Even as we sit here, trying to edit paragliding videos, I can't quite put into words what it is like to have this crazy experience. My husband, my 11yr old son and I have now jumped off a cliff twice. I mean who does that? Evidently we do, we do that, repeatedly.
It was as we walked home from our coffee farm hike that we saw the sky filled with paragliders and had the thought that that would be the best way to really see this gorgeous Colombian valley. $40 to jump off a cliff seemed like a great deal so we signed our death warrants and prepared to fly. I can feel you seasoned paragliders rolling your eyes, but try to remember back to your 1st time...weren't you scared?
The morning of our 1st paragliding trip, we climbed into the van full of doubts. We had tried to eat breakfast, but the nerves made it hard to even have coffee. Let that statement just sink in a second...it was hard for coffee addicts, in Colombia, to drink coffee. Those are some powerful nerves. Somehow the idea of throwing ourselves off a cliff, and for me and Jesse, allowing our child to jump off a cliff, was the focus of our fear, but it turns out we had plenty more to worry about.
The van trip took us to the nearby town of Los Andes and way way way up into the mountains. Remember the dangerous car trip we took into the jungle a blog back? Well, we were about to recreate it. It was amazing the rocks that our pilots drove this van over, bouncing us hard off the metal structure of the seats as we careened around blind corners and charged up steep hills. Sometimes the old, tired van was unable to have the steam to make it to the top and needed to roll back down and start again. We would tilt precariously at the top of the hill and then race down and around another corner. At one of these ridiculous curves, I made the mistake of looking out the window, down into the valley below, and see that the van was barely on the road! This made my fear sky rocket and I gripped onto Jesse. It wasn't but a few seconds later that we felt the van sink into 2 feet of mud. The driver gunned the gas and we swashed closer to the cliff's edge, then he backed up and took a running charge at the bog...aiming for the cliff side! All three of us were terrified and I started asking to walk. When the rest of the pilots jumped out to try to push the van, which was stuck again, through the ever growing mud pit, they wouldn't allow us out. I think they didn't quite get how bad we wanted out and thought it best to not have the clients pushing the van. No, no I don't want to push the van, I want to hitchhike back to Jardin and be done with this shit show.
By the time we parked the van at the base of a trail, I was in a full sweat and trying to hold back tears. We hiked straight up the mountain side, feeling the burn in our backsides and emerged from banana trees and coffee plants to a small clearing with a almost vertical expanse of grass that ended in a cliff. This is where we would run down to leap into the air. I could hardly even stand up on this flight path and I was going to have to run down it? This was starting to seem like a really bad idea. Luckily, or maybe not, there was no wind and so we sat for 40 mins, catching our breath and looking at our impending death. However, we all agreed that flinging ourselves off the cliff was a far better idea than getting in the van and driving back down that road. Migrant coffee laborers emerged from the fields to video the crazy gringos that were going to jump off a cliff; we exchanged looks with them as if to say 'I know, this is seriously stupid'.
Finally the wind picked up and we got our son geared up. He repeated "I'm scared" like a mantra, but followed instructions to get in place. My hands were slippery with sweat and I worked really hard to speak in a calm voice. Then suddenly they counted to 3 and ran, with my child, off the cliff. I almost peed my pants.
I was to be next. I looked to Jess for his classic "you got this babe" face and found a pale, worried look staring back at me. Oh crap. "I have to be at least as brave as our son was right?" I asked nervously laughing. "Yes, but I'm scared" was his response. This was NOT good! How the hell do I back out now?
Before I knew it, I was being yelled at "Run! Run! Run!", I leaned hard against the force trying to pull me backward as the fabric filled with wind. My feet slid fighting me and I literally ran as hard as I could...in place. What the hell?!? Then in a sudden burst, I was released down the hill and off the cliff. My heart raced and I thought I might vomit, then that was it, we were in the air! I pushed the straps down and sat in the sling seat. We swept up into the air and over the trees and I couldn't help but cry out in excitement. We swirled over the rolling green hills and farms in an exhilarating woosh that I hoped would never end.
It is absolutely just like you imagine flying to be in your dreams. The warm air against your face, the extraordinary views, and the ultimate sense of freedom. There is also the wobble that sends tingles down your spine as you realize you are only hooked to the pilot with 2 carabiners and a small strap that is loosely over the front of you. It is unlike anything else I have ever done. I'd say it was like scuba diving when you catch a current and fly through the water, but it isn't even close. It is pure magic; you are thousands of feet up in the air, an all too unnatural place for a human to be, and the sensation is indescribable. All too soon, we were coming in for a landing. "Pick up your feet" my pilot yelled and we slid on our butts into a field of cattle, way to close to the cows for my comfort, but hey, I was alive and my cheering boy was beaming at me "Can we do it again?!?" he asked, almost busting out of his skin with happiness. Yes, we definitely needed to do it again; this was hands down the coolest thing I had ever done.
-Cheers from the Vivác Winery Family!
www.VivacWinery.com
Running on Wine; from Marathons to Rafting to "Fueling" on the Patio, We are Fueled by Vivác.
Saturday, February 3, 2018
Thursday, February 1, 2018
What's That Sound?
The morning we drove our tiny 'Tic Tak' of a car over the hill and through the jungle, was bright and sunny with high clouds giving us a perfect day to... die a horrible death. The road through this jungle pass was what the guide books had been referencing as "crap", OK maybe they didn't use that specific word, but there was not much to call a road. It was that kind of road that would make a 20 mile trip, take all day. But we didn't care, we had all day, and if needed we could cut the trip short and return to one of the charming road side restaurant/ bars, the ones that had open palapa style patios overlooking the breathtaking town of Jardin. Maybe one of those bars should have been the entire destination for the day, but we didn't know that till later.
As we bobbed up and down, jostled by the holes in the road, we marveled at the grandeur of the cliff-side this road was cut into. Skinny waterfalls snaked through the lush green and sheer drop-offs made our palms sweat. We climbed higher and higher, stopping to take photos of each flower, like Dorothy in the 'Wizard of Oz', in pure wonder of each plant we saw. The road came to meet the clouds and we found ourselves in yet another, somehow new, jungle world. This area was so magical and beautiful that even the cows were gorgeous. At one point, we stopped to watch as a brand new, jet black baby cow was urged to stand on his wobbling legs by his huge mother. Their giant back humps and big floppy ears made them cuddle worthy. Their coats, clean and short, almost shining, made them add to the mountainous countryside view in a picture perfect way.
After a solid couple hours meandering up this now muddy road, we discovered that we would never have time to drive all the way to the next town, and with the road turning to soup with each roll of the tire, we knew the 'Tic Tak' wasn't going to make it; we decided to turn back. It is important at this juncture to mention that as we had climbed ever upward, there had been a specific spot in the road where rocks had fallen, not bad, but enough to take note and to draw our attention to the sudden disappearance of earth to the side of the car which plummeted 1000ft down to a river. Most people would have seen this as an ominous sign, but being that my husband and I are from rural Northern New Mexico (where it is a form of entertainment to try to kill yourself via bad road romping), we did not. However, as we returned to that spot, we found large rocks had since been tossed into our path. Again putting my Northern New Mexico skills to work, I jumped out of the car to throw the largest of the rocks out of the way for my husband to navigate the car through. As I heaved rocks off the cliff, Jesse took pictures of me, suddenly something seemed off about this arrangement. You are thinking it was that I was the one in the road tossing heavy rocks while my husband relaxed in the car, but while true, that was not what gave me pause. In fact it was the low sound of a rumble, slight, easy to miss, then the unmistakable sound of rock bouncing off of rock.
