Time to complete the Bucket List

It can’t be brushed under the carpet. A tour of Medellín showed only too clearly the drug problem in this city and other parts of Colombia. We saw users, probably in the worst state than we have ever seen, slumped on the ground with absolutely nothing around them. Drug addiction cuts across all echelons of society, crack cocaine being one of the biggest problems. Colombia is a big cocaine producer. When I asked about the level of this I have had a variety of answers, from it being very low now and in small uncontrolled areas, to it being worse than in the days of Pablo Escobar. Some studies put the production area in excess of 200,000 acres, a doubling in recent years. But there is hope.

Medellín was once considered the most dangerous city in the world. Now it is said to be the most innovative. There are the seedier sides of town, especially involving the sex industry, but there is so much going for it, and a trip to Colombia would have been so much the weaker without experiencing Medellín.

Our first excursion took us onto the the Metro from San Antonio to Oriente in the north of the city. Despite an area with lots of graffiti the Metro was spotless. Residents are simply told not to mess the tram and they do not. From here we jumped onto the cable car taking us to Villa Sierra which gave us a view of a poorer part of the city.

We could see that houses are built up in layers as the family expands and more money comes in. But don’t be deceived. Medellín has many rich parts of the city, and if one visits a shopping mall one can see all the international brands: Nespresso, Garmin, Starbucks, L’Occitane, Dunkin’ Donuts, Under Armour and all the usual clothing names. For some there is no shortage of money.

Another visit on foot took us to the south of the city and the Comuna 13 (Commune 13) area. Today this is known for its street art, but was once the most dangerous part of the city and ruled by guerrilla groups. An ex-gang member took us around and explained that kids as young as 10 once played with machine guns.

Today this area is considered a symbol of urban transformation. “People just got tired of the continual violence”, our guide said. Mothers had a lot to do with the turnaround. Too many had lost children to the feuding. Some aspects that have helped this change have involved education (teaching young children about the perils of drugs and violence), sport facilities, better nutrition, and free library services.

What might seem a surprising additional aid in this turnaround has come from the introduction of escalators taking residents of Comuna 13 up and down the mountain side in which they live. Rather than have to travel on foot down the mountain to work which once took 90 minutes, this has been cut by half, leaving more time for people to be with their families.

The street art reflects the lives of some of the residents. There are considered to be around 600 ‘masterpieces’ (as they are termed) which are created for free. Some are by famous graffiti artists.

Rather than a once violent place where outsiders would fear to tread, now the area attracts 40,000 visitors a year who are made most welcomed and can walk around in perfect safety.

Copyright: Words and photos Sue Barnard 2019

Romesh Ranganathan has a lot to answer for. In his recent BBC TV series, The Misadventures of RR, he was filmed playing the Colombian national sport of tejo… a simple game involving explosives. Our travelling companions were keen to find out more and today we were in just the place to do so.

The game is quite simple. Competitors throw heavy metal discs (rather like the old 1lb and 2lb scale weights our grandmothers used to measure ingredients) at a box containing clay. At the centre (target) are placed paper triangles containing gunpowder. If the discs hit the paper triangles with just the right pressure the gunpowder explodes with great noise (particularly from other competitors who were not expecting it).

The health and safety executive would have a field day with this. The activity is held indoors, in ‘lanes’ of about 2m wide and 6m long. There are not any barriers between lanes apart from a table to hold the beers. There is a clay box at each end of the lane, which is used in turn – throw the disc in one direction, then when everyone has thrown, turn around and throw back in the other direction. No other instructions were given, although no doubt each team had its own tactics, not that you would know it.

Twelve of us played. First on the oche (or whatever they call it) was our tactical leader who decided hitting the target was not the way to win and instead hit the concrete ceiling with a rebound nearly taking out the opposition. It was probably one of the best tactics of the day, for it took ages for any of us to get off the starting blocks. Then came a crack and jumps of joy when the first competitor hit the target.

Our lane was not helped by the rain pouring in from the open side of the building. Many of the acclaimed ‘cracks’ I am sure came from the accompanying thunder and lightening. John and I both scored two ‘cracks’ (or hits) each of which we were delighted with (or perhaps astounded would be a better description). By the end of the hour we had run out of fizz and nobody seemed to have a clue who had won, although we were surprised that some locals play this game for six hours at a time.

