. A skilled harvester can pick more than 100 pounds of beans a day.

My haul after 30 minutes of ''work'' leaves a lot to be desired!

I will blame it on being side tracked by the amazing views. Recognize the pyramid-shaped mountain in the distance? It, along with ''Juan Valdez'', is the inspiration for the Colombian Coffee Federation symbol.

This label on your Colombian coffee bag confirms that only the best beans were used and that proper processing procedures were followed in order to produce the best tasting coffee.

Once picked, the beans need to be immediately processed. The pulp from the coffee cherry is removed, and the seeds washed and sorted according to their size and weight. Those beans that don't meet the stringent requirements (not ripe enough or too small) are not just thrown away. They end up being sold to companies that make instant coffee. With this new knowledge, it's going to take a lot of convincing to get us to drink a cup of instant coffee again!

The beans are dried in the warm Colombian sun and put into jute bags that are shipped to local and international roasters. After subtracting the costs to grow, pick, and process these beans, the average coffee farmer can hope to make only about 30,000 cop (less than $10 usd) per 70 kg bag. That is one of the reasons that Humberto and his family branched out into the coffee roasting and coffee tourism business.

He led us into the coffee ''laboratory'' where his seemingly simple roasting set-up is actually more of a science than first meets the eye. The combination of precise temperatures and exact roasting times produces the rich flavor and velvety aroma that Colombian coffee is famous for.

After a delicious ''bandeja paisa'' lunch that included soup, beef, rice, plantain, salad, empanada, and coffee lemonade (very ''interesting'', but not sure that I am a fan), we began the coffee tasting portion of our tour.

Five types of beans were used to prepare five different cups of coffee. The first step was to judge the quality of the beans based on the aroma. Each sample was just a little different with cup #3 being our favorite and cup #5 being our least favorite. After that it was time for the taste test. As we took small sips, Humberto skillfully explained what qualities we should be noting. Cup #3 was still our favorite, and we were happy to find out that our favorite was also Café de la Cima's best product. Our least favorite, cup #5, contained the coffee beans that end up in the instant coffee brands.

Feeling pleased that we were becoming coffee tasting ''experts'', it was time to learn how to brew our favorite beverage. Humberto showed us once again how proper water temperature and brewing time produced the perfect cup of coffee. While his brewing methods were a little more sophisticated than what we usually do when using our ''Mr Coffee'' coffee maker, we took his advice to heart ... The best cup of coffee begins with the best Colombian coffee beans.

And for us, the best beans were found ...

High in the Andes Mountains of Antioquia during our Colombian coffee farm tour!

Medellín's Cerro Pan de Azúcar: The Ultimate Walk in the ''Jardín''

Not sure if I want to let our secret out, but we have discovered a hidden gem in the eastern hills of Medellín. Cerro Pan de Azúcar (Sugar Loaf Hill) is the location of one of the city's newest parks ... and has definitely become one of our favorite walks in the ''jardín'' (garden).

Like many of our RVentures, the journey to Cerro Pan de Azúcar is part of the fun. From where we are currently staying, we walk about twenty minutes to the Envigado Metro station and pay our 2355 cop (about $.70 usd) fare to take the subway north to the San Antonio station.

From this central Metro station, we get off and walk east across the street to the Tranvia and head to the Miraflores stop. At Miraflores, we head over to the adjacent Metrocable cars and take them to top of the hill to the 13 de Noviembre stop. Because they don't charge for transfers, this whole trip costs us just the price of the original fare (about $.70 usd).

From there, get ready for some amazing views ... after a short but intense two block hike up a neighborhood street. While we couldn't measure it directly, our friend estimated the street to have a gradient of at least 35%. Yes, the adventure begins!

The street is always bustling with pedestrians, vendors, cars, motorcycles, buses, and garbage trucks all competing for the same space on the very narrow roadway. It is always best to be prepared to jump onto the entryway of one of the homes or businesses, especially when a huge bus or truck is heading your way ... and hope that their engines and brakes are functioning properly!

Once again, the journey is half the fun, as views of everyday paisa life surround you. Make sure you grab a piece of fruit, a fresh-squeezed orange juice, or a hot chicken leg from one of the many little ''tiendas'' (shops) along the road ... you are going to need the calories as you climb the hill.

After the two block urban uphill climb, you will reach a leveling of the road where El Camino de la Vida (the road of life) walkway begins. This paved, relatively flat walkway circles a portion of the hillside. Alongside it you will find colorful gardens of plants and flowers along with entertaining garden displays.

Completed about four years ago, a walk along the flat perimeter of Cerro Pan de Azúcar offers a fairly easy stroll as well as some amazing views of the neighborhoods below.

But for an added challenge with even greater payoff, head to ''La Cima'' (the summit) ... only about 1000 steps to the top!

Yes, you heard right ... 1000+ steps await you, but the rewards will be well worth the effort! The concrete and stone steps lead you by blooming flowers, through pine forests, and past scenic overlooks. Every rest stop (and believe me, you will need a rest stop every now and again) will reward you with magnificent views.

Make sure you stop to admire the flowers, banana trees, and play areas along the way.

And just when you think that you can't climb another step ...

... the summit with its 360 degree panoramic view awaits you!

''La Virgen de la Candelaria'' welcomes you to sit down and relax for a while. Swarms of butterflies dance in the breeze. Flocks of birds glide in the wind currents. The Virgin's shadow cools you off as you enjoy the views of the city below.

The Cerro Pan de Azúcar hike has all the elements that make it a great way to discover the beauty of Medellín. The process of getting there allows you experience three unique types of public transportation for just the cost of a single Metro ticket. The walk through a typical barrio (neighborhood) gives you an ''up close and personal'' look into everyday paisa lifestyles. The hike up to the summit provides a good work-out while rewarding you with amazing views. And the view from the top makes you realize the incredible vastness and beauty of the Aburrá Valley.

