Heading south we decided to make a stop in Manizales. This city itself is nothing special although, as is the theme with most Latin American cities, it does have an impressive church.
It is the surrounding area that holds the real delights. One of the main reasons people stay here is to visit one of the many coffee plantations which cover the landscape. Even though we had done a coffee tour in Costa Rica we didn’t want to miss out on visiting one of Columbia’s most famous exports.
Hacienda Venecia Coffee Farm
Our visit to Hacienda Venecia took us out of the chaotic city into the lush green mountains where were greeted off the bus with a steaming hot freshly brewed roast.
The tour was different to the one we had experienced before. Our guide went into more detail about the different markets for coffee and the various different blends available. We were then took on a hike through the plantation where we were given a taster of what it would be like to work in the fields. I don’t think any of us are now aspiring coffee pickers.
The scale of the plantation was much bigger than we had seen before and with year round harvests the place was full of activity. We got to see the machinery in action, pealing and sorting the beans, while people ran around grabbing bags to fill.
We learnt a lot of information specific to the Columbian market. We had previously heard that coffee in Columbia was awful as all the best quality beans get exported. This is true, the reason is that there are strict rules which govern Columbia saying that they are not allowed to export any low quality coffee so producers can only sell to the local market. Obviously everything else they produce gets exported.
After a traditional lunch and several cups of coffee we were allowed to explore the beautiful grounds and kick back in a hammock.
Parque Nacional Natural Los Nevados
Another striking feature of this region is the snow-capped volcanos which serve as our first taste of the Andes.
There were two options available from Manizales, one involved an 8 hour hike to the summit of Nevado de Santa Isabel, at 5100 meters above sea level this is a difficult trek, alternatively you can opt to be chauffer driven around to the Nevado del Ruiz crater. Vividly remembering our previous volcano hiking experiences we chose to go for the easy option.
During the visit we got to see another side of this diverse country. The scenery from the mountains is outstanding.
We got to see some of the countries unique flora and fauna.
And then delved into the ghost like world at the top of the volcano.
Nevada del Ruiz is still active and some areas were cordoned off due to continuous seismic activity. In 1985 the volcano erupted killing more than 20,000 people. This recent harrowing event casts an even darker shadow over the area.
As well as being the most destructive it is also the highest volcano in this chain reaching up to 5,321 meters. Driving up to the crater the effects of the altitude begin to kick in. The guide stops at a road side stall where we are given Coca tea to ease the symptoms.
Made from the same leaf that produces the powerful illegal drug cocaine we were disappointed to find that the teas stimulating effects were less than that off a cup of coffee.
Our day ended at some thermal pools, which was an excellent way to warm up after freezing at the top of the volcano.
Although we spent most of the day in the van the trip turned out to be better than expected. This was partially helped by having a good group of people on the tour who turned our bus into a party bus pumping dance tunes from Latin America between each stop.
