After Medellín we headed south to the Zona Cafetera, where one of the world’s finest coffee beans are produced. Well, before we left Medellín I enjoyed the first hot shower for weeks in the Hotel again. Aaaah! We stayed one night at the Hacienda Guayabal, a beautiful spot in the heart of Colombia’s coffee region. It took some time to get there, so I was pretty tired when we arrived. But we were met with a warm welcome: A home roasted and brewed coffee. Mmmmh!

The stay at the Hacienda was really relaxing. Both due to the nice house, the tranquil surrounding, and the very friendly owners of the farm. We were the only guests for the night and thus had the pleasure to enjoy the great hospitality of the whole family all alone. We were served delicious food and as much real coffee as we wanted. The next day I was woken up by the twittering of the birds after a very good sleep. After a hot shower (!) I was relaxing on the sofa. Wonderful. Balsam for body and soul! Afterward the best breakfast in whole Colombia was served. Life is good.

We got a very interesting tour on the whole farm by David Mosquera, where I learned a lot about seeding, pest management, harvesting, washing and drying of the beans, threshing, blending, and roasting. Well, basically, it is a lot of work from the field to a nice Espresso or Cappuccino. The picking of the beans is a really hard job and even afterward there is a hell lot to do. Furthermore, the best quality is totally exported, and only the second or third best beans are used in Columbia. Kind of sad. Keep that in mind when you enjoy a tasty cup of coffee back home!

After the tour I enjoyed the beautiful place for a few more hours. Could have stayed here for weeks, especially if NTE would be with me! Thanks to the whole team of the Hacienda Guayabal for your friendliness and hospitality!

However, we headed south to Salento in the afternoon. Quite a ride, as we had to change busses for a lot of times. Sometimes even in the middle of the nowhere. Read Claudias story about the trip for more details. Again, the Colombians were soo helpful. At every place we needed to take another bus, they managed to tell us (with hand and feet) where and which bus we should take next. Awesome people! Muchas gracias!

Best wishes to all my readers, Michael