On our second day in the Zona Cafetera, the morning began with a sky struggling to remain blue while rain threatened from the distance. According to our program, Johnny was taking us to Filandia and Salento, both typical small towns in the area and to the Valle del Cocora where we would eat lunch and […]
Travel in Colombia: Zona Cafetera – Filandia Read More »
The route to Hacienda Venecia led us through the city of Pereira, capital of the Department of Risaralda. It is at an altitude of 4,600 feet and its population of almost 600,000 makes it the largest city in the region and the sixth largest city in the country. The Conquistadors arrived here in 1540 but
When the Andean Mountain range enters Columbia from Ecuador, it branches into three ranges and crosses Columbia on a diagonal from south west to south east. These ranges, called Cordilleras, are labeled Occidental (west), Central, and Oriental (east). The coffee growing area, Zona Cafetera, which Donald and I visited is located in the central part
Visiting Zona Cafetera, the coffee growing region of Colombia Read More »
BACKGROUND The word “coffee” is derived from a Turkish word, which could have been borrowed from an Arabic word, as coffee was first cultivated in the Arabian Peninsula, or it could have evolved from an Ethiopian word, because coffee was first discovered there. Around 850 AD, as per the legend, a goat herder in Ethiopia
Colombia: A trip to the coffee country Read More »
15 day tour of Brazil that packs remarkable diversity of all that Brazil has to offer. As almost always, start your tour in Rio, enjoy the must-see Corovado and Sugar Loaf tours, which never disappoint, in the evening proceed on Rio by Night with BBQ dinner. From Rio fly to Foz Do Iguassu to tour
Wonders of Brazil: Rio, Iguassu, Pantanal and Paraty Read More »
Ettica, whose son is a doctor in Knoxville, picked us up at our hotel the following morning. She and her husband, Isaac, also a doctor, were born in Colombia but their grandparents emigrated from Central Europe early in the 20th, contributing to the multicultural mix that makes Bogota so vibrant. They had once lived in
Time out for culture in Bogota Read More »
If a city is lucky, it has a famous restaurant that is a major destination not only for the locals but for those visiting the city as well. In Bogota, this restaurant is Andres Carne des Res, the same restaurant the young man suggested in the immigration line. In 1984, to help pay for their
Travels in Colombia: What’s for dinner? Read More »
We arranged through the hotel , The Charleston, for a half day city tour and when the guide came to pick us up early in the morning, we complained that the day was beginning damp and cold, not realizing at the time how precious a little cold could be. Our immediate destination was La Candelaria,
Sunday in Bogota’s La Candelaria Read More »
Donald and I arrived at the end of Bogota’s rainy season and even though each day the skies were as to be expected, grey and over cast, we were lucky that when it rained, it chose to do so at night. Due to the altitude, the daytime temperatures were in the low 60’s and at
Columbia is the oldest democracy in Latin America. Unlike many other Latin American countries, the Colombians have respect for their Constitution and the democratic process and in the 20th have only endured one military coup lasting just four years. Nevertheless, politics in Columbia is a blood sport and people die violent deaths for their political
Bogota, a return from the edge Read More »
