Bogotá – a cold breeze at 2.625m altitude

For the weekend from Good Friday to Easter Day we returned to Bogotá. Bogotá is the third-highest capital city in South America at 2,625 metres above sea level, after Quito and La Paz. We stayed in the city's historic center of La Candelaria, where big processions were held on Easter Day. However after a few days in the "cold", we were craving for a warmer climate, so we went to Cali…

@ "work"

our favorite coffee place – El Gato Gris

La Candelaria

one of the famous figures on La Candelaria roofs from the local artist Jorge Olave 

Public Transport – dios esta contigo siempre

Easter Processions

Banksy or not a Banksy?!

360° Plaza Bolívar

Las Rocas de Suesca - made for climbing

We were looking for a cheap hide out during Semana Santa (Easter week) because it is one of the most expensive weeks in Colombia concerning accommodation and as we heard about Suesca it just seemed to be perfect. A little village about 2 hours north of Bogotá with a 3km rock wall to climb and some hostels. We spend nearly a week there with perfect sunshine and a nice crowd at the hostel. 

Climber in the Rocks of Suesca

funny phenomenon: a so called "22° halo" around the sun

... looking at the boulder ...

... trying ...

... and finishing it!

Panorama of Las Rocas de Suesca

HUNGRY!!!!

Awsome summer lightning

street life

we proudly present the "new" Land Rover

Manizales and the "Zona Cafetera"

The area where the world famous colombian coffee is coming from is mainly between the three cities Manizales, Perreira and Armenia - the "Zona Cafetera".
We stayed at a really nice hostel a bit outside of Manizales, where we had our own little house with a fantastic view all over the valley. The only way to get there (except from walking about an hour) was with a Chiva - a traditional, colorful colombian bus.

Chiva de Villa Maria

"Our" little house

Panorama of Manizales

another "Öffi-Gondl"

Thanks to our hosts, Kate and Diego, we had the opportunity to visit an organic coffee farm - "Altos del Tío Conejo" - owned by their friends Esperanza and her husband. They explained and showed us every step of the coffee production, from planting the coffee plants to roasting the beans and drinking the coffee.

coffee plant after a few weeks

coffee plant after 3 months

coffee plant after 6 months - ready to be planted into the fields

Bananas - they grow nice and symetric...

... whereas Platains grow a little bit more chaotic

coffee plants produce their first berries after 4 years

They grow only the Coffea Arabica variety "Caturra"

a"

When finished restaurating this 100 year old building they want to turn it into a hostel

harvesting the coffee berries

washing and selecting the best berries

berries ready to be peeled

peeling machine

slimey coffee beans ready to be washed and dryed

the pulp is use to make natural fertilizer

composting

drying the beans and another quality selecction of the coffee beans

good coffee ...

... "bad coffee"