I looked up, hands muddy, just in time to see an avalanche of rocks headed for me. I scrambled over the unsteady ground, my cute leather flats becoming the glaringly wrong footwear for the outing. My heart racing and my eyes almost as big as the rocks the mountain was hurling at me. I don't know if Jesse saw it at the same time or if my panicked running cued him to looking up the steep mountainside, but as I approached the driver's side of the car, mentally willing it to get out of the way, Jess threw it in reverse. For a few yards I ran alongside the reversing car, trying simultaneously to not have my feet run over and not falling down the 1000ft chasm. The clashing of rocks slowed to a friendly ding as the final few came to a resting place in the road and my heart found a resting place in my throat. Jess instinctively looked at our son who sat wide eyed and mouth gaping in the back seat, making sure he was OK. We all, including the 'Tic Tak' were unharmed...other than the massive heart attack I was having. We exchanged nervous, relieved laughter for a moment and then reality struck, if we didn't get across this, we'd be stuck way up this mountain with evening approaching, the clouds getting blacker and no supplies. Jess quickly conveyed the urgency of the situation to me and I carefully tip toed back toward the path of the landslide. I moved as quietly and carefully as I could, not wanting to awaken the beast yet again. The adrenaline had my heart racing and it thumped in my ears. With shaking hands I ran for it, grabbing the largest of rocks and tossing them to the side as I went, Jesse expertly maneuvered through the path I made behind me.
Once back in the car, safely on our way again, we recounted the harrowing experience and how lucky we were. My head started to hurt and I felt nauseous. I felt shaky and my body buzzed with an ache all too familiar. Adrenaline releases cortisol, a potent, powerful hormone that had been the route cause of my symptoms while battling my brain tumor. I recognized the feeling immediately. I sat in silence for a few moments, full of emotion, partly because that was a scary as shit experience and partly because I knew that the cortisol coursing through me, wouldn't intensify, but would pass, and I was filled with gratitude that I was healthy again.
My son hates when I say corny stuff like "I'm going to really live because I thought I was going to die", and I remember rolling my eyes at statements like that prior to my health battles, but when you dream of far away lands and exotic adventures, when you think of how fiercely you love your husband and child, the thought that you could leave them, never see those places, never do the things you kept saying you'd do 'some day', something happens to you. I don't know that I will ever have the words to describe what it is like, but as I sat quite in the car, bouncing back down the road to our oasis roadside bar, excited laughter bubbling from my son and my husband's reassuring hand on my leg, I felt exquisite joy.
Now the trick is to really 'live it up' without possibly killing us all.
* This blog post is brought to you by the large amounts of wine we consumed to calm our nerves. I find that fear pairs best with a cool clean Chardonnay while anxiety pairs best with a bold Cabernet Sauvignon.
-Cheers from the Vivác Winery Family!
www.VivacWinery.com
As we bobbed up and down, jostled by the holes in the road, we marveled at the grandeur of the cliff-side this road was cut into. Skinny waterfalls snaked through the lush green and sheer drop-offs made our palms sweat. We climbed higher and higher, stopping to take photos of each flower, like Dorothy in the 'Wizard of Oz', in pure wonder of each plant we saw. The road came to meet the clouds and we found ourselves in yet another, somehow new, jungle world. This area was so magical and beautiful that even the cows were gorgeous. At one point, we stopped to watch as a brand new, jet black baby cow was urged to stand on his wobbling legs by his huge mother. Their giant back humps and big floppy ears made them cuddle worthy. Their coats, clean and short, almost shining, made them add to the mountainous countryside view in a picture perfect way.
After a solid couple hours meandering up this now muddy road, we discovered that we would never have time to drive all the way to the next town, and with the road turning to soup with each roll of the tire, we knew the 'Tic Tak' wasn't going to make it; we decided to turn back. It is important at this juncture to mention that as we had climbed ever upward, there had been a specific spot in the road where rocks had fallen, not bad, but enough to take note and to draw our attention to the sudden disappearance of earth to the side of the car which plummeted 1000ft down to a river. Most people would have seen this as an ominous sign, but being that my husband and I are from rural Northern New Mexico (where it is a form of entertainment to try to kill yourself via bad road romping), we did not. However, as we returned to that spot, we found large rocks had since been tossed into our path. Again putting my Northern New Mexico skills to work, I jumped out of the car to throw the largest of the rocks out of the way for my husband to navigate the car through. As I heaved rocks off the cliff, Jesse took pictures of me, suddenly something seemed off about this arrangement. You are thinking it was that I was the one in the road tossing heavy rocks while my husband relaxed in the car, but while true, that was not what gave me pause. In fact it was the low sound of a rumble, slight, easy to miss, then the unmistakable sound of rock bouncing off of rock.
I looked up, hands muddy, just in time to see an avalanche of rocks headed for me. I scrambled over the unsteady ground, my cute leather flats becoming the glaringly wrong footwear for the outing. My heart racing and my eyes almost as big as the rocks the mountain was hurling at me. I don't know if Jesse saw it at the same time or if my panicked running cued him to looking up the steep mountainside, but as I approached the driver's side of the car, mentally willing it to get out of the way, Jess threw it in reverse. For a few yards I ran alongside the reversing car, trying simultaneously to not have my feet run over and not falling down the 1000ft chasm. The clashing of rocks slowed to a friendly ding as the final few came to a resting place in the road and my heart found a resting place in my throat. Jess instinctively looked at our son who sat wide eyed and mouth gaping in the back seat, making sure he was OK. We all, including the 'Tic Tak' were unharmed...other than the massive heart attack I was having. We exchanged nervous, relieved laughter for a moment and then reality struck, if we didn't get across this, we'd be stuck way up this mountain with evening approaching, the clouds getting blacker and no supplies. Jess quickly conveyed the urgency of the situation to me and I carefully tip toed back toward the path of the landslide. I moved as quietly and carefully as I could, not wanting to awaken the beast yet again. The adrenaline had my heart racing and it thumped in my ears. With shaking hands I ran for it, grabbing the largest of rocks and tossing them to the side as I went, Jesse expertly maneuvered through the path I made behind me.
Once back in the car, safely on our way again, we recounted the harrowing experience and how lucky we were. My head started to hurt and I felt nauseous. I felt shaky and my body buzzed with an ache all too familiar. Adrenaline releases cortisol, a potent, powerful hormone that had been the route cause of my symptoms while battling my brain tumor. I recognized the feeling immediately. I sat in silence for a few moments, full of emotion, partly because that was a scary as shit experience and partly because I knew that the cortisol coursing through me, wouldn't intensify, but would pass, and I was filled with gratitude that I was healthy again.
My son hates when I say corny stuff like "I'm going to really live because I thought I was going to die", and I remember rolling my eyes at statements like that prior to my health battles, but when you dream of far away lands and exotic adventures, when you think of how fiercely you love your husband and child, the thought that you could leave them, never see those places, never do the things you kept saying you'd do 'some day', something happens to you. I don't know that I will ever have the words to describe what it is like, but as I sat quite in the car, bouncing back down the road to our oasis roadside bar, excited laughter bubbling from my son and my husband's reassuring hand on my leg, I felt exquisite joy.
Now the trick is to really 'live it up' without possibly killing us all.
* This blog post is brought to you by the large amounts of wine we consumed to calm our nerves. I find that fear pairs best with a cool clean Chardonnay while anxiety pairs best with a bold Cabernet Sauvignon.
-Cheers from the Vivác Winery Family!
www.VivacWinery.com
Monday, January 29, 2018
Well, That's Weird
I know I left you hanging on that last post, waiting to hear about our drive into the jungle, but I want to take a moment to side track to focusing on the people and the culture of Colombia. Every country I visit, I find it's the little differences that always what make me smile. It's the quirks that give you insight into their culture or, ours by reflection. Here are a few of the funnest ones I've picked up on.