We also had the opportunity to visit the Los Nevados National Park containing the critically endangered wax palms, Ceroxylon Quindiuense. The plant can grow up to 200ft and is said to be the tallest monocot in the world. The species, however, has not had a good past. Wax is contained within the trunk. In the 19th century this was used to make candles. Harvesting the wax kills the tree. The leaves of the younger specimens were cut for Palm Sunday celebrations, which caused considerable damage. The trunks were also felled to build houses. Although these are protected, recovery is very slow. It is thought that the species may well die out within the next 50 years. Attempts are being made to regenerate the forests helped more by attempts to cultivate and plant rather than waiting for nature to take its course.

The rest of the day was spent looking at some small, but pretty, towns with their colourful buildings.

Day 7 was a travelling day involving a 6.30am start and a 150 mile 9 hour drive to Medellín. Now we know why some people choose to fly. 

Copyright: Words and photos Sue Barnard 2019

Erratum: Our previous posting Bogotá to Zona Cafetera should have been day 5 and not 6. Blame it on jet lag and high altitude. Our postings are now back on track.

Cities can be pretty similar across the world during the rush hour. We left the frenetic capital of Bogotá in the early hours to fly west to the Zona Cafetera – the coffee region. From the comfort of our small coach we gazed into the endless stream of bendy buses packed to the gunnels with commuters staring aimlessly through the windows. It reminded me a little of L S Lowry’s paintings, except these guys were laden with backpacks and headphones. Weaving in and out of these bumper-to-bumper vehicles were suited individuals on scooters – upmarket electric versions of those we played on as a child.

The flight from Bogotá to Pereira, our next destination, was 30 minutes – some 250 miles. By car it could take 6-12 hours due to the Macizo volcanic range crossing our path, difficult roads and unpredictable wet weather.

The fertile valleys and volcanic soil of Pereira provide ideal conditions for coffee growing and our main visit of the day was to El Finca del Cafe, a coffee farm a short distance from the airport at Santa Rosa de Cabal.

We were welcomed by our friendly guide for the day, Jose, but it soon became apparent this was to prove no ordinary visit… we were to be set to work to experience just what it is like toiling at the coal face of coffee production.

Our first stop was to be kitted out out with traditional gear – bib and basket.

Next stop was to learn about the coffee plants which start their life on the farm as seedlings in trays, grown in volcanic soil. Once they reach about 12 inches high (at nine months) they are planted out on the hillside where they will produce the best fruits in around three years. The all important fruit quality will then start to decline, but this is not the end of the coffee plant. Every five years it will be severely pruned to regenerate itself. The life of a coffee plant for quality production is usually 21 years, although plants can live untended up to 80 years.

We then headed off to climb the steep slopes of the coffee plantation with strict instructions to pick red fruits only. Green are not ripe. The baskets hold around 10kg of fruits, and coffee workers (their hours are 5.30am to 4pm a day, and the season is just five months a year) must pick a minimum of 20kg a day just to have enough money for the absolute basics.

Being competitive souls we were out to find who could collect the most fruit. It did not help that John’s basket had some rather large holes and more fruit fell through than was actually retained. Well that is what he told me.

We climbed down and then up steep valleys picking and puffing as we travelled. A close eye had to be kept on the terrain as it would be easy to slip or twist an ankle – not an ideal situation if your livelihood depended on this work. In fact coffee growing is an industry facing difficult employment times. Unlike the older generations, the younger people no longer want to carry on in the same tradition.

Having picked our way through the coffee plantation, we headed back with our meagre offerings to experience how the beans had to be put through a mangle to remove the flesh. That was really hard work.

We then witnessed the drying and roasting processes, before being led through the professional tasting procedures. Forget your manners. This involved slurping the coffee through one’s mouth with great noise – something our parents had spent years telling us not to do.

We tasted four coffees roasted at this plantation, but realised the untrained palate would be hard pressed to rank them in order of quality. Every producer is passionate about his or her coffee, feeling the company’s versions are the best. And that is how it should be, but a show of hands amongst the group as to the favourite flavour was not decisive and indicated that it all comes down to personal taste.

