Our flight on Avainca Airlines from Cartagena to Armenia, in Columbia's Coffee Triangle, connects through Bogeta. Both flights are reasonably on time and we arrive in the afternoon to a rainy Armenia airport. We have a 30 minute ride in a taxi through fields' then industrial buildings, then city to the commercial area of Armenia and the Mocawa Plaza Hotel, our home for the next four nights.
We have a late lunch in the hotel restaurant then check into our room. We lay down for a nap and 20 minutes later the bed and building are shaking. It turns out to be a 5.2 earthquake centered in Pereira, 46 km away. Woah... Much of the city of Armenia was destroyed in 1999 with a 6.2 earthquake! Obviously 5.2 isn't that dramatic and the good news is that our hotel (and other Armenia buildings) have been rebuilt to be earthquake resistant.
Tuesday morning at 9 am we meet Andres in the lobby. I contracted through ToursByLocals for him to act as our guide. I found ToursbyLocals on the internet and have communicated with Andres a few times via WhatsApp, and I am hoping for the best. He introduces us to our driver, Rolando. As Rolando eases into mid-morning traffic I whisper to Andres that I have lost my voice. But William and Andres have a good discussion as Andres explains the area and our first stop, the town of Solento.
We have a late lunch in the hotel restaurant then check into our room. We lay down for a nap and 20 minutes later the bed and building are shaking. It turns out to be a 5.2 earthquake centered in Pereira, 46 km away. Woah... Much of the city of Armenia was destroyed in 1999 with a 6.2 earthquake! Obviously 5.2 isn't that dramatic and the good news is that our hotel (and other Armenia buildings) have been rebuilt to be earthquake resistant.
Tuesday morning at 9 am we meet Andres in the lobby. I contracted through ToursByLocals for him to act as our guide. I found ToursbyLocals on the internet and have communicated with Andres a few times via WhatsApp, and I am hoping for the best. He introduces us to our driver, Rolando. As Rolando eases into mid-morning traffic I whisper to Andres that I have lost my voice. But William and Andres have a good discussion as Andres explains the area and our first stop, the town of Solento.
Rolando drives for about an hour, much of it on back roads. We arrive in the colorful town and stroll to Cafe Jesus Martin to enjoy the best coffee in the area. Jesus Martin's father is a premium coffee grower and together they decided to open a cafe. Jesus Martin is the coffee roaster and barista who has won national and international awards.
We walk through the the town with it's brightly colored classic homes. The doors were built tall and wide in order to allow the horses inside - mostly to stay within the inner courtyard. Andres explains that the windows/balconies are designed to open on the top for two purposes. When men called upon a young women of the house they were not allowed inside. The window design allowed the women to talk with their suitors yet still be safe from their advances. Also, depending upon the configuration of the house, the windows allowed the horses to stick their heads out for fresh air.
We walk through the the town with it's brightly colored classic homes. The doors were built tall and wide in order to allow the horses inside - mostly to stay within the inner courtyard. Andres explains that the windows/balconies are designed to open on the top for two purposes. When men called upon a young women of the house they were not allowed inside. The window design allowed the women to talk with their suitors yet still be safe from their advances. Also, depending upon the configuration of the house, the windows allowed the horses to stick their heads out for fresh air.
The town has the typical colonial town square, with Our Lady of Carmen Catholic Church in front of Parque Bolivar, complete with a statue of Simon Bolivar. Along one side the Jeeps are lined up waiting for riders. The drivers fill them to capacity whenever possible and it is not unusual to see four or five people standing on the rear bumpers holding on for dear life as they bump down the road. The town square is also the hub of social activity, with many small businesses lining the street and several sidewalk cafes. There's also a four block main street, again lined with small shops and colorful houses.
  | Our second stop is Valle del Cocora, 11 km out of town. It is an area of cloud forest with towering Quindio Wax Palms. They grow to a height of over 60 meters. As we approach the trail two Andean Condors swoop overhead. They are magnificent! We also see some of the local farmers and their burrows. A lifestyle so different than ours!  We hike through the forest for about an hour with the trees towering above us then return along the same path. The changing clouds as well as view to the east rather than west makes it seem like a whole different area.  We've worked up an appetite and Ronaldo and Andres take us to a perfect restaurant for a late lunch - Fonda El Escobal (the broom). The setting is close to Valle del Cocora and we find a table on the huge porch with their lovely gardens out front. Their specialty is trout as well as avocados grown on their hillside farm. Our meals are fresh and delicious.  During lunch Andres explains that there is an issue with our plans for tomorrow. The water for the city and area around Armenia has been shut off since last night and they are estimating that it will not be on again until Thursday. We did not noticed because the hotel maintains a reserve water tank. Our planned coffee tour and cooking class will not be possible. He offers some alternatives and we choose the coffee tour and and visit to the town of Filandia with his colleague Juan. |
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