ONE WAY STREETS: Our time in Cartagena was spent among the tiny roads of the old walled city. These tiny roads were a tight squeeze for the surprisingly large, United States style cars, but didn't stop Colombians from attempting to cram them past parked cars or imposing buildings. As you can imagine the network of roads needed one ways because you simply can't fit the cars going both ways. In many circumstances, one way streets can be super frustrating, you want to be where you can't quite get to...always. But the Colombians have a great way to deal with this! You just back your car down the street. This way you are getting to where you want to get to without the hassle of driving around the block, finding the correct alley and navigating a maze. Yes, that is right, simply throw the car in reverse (don't worry, the cars around you will make way) and back into and down the street. Should there be a cop watching you, thinking about giving you a ticket, you have reasonable probability that you were NOT attempting to drive down the street the wrong way, because your car is, in fact, facing the correct direction. The 1st time we saw this was out a restaurant window and we were shocked, what on earth was this person thinking?!? A few more times witnessing it and we decided there was a touch of brilliance to it.
ICE CREAM: I like ice cream, it's a fine treat, but I can take it or leave it. A great ice cream time to time is fabulous, like when you are at the Trevi Fountain in Italy and the world's best Gelato shop is right there. But Colombians, at least where we have been visiting, have a serious thing for ice cream. When in Cartagena, I thought it was because it was so damn hot, made sense that you'd want something cold, but in the mountains where it is cool, that theory had to be thrown out. Maybe the reason why it caught my attention was because in the United States, you rarely see big tough looking men, eating a double scoop ice cream cone. In the USA, macho is going without delicious ice cream...or anything else that could challenge how masculine you are. In Colombia, that is absolutely not the case. Farmers, rough men that are taking a break from their work, congregate and chat...with ice cream cones. Wise old men that have seen more than we could imagine, rock onto the back legs of their wooden chairs and discuss topics of the world...with ice cream cones. Families stride out in the evenings and every single person in the family has an ice cream cone. Once you see that it is a country wide obsession, then it makes more sense why every single place you go, shops, cafes, even bars, all have ice cream.
WAITERS: In the States, at a cafe or a restaurant, the waiters/ waitresses, hover. They are always coming by to up-sell your ticket, see what else they can fetch for you and are at your side with the slightest of head nods. In Colombia, you can sit at a busy cafe for a 1/2 hour before anyone will come to see if you want something to drink. Once you get said drink, you will not see the waiter again. You can chat with friends or read a book for hours and not be bothered. Which is great, if you don't want anything else, but if you are hoping for another coffee or a bite to eat...you could be a 100yrs old before someone checks on you if you just sit there. All our usual tricks didn't work either. Catching the eye of your waitress was beyond difficult, it's as if they are told that making eye contact with a patron is rude unless you have been asked to do so, formally. The whole head nod is taken as saying 'hello', no seriously, they will smile and nod back at you but STILL not visit your table! Know what you have to do? Clap AT them. Maybe you have encountered this in your life, but this was a first for us and incredibly uncomfortable. After watching locals initiate a crisp 1, 2 clap that instantaneously brought a waiter to their side, we figured it out. We felt so weird about it, that we didn't do it correctly for the first few times and since we didn't do it correctly, we didn't get the result we wanted, which made us all the more uncomfortable. We decided it was easier to walk right up to a waitress and ask for what you wanted. But as it is when you melt into the culture around you, you get used to the sounds and activities, and before you know it, without pausing in conversation, I slkapped my hands together in a loud distinct 1, 2 clap and ordered more coffee for us. Once you get the hang of it, it is awesome! They will completely leave you alone, no urging for you to pay your bill and leave or any untimely interruptions, just an efficient, polite exchange, when YOU want it.
WHATSAPP: Given that I am about to be 40 and live in rural New Mexico where people actually fight to keep cell towers out of their towns, I did not realize that the app "WhatsApp" was sweeping the globe. I had heard people ask if I was on 'WhatsApp' or tell someone "I'll WhatsApp you later!", but my reference for it ended there. Now, in another country where I wanted to contact people at home, the absolutely free app that allows you to talk or call if on WiFi, is a necessity. Now, backing up for reference, we really have a crap system for WiFi where we live in addition to crap cell service so I couldn't imagine how this app would work other than waiting until I got back to our hotel each night or something like that, it seemed very limiting. BUT as it turns out, all across Colombia, the cafes and restaurants and center plazas, offer free WiFi! I seriously felt like an old person figuring out this 'amazing new invention'.
CHEESE: For a country that doesn't have much to offer in the way of cheese, I mean in comparison to France which has hundreds of different delicious cheeses, Colombians put cheese in literally everything. Want bread? It has cheese in it; it can range from baked on top to an actual thread of it through the center. Want a sandwich? It will absolutely have cheese on it. Pizza of course has cheese on it, but no sauce...which is really bread with cheese...only flat. Want a doughnut or pastry? Oh yes, it will have cheese in it. It is always the same, white, fresh, un-melting cheese too. I have to say, I love this somewhat potent addition to everything, but if you didn't like cheese and my son does not, then it can be a strange issue to contend with.
There are of course so many other delightful idiosyncrasies that have been discovered on this adventure, things that probably made us glaringly obvious as tourists that we did incorrectly, but it takes time to fall into the rhythm of a place. Now that we have, we love to sit and watch new comers at the cafes. The other day, a group tentatively selected a table and sat down, clearly they had been travelling for some time, a look of being worn in had settled on them, yet as they raised their hands and mildly clapped 1,2,3, we knew they were just starting to 'get it'. I couldn't help but smile as I signaled the waitress with the correct 1,2 paid her, told my husband I'd WhatsApp him to meet up in a little bit and set off to get my daily ice cream.
-Cheers from the Vivác Winery Family!
ONE WAY STREETS: Our time in Cartagena was spent among the tiny roads of the old walled city. These tiny roads were a tight squeeze for the surprisingly large, United States style cars, but didn't stop Colombians from attempting to cram them past parked cars or imposing buildings. As you can imagine the network of roads needed one ways because you simply can't fit the cars going both ways. In many circumstances, one way streets can be super frustrating, you want to be where you can't quite get to...always. But the Colombians have a great way to deal with this! You just back your car down the street. This way you are getting to where you want to get to without the hassle of driving around the block, finding the correct alley and navigating a maze. Yes, that is right, simply throw the car in reverse (don't worry, the cars around you will make way) and back into and down the street. Should there be a cop watching you, thinking about giving you a ticket, you have reasonable probability that you were NOT attempting to drive down the street the wrong way, because your car is, in fact, facing the correct direction. The 1st time we saw this was out a restaurant window and we were shocked, what on earth was this person thinking?!? A few more times witnessing it and we decided there was a touch of brilliance to it.
ICE CREAM: I like ice cream, it's a fine treat, but I can take it or leave it. A great ice cream time to time is fabulous, like when you are at the Trevi Fountain in Italy and the world's best Gelato shop is right there. But Colombians, at least where we have been visiting, have a serious thing for ice cream. When in Cartagena, I thought it was because it was so damn hot, made sense that you'd want something cold, but in the mountains where it is cool, that theory had to be thrown out. Maybe the reason why it caught my attention was because in the United States, you rarely see big tough looking men, eating a double scoop ice cream cone. In the USA, macho is going without delicious ice cream...or anything else that could challenge how masculine you are. In Colombia, that is absolutely not the case. Farmers, rough men that are taking a break from their work, congregate and chat...with ice cream cones. Wise old men that have seen more than we could imagine, rock onto the back legs of their wooden chairs and discuss topics of the world...with ice cream cones. Families stride out in the evenings and every single person in the family has an ice cream cone. Once you see that it is a country wide obsession, then it makes more sense why every single place you go, shops, cafes, even bars, all have ice cream.
