un café por favor

When you first arrive in Colombia, exiting that airport door, 

you might be shocked at what you find, not what you thought before,

but as you’ve chosen this fascinating place to explore, 

just remember these key words, un café por favor.

"not what you thought before"

You arrive in your hotel room and collapse onto the floor,

how can you stay in this country? The difference is major.

You know little of the language, 2 sayings or 3 or 4,

just remember these key words, un café por favor.

"collapse onto the floor"

You drop your suitcase off, and head down to a store,

the locals seem to look at you in confusion and awe.

You need something to help you feel Colombia in your core,

and whisper to the barista, un café por favor.

"Colombia in your core"

That night you're one with the locals, out on the dance floor,

no longer feeling tired, or scared, or sore,

you feel adapted and alive, like you could stay here evermore,

lucky you remembered those key words, un café por favor.

"could stay here evermore"

-Jesse Crowe

This poem encompasses several emotions that are encountered when travelling to a new place, and uses coffee as a key to better understand the Colombian culture.

Common Emotions

Euphoria when you’re really excited about being in a new place

Disappointment when you realise that a place might be different to what you expected. This can be prevented by managing your expectations before you travel.

Hostility when you just want things to be like they are at home. This is the point where you can either accept the different culture, or oppose it.

Adaption when you begin acting like a local, allowing you to fit in and feel comfortable.

Assimilation when you truly understand and become part of the culture.

Hopefully this post helps you prepare for your travels mentally, be it to Colombia or elsewhere. Finally, looking back at the last paragraph of the poem, do you think it resembles adaption, assimilation, or euphoria……?

Capturing Colombia

While there are many ethical dilemmas surrounding Colombia, including drug trade, guerrilla warfare & poverty, I feel the need to discuss perhaps a lesser known issue, but one that is most relevant to travellers and tourists alike. Kidnapping. 

With 292 reported kidnappings in 2013 (Thrillist), the country of Colombia has one of the highest abduction rates in the world. Locals and foreigners alike are captured and held hostage for a ransom. This process, though despicable, often proves lucrative for Colombian criminals, and so remains prevalent throughout the Country.

This type of crime has developed from a combination of poverty and a weak presence of state, leading to the development of Guerilla forces that selfishly exploit innocent people.

Colombian Guerillas

I don’t want to scare people out of their trip to Colombia. This post is purely to inform you explorers about a serious issue in South America, and how you can avoid becoming a victim. Below is a short list of things you can do in Colombia to remain safe during your adventures.  

                                    WHEN IN COLOMBIA

                        DO                               |                 DON’T

-Dress in the Colombian fashion  |-Dress like a tourist

-Mainly visit large cities                 |-Wander through small towns

-Make friends with locals               |-Show off gadgets and money                 

-Travel only along main roads      |-Drive down quiet rural roads          

-Travel with a partner or group    |-Travel alone

Kidnapping is a scary and dangerous event, but in many parts of the world it can be a way of life. By being informed and travelling smarter, you can safely traverse Colombia without the fear of kidnap.

How "NOT "to act when travelling

Waiting for Colombia

When travelling to Colombia, there are some things you have to keep in mind. Driving can be extremely dangerous and street crime is prominent in the cities, but the thing that shocks most travellers is Colombia’s time schedule.

Colombians are rarely on time. From the bus schedule, to a lunch meeting, to mail delivery, people in Colombia are never in a rush. It’s not a bad thing, its a charming quirk that truly reflects their relaxed & carefree attitude.

However, this can be stressful to travellers coming from places where timing is everything. They are used to everything running on schedule, perfect to the second. These preformed expectations are built up in many of our lives, and we need to accept that not all societies have that same urgency. If people can’t appreciate Colombia’s habits, it can lead to confusion and even hostility towards the Colombian way of life.

You can get used to it, you just need to manage your expectations. Colombia isn’t strict about timeliness, and travellers should respect that, or better yet, join them. While your out of your comfort zone, try to assimilate to the Colombian outlook on timing.

Be less like this

And more like this

                                                                         

                                                                                                                          

Be flexible about when things should happen, and don’t fret when they don’t. Slow down to really enjoy Colombia and all of its traditions. Just be aware that when your tour bus is meeting at 6am to explore the Amazon, don't be surprised if the tour doesn’t begin until 10am. 

This clip confirms my point in the first 10 seconds, but watch on to see a stereotypical Colombian character.

Colombian Creativity (Except with Coffee)

Around the globe, people’s palates are developed based on their environments. What we are fed as we grow up is usually what we feed our children, and the cycle continues. When we contrast Colombian cuisine with westernised food, we see just how such cycles can vary.

One of Colombia’s signature dishes ‘Mondongo’ is a soup made with the chopped stomach and intestines of a cow. If that doesn’t sound appetising, it is usually served with a combination of rice, avocado and banana. 'Arepas' are another product of Colombia, served with nearly every meal. A simple combination of cornflower and water that can be fried, baked or grilled, and served with anything from cheese to condensed milk.