Copyright: Words and photos Sue Barnard 2019

Culinary excursions are becoming a regular feature of our trips abroad which, apart from the obvious sustenance, are proving to be a good way of finding out about an area, a country, and its people.

This morning we headed to Bogotá’s Paloquemao market to see an array of fruit, vegetables, meat, fish and flowers.

For the very best supplies 3am is the time to visit when produce is in abundance and the prices cheapest. Later in the day the prices go up. For an even better deal those in the know go straight to the vans arriving at that early hour, thus cutting out the middleman – the stall holder. The market supplies the locals, but the bulk of its trade is the restaurant business.

Some stalls offer just one product, such as avocado, while others have the usual array we would expect from markets in the UK. What is different here, however, is the range on offer. Colombia has 29 varieties of potato for example, and we saw five different types of avocado on display. The country keeps the most creamy and large avocados for its own markets sending, what we were told was, a poor quality small version to Europe. You’ve guessed it, those that we see on our own supermarket shelves. Our first tasting was a large avocado which was very creamy. Prices are less than £2 a kilo.

Having started with the familiar we moved on to the unfamiliar, with a variety of taste experiences from umm, to ugh. These included guanabana, a large green spiked outer with white interior and a few black pips. The taste was rather nondescript and however much I chewed it did not seem to disappear.

Lulo is an orange fruit which, when cut open, looks like a kiwi placed within an orange. It is rather sour and has an antiseptic (acquired) taste, although is popular when combined with sugar and water as a drink.

Curuba, rather like a small stumpy courgette on the outside, but similar to passion fruit with its large seeds on the inside, was sour, but did not compete with feijoa on taste which was on a par with cleaning fluid.

We walked throughout the market admiring an array of unfamiliar produce, including enormous spring onions, up to a metre in length. The country is self sufficient in fruit and vegetables, and has a diverse range but surprisingly it does not have yellow lemons. Flowers (particularly roses and chrysanthemums) are a big export market for Colombia, which is second only to Holland.

We then had a brief visit to Bogotá’s Gold Museum set up in 1934 to protect and interpret its findings of pre-Colombian artefacts. Today it houses more than 55,000 pieces.

Continuing with the arts we visited the Botero Museum housing works by Colombian artist Fernando Botero, together with his collection of paintings by Picasso, Renoir and Monet. Botero’s images of, predominantly, overweight people (all with similar faces) reminded me of British artist Beryl Cook. It was rather an acquired taste.

A trip to Bogotá would not be complete without a ride in the cable car to Montserrat Hill (elevation 3,152m above sea level) for a panoramic view over the city. Tomorrow we fly north to continue our journey.

Copyright: Words and photos Sue Barnard 2019

We left Colombia’s National Monument town of Villa de Leyva to head back to Bogotá, which we will be visiting tomorrow. Our less jet-lagged bodies are now enabling us to appreciate the terrain along the way. It has surprised us how mountainous but fertile the landscapes are. Mountain peaks roll down steeply to green fields scraped out of rough and craggy land, interspersed at times (some might consider unfortunately) with polytunnels. Colombia is rich in a diverse range of fruit and vegetables, and we witnessed many workers toiling in the fields. Colombia’s temperature is fairly stable throughout the year, which is beneficial for its fruit and vegetables, many varieties unique to the country.

Our first stop was the Boyacá bridge. At first sight some may not recognise the significance of this site.

The Battle of Boyaca on the 7 August 1819 was a decisive battle that ensured the success of Simon Bolivar’s campaign to liberate New Granada (modern Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela) and is considered the beginning of the independence of the north of South America from the Spanish colonial rule. It was interesting to see that in addition to the Colombian soldiers there were troops from the British Legion (England, Ireland and Scotland) in this battle and the independence campaign in general. Unsurprisingly, the 7 August is a public holiday in Colombia.

Our next stop of the day was the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá, which was originally a salt mine. Millions of tons of rock salt had been mined at this site over the centuries. Miners had, in the past, carved out a sanctuary in which to pray for their safekeeping. This was followed by the creation of an underground church in the 1930s, and by the 1950s a bigger construction which was to become the Salt Cathedral. By the 1990s concerns were raised that the cathedral was located in a mine still active. Ah, those old health and safety worries putting a dampener on things eh? The mine was closed.