WAITERS: In the States, at a cafe or a restaurant, the waiters/ waitresses, hover. They are always coming by to up-sell your ticket, see what else they can fetch for you and are at your side with the slightest of head nods. In Colombia, you can sit at a busy cafe for a 1/2 hour before anyone will come to see if you want something to drink. Once you get said drink, you will not see the waiter again. You can chat with friends or read a book for hours and not be bothered. Which is great, if you don't want anything else, but if you are hoping for another coffee or a bite to eat...you could be a 100yrs old before someone checks on you if you just sit there. All our usual tricks didn't work either. Catching the eye of your waitress was beyond difficult, it's as if they are told that making eye contact with a patron is rude unless you have been asked to do so, formally. The whole head nod is taken as saying 'hello', no seriously, they will smile and nod back at you but STILL not visit your table! Know what you have to do? Clap AT them. Maybe you have encountered this in your life, but this was a first for us and incredibly uncomfortable. After watching locals initiate a crisp 1, 2 clap that instantaneously brought a waiter to their side, we figured it out. We felt so weird about it, that we didn't do it correctly for the first few times and since we didn't do it correctly, we didn't get the result we wanted, which made us all the more uncomfortable. We decided it was easier to walk right up to a waitress and ask for what you wanted. But as it is when you melt into the culture around you, you get used to the sounds and activities, and before you know it, without pausing in conversation, I slkapped my hands together in a loud distinct 1, 2 clap and ordered more coffee for us. Once you get the hang of it, it is awesome! They will completely leave you alone, no urging for you to pay your bill and leave or any untimely interruptions, just an efficient, polite exchange, when YOU want it.
WHATSAPP: Given that I am about to be 40 and live in rural New Mexico where people actually fight to keep cell towers out of their towns, I did not realize that the app "WhatsApp" was sweeping the globe. I had heard people ask if I was on 'WhatsApp' or tell someone "I'll WhatsApp you later!", but my reference for it ended there. Now, in another country where I wanted to contact people at home, the absolutely free app that allows you to talk or call if on WiFi, is a necessity. Now, backing up for reference, we really have a crap system for WiFi where we live in addition to crap cell service so I couldn't imagine how this app would work other than waiting until I got back to our hotel each night or something like that, it seemed very limiting. BUT as it turns out, all across Colombia, the cafes and restaurants and center plazas, offer free WiFi! I seriously felt like an old person figuring out this 'amazing new invention'.
CHEESE: For a country that doesn't have much to offer in the way of cheese, I mean in comparison to France which has hundreds of different delicious cheeses, Colombians put cheese in literally everything. Want bread? It has cheese in it; it can range from baked on top to an actual thread of it through the center. Want a sandwich? It will absolutely have cheese on it. Pizza of course has cheese on it, but no sauce...which is really bread with cheese...only flat. Want a doughnut or pastry? Oh yes, it will have cheese in it. It is always the same, white, fresh, un-melting cheese too. I have to say, I love this somewhat potent addition to everything, but if you didn't like cheese and my son does not, then it can be a strange issue to contend with.
There are of course so many other delightful idiosyncrasies that have been discovered on this adventure, things that probably made us glaringly obvious as tourists that we did incorrectly, but it takes time to fall into the rhythm of a place. Now that we have, we love to sit and watch new comers at the cafes. The other day, a group tentatively selected a table and sat down, clearly they had been travelling for some time, a look of being worn in had settled on them, yet as they raised their hands and mildly clapped 1,2,3, we knew they were just starting to 'get it'. I couldn't help but smile as I signaled the waitress with the correct 1,2 paid her, told my husband I'd WhatsApp him to meet up in a little bit and set off to get my daily ice cream.
-Cheers from the Vivác Winery Family!
Friday, January 26, 2018
Coffee, Coffee, Coffee
You can't visit Colombia and NOT visit a coffee farm right? Yes, I am right. Coffee is my other go to (hello, wine is my 1st) and one I love greatly yet it became obvious that I really knew nothing about it. Did you know that the coffee plant is a tree and what keeps them from growing into huge trees is that they are cut down keeping them manageable for harvesting the berries...yes berries, the bean is inside the berry. But wait, I'm getting ahead of myself. In order to appropriately explain a trip to a coffee farm, I must set the scene.
The hills surrounding Jardin (a town 4 hour drive from Medellin) are steep, majestic, sweeping shades of green filled with bamboo, pines, palms, ferns, tropical flowers and coffee plants. The jungle paths that wined up the mountains play peek-a-boo with waterfalls while strange vibrantly colored birds sweep past you. Having hired a "tour" to take us privately to the coffee farm, we found ourselves in the company of a similar man to the Captain of our sailboat from Panama to Colombia, a man of less than a few words. Jesse, my Spanish speaking husband, inquired as we walked, what the trees or birds we saw were called or about the area in general, to which the man grunted one word answers. Luckily the shockingly beautiful views kept us happy. Being that zero information was being exchanged, we had no way of knowing that this hike would be several miles with a steep ascent to the top where the coffee farm was. It was so steep in fact, that my converse tennis shoes started slipping on the moist path making my tired legs strain to keep me upright. However, greeting us at the top was the most amazing view of the valley below and we gratefully sat on the big flower laden porch of the house, sipping freshly made lemonade, smelling freshly brewed coffee and catching our breath.
*As a side note, about half way through this hike, we had the pleasure of touring a handmade tunnel that pierced the rock mountain. After dodging 3 different kinds of attacking bat, this marvel emptied you out under a waterfall. A super cool thing to see if you are OK with vile flying rats. It was a dose of adrenaline for me and comic relief for my boys as I screamed, ducked and dodged the disgusting vermin. Now back to the coffee.
Another group was finishing up their tour of the farm when we arrived so we had the chance to admire their horses. "You didn't want to ride up here?" the other guide asked. We told him we had no idea how far it was or that horseback was an option. He looked puzzled, we felt annoyed, all of us looked at our guide in disbelief. This was definitely a stunt the Sailboat Captain would have pulled. The rest of our time with the guide would be with me referring to him as 'Captain'.
Once our tour started, we were taken into the coffee fields which were behind the house and straight up the hillside. I asked if they needed to wear harnesses and clip in to the mountain to stay on it while harvesting, the farmer thought this funny and continued to march us up the almost vertical face with a warm chuckle. A bucket strapped to his waist, Jesse reached into the lush foliage in search of the red berries as the farmer told us about the process and about the plant. This detailed information is delicious to people that own a winery and vineyards which the farmer seemed particularly happy about. About five million photos of my hubby and son picking coffee and Jesse falling down the mountain (OK he just slid a few feet under a coffee bush, but it was definitely photo worthy and made my earlier question about needing a harness valid), and we were back on safe ground. The shelling, shucking, and drying process is as work intensive and detailed as the wine making process is. Then we have the roasting, which we did by hand in the farm house kitchen, brings out different aromas which I would compare to a wine having barrel aging. All the work that goes into a finished cup of coffee is astonishing and the fact that it is $0.33 in Colombia is really mind blowing. Finally we sat at the table, a view so breath taking you wanted to gauge your eyes out afterward since there would be no point in seeing anything after seeing that intensely beautiful a sight, and drank our fresh espresso. We introduced our 11 yr old son to a mostly milk and sugar version of coffee and discussed the aromas and flavors that made this farm's coffee different than any other. It was magical.
'Captain' lead us back down the mountain and into town 5 hours after our start that morning. We were drained and starving, but the adventure was enough to encourage us to do more exploration of the hidden roads that dove into the jungle. It was agreed, the next day we would take the 'Tic Tak' of a car over the hill and through the woods to the next village. Or so we thought.
