• Panama and Columbia
    Bogota has bus only lanes with stations and scads of these 3 part buses which always seem to be full
    American Bamboo is raised here and used in construction. The brown poles are bambooCoffee bean shaped cookies1Coffee flavored too1Lots of jeeps left from Korean War in which Columbia participatedMore Korean War era relicsTypical lunch: chicken, beef, pork, yucca, avocado, salsa, broth, corn, etcA confection with house coffee. Both deliciousA coffee tree with beans on the wildCoffee seedlings at progressive stages and unripe/ripe/overripe beansThe bean inside the berry1One of the finca's 15 pickersRipe beansHe will visit each tree every two weeks which allows the beans to ripenFuture mulch: husks, skins, used grounds from local cafesPapayas1After picking, berries are dumped in water. Ripe ones sink -- unripe/overripe float & are removedThe ripe berries are split into 3 gradesMiddle grade beans are air fried and the skins removedOur group at Supper1The Salento version of chicken salad,incl yucca and avoc3Calle Real, Salento. Note curb lighimg

    Salento & the Coffee Region

    February 16 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    After an early start we flew from BOG to PEI, then bus to Montenegro and jeep to the Jesus Martin coffee finca ("Our coffee is in the mouths of the whole world).
    After a typical big lunch with coffee, we got Part One of the grand tour and lecture.
    We then drove to the nearby town of Salento where Part Two will continue tomorrow.
    As you would expect, this area is quite rural and a big change from Bogota (except for the rain or ever present threat of rain.
    Supper was at a local risto a block away. It appears to be a version of chicken salad with area ingredients and it was really good. Afterwards we executed a paseo in the town. For 9;30 on a school night, the place was jumping. We passed one bar/pool hall where they were playing carrilera music which is a cross between Mexican corrida's and country & western.    Read more