However, a competition followed to build a new cathedral taking safety measures into consideration. The winner was architect Roswell Garavito Pearl who brought in structural changes, recreating a new cathedral 200 feet underneath the previous one. Adaptions were made to the corridors carved out by the miners. In their place came 14 stations of the cross (many with kneeling positions carved from granite); a dome; and three naves. A further four huge columns represent the four evangelists.

The salt cathedral was not what I had expected, thinking the interior would be white. Instead it was predominantly black caused by the impurities of the salt which are removed when processed for industry or consumption. However, one can only wonder at the lengths the architect and workers had gone to to create this underground monument, which has a capacity for 8,400 worshippers. Services are held each Sunday. Today, the mine comprises 200 metres of tunnels. But mining techniques have moved on apace elsewhere and fracking is the order of the day. The cathedral also assists the town as it is a popular tourist attraction.

One of the 14 Stations of the Cross, each carved from salt

The Dome

The finale of this enlightening day has to be the viewing of a mural of this year’s Tour de France winner Egan Bernal, who grew up in the town to Zipaquirá, no doubt riding its mountainous countryside. Twenty two year old Bernal is the first Colombian to win this gruelling 3,409km event. Well done to him.

Copyright: Words and photos Sue Barnard & John Cruse 2019

If our first two days are anything to go by we are in for a treat in Colombia. We hit the ground running upon our arrival. We had a 10 hour overnight flight, arriving in Bogotá at 3.50am local time, when we headed straight off for a 7 hour drive to our destination at Villa de Leyva in central Colombia.

Our first stop for breakfast introduced us to the national dish of envueltos y arepa – a cornbread with cheese filling, similar to a doughnut with slightly sweet outer and mild cheese interior.

Colombians like a hearty breakfast. Our guide ate caldo de costilla – a soup containing pieces of beef and potatoes, which is a regional speciality. However, of most surprise was the coffee. This came is a large bowl, about 5 inches across filled with milk with just a little coffee. To this one added a large piece of day old mild cheese, which melted in a stringy, fondue-like, fashion.

We then headed to the beautiful town of Tunja with its 16th century Spanish colonial architecture. We were soon to find out that many of the towns have very large central squares for festival gatherings or simply relaxation. Our arrival coincided with a bank holiday, which was not too surprising as the country has 22 bank holidays a year, that’s two to three a month. This town, like many others, had several small, but beautiful gardens.

Our first visit was to the historic Casa del Fundador in Tunja, the home of the town’s founder Gonzalo Suarez Rendon dating back to 1539. Its incredible painted ceiling has survived well as it was hidden for centuries behind a false panelling.

We then went to our destination for two nights, Villa de Leyva. This is considered to be one of Colombia’s finest colonial towns with its cobbled streets, whitewashed houses, an expansive main square and (again) beautiful small gardens. This town was made a national monument in 1954.

While already being spoilt for choice by these lovely towns, a delight that I think will always stay with us was a visit on our second day to Casa Terracotta, a short drive from Villa de Leyva. This was the lifetime work of Colombian architect and ceramist Octavio Mendoza.

This building, still the home of Mendoza, has been built out of clay and fired using ovens built over each section of the house as it progressed outwards and upwards. An incredible feat. Passageways wind in all directions to quirky but highly useable rooms. The terracotta walls and floors are accompanied by mosaic features in the bathrooms, metalwork of snakes as handrails and insects outside each of the windows, and woven rush drapes. I shall let the photos do the talking but needless to say I am now a fan of Octavio Mendoza.

Kitchen

Entrance hall

Washbasin with mosaics

Copyright: Words and photos Sue Barnard 2019

Mention one is visiting Colombia and chances are that the response from many will be “Isn’t that risky?”. But they are not alone. I thought that when John mentioned the idea. Even the tourism industry recognised such doubt more than 10 years ago when it led a campaign to attract visitors with the tagline: “Colombia, the only risk is wanting to stay”.

It seems that things have changed in the past 25 years, especially since the gunning down of drugs baron Pablo Escobar, estimated to have been worth some £25 billion from his trade in narcotics. Now, mention one is visiting the country to those who have been there recently and they say what a great place it is to see… especially if one likes coffee. Around 15 million bags are produced each year.