-Cheers from the Vivác Winery Family!
www.VivacWinery.com
The hills surrounding Jardin (a town 4 hour drive from Medellin) are steep, majestic, sweeping shades of green filled with bamboo, pines, palms, ferns, tropical flowers and coffee plants. The jungle paths that wined up the mountains play peek-a-boo with waterfalls while strange vibrantly colored birds sweep past you. Having hired a "tour" to take us privately to the coffee farm, we found ourselves in the company of a similar man to the Captain of our sailboat from Panama to Colombia, a man of less than a few words. Jesse, my Spanish speaking husband, inquired as we walked, what the trees or birds we saw were called or about the area in general, to which the man grunted one word answers. Luckily the shockingly beautiful views kept us happy. Being that zero information was being exchanged, we had no way of knowing that this hike would be several miles with a steep ascent to the top where the coffee farm was. It was so steep in fact, that my converse tennis shoes started slipping on the moist path making my tired legs strain to keep me upright. However, greeting us at the top was the most amazing view of the valley below and we gratefully sat on the big flower laden porch of the house, sipping freshly made lemonade, smelling freshly brewed coffee and catching our breath.
*As a side note, about half way through this hike, we had the pleasure of touring a handmade tunnel that pierced the rock mountain. After dodging 3 different kinds of attacking bat, this marvel emptied you out under a waterfall. A super cool thing to see if you are OK with vile flying rats. It was a dose of adrenaline for me and comic relief for my boys as I screamed, ducked and dodged the disgusting vermin. Now back to the coffee.
Another group was finishing up their tour of the farm when we arrived so we had the chance to admire their horses. "You didn't want to ride up here?" the other guide asked. We told him we had no idea how far it was or that horseback was an option. He looked puzzled, we felt annoyed, all of us looked at our guide in disbelief. This was definitely a stunt the Sailboat Captain would have pulled. The rest of our time with the guide would be with me referring to him as 'Captain'.
Once our tour started, we were taken into the coffee fields which were behind the house and straight up the hillside. I asked if they needed to wear harnesses and clip in to the mountain to stay on it while harvesting, the farmer thought this funny and continued to march us up the almost vertical face with a warm chuckle. A bucket strapped to his waist, Jesse reached into the lush foliage in search of the red berries as the farmer told us about the process and about the plant. This detailed information is delicious to people that own a winery and vineyards which the farmer seemed particularly happy about. About five million photos of my hubby and son picking coffee and Jesse falling down the mountain (OK he just slid a few feet under a coffee bush, but it was definitely photo worthy and made my earlier question about needing a harness valid), and we were back on safe ground. The shelling, shucking, and drying process is as work intensive and detailed as the wine making process is. Then we have the roasting, which we did by hand in the farm house kitchen, brings out different aromas which I would compare to a wine having barrel aging. All the work that goes into a finished cup of coffee is astonishing and the fact that it is $0.33 in Colombia is really mind blowing. Finally we sat at the table, a view so breath taking you wanted to gauge your eyes out afterward since there would be no point in seeing anything after seeing that intensely beautiful a sight, and drank our fresh espresso. We introduced our 11 yr old son to a mostly milk and sugar version of coffee and discussed the aromas and flavors that made this farm's coffee different than any other. It was magical.
'Captain' lead us back down the mountain and into town 5 hours after our start that morning. We were drained and starving, but the adventure was enough to encourage us to do more exploration of the hidden roads that dove into the jungle. It was agreed, the next day we would take the 'Tic Tak' of a car over the hill and through the woods to the next village. Or so we thought.
-Cheers from the Vivác Winery Family!
www.VivacWinery.com
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
Home Sweet Home
Clearly from reading the posts about how incredible the small town of Jardin, Colombia is, it will be
no surprise that we decided we needed to find a rental and make it our home for a full month. Now this seemed like an easy thing to do, however was anything but. The things we wanted, a house with a yard and great view, at least 2 bedrooms (maybe more for visiting guests), close to town and of course in our budget.While it looked attainable on web listings, this needed to be scaled back...considerably. We found the ideal spot, but it turned out the owner listed was no longer the owner and finding the current one was impossible, obviously not the American way of doing business. The other options we searched out online were either ridiculously expensive or ridiculously bad. Feeling like we were hitting a dead end on our own, we enlisted the help of a local professional.
Meeting the real estate lady one evening, she lead us to a close by apartment. The building was modern and echoed in the large hallway, it seemed promising even in a somewhat cold atmosphere. Then we saw the inside. A large room with a sleek, nice kitchen off to the right greeted us and two bedrooms were visible from the doorway...and nothing else. No windows AT ALL and no furniture (other than 2 plastic chairs). Oddly enough, the bedrooms had so many beds crammed in them, that it was almost impossible to walk in. I guess we had forgotten to request furniture? Oh no, she pointed out, "there are these plastic chairs for your comfort". Uhhhhh...this is so not going to work.
I should take a moment to say that even though we loved our hotel, the rooms were all in the center of the building meaning no windows to the outside and the shutter like 'windows' all opened into the center of the common space with the result of feeling like you were in a box when they were closed. Also, because the colonial style building of the area had zero insulation, and I am not being dramatic, ZERO insulation, the noise from the grand Church on the plaza, to which the hotel sat adjacent to, was insane. The Church seemed to ring the bells at all hours of the night and for no apparent reason. The ringing of these Church bells seemed to have no rhythm or song that it needed to adhere to resulting in a clanging of different bells at all different times sending a jarring pain into your muscles as it echoed off every wall and inside your brain, it was down right painful. This all played into my need for a window to the OUTSIDE and a concern about noise...there was literally no other place that could compete with the noise of those bells, but street noise was a consideration.
We were told that there were precious few places available to rent in this adorable town so being picky wasn't an option. She assured us that if we could stay a few more days at the hotel, another apartment in that same building would be available and this one, oh yes, this one had furniture AND windows. My mind immediately pictured a cheap, plastic patio set with the "more" being that the chairs were accompanied with a matching table, but hey at least it would have a table! The trick with this place was it was currently occupied so there was no option to see it, it would be a roll of the dice. One last thing, this apartment was street side so there would be some noise, being a block from the Church should dull the ringing though. My husband tried to explain that his picky-ass wife really wanted a view, windows and furniture. She made some calls and said there was a house that was perfect that she could show us, but it didn't have wifi. Now this was a deal breaker because I needed to work on my laptop and we are a internet loving, movie watching family.
We tossed over the options, disappointment starting to settle in. Maybe we needed to move on to another town? The sting of this thought provided us with the realization that maybe we could go with a less 'perfect' spot simply so we could stay in Jardin. I quickly said "OK, if I can have a window, even just one to the outside and something to sit on...we could even buy it ourselves, I can do it", my son wouldn't budge on the need for 2 rooms (and frankly my husband and I felt that was a necessity as well) and we all agreed wifi had to be available. When we met with the real estate agent again the next day, we were prepared to compromise and asked if there was some way to help the owner of this 'perfect' house put wifi in, she delightfully said yes and we skipped off to see our new place!
