YA LEUM. 73- A big step to Colombia
We crossed Equator — a magnificent trip through a landscape made of fresh and harmonious green. Another beautiful place in the world left to explore and another plan to add to my list of experiences before I die.
We arrived in Colombia and went directly to Cali. In Cali, we picked up a local bus and for two hours we went on a wonderful trip through the Colombian countryside. Breathtaking landscapes inside a bus moved by a crucifix, moving slowly, with the windows always open. I nuzzled at the wind and looked at each centimeter of those tropical valleys that smelled always like coffee.
We traveled towards Finca Santa Marta Sanmartin Rojas, a field with a crop of coffee that belongs to two wonderful sisters, Mary and Gladys. The two sisters, with their dogs, worked every day in harvesting and treating the coffee.
Once we arrived, we were welcomed with open arms and lots of good vibes.
The house was filled with volunteers just like us. They were far from home for more than a year, looking for life experiences. In my opinion, those are the true travelers: those who mix with others without any worries or fear, those who ask questions to those who feel their neighbors of the global village as their brothers. We found many travelers on our way, but it was nearly at the end that I met a group of people who were looking for the same as I did when they started their trip: to travel within themselves.
Gladys and Mary are two strong, caring, and cheerful women! They inherited the coffee plantation from their family and, since then, it is their form of subsistence. They welcomed people from all over the world into their home and taught us everything about fertilization, harvesting, selecting, pulping, washing, peeling, and roasting artisanal coffee. What a beautiful process that was always synonymous with a divine aromas.
Each morning, Mary prepared breakfast with fried bananas, arepas, fruits like papaya or pineapple, and freshly made coffee!
Some days, Mathieu and I harvested the coffee together! Each coffee bean is like a pearl. We must store it carefully and never waste it. On another day, Mathieu carved trees and I helped in the kitchen, planting spinach, and raking weeds from the garden.
At night, we played cards, had thematic nights, or simply talked. There was always something to say or find out!
I spent a lot of time talking to Mary and she shared many stories of Colombia, her life, and her beliefs! It was quite easy to feel at home there! Everyone was careful about making us feel included.
After a week of harvesting coffee, we continued our trip to a much more touristic place, Salento and Finland. These two typical towns are in the department of Quindio, in the center of the country. Salento is a more well-known village because it is where the valley Cocora is located, with the giant palm trees and a magic walk through the valleys.
The majority of the people also visit the coffee fields, but we had already spent enough time learning about coffee. After Salento, we went to Finlandia, another equally colorful and lovely town where you can drink delicious coffee and take the best pictures for Instagram. The architecture of both villages has an amusing and colonial style. I loved it!
Since we did not want to simply follow the touristic route, we decided to camp in Finlandia. Of course, Finlandia is no place to camp but rather a place with plenty of guest houses for tourists. We tried to find an area outside the city, but camping was not permitted anywhere. Thus, we asked the firemen station to set out a tent inside their facilities, since they had a huge space outside that was left unoccupied. They immediately agreed!
In the morning, we woke up quite early to continue our trip to Medellin.
Medellin is another world! It is a city filled with life, people with a great mood, panoramic views, and many green spaces. On one of the nights, we had dinner in the hipster area, and I felt like I was in Europe.
Colombia is also known for its criminality and lack of safety and the city of Medellin is no exception. The place the impressed me the most in Medellin was Comuna 13.
Comuna 13 was once considered one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the world, mostly managed by drug dealer organizations. In the ’80s and ’90s, this neighborhood was the epicenter of the violence, with its houses poorly built on the hills, and the steep streets that lacked proper access.
Yet, after 2000, there was a great effort from the government to change this reality and, since then, the neighborhood aggregated many social organizations that expanded its potential through art, music, graffiti, street performances, and touristic travels. The most impressive aspect was the construction of an escalator that crosses the entire neighborhood and completely transformed the life of the residents.
It is impressive, both for tourists and locals, to see the social transformation achieved by this neighborhood that was once filled with violence and drugs. To visit the neighborhood, we had to walk a lot! Up and down! Although there are escalators, the neighborhood is big and before the escalators, we had to walk long. In the small streets, it is possible to try typical snacks from Medellin and there is always a store in each corner in case you need anything.
There are tens of graffiti all over the neighborhood and the art that is painted on the walls is much more than decoration. These are symbols of the past and the hope for the future. The different colors and symbols can represent requests to stop violence and for bringing peace, never forgetting what was left behind.
Then, we visited the favorite cities of the majority of the visitors — Cartagena. This city is located in the north of the country and is bathed by the Caribbean Sea. It is the best entrance door for the South-American spirit. The streets are colorful, elegant, and much charming. Each corner is a postcard, and the streets are filled with animation and culture.
The colonial style, the Latin music, the elegant colors, the sea, flowers, and lightness… all said to me: “here, I can live!”.
May 2018,
Patricia Assis
