Jardin - little gem of a town in Antioquia

It's great when you don't have to rely on travel guides, because you have friends who provide you with bespoke tips and itineraries.  Some lovely friends had sent us a list of top tips for our travels in Colombia, based on their recent trip.  The 'must-do', top of the list was Jardin, which we hadn't heard of, as it's fairly new to the gringo trail.  Pronounced 'Hardeen' and Spanish for 'garden', It has appeared for the first time in the very new Lonely Planet Guide to Colombia and is destined to be big.  We were so glad to have reached the delightful and incredibly welcoming little town before it goes ballistic touristic.

   

The 5 hour bus trip from Medellin was incredibly scenic.  We just had to take a picture of this very pointy mountain!

Arriving mid-afternoon in the bustling square flanked by colourful bars and shops, we were greeted warmly by the waiter who served us coffee as we sat on wooden chairs with backs of cow-hide.  The local people all greet tourists, call 'Bienvenidos' (welcome) as we pass them in the street and ask where we're from.  They are justifiably very proud of their town and very happy to have us there.  We so hope it remains this way and does not become overwhelmed by tourism.

      

The chair backs are made from cow-hide

                                       

A welcome cup of coffee in the main plaza in Jardin, after a long bus ride 

As directed by our personal travel agents, we headed by moto raton (literally 'motor mouse', as they call tuk tuks here) to our hostel, Selva y Cafe (forest and coffee), 15 minutes outside town, in the lush countryside.  

                                      

The view from the upstairs toilet at Selva y Cafe hostel

What a friendly place this hostel is.  It's small and rustic, with fairy lights, a pond full of fish and noisy frogs, Persian rugs, a cat and 2 dogs.  The food is served in the outdoor kitchen, which is ideal to get to know the other guests, who were all chatty and welcoming.  This'll do for a few days, we thought. 

       

View from the balcony - Renault 4s are very popular in Colombia - love 'em!

       

A little street in Jardin at dusk, the church spires in the background

      

The beautiful setting of the main plaza, surrounded by hills, big church to the right

Jardin is in the coffee growing region (Zona Cafetera) of south-west Antioquia, Colombia and the countryside is beautiful, with a temperate climate: warm in the day and cool in the evenings, even quite cold at night, due to the altitude.   We had been highly recommended by our friends a horseriding tour to a waterfall.  They had been very impressed by their guide, very valuable information, as we had heard horror stories of inexperienced guides, resulting in injured tourists (sometimes very badly and even some deaths) in some tourist areas of Colombia.  So, we tracked down Guillermo, who was indeed a very nice man, as promised, and booked a 5 hour trip for the following day, which would at least prise us out of our seats in the cafe overlooking the square, where we sipped more tasty black coffees or chilled coffee with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce than were good for us.  We just love the plazas in Central and South American cities.  They are the hub of the town and the plaza in Jardin has a great vibe, with people just hanging out drinking coffee and eating arepas from the little stalls, kids running around the fountain or chasing pigeons.  At the weekend, the spectacle of gauchos in their finery parading their sleek horses, proudly (and loudly!) performing their rapid trotting steps, (known as paso fino, literally 'fine step'), which appears very strange to our eyes, but has been an iconic tradition in some Antioquian towns and villages for centuries, originating in Spain.  On walks in the campo outside the town, we saw gauchos practising with their very well-cared for horses.  They were happy to explain the different steps, which are so fast that it is difficult for the naive observer to tell them apart, unless you learn to listen to the different sounds their hooves make.  They said that the ability to carry out the paso fino steps is genetic and that horses learn from their mothers as well as the gauchos.  

We met Guillermo at 8am on the morning of the trip and were driven to a house high on the mountain, where we picked up our insurance and were provided with wristbands lest we get lost.  Very impressive, reassuring and a total surprise.  No helmets, though, which was a concern.  From there we were driven, with a friendly German couple, to the stables where we collected our horses.  Mine was a beautiful mare, Caramelo, and Alan's a handsome male, Pacheco.  

   

Anna riding Caramelo (and studiously ignoring the 200m drop to the left!)

Caramelo was spirited and feisty, always jostling to be in front and cantering whenever she could (eek, it was only Anna's third time horseriding), whereas Alan's Pacheco was content to just amble along at the back, chomping on any greenery when he could get away with it.

       

View over Jardin from horseback

                                  

Three of the gorgeous horses waiting for us to return from the waterfall, where we continued up the steep path on foot

                                                

The waterfall - a challenging walk, crawl through a rocky tunnel and climb to reach it (and walk behind it) - well worth it!

