Salento - a dreamworld

Friday, September 24th, 2010

As for my last time in Medellin, I had a great one. I served as a brilliant wingwoman on valentines, and relaxed on sunday. I didn`t like saying goodbye to my friends, but we´d meet again. I felt good about travelling alone again, and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. I didn`t expect(although I should have) to find six people I knew from Medellin.
I moved down to the farm the next day, and Man I adore living there with the beautiful and quiet scenery of green hills, coffe plants and fruit trees where you can help yourself to as much as you like. Entonces, were making a lot of juice and luxury Bourbon coffee! Since I`m working on the farm, selecting beans, collecting oranges, picking coffee beans, clearing the hills with macheti(!), I get a huge lunch that with the other fruits and food I get, makes my costs of living equal zero. I don`t work a lot, and there is no pressure. The colombian guys I work with are brilliant, and I love living with the amazing animals. There are three Lassie dogs, three cats, a whole bunch of chickens(one is cuddly and awesome), and two cute kids. There is no stress, just pleasure of being in such a beautiful place. I wish I brought warmer clothes, as the weather has not been perfect. I`m waiting for sunny days to go to Valle de Cocora, whith all the wax palms. There are a great deal of great treks around that I`ll do next week.

Today I booked a motorcycle lesson tomorrow. Tonight we`ll be spending time by the fire place, collecting the chocolates we won, playing cards the other night. On sunday we`ll be playing football with the locals, which should be grand. I just watched some girls´ volleyball match. It makes me a bit nostalgic. Trying to not think much about my past and home, but it does make me happy to think I have something great that I can return to. I love you guys, and I hope you`re having a great time too :)

Monday, September 27th, 2010

I wrote this on saturday: Friday was truly great. After a great day, we went for food at Lucy´s, where everyone eats, and played Tejo, a south american game where you throw shaped stones into clay. If you hit bullseye, there´s an explosion, and you have to drink beer to play the game. Nice combo?
Afterwards we cuddled up by the fireplace with brownies, fruits and wine. A guy named Mike is just hilariously funny, and I can´t remember the last time I laughed that much. Most of the guys I´ve been hanging out with were a group travelling together, meeting up here and there. It was great to be a part of that for a bit, but unfortunatly most of them have left now. Today, me and colombian Freddy(my bossman) gathered lots of guava and other fruits and made a smoothie for everyone, before my first motorcycle lesson. It was Amazing! The instructor was awesome, and invited me to his house tomorrow after football, since it´s right by the court. We drove to Valle de Cocora, crossing bumpy, rocky roads with lots of mud and rivers. He let me stand while driving the bike and practice a lot of "stop and start in uphill", which was my only challenge, according to him. He said I was an excellent driver, so the month driving a scooter in Bali must have paid off! For two hours it cost me 60 000 pesos. Expensive but well worth it. The scenery was amazing as well. Now I´ve been cooking and talking to Tim, the owner, who´s working hard to catch some thieves that have stolen from the hostal twice now.

Writing on monday evening: Sunday, me and a friend named Laura went on a day trip in the valley with two of my colombian colleagues. It was a beautiful walk and good practice for my spanish. No lunchpack was neccessary: so much guavas and blackberries! After the long walk, I fell asleep in the sun, thinking Finally! We had another marshmallow night by the fireplace with some new people. Three amongst them are doctors, and have a lot of experience to share. Today was not as sunny. Me and an aussie girl were volunteering in soaking rain, picking oranges and blackberries. I´ve been a pc nerd since it´s so wet.. It´s such a shame! It´s not even rainy season, but it´s raining all over Colombia.

Friday, October 1st, 2010

Ahhh

I hate it when the internet makes you write things twice, even though you´ve copied your writing!

Well, the last days have been divine; sunny, beautiful, with cozy reading by the fireplace at night with baked sweets. We went to Valle de Cocora yesterday; to the hummingbirdfarm Acaime, and the outlook La Montaña. We tried the local combination of hot chocolate and cheese. The hot chocolate was good but the cheese was tasteless and Squeeky! Colombians Love their crappy cheese, and they definatly love sugar. Back in Salento, it had been pouring like it has been for two hours now. Earlier was good, though. Me and a british couple I´ve been hanging out with, cleaned trees in the sun for three hours as work. Working on the farm is just mediative, nice and varied. Definatly worth doing. And the finca is definatly worth staying in! The dogs really know me now, and wait for me even though there are others walking up the road to the plantation house.

The main reason I´m here is to read about and see some photos of Ecuador. There were a lot of people travelling south to cross the border, but yesterday we heard that that was´nt possible because of a coup attempt on the president, where he was locked in a hospital for 12 hours, before escaping, pissed off, saying he won´t forgive what they did The neighbouring borders were shut off in solidarity to the Ecuadorian president.

It would´ve been quite interesting to be in the country, although one would have no idea when you´d be able to leave again. I´m glad I´m not there, especially not in scetchy Quito. I have friends there that call it exciting, and others say they don´t notice it that much. Backpackers have been discussing and researching how to travel south, but luckily the borders are reopened, as they are no longer sure that it was a coup after all. We can all say phew, but we don´t know how safe it´s going to be in the time to come to travel certain areas.