So, while I would love to keep the beauty of Cerro Pan de Azúcar a secret ... I really think that it is something that everyone who lives in or visits Medellín should discover. 

The ''ruta de campeones'' (route of champions) is quietly waiting in the eastern hills of Medellín.

Climb a few steps ...

... in order to enjoy the ultimate walk in the ''jardín''!

Back in Our Colombian Groove Once Again

Like this flower child, we are getting back into our Colombian groove once again. Having visitors for the first few weeks set a very fun, yet different pace for us. We kept busy showing them all our favorite Medellín sights. This week we welcomed another friend named Dave to Paisa-land. He is staying with us for a month and, like us, is very interested in improving his Spanish through everyday interactions with the local Paisas. Because of this, we have found ourselves slowing down a little and showing him more of what we love about the ''tranquilo'' daily life in Colombia. 

We are reminded of all the Amor and Pasión that surrounds us as we get back into our Colombian Groove once again!

We have embraced the Paisa philosophy that every great day should start out with café (coffee) and arepas. When we first tried them, we felt that the most popular type of arepa here (made of common cornmeal) was a bit bland. We found it quite comical that the Spanish word for ''bland'' is ''soso'' ... yes, they were quite so-so. But after discovering the arepas de chócolo, we are in arepa heaven ... united with our fellow Paisas in their LOVE of arepas!

Arepas de chócolo start with yellow corn that is ground up and mixed with butter, milk, and SUGAR! The corn is tasty, of course, but the added sugar makes this sweeter version of the traditional paisa arepa our new favorite. Serve this up with queso crema (spreadable cream cheese), fried plantains, and café, and you too will start to feel the Colombian groove.

Hearing the birds singing in the morning sun, Doug steps out on our patio to make his daily weather announcement. ''Wow, it's another nice day!'' Re-energized, we put on our walking shoes and plan our day.

If it's Sunday morning we prepare for an entertaining, people-watching extravaganza ... Ciclovia. Every Sunday, half of Poblado Avenue, the main north-south artery in Medellín, is closed to motorized vehicles from 7 am until 1 pm. Bicyclists, runners, and walkers of all ages claim the space as they celebrate another beautiful day. As we walk the route, talented musicians, cute kids, and adorable puppies keep us entertained. We usually walk about six miles down the Ciclovia route, grab lunch at the food court of one of Medellín's many malls, and hop on the Metro that brings us back home.

Doug's fav food court meal ...
fish, pasta, salad, and mango juice
for 23,000 cop ($6.75) at Montolivo. 

During the week, just a walk to the grocery store, fruit stand, Metro, or Mall easily gives us a step count of 10,000 or more. But more importantly, we easily discover new reasons to embrace this beautiful city.

Fútbol Stars meet Fútbol Hopefuls
as they practice on the canchas de deportes
(sports fields) that seem to be everywhere.

Jungle meets Garden as we pass
tall groves of bamboo trees
and other greenery that line the streets.

Country meets City as a herd of cows
greet us a few blocks from our apartment.

This year we are living in Envigado which is the town just south of Medellín. We continue to be pleasantly surprised at the differences between our current neighborhood and Poblado neighborhood where we lived last year. Poblado seemed very ''touristy'' while Envigado feels much more ''homey''. Smiles and ''buenos días'' replace hurried glances. Small grocers and fruit stands replace huge supermarkets. Family-run diners replace chain restaurants. 

It is always a treat to find a ''menú del día'' special
that many small neighborhood cafés serve up.
For about 13,000 pesos ($3.80 usd),
we are very satisfied and ready for our next activity.

The afternoon sun can be very warm, so we usually return to our apartment for some Spanish studies... and possibly a siesta.

Doug has decided that listening to Spanish YouTube videos produces the best ''bang for the buck'' for him ... and I think (maybe) he might be right. His hours of listening practice has greatly improved his comprehension and speaking skills making him ''el experto'' when talking to waiters and taxi drivers.

But sometimes no amount of Spanish
can help us figure out the confusing maps
that show the many bus routes around town.

My favorite way to learn Spanish is by speaking with locals and by helping them learn English. This method of learning Spanish helps fill our evenings up quite nicely. Once again, we are volunteer English teachers two afternoons a week at San Javier library in the under-served Comuna 13 neighborhood of Medellín. In order to teach English to these beginner students, I need to speak quite a bit of Spanish. The determination of these students to learn English in order to provide a better life for their family helps me to ''buckle down'' on my own studies.

So thankful that we can rely on the universal language of sharing a smile when the exact words may not yet be ''on the tip of our tongues''!  

Many evenings we continue our language practice by attending ''language exchanges''. These usually take place in cafés, hostels, or language schools around town. Local Paisas wanting to speak English as well as visitors like us wanting to speak Spanish meet up to practice the new language as well as learn about each other. Last week I met and talked with a 20-year-old talented photographer and film maker who is going to start a three year program next September in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. While he was actually quite good with his English skills, he did appreciate me filling him in on the ''beauty'' of a northern winter. I give him a lot of credit ... the thought of possibly experiencing the point where Celsius and Fahrenheit meet at -40 degrees didn't seem to deter him (too) much!

While it is a joy to get to know new people all the time, it is also very special to reconnect with dear friends that we met last year. I appreciate being able to spend time once again with friends like Melissa. She helped me immensely this past year by texting back and forth in Spanish. Her huge hug and heartfelt, ''Bienvenidos, American Mom'' really made me feel like I had come back ''home'' again.

It sure is good to feel the love and passion of our paisa amigos as we get back in our Colombian Groove once again!