        

Guillermo opening the gate for us and the horses after visiting the waterfall 

      

Hanging nests of the oropendola bird along the way

                                       

Stopping for a well-deserved lunch

Lunch - a veggie fiambre: veg and rice wrapped in a banana leaf and cooked over a flame - yum

What an amazing day.  We returned the horses to the stable and visited a nearby passion fruit farm before heading back in the jeep, down the dusty, bone-crunching mountain road, tired and content.  

                                   

Passion fruit, or maracuya, one of our favourite juices, growing in abundance

Most evenings, due to the distance from the town and the lovely company at the hostel, we ate back at Selva y Cafe.  One evening we cooked and ate a communal meal together, which was delicious, mostly due to the culinary skills of a young British guy, John, and his mates.  We also ate breakfast there each morning, sometimes witnessing Fauno, the young black Labrador-ish dog, wade into the pond and attempt to catch a carp before being chased out!  Hostels can be huge fun, or they can be a huge pain in the arse, this one was definitely the former!  We met some really good people here, including an Australian couple, Alex and Todd, who are travelling through South America in a camper van they bought in Chile.  We vowed to meet up at our next destination and spend some more time together.  

Wherever we went, locals were eager to tell us about the gallito de roca, the local bird.  So, armed with exact directions from Guillermo, we hiked to their nesting spot outside town.  Hearing their distinctive cry before we spotted many, many of the comical-looking birds, flitting about from tree to tree and scrapping before settling down for the night.

      

      

Gallito de roca (cock of the rock)

For our last 2 days in Jardin we stayed in an Airbnb in town.  We'd arranged for a moto raton (tuk tuk) to pick us up after breakfast.  Walking to the end of the dirt lane where the driver was waiting, we were accompanied, as usual, by Juaniito, the little red dog at the hostel.  Whenever we walked into town either he, or both he and Fauno, trotted ahead, springing through the fences to bother the cows and horses, then springing back onto the path, tails up, looking for their next adventure. They reminded us of a couple of cheeky teenagers out to make mischief and also of a dog we had when I was growing up - Buster- Juanito looks so much like him, too.  This time only Juanito came, and, spotting the moto raton, jumped in, refusing to get out, or to look at us when we tried to persuade him to do so!  Luckily, the driver thought it was hilarious and gently lifted him out.

  

Juanito, refusing to get out of the tuk tuk, or to look at us!

  

In our new apartment - can you spot Alan?!  

I couldn't stop laughing when I spotted Alan's head behind the egg-box, for once the camera was handy at the right moment.  'Jejeje' as they would write for 'hee hee' in Spanish speaking countries!

The new accommodation was the polar opposite of the hostel; slick, urban, clean lines and brand new, with a washing machine, of which we took full advantage and, for the first time in a while, we had fresh smelling clothes!  

   

Boarding the bus, as spotted from the balcony of Cafe de Los Andes above - bring me another chilled coffee with ice cream, por favor!

                          

The town seems a very relaxed place to live - the men play billiards and drink coffee (called 'tinto' in Colombia) in their spare time

                                     

Women chatting in the plaza - the town has a timeless quality; I couldn't resist taking this photo in black and white

  

The plaza on our last day; even on a rainy Sunday, the balconies and doors still bright and colourful

Aside from arepas, there were not many vegetarian options in town.  We had a fun evening at one of the two pizza restaurants, though, and to drink we had the delicious coco limonada, homemade lemonade with coconut cream and a little sugar.  Soooo nice.  

Arepas are eaten with breakfast, lunch and dinner and are the Colombian staple, the equivalent of Mexican tortillas.  They are eaten as they are, or stuffed, savoury or sweet.  They have a slightly 'gritty' or nutty texture from the flour.   We love eating them accompanied by delicious Colombian hot chocolate. Here is a recipe for tasty cheese arepas.  It is likely difficult to obtain precooked arepa flour outside S America, then cornmeal would probably be the best option. 

Cheese arepas

Ingredients

(Makes 4 arepas)

• 1 cup cornmeal (or preferably pre-cooked white or yellow arepa flour if you can get it)
• 1 cup warm water
• 1/3 cup white or cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 tbsp butter
• Pinch salt

Method

1. Combine the cornmeal, warm water, cheese, 1 tbsp butter and salt, mixing thoroughly. Let mixture stand for five minutes.
2. Knead with your hands for about 3 minutes, moistening your hands with water as you work.
3. Form the dough into 4 small balls. Place each ball between 2 plastic bags and, with a plate, flatten to ¼ inch.
4. Add the remaining butter to a nonstick pan over medium heat. Place the arepas in the pan, and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, until a crust forms or they are golden brown.

                                    

The basilica in the early morning sun

      

Little street in Jardin, from the bus as we left this gorgeous, friendly little town

As you may have guessed, we loved Jardin and its warm people and beautiful surroundings.  We also met some lovely travellers, too, with whom we hope to stay in touch.  