But it is not the only big seller. Some media sources say the country still provides around 70% of the world’s cocaine. Despite this, much change for the good has come about, including social prosperity, business, and increasing levels of tourism. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office says that some areas are still out of bounds, but that most visits, especially with reputable travel companies to the typical tourism sites, are trouble free.

Hopefully this will be the case as an interesting itinerary for our next trip is planned We will be spending most of our time in central Colombia, seeing architecture, coffee plantations, an underground cathedral in a salt mine, and some art and sculptures, before heading north to gain a different view around the coast of Cartagena with its walled city, colonial buildings and forts.

If the high altitude does not get us at 2,640 metres (8,660 feet) above sea level in Bogota alone (we suffered in Peru at 2,430 metres) we will be back soon to tell you more.

Copyright: Words and photo Sue Barnard 2019

First things first. I have received some enquiries about arugula and have delved deeper. This appears to be a fashionable leaf found in many dishes currently in the US either as part of a dressing or a main part of a salad (often drenched in dressing, unfortunately). When I asked about it, the salad leaf was described as spinach. References on the web call it this as well, but this would not be recognised in the UK as such. Rather, it is what we know as rocket, but the leaf is a little more furry. It tastes peppery. An image for our international viewers might help if arugula or rocket are not the names used elsewhere.

But what of our unexpected trip? One of the most noticeable aspects was the friendliness of the people. They seemed genuinely pleased to offer help even on occasions when we had not asked for it. They suggested routes to take and those to avoid, and additional ‘must see’ visits.

Driving through the US was a breeze, according to John, who when asked for his thoughts on the holiday considered he should be congratulated on the quality of his driving. So job done. We covered 1,700 miles by road. For me, the huge, lengthy lorries (some three trailers long) on the six lane freeways, and the sheer drops on the coastal roads I don’t think I will ever get used to.

What was noticeable as I attempted to take my mind off the freeways, were the interesting creek names, often named after a person of note and with a story to tell. Examples were Jump off Joe Creek, Rough and Ready Creek, and Lost Man Creek. Many bridges were named in tribute to a person. Mind you, I think I would prefer to be remembered in other ways than the naming of a bridge on a fast highway.

We were impressed by the good signage along the roads, not only directional but warnings such as ‘wrong way’, ‘all traffic in this lane must turn right’, ‘double fines in roadworks or school areas’. I was perplexed for many days, however, with regular sightings of ‘school xing’. Was this a sponsored school? It took me some days to realise xing meant ‘cross-ing’.

We were impressed how patriotic the country was, with hotels, stores and sites displaying the American Stars and Stripes flag. So many venues offered free entrance to serving military personnel, and signs saying ‘we honour (honor) our veterans’ were a regular feature.

Our scenery was so varied, from Mount Rainier with its timely show of wild flowers, to the whale watching of Depoe Bay, and the sunsets over the shores of Mendocino. All unforgettable.

Our initial experience of American food was lots of high fat – fish and chips, burgers, and cake. In time we found restaurants serving quality food, but at a price. Costs in the US are somewhat higher than ours owing to the $1.2 rate to the £. However, fuel was the only commodity we found to be lower varying greatly between $2.5-$4.5 per US gallon (3.7 litres), that’s up to half the price of UK fuel. We found the more remote the location, the cheaper the price.

Actually purchasing the ‘gas’ as we now call it, seemed to be different at every gas station. Registering credit cards, not registering credit cards, paying at the pump, paying only at the cash desk and knowing how much you need in advance, were all challenges, but we got through them with very helpful staff willing to lend a hand.

But we should thank Rob at Vacations to America who organised the route at such short notice when our Northwest Passage trip was curtailed. No we are not sponsored, but the advice made our holiday memorable for all the right reasons.

So, until the next trip, bye for now and thank you for joining us along our journey.

“Going underground, going underground”, as The Jam has sung many times. We too went underground this morning. Pioneer Square in downtown Seattle was at a much lower elevation until the late 1890s. The Great Seattle Fire of 1889 wiped out 31 blocks, mostly businesses, mostly wooden. Fortunately, nobody was killed, but a decision was made that in future all buildings should be built from brick or stone, and that the street level should be raised.