Skipping became walking which became hesitant plodding as street after street took us out of the charming town center and into the funky part of town. It isn't that I would say it was unsafe, but I would not be walking alone at night and there would be a complete stop to my son's independence that he was growing to love. We finally arrived at the concrete square that was called a 'house' and went in. Clearly a grandma's home, this place definitely had furniture, it was loaded with furniture! Furniture and Christmas decorations, and Catholic statues, art and crosses were all crammed into every inch of this place. The walls were packed with family photos which oddly made me feel like an intruder and the 4 bedrooms were complete with huge crucifixes that dwarfed the beds they hung over, leaning imposingly away from the wall and into each room. I started to have visions of "The Exorcist" movie. In the center of the home, was a large square open space that was unroofed. Yes, this home was completely open to the elements. Now had we been in Cartagena where it was hot, maybe, but in the high mountains where it rains every day and you need a jacket at night, uhhhh maybe not. The promised windows opened to the sad street and that amazing view was seen only if you wanted to become a part of the sad street seen and point your plastic chairs down the hill to the vista at the end of the road. My husband, Jesse, beamed "what do you think? Yes, don't you think? It's definitely a yes?" hmmmm... I'd say definitely a no. I could see the frustration in Jess' face as he asked why I didn't like it. I felt a knot build in my stomach and I tried not to be emotional. There was no way I was going to walk through the ghetto to get to grandma's exorcist home only to be rained on...while inside. I reasoned that if there was no view at this house and no view at the mystery apartment we had yet to see, then at least the apartment was extremely close to the town square and we could spend most of our time at a charming cafe. What was the point in staying in Jardin an entire month if we hated where we lived?
It was time to involve our kiddo. His sensory issues being at the center of our concerns, he needed to weigh in and let us know where he would be most comfortable and I assured him that we would make any spot work. I've become a pro at stuffing my feelings as much as possible in order to buoy my son in uncomfortable situations. After a long heart to heart, all three of us agreed to roll the dice and rent the mystery apartment.
Move in day we were all on pins and needles. I had started searching out cheap furniture shops in the days leading up to moving in and we all started talking up how sitting at cafes 100% of the time would be great. We walked our heavy bags from the hotel, across the central plaza park, down a short street and around a corner to our new home. The over sized door swung open and like contestants on a game show, we held our breath in anticipation of what we'd 'won'.
We entered a large modern room with a open kitchen to the left, a stainless topped island with charming chairs in the center and a black leather sofa to the right. IT HAD FURNITURE!!!! Relief swept over me. The two bedrooms faced the street, a charming colorful, safe street, with large wood framed windows. Yes, plural 'windows', two windows in each room! It also had two large bathrooms, a washer, closets and our own private patio which was really where you hang your clean laundry to dry, but allowed for windows (I know, MORE windows!!!) in the kitchen and bathroom to fill the rest of the apartment with light. It was Shangri La.
Naturally, to celebrate, we opened a box of Chilean wine and turned on Netflix. Ahhhhhh yes, we were home.
-Cheers from the Vivác Winery Family!
www.VivacWinery.com
no surprise that we decided we needed to find a rental and make it our home for a full month. Now this seemed like an easy thing to do, however was anything but. The things we wanted, a house with a yard and great view, at least 2 bedrooms (maybe more for visiting guests), close to town and of course in our budget.While it looked attainable on web listings, this needed to be scaled back...considerably. We found the ideal spot, but it turned out the owner listed was no longer the owner and finding the current one was impossible, obviously not the American way of doing business. The other options we searched out online were either ridiculously expensive or ridiculously bad. Feeling like we were hitting a dead end on our own, we enlisted the help of a local professional.
Meeting the real estate lady one evening, she lead us to a close by apartment. The building was modern and echoed in the large hallway, it seemed promising even in a somewhat cold atmosphere. Then we saw the inside. A large room with a sleek, nice kitchen off to the right greeted us and two bedrooms were visible from the doorway...and nothing else. No windows AT ALL and no furniture (other than 2 plastic chairs). Oddly enough, the bedrooms had so many beds crammed in them, that it was almost impossible to walk in. I guess we had forgotten to request furniture? Oh no, she pointed out, "there are these plastic chairs for your comfort". Uhhhhh...this is so not going to work.
I should take a moment to say that even though we loved our hotel, the rooms were all in the center of the building meaning no windows to the outside and the shutter like 'windows' all opened into the center of the common space with the result of feeling like you were in a box when they were closed. Also, because the colonial style building of the area had zero insulation, and I am not being dramatic, ZERO insulation, the noise from the grand Church on the plaza, to which the hotel sat adjacent to, was insane. The Church seemed to ring the bells at all hours of the night and for no apparent reason. The ringing of these Church bells seemed to have no rhythm or song that it needed to adhere to resulting in a clanging of different bells at all different times sending a jarring pain into your muscles as it echoed off every wall and inside your brain, it was down right painful. This all played into my need for a window to the OUTSIDE and a concern about noise...there was literally no other place that could compete with the noise of those bells, but street noise was a consideration.
We were told that there were precious few places available to rent in this adorable town so being picky wasn't an option. She assured us that if we could stay a few more days at the hotel, another apartment in that same building would be available and this one, oh yes, this one had furniture AND windows. My mind immediately pictured a cheap, plastic patio set with the "more" being that the chairs were accompanied with a matching table, but hey at least it would have a table! The trick with this place was it was currently occupied so there was no option to see it, it would be a roll of the dice. One last thing, this apartment was street side so there would be some noise, being a block from the Church should dull the ringing though. My husband tried to explain that his picky-ass wife really wanted a view, windows and furniture. She made some calls and said there was a house that was perfect that she could show us, but it didn't have wifi. Now this was a deal breaker because I needed to work on my laptop and we are a internet loving, movie watching family.
We tossed over the options, disappointment starting to settle in. Maybe we needed to move on to another town? The sting of this thought provided us with the realization that maybe we could go with a less 'perfect' spot simply so we could stay in Jardin. I quickly said "OK, if I can have a window, even just one to the outside and something to sit on...we could even buy it ourselves, I can do it", my son wouldn't budge on the need for 2 rooms (and frankly my husband and I felt that was a necessity as well) and we all agreed wifi had to be available. When we met with the real estate agent again the next day, we were prepared to compromise and asked if there was some way to help the owner of this 'perfect' house put wifi in, she delightfully said yes and we skipped off to see our new place!
Skipping became walking which became hesitant plodding as street after street took us out of the charming town center and into the funky part of town. It isn't that I would say it was unsafe, but I would not be walking alone at night and there would be a complete stop to my son's independence that he was growing to love. We finally arrived at the concrete square that was called a 'house' and went in. Clearly a grandma's home, this place definitely had furniture, it was loaded with furniture! Furniture and Christmas decorations, and Catholic statues, art and crosses were all crammed into every inch of this place. The walls were packed with family photos which oddly made me feel like an intruder and the 4 bedrooms were complete with huge crucifixes that dwarfed the beds they hung over, leaning imposingly away from the wall and into each room. I started to have visions of "The Exorcist" movie. In the center of the home, was a large square open space that was unroofed. Yes, this home was completely open to the elements. Now had we been in Cartagena where it was hot, maybe, but in the high mountains where it rains every day and you need a jacket at night, uhhhh maybe not. The promised windows opened to the sad street and that amazing view was seen only if you wanted to become a part of the sad street seen and point your plastic chairs down the hill to the vista at the end of the road. My husband, Jesse, beamed "what do you think? Yes, don't you think? It's definitely a yes?" hmmmm... I'd say definitely a no. I could see the frustration in Jess' face as he asked why I didn't like it. I felt a knot build in my stomach and I tried not to be emotional. There was no way I was going to walk through the ghetto to get to grandma's exorcist home only to be rained on...while inside. I reasoned that if there was no view at this house and no view at the mystery apartment we had yet to see, then at least the apartment was extremely close to the town square and we could spend most of our time at a charming cafe. What was the point in staying in Jardin an entire month if we hated where we lived?
It was time to involve our kiddo. His sensory issues being at the center of our concerns, he needed to weigh in and let us know where he would be most comfortable and I assured him that we would make any spot work. I've become a pro at stuffing my feelings as much as possible in order to buoy my son in uncomfortable situations. After a long heart to heart, all three of us agreed to roll the dice and rent the mystery apartment.
