Colorful Colombia

  Our last day in Colombia was a free day. We spent the morning exploring the bull ring mall where we stopped for coffee (of course) and window-shopped. The rest of the day was spent by the pool where we enjoyed a lovely mezze lunch for two.  In the evening we joined Ingrid again for our farewell dinner at another restaurant in Candelaria. This was a very pleasant affair,  and we were so glad that Mike and Krista had been our traveling companions. They were  lots of fun and great sports which made their company a real delight. After the meal we returned to the hotel. Mike and Krista had a very early start for their return to Florida but our flight was later so we could take our time. The verdict was that this had been a good trip, well-named as 'Colorful Colombia' which it certainly was. It was an eye-opener, to some extent as Colombia has had such a bad reputation during its 'drug days', Cali and Medellin being the very definition of 'danger'. It...

  Ingrid joined us soon after breakfast and we drove into that part of the city called Gethsemani, a colorful neighborhood of narrow streets filled with street art, small houses with attractive facades and a bustling vibe. Then we entered the old city and visited the historic Jesuit church of San Pedro Claver who was a missionary who took pity on and ministered to the slaves which the Spanish had imported. The church is beautiful and has a floral courtyard. The following link gives information about the life of Pedro Claver: San Pedro Claver We also visited another part of town called Candelaria. At the entrance there is a converted bull fighting ring (bull fighting seems to be outlawed in Colombia more or less everywhere, the last bull fight in Cartagena was in 1986). This area has been turned into a mall which houses fine shops and eating places. It is a very clever use of the old structure which is attractive and useful. It was very h...

  After breakfast, we checked out of the hotel in Medellin and drove to the small town of Santa Elena where we visited a flower farm and the tradition and culture of the Silliteros was explained to us by the most enthusiastic guide, Ignacio who showed us how flowers are inserted into a framework which is carried on the back of the contestants in a two-mile parade in August in the town of Santa Elena. Prizes are awarded in various categories. Some information about the history and derivation of the festival can be found here in Wikipedia: Flower Festival in Medellin Although the place we visited was not the actual flower farm, which is in a different location and much larger, this was where the arrangements for the parade were put together. We had lunch in a small restaurant in the town of Santa Elena and then drove to Medellin airport for our flight to Cartagena. At this point we said farewell to Armando who had shepherded us from our arrival in Colombia. A...

 We started out with a walk through the teeming center of Medellin viewing some of the old and new buildings as well as the churches. A longer and more detailed description of the city of Medellin is contained in the following Wikipedia link. City of Medellin Then we boarded the snazzy new Metro which runs above ground on two lines one east/west and one north/south.  We arrived at the start of the Metro Cable Car which is a most remarkable affair. Boarding the still moving cars you are transported over two mountains with spectacular views of the crammed residential area below as well as much of the city spread out below. We got off the cable car at Comuna 13. There we met Mara, a young resident of the area, who was to be our guide to this incredible area which has been transformed from one of the most dangerous places in Colombia or even the world, into a haven for art and culture and safe living. The story is quite amazing and transformative. The descriptions we were given ar...

  The morning was spent visiting a nearby coffee farm. Sadly, the owner of the farm had passed away four days before we arrived, and her poor dog was inconsolable. We learned about the processing of coffee and the many stages the beans go through before they become the product, we enjoy every morning. Coffee production in Colombia  has a reputation for producing mild, well-balanced  coffee  beans. Colombia's average annual coffee production of 11.5 million bags is the third total highest in the world, after Brazil and Vietnam, though highest in terms of the arabica bean. The beans are exported to United States, Germany, France, Japan, and Italy. Most coffee is grown in the  Colombian coffee growing axis  region, while other regions focus on quality instead of volumes, such as  Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta . In 2007, the  European Union  granted Colombian coffee a  protected designation o...

  After breakfast, we rejoined the bus and drove to the small village of Salento. There we boarded old Willys Jeeps and drove into the Corcora Valley. There was lush vegetation on either side, and we arrived at a small cafe which was surrounded by wax palm trees. This is what Wikipedia has to say about them: Ceroxylon quindiuense , often called  Quindío wax palm , is a  palm  native to the humid montane forests of the  Andes  in Colombia and Peru. This palm species can grow to a height of 45 m (148 ft) —or rarely, even as high as 60 m (200 ft).   It is the tallest recorded   monocot   in the world.   The trunk is cylindrical, smooth, light colored, covered with wax; leaf scars forming dark rings around the trunk.   The   leaves   are dark green and grayish, 185–540 cm (6.1–17.7 ft) long, with a   petiole   up to 80 cm (31 in).   Fruits are globose and orange-red w...