The Coffee Triangle

Once again, my blogging is way behind our actual travel. Because there is so much to see and do, I blog when I can’t sleep, while waiting at an airport or on bus rides through boring areas, and let me tell ya, Colombia doesn’t have many of those! Take a look at the sun god holding the indigenous people along his arm and in his hand.

If you aren’t paying attention, you’ll miss the art carved into rocks along the roadside, which would be a pity.

Our three nights in the coffee triangle were spent in a lovely boutique hotel, Bosques del Saman. Alejo described it as “simple”, but it had everything this simple girl needed: a balcony for happy hour with my new buddies (my room is on the right, and yes, those are hammocks).

A pool, and a “warm” tub…

Okay, so the whirlpool didn’t whirl very much, and it had a bit of debris in it, but it also had a skimmer leaning against the tree. Like “the lord”, Pachamama helps those who help themselves, so this girl got skimming. Sorry, no photos of the action.

When I discovered my room contained three beds, I thought it was a bit of overkill. Turns out, Goldilocks’ grandma, Silverlocks, was very grateful she had a choice. When she discovered Papa Bear’s bed was too hard, she quickly moved to Mama Bear’s, and it was just right!

At breakfast, I just enjoyed the fabulous coffee, without thinking about how much work goes into planting, picking, sorting, and roasting the beans, but over the next two days, I certainly found out. It is quite a complex process!

To get to the coffee farm, OAT made the experience authentic by transporting us over the winding, bumpy roads in the backs of Willys jeeps.

Alejo told us we were allowed to stand up, so we did, while holding on for dear life.

Like the contestants on the amazing race, we had the opportunity to pick coffee beans. Fortunately, it wasn’t a contest, because I would have lost.

Even the bad, over ripened brown berries are picked, because if they are allowed to fall on the ground, they become shelters for beetles that will ultimately destroy surrounding coffee plants. Not to worry, these bad boys get picked out during one of the multiple sorting processes.

Okay, so here’s the Readers Digest version of coffee’s history. It was discovered in Abyssinia, (now Ethiopia), in the town of Cafa, from which it got its name. Shepherds noticed that after sheep ate the red berries from a particular bush, they became quite energized. The shepherds, being curious, utilized the scientific method to determine the properties of this magical berry. Soon, the monks got involved to see if something sinful was happening. Because at that time there were no books to burn, they threw the beans into the nearest fire. Intrigued by the smell, they plopped the burnt berries into water. And that’s how coffee got its start.

When the Arabs gained control of the area, around 8 AD, they liked to socialize with this non-alcoholic drink. That’s how Arabica, which today is thought to be the highest quality coffee, got its name.

In the 1600, along with the diseases that decimated the indigenous populations, the Europeans brought coffee to South America. Fast forward to 2025, and coffee today looks like this.

Hey, didn’t I tell you it was going to be the Reader’s Digest version? If you want to know more, ask Ms Google, cuz I’m on vacation.

At the coffee farm, we learned that the inferior beans aren’t thrown out. Instead they are “ burnt” to mask its poor flavor, producing “dark roast” and robusto coffee.

We didn’t just learn about coffee. The two male turkeys decided the owners explanation about coffee production wasn’t exciting enough, so they staged a demonstration of “gang bang” techniques, turkey style, on that poor little female. Or was it the Colombian version of a ménage a troi? None of us were certain, but we were all definitely entertained.

We also had the opportunity to communicate with nature by hiking in the Cócora Valley.

Alejo explained our options: We could relax at the cafe, rather than hike, go slowly with him to viewpoint 1, or walk further and faster to viewpoint 2. Being somewhat cocky, I assumed that of course, l would be power walking to viewpoint #2. What I neglected to take into consideration was that we were already starting at 8,000 feet above sea level. Talk about being humbled!

On a positive note, us slow pokes were able to savor the scenery, which was indeed breathtaking. or were we just out of breath?

These are just some of the highlights of our fantastic time in the coffee triangle. As you’ve probably guessed, I’ve been loving my time in Colombia!