Move in day we were all on pins and needles. I had started searching out cheap furniture shops in the days leading up to moving in and we all started talking up how sitting at cafes 100% of the time would be great. We walked our heavy bags from the hotel, across the central plaza park, down a short street and around a corner to our new home. The over sized door swung open and like contestants on a game show, we held our breath in anticipation of what we'd 'won'.
We entered a large modern room with a open kitchen to the left, a stainless topped island with charming chairs in the center and a black leather sofa to the right. IT HAD FURNITURE!!!! Relief swept over me. The two bedrooms faced the street, a charming colorful, safe street, with large wood framed windows. Yes, plural 'windows', two windows in each room! It also had two large bathrooms, a washer, closets and our own private patio which was really where you hang your clean laundry to dry, but allowed for windows (I know, MORE windows!!!) in the kitchen and bathroom to fill the rest of the apartment with light. It was Shangri La.
Naturally, to celebrate, we opened a box of Chilean wine and turned on Netflix. Ahhhhhh yes, we were home.
-Cheers from the Vivác Winery Family!
www.VivacWinery.com
Sunday, January 21, 2018
Who's Thirsty?
OK, it's time to talk seriously about our adventures in Colombia. How is the wine?
Immediately in Cartagena, we found that cheap Chilean wine was easily accessible and more expensive wines were still within reason. Many other places we have traveled in the past, wine was difficult to come by and the export/ import fees usually drove the prices up to a ridiculous, staggering price...for crap. This discovery of good wine at great prices in Colombia was a serious win for a winemaker on vacation with his wine loving, Sommelier wife.
Traveling from a port city like Cartagena deep into the mountains of central Colombia seemed certain to complicate the wine situation, but amazingly it got even better! In Jardin we found that a great bottle of wine at a restaurant/ cafe/ shop (somehow all the same pricing) was about $12. Buying the boxed Chilean wine meant you got a litre of wine for $5 and was a totally solid product. It was wildly exciting for us and made for many a evening on the town plaza, at a charming cafe with a bottle of wine possible. As a side note, the people watching was fabulous too and became a daily activity... bottle of wine in hand or not.
Because we are equal opportunity drinkers, it is important to mention the locally made Aguardiente Liquor. This clear, licorice flavored potent drink is silky smooth with a kick. You can sip a shot of it or add it to a glass of water with lime. After a parade on Three Kings Day, when the locals pranced their horses around the square, competing with each other for praise of showmanship, they'd stop at each bar for a shot of this crazy booze. Quickly absorbed by the celebration and live Colombian music bellowing out of one of the nearest bars, we found ourselves magnetically drawn from our hotel balcony into the frey. In true character, my generous husband bought a group of riders a round of shots, instantly becoming a favorite to the group, his big grin and easy laugh endearing him to the locals instantly. As it would happen, those inside the open doorway to the bar, crooning the lyrics of what must be a favorite folk song along side the musicians, saw my husband's kind gesture and in turn bought us shots of Aguardiente! And so, with this story, you can see how this drink has found a home in our hearts as well.
Local beer is delicious and while it couldn't remain cool in the heat of Cartagena, it stays frosty in the mountainous cool air. Beer is also $1 a bottle so clearly it needs to be a part of any complete diet.
It should also be noted that we do not ONLY drink booze. Coffee throughout Colombia is incredible (as you can imagine) and varies according to where you are. Much like wine, coffee shows the terroir of where it is grown so farm to farm it will be different not to mention roasting styles. It is delightful to try the many different cafes around the square that prepare the coffee differently and showcase different farms. Also, while coffee from a street vendor (men that looked like they are carrying carpentry tools in a wooden create, are actually on the go coffee dealers) is about $0.10, and is a whopping $0.33 in Jardin. If you like it with milk, which is steamed and more like heavy cream, it is $1.25. It makes sense why people drink coffee literally all day here.
The funny thing is you see people drinking beer with breakfast and I don't mean a few crazy drunks, I mean a lot of people. And at night, the cafes are full of people drinking coffee! It is easily 50% of the people are drinking beer and the other half drinking coffee at all times of the day. Oh and you can buy beer literally everywhere. Bakery, ice cream shop, you name it, there is always a cooler filled with beer.
The temperatures don't allow for much actual wine production in Colombia, but we have seen a couple bottles here and there. Areas that struggle with grape growing, generally make for terrible wines so we have not been brave enough to try it as of yet, but perhaps after a couple shots of Aguardiente, we just might find the liquid courage to do so.
-Cheers from the Vivác Winery Family!
www.VivacWinery.com
Immediately in Cartagena, we found that cheap Chilean wine was easily accessible and more expensive wines were still within reason. Many other places we have traveled in the past, wine was difficult to come by and the export/ import fees usually drove the prices up to a ridiculous, staggering price...for crap. This discovery of good wine at great prices in Colombia was a serious win for a winemaker on vacation with his wine loving, Sommelier wife.
Traveling from a port city like Cartagena deep into the mountains of central Colombia seemed certain to complicate the wine situation, but amazingly it got even better! In Jardin we found that a great bottle of wine at a restaurant/ cafe/ shop (somehow all the same pricing) was about $12. Buying the boxed Chilean wine meant you got a litre of wine for $5 and was a totally solid product. It was wildly exciting for us and made for many a evening on the town plaza, at a charming cafe with a bottle of wine possible. As a side note, the people watching was fabulous too and became a daily activity... bottle of wine in hand or not.
Because we are equal opportunity drinkers, it is important to mention the locally made Aguardiente Liquor. This clear, licorice flavored potent drink is silky smooth with a kick. You can sip a shot of it or add it to a glass of water with lime. After a parade on Three Kings Day, when the locals pranced their horses around the square, competing with each other for praise of showmanship, they'd stop at each bar for a shot of this crazy booze. Quickly absorbed by the celebration and live Colombian music bellowing out of one of the nearest bars, we found ourselves magnetically drawn from our hotel balcony into the frey. In true character, my generous husband bought a group of riders a round of shots, instantly becoming a favorite to the group, his big grin and easy laugh endearing him to the locals instantly. As it would happen, those inside the open doorway to the bar, crooning the lyrics of what must be a favorite folk song along side the musicians, saw my husband's kind gesture and in turn bought us shots of Aguardiente! And so, with this story, you can see how this drink has found a home in our hearts as well.
Local beer is delicious and while it couldn't remain cool in the heat of Cartagena, it stays frosty in the mountainous cool air. Beer is also $1 a bottle so clearly it needs to be a part of any complete diet.
It should also be noted that we do not ONLY drink booze. Coffee throughout Colombia is incredible (as you can imagine) and varies according to where you are. Much like wine, coffee shows the terroir of where it is grown so farm to farm it will be different not to mention roasting styles. It is delightful to try the many different cafes around the square that prepare the coffee differently and showcase different farms. Also, while coffee from a street vendor (men that looked like they are carrying carpentry tools in a wooden create, are actually on the go coffee dealers) is about $0.10, and is a whopping $0.33 in Jardin. If you like it with milk, which is steamed and more like heavy cream, it is $1.25. It makes sense why people drink coffee literally all day here.
The funny thing is you see people drinking beer with breakfast and I don't mean a few crazy drunks, I mean a lot of people. And at night, the cafes are full of people drinking coffee! It is easily 50% of the people are drinking beer and the other half drinking coffee at all times of the day. Oh and you can buy beer literally everywhere. Bakery, ice cream shop, you name it, there is always a cooler filled with beer.
The temperatures don't allow for much actual wine production in Colombia, but we have seen a couple bottles here and there. Areas that struggle with grape growing, generally make for terrible wines so we have not been brave enough to try it as of yet, but perhaps after a couple shots of Aguardiente, we just might find the liquid courage to do so.