Next post: Salento, land of the big trees

Medellin, Colombia

Bang go our eco-credentials.  Our second flight in a few days, but internal flights are so cheap in Colombia and the journey by bus would be long and arduous (poor you, I hear you sigh).  So, we flew from Bogota to Medellin, another high city, with a murky past: it was infamous drug baron, Pablo Escobar's headquarters.  

Arriving late afternoon, our taxi driver from the airport to our hostel talked non-stop about how proud he is of his city, how progressive it is now, the art, culture, parks and especially the metro.  

                                

We stayed at the edge of the touristy El Poblado district, in the highly acclaimed Black Sheep Hostel.  Friendly, organised and clean, with lots of communal spaces, including a kitchen, it was great for a few days.

                                

Very friendly cats, too - one, Rufus, managed to sneak into our room at every opportunity

First night we headed into town for a burger in the vegan Lentejas Express (Lentil Express!) where we had good, big burgers for about 1 pound 50 each, and a nice craft beer for me and a homemade lemonade for Alan. There are loads of veggie places to choose from in Medellin and loads more bars.  We warmed to Medellin immediately.  

A highlight was the free walking tour.  The guide, Medellin born and bred, and a proud Paisa (a person born in the Antioquia region of Colombia) promised a no holds barred tour and to answer any of our questions and we all knew that she was referring to the legacy of Senor Escobar, though she avoided uttering his name, mostly out of respect to the local people, who were very interested in what she was talking about and sometimes nudged their way into the group, complaining: 'no entiendo, porque no habla espanol?' (I don't understand. Why doesn't she speak Spanish?).   The guide painted a vivid picture of a city emerging unshackled from years of fear at the hands of the narcos.  I'd watched the 'Narcos' series during the rainy afternoons at Cloudbridge and was fascinated and horrified by the megalomaniacal sociopath's activities and atrocities. There is a restaurant in El Poblado called Mondongo, which was Escobar's headquarters.  Apparently it took years to find someone willing to rent it and the offices above are still unoccupied.  Buildings formerly associated with Escobar are painted white.  The walking tour took in 'dodgy' parts of the city and we were often joined by local characters, one guy, obviously under the influence of something, insisted on showing us his torso, which he was so proud of, announcing that he was 60, but just look at his pecs.  Members of the group asked questions about Escobar's legendary 'generosity' - builiding schools, houses, hospitals, sports pitches etc, which the guide discounted, saying that his contribution to the country was minimal and yes, he bought people houses, but at a huge cost as they owed were in his power.  The Robin Hood image persists, however, and t-shirts bearing his image with the slogan 'El Padron' are for sale on many street corners.  We visited areas where prostitutes stood hopefully outside the church and a previously notorious square, which has now been reappropriated as the Plaza del Luz - the square of light, to celebrate Medellin's emergence from the darkness.

   

Lights in the Plaza del Luz

      

Our walking tour group, with friendly local just left of centre!

Aside from the free walking tour, there are two Escobar tours of Medellin, one guided by his brother, who offers a free handshake as part of the deal.  (Whoop, who wants to shake hands with the brother of a psychopath and line his pockets?). He was nearly blinded by a letter bomb in the narco days.  We highly recommend the walking tour as a historical and current overview of the city, taking in some of the more colourful areas.

                                   

Inside a beautiful old shopping centre in the city centre

                           

Botero statue, oft-rubbed for luck and fertility

Fernando Botero, renowned sculptor and artist from Medellin, trained at matador school before leaving the bullring and becoming a figurative artist.  His signature style is rounded disproportionate people and animals.

       

       

Incredibly poignant - this Botero statue, The Bird, was blown up by a bomb which killed 30 people attending a music festival in this square in June 1995.  Their names are listed on the plinth

 The replacement, installed alongside the bomb-damaged original as a symbol of hope

The story goes that, on hearing that it was due to be removed, Botero telephoned the mayor, insisting that the destroyed statue be kept in situ, alongside a newly made replacement, as a show of resilience, defiance and strength and as a memorial to those who died in the blast.

                                 

     

                                  

This one reminds us of our much-missed shared cat, Huxley, back in Brighton

                                  

                                  

Loving the whiskers 

                                  

More charming Boteros, and Alan (not visible, but on this statue, there's a strategically located bird's nest)

                                  

Sombrero, amigo?

                             

This guy is selling paper birds which fly elegantly, powered by a rubber band 'Leonardo da Vinci bird' he proudly announced

                                          

   

Street musicians near El Poblado metro station, not looking thrilled about the garb

      

We took a trip on the cable car to Parque Arvi, high above the city, passing over the shanty towns below.  Prior to the cable car, the inhabitants of these towns were cut off from the city, now they  have the opportunity to work in Medellin, as they have cheap, accessible transport.  Previously, working in the city would have entailed a couple of hours' walk down the hill to reach the city, then a punishing hike back up at the end of the day.