Pioneer Square had originally been built, to a large extent, on sawdust from the local saw mill. The area flooded often and it was considered that dispersing the unwanted sawdust onto the land would help alleviate the flooding. It did not. Clumpy sawdust pools resulted, causing more problems than the original mud surface, the smell was horrendous and sewage was a problem. The accidental fire gave an opportunity to overcome the problems.

The streets were lined each side with a series of walls and earth was used to infill, raising the level by 12-30 feet. How they infilled the area is most interesting. Parts of Seattle running towards Elliott Bay are very steep. The idea was to wash earth down from the surrounding hillside into the downtown area. Owners of land in the higher ground were paid for their plots, and work commenced.

Businesses were keen to get started on the rebuilding but many found that when work subsequently commenced on street building, their first and sometimes second floors looked out towards the retaining walls supporting the new road level several feet above.

To access the buildings people initially had to climb down stairs to those lower floors and climb back when leaving. Eventually a solution was found to produce new sidewalks (pavements) at road level using a series of steel girders, the resulting gap underneath becoming tunnels.

Light was let in through glass skylights.

In later years the tunnels were closed for fear of bubonic plague. Some were used for illegal activities, sleeping areas and opium dens. Today they are used for tourist tours, cafes and comedy clubs.

We filled the remainder of our day with a visit to a museum about the effects of the goldrush on Seattle, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Discovery Centre. Both very different, but interesting in their own ways.

Our next stop is London after two enlightening weeks we had never expected when originally booking our trip to the Northwest Passage.

Copyright: words and photos Sue Barnard 2019

As we drove through the Napa Valley from Mendocino on Day 14 we passed many small wineries so it would not be right to be in the Napa region of California and not go on a wine tour.

We were picked up from our hotel for the tour along with eight others, four of whom were from the UK. Our tour guide told us that we would visit four wineries and taste four wines at each. The wineries were Rutherford, Ghost Block, Cosentino and Fred Razi.

Along the way to the first winery she explained the history of wine making in the Napa Valley which started in the 19th century, the effect prohibition in the 1920s had on the industry and how many wineries were abandoned.

The catalyst that put the Napa Valley wines on the world map was the ‘Judgement of Paris of 1976’ where, in a blind tasting, Napa Valley wines were compared to French wines by a panel of predominantly French judges (9 of 11). The top wine, to the horror of the French judges, was the Napa Valley Stag’s Leap Cabernet Sauvignon.

90% of American wines come from California with, surprisingly, only 4% coming from the Napa Valley. This statistic is not so surprising when it was explained that the Napa Valley is only a small part of the wine growing area of California with regions such as Sonoma (which is next door) being much larger.

Now to the wines, we tasted four at each winery and starting with Rutherford.

It was interesting to hear that some of the wineries offered ‘estate bottled’ wines (ie grapes grown, produced and bottled all at the winery) with others buying grapes from other wineries.

The next was Ghost Block. Many of the wineries offered wines under different brand names some of which were the names of the owners’ sons or daughters.

We were told about the fermentation process, how the grape skins were used to make red wine, how French or American oak barrels were used to give the wine a different level of taste and how the length the wine stayed in these barrels made the characteristics of the wine.

The third was Cosentino.

One of our wine hosts said that white wines should be drunk within 1 to 2 years of the production date on the bottle. Red wines, however, mature in the bottle so could be drunk 5 to 6 years after the production date. That is if they last that long.

Our last stop was Fred Razi.

After visiting Fred Razi, it was decided to take another group shot and it is clear that 16 glasses of wine had taken it’s toll.

Day 16 and we make our last drive of the holiday from Napa to San Francisco for our flight back to Seattle. The 60 miles seemed easy compared to the 200 plus miles of other days but going into a major city did involve a lot more traffic, tolls and a 6 car crash (thankfully not involving us) so it took a bit longer than expected. Having spent the best part of 13 days and 1700 miles driving from Seattle to San Francisco, it only took 1 hour and a half flying back on Alaska Airlines.

Tomorrow is our last full day in Seattle and we are going underground. Find out more in our next posting.