                   Arepa

Mondongo

Sounds weird doesn’t it? We like our soups savoury and our pancakes sweet, why should Colombia be any different? But before you cross Colombia off your travel agenda due to ‘culinary complications’, try looking at a similar issue from their point of view…coffee for instance.

Westernised Coffee

                                                   

How do you like your coffee? Short, tall, black, white, soy, decaf? Do you like it with whipped cream, chocolate, or maybe it needs a fern pattern in the froth? How do you think Juan Valdez & the coffee farmers of Colombia would view modern coffee creations compared to their traditional, pure coffee? Nabob Coffee Company shows us the answer.

Although I should point out that it is these Colombians who only drink their coffee fresh and black that also enjoy their hot chocolates with cheese….So next time you encounter a dish that seems unusual, remember that everyone has their own palate, tastes that they have grown to love over time, and it never hurts to try these seemingly foreign flavours. Who knows, you might just find your new favourite food.

Colombia: Not Just For The Intrepid

Danger, adventure and exhilaration. These are some of the words people think about when they consider travelling to Colombia, and the lost city of "Ciudad Perdida" continues to be one of the main attractions that lures intrepid travellers from around the world.

This ancient site is older than Machu Picchu, and almost as well hidden as el Dorado. First discovered in the 1970's, this man made wonder is relatively new and exciting. However to access the city requires a challenging 5 day trek through Colombia's mountainous jungles, involving steep rock climbing, precarious river crossings & culminating in a brutal 1400 step entrance to the lost city.

Obviously an adventure that not everyone is capable of, but this should not deter travellers from visiting the beautiful tropics of Colombia. Although there is no alternative way to reach the city, there are many other stunning sites to behold throughout this magnificent country. Ciudad Perdida aside, there are plenty of "unlost cities" in Colombia begging to be visited by the less adventurous travellers. 

Whether you're looking for some national history in the renowned museums, ready to walk the streets of the towns, curious to try some Colombian cuisine or just hoping to find a relaxing hideaway from the world. So if you're not keen on trekking the jungle, don't just cast Colombia aside, really look at all it has to offer.

Colombia's Wax Palm

The wax palm or Palma de Cera is the national tree of Colombia. Perhaps this is because it is the worlds tallest palm (towering above the earth at 50 metres), but more likely it is because for centuries, this tree has been a vital resource for Colombians. From its stem, a durable building material, to its fruits which feed many of the countries native animals and the use of its wax which is used to make both candles & soaps, the tree has been an integral part of Colombian history. However there was a time when the wax palm was in danger of extinction.

The sixteenth century saw the colonisation of Columbia by Spanish settlers, these settlers not only brought with them modern technologies but also modern religions. Catholicism was the dominant religion of the settlers who celebrated a day known as Palm Sunday, the annual occasion recognising the triumphant return of Jesus Christ to Jerusalem. It is written that the people waved palm fronds in celebration of this event. Though the tradition is respectable, was it worth chopping down rare trees and exploiting local natives? 

The misuse of the wax palm lead to a serious decline in its population throughout the region, and as a result, many Colombians struggled to survive. To them, the tree was seen as a source of hope, a way of life. To religious settlers, it was merely seen as a device for worship. This was the case for hundreds of years.

The struggle between the native Colombians and the Catholics was finally resolved in 1985 when it was made illegal to cut down the native wax palm. As a result the number of trees has greatly increased and tension between the Colombians and the Catholics has decreased.Today, the wax palm acts not as a source of hope, but a source of pride for the locals. They grows safely in the Andes mountains, like giant pinwheels towering above fields, safe from human exploitation.

Colombian Coffee Man

When I think about Colombia, I think about the remarkable coffee they produce. But what makes Colombian coffee so special? Brazil grows most of the worlds coffee, and even Vietnam and Indonesia produce more than Colombia, but theres something friendly about Colombian coffee, something that makes it more appealing. and that something is "Juan Valdez".

Sporting a Sombrero vueltiao and his 70's porn-star moustache, Juan Valdez is the symbol of Colombian coffee. You may not recognise the name, but we've all seen him somewhere before.

 "Juan Valdez", Man or Myth?

But who is Juan Valdez? Depicted as a hard working farmer with a loving family and a passion for what he does, Valdez is merely the creation of the Colombian coffee industry. A character concocted by the media to separate Colombian coffee from all others by giving it a friendly face. Here is a classic example of Colombian coffee advertisement.

Although the deception of Colombian advertising seems disappointing, we can take solace in the knowledge that the depiction of Juan Valdez successfully gives Colombian coffee a persona like no other. Representing over 500'000 coffee farmers in Colombia, Juan Valdez and his trusty companion "Conchita (the mule)" bring life to Colombian coffee and remind us of the determined farmers that bring us that rich coffee we take for granted. So here's to you Juan Valdez, *raises latte* the friendly face of Colombian coffee in all its forms. I'll think of him every time I want a decent coffee, won't you?

Juan & Conchita Bring Colombian Coffee to Life