 

Shanty towns on the hillside above Medellin

                                 

Sign inside the cable car 

       

From the cable car, Medellin all around and below us    

We loved the botanical gardens, a green lung in the middle of the city.  Birds, huge iguanas and amazing ice cream!  

       

Big iguana in a tree - we saw (and heard!) one plunge from high in the tree into the lake below 

They walk and climb surprisingly quickly when they need to.

                                   

Magnificent beast

      

Very territorial little bird

 

      

Butterflies feasting on fruit in the mariposario

      

                                    

Birds (ibis?) gathering in the trees by the lake at dusk

On to Guatape

After a great few days in Medellin, we travelled by bus for a couple of hours to Guatape, a little town renowned for its zocalos, frescoes on the front walls of most of the houses and buildings there.  We stayed a couple of nights in an Airbnb, our first private room in a house, we usually rent an whole apartment.  As often happens, in our experience, it was much further outside town than advertised, but in a very rural and scenic area.  We were met by the owner's young brother, in Maranilla, a buzzing little town, and driven in his 4WD to the pretty and stylishly furnished Finca on an avocado farm up in the hills before the town of El Penol (named after the big rock of the same name, situated just before Guatape).  The original village lies at the bottom of the lake, which is actually a reservoir, having been submerged in the name of progress and the need for a reliable water source.  You can sometimes see the old church spire above the water level.  The new town is very obviously a result of the need to build fast and cheap, it's ugly and character-free, but the people are very friendly and welcoming.

                               

In Maranilla, our first taste of Colombiana, a fizzy drink NOT made by Pepsi or Coca Cola and containing nothing natural whatsoever, quite delicious

The lovely little local cafe also sold pandequeso, literally cheese bread, which is also delicious and looks like a bagel (just to the left of the bottles, in the cabinet)

      

Room with a view - to the lake, taken from our balcony at the avocado farm 

      

And the big bed in our room, with colourful local textiles and crisp white cotton bedding

       

Stunning butterfly on the porch  

       

 The Finca's very friendly dog, Bob, in a rare quiet moment  

Next day, by bus to Guatape for a major photo-op

                                   

        

 The 7 ages of man 

                                               

           

Making sugar cane juice

      

The medical centre

                                         

       

Zocalo depicting the rock, El Penol.....

      

....And the real thing (note the 'GI' on the rock - apparently some adventurous, but foolhardy types attempted to write 'Guatape', but were caught after just one and a half letters)

       

Probably the most photographed house in Guatape - the owner is so proud

       

Alan loved this little trabajador   

                                      

How pretty is this pharmacy?  

      

And this bank?  

       

                                

No, he's not trying to get off to sleep - this zocalo celebrates the moment that the whole idea was conceived 

      

Down by the lake at Guatape - see the hapless people stuck on the zip wires, waiting to be rescued 

We had a good fun day in Guatape; it was Sunday, and the town was thronging with locals and tourists.  The lake was mobbed with jet skiers, zip liners, people taking boat trips, stalls selling handicrafts,  snacks, gaseosas and beer.  The atmosphere was great.  We joined in the local sport of watching the zip liners hurtle hard and unceremoniously into the mattress at the other end.  Ouch.

Next day the family who owns the Finca came to harvest the avocados, by hand.  Each avocado was checked for quality, weighed individually and packed.  The mother of the family, Patricia, explained that they were destined for Europe, mostly England, and Sainsbury's!  

     

Harvesting the avocados

     

Each one is individually checked and weighed (with a little kitchen scale)

The procedure took three people all day.  They started at 7.30am and finished at midnight.  It was heartening to learn that there are still small-scale family businesses selling to the supermarket giants.  Hopefully they are given a fair price for their produce.

We realised that we hadn't seen Bob for a while and his food had not been touched.  Turns out he had been hit by a motorbike he was chasing and dislocated his shoulder, so was at the vet's.  Poor Bob returned next day, with a limp, and without his testicles, but still bounding around!

                                     

Coffee beans drying in the sun in streets of the little town of El Penol 

     

La Cabana, nearest bus stop to our Finca, the transport 'hub' which no-one, including taxi and moto raton drivers, had ever  heard of

 

Huge fish in tiny tanks for sale along the road near the bus stop

       

The bus station in El Penol, with a beautifully decorated bus

       

Street seller near the bus station

       

View from our room, in the sunshine, on our last morning

       

On the bus from El Penol, on the way back to Medellin to catch a bus to our next stop, Jardin

                            

The Virgin Mary giving hope to those buying lottery tickets in Medellin bus station 

Next post: Horsing around in Jardin (yep, sorry - another alliterative title - Jardin is pronounced 'Hardeen')