-Cheers from the Vivác Winery Family!
www.VivacWinery.com
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Welcome to Oz
Another small town that was on our list to visit in Colombia was called Jardin ("garden") and was, like Santa Fe de Antioquia, touted as a must see. Since our experience in Santa Fe was lack luster, we had trepidations of going to Jardin and honestly wondered if we should have ever left Cartagena. But hey, that is part of the adventure right? Not knowing what we will encounter and taking it in stride is part of the deal.
Our little, tiny, white hatchback, now jokingly called 'The Tic Tac' (please use a Colombian accent when saying the name) because it was about the size of the little mint candies, zoomed through the tight, ever climbing country roads. Luckily my husband likes to drive like he is playing a video game, swerving around massive potholes, dodging thousands of motorcycles and speeding around buses on what should be considered a one lane road. It seemed impossible, but it just kept getting greener! It was dense with vegetation and yet had massive vistas that shot out over cliffs and slid down steep coffee covered mountains. It is an unbelievable experience to be in awe of a color in nature. I 1st had the experience diving in Cozumel, Mexico when I saw cobalt blue in the depth of the ocean. It shocks the senses to see a color so vivid and unusual starring you back in the face and as I peered out the window at the sea of greens, so many hue changes I lost count, I was deeply moved. I could say 'emerald green' or 'lime green' or 'olive green' or even 'forest green' but these names simply point you in the direction of what some of the colors we were seeing were like, but are completely lacking in accuracy. I could add words like 'deep' or 'rich', 'bright' or 'saturated', but these too fall short. It was a majestic array of color that we do not have names for yet. This area is, simply put, GORGEOUS. Even when we hit stand still traffic for 2 hours (due to a landslide), it was difficult to be upset as we took in the huge flowering trees and slap-yourself-in-the-face amazing views. As we climbed up higher into the clouds and up ever bigger mountains, the road tightened, twisted, rolled and finally released us into the valley of Oz.
Jardin is truly the Emerald City. It is bathed in rich jewel tones of green (see? I keep trying to describe it), splashed with vibrant flowers of every sort; orchids, bougainvillea, hyacinth, roses, and a billions others I've never seen before. The town is super small, easily walk-able and centered entirely around the town park...which is filled with unusual plants, shade trees and beautiful flowers, all labeled with plaques as if in a botanical garden. The cafes, hotels, shops and bars that line the cobblestone streets surrounding the center park ooze charm in a way the travel books couldn't possibly describe sufficiently. We found our hotel, one right there in the action (with a bakery to one side and a ice cream shop to the other), and let ourselves get excited, this was definitely beyond our exceptions. We were greeted by lovely hotel staff who welcomed us with the signature coffee of the area (swoon!) and carried our bags up to our room for us. Hell freaking YES! It was so the right choice to leave Santa Fe.
Unable to resist the buzz in the air as locals filled the plaza park, we hurried out of the hotel to drink it all in. Stepping out into the fresh, cool evening, we were stunned to find the sun setting with a golden light that twinkled off the damp foliage and held up high into the mist covered mountains, a perfect, end to end, vibrant rainbow overhead. I am talking a rainbow so bright you almost needed to wear sunglasses. I literally had my jar drop open and said "Oh. Come. On!", it was absolutely unbelievable. The beauty was so much that it brought tears to our eyes and my son exclaimed "I don't think I have ever cried over something being beautiful before". As if to push us right over the edge, a chorus of clopping horse hooves danced over the cobblestones making a delightfully playful sound, one you don't hear in daily American life. The locals, in fact, the most burly, strong men of the community, literally prance their horses through the streets. Knees tight and high with heads held down, these horses showed off and so did the riders. It wasn't a special show for tourists, this we would come to find, was every evening's entertainment and the most common mode of transportation for locals. Traffic in Jardin, is literally a group of horses being pranced down the street intertwined with adorable little moto-taxies. We took our seat at one of the brightly colored tables with matching metal umbrellas, like you'd see at Disneyland, and marveled at this picture perfect paradise.
Instantaneously we knew, we had found home.
-Cheers from the Vivác Winery Family!
www.VivacWinery.com
Our little, tiny, white hatchback, now jokingly called 'The Tic Tac' (please use a Colombian accent when saying the name) because it was about the size of the little mint candies, zoomed through the tight, ever climbing country roads. Luckily my husband likes to drive like he is playing a video game, swerving around massive potholes, dodging thousands of motorcycles and speeding around buses on what should be considered a one lane road. It seemed impossible, but it just kept getting greener! It was dense with vegetation and yet had massive vistas that shot out over cliffs and slid down steep coffee covered mountains. It is an unbelievable experience to be in awe of a color in nature. I 1st had the experience diving in Cozumel, Mexico when I saw cobalt blue in the depth of the ocean. It shocks the senses to see a color so vivid and unusual starring you back in the face and as I peered out the window at the sea of greens, so many hue changes I lost count, I was deeply moved. I could say 'emerald green' or 'lime green' or 'olive green' or even 'forest green' but these names simply point you in the direction of what some of the colors we were seeing were like, but are completely lacking in accuracy. I could add words like 'deep' or 'rich', 'bright' or 'saturated', but these too fall short. It was a majestic array of color that we do not have names for yet. This area is, simply put, GORGEOUS. Even when we hit stand still traffic for 2 hours (due to a landslide), it was difficult to be upset as we took in the huge flowering trees and slap-yourself-in-the-face amazing views. As we climbed up higher into the clouds and up ever bigger mountains, the road tightened, twisted, rolled and finally released us into the valley of Oz.
Jardin is truly the Emerald City. It is bathed in rich jewel tones of green (see? I keep trying to describe it), splashed with vibrant flowers of every sort; orchids, bougainvillea, hyacinth, roses, and a billions others I've never seen before. The town is super small, easily walk-able and centered entirely around the town park...which is filled with unusual plants, shade trees and beautiful flowers, all labeled with plaques as if in a botanical garden. The cafes, hotels, shops and bars that line the cobblestone streets surrounding the center park ooze charm in a way the travel books couldn't possibly describe sufficiently. We found our hotel, one right there in the action (with a bakery to one side and a ice cream shop to the other), and let ourselves get excited, this was definitely beyond our exceptions. We were greeted by lovely hotel staff who welcomed us with the signature coffee of the area (swoon!) and carried our bags up to our room for us. Hell freaking YES! It was so the right choice to leave Santa Fe.
Unable to resist the buzz in the air as locals filled the plaza park, we hurried out of the hotel to drink it all in. Stepping out into the fresh, cool evening, we were stunned to find the sun setting with a golden light that twinkled off the damp foliage and held up high into the mist covered mountains, a perfect, end to end, vibrant rainbow overhead. I am talking a rainbow so bright you almost needed to wear sunglasses. I literally had my jar drop open and said "Oh. Come. On!", it was absolutely unbelievable. The beauty was so much that it brought tears to our eyes and my son exclaimed "I don't think I have ever cried over something being beautiful before". As if to push us right over the edge, a chorus of clopping horse hooves danced over the cobblestones making a delightfully playful sound, one you don't hear in daily American life. The locals, in fact, the most burly, strong men of the community, literally prance their horses through the streets. Knees tight and high with heads held down, these horses showed off and so did the riders. It wasn't a special show for tourists, this we would come to find, was every evening's entertainment and the most common mode of transportation for locals. Traffic in Jardin, is literally a group of horses being pranced down the street intertwined with adorable little moto-taxies. We took our seat at one of the brightly colored tables with matching metal umbrellas, like you'd see at Disneyland, and marveled at this picture perfect paradise.
Instantaneously we knew, we had found home.
-Cheers from the Vivác Winery Family!
www.VivacWinery.com
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