Colombia's second largest export is Coffee with US$2.5 billion worth in 2016. That's equivalent to 11.5 million 70Kg Bags of coffee beans. Grown by over 500,000 individual Coffee Farmers.
We decided to track down a Plantation and go Coffee Tasting.
Most of Colombia's Coffee Farms are tiny - just two Hectares - and don't offer Coffee Tours - but nestled in the heart of La Zona Cafetera is the Hacienda Venecia with over 400 Hectares of Coffee Plantation. And a wonderful Farm House Hotel where the founding family used to live.
Took some finding - not used to Guests arriving in their own vehicle - 15 Km of single track dirt road down 45 degree slopes and through a river - needed all of Pablo's rugged terrain skills.
Worth the journey - as the photos show - plenty of money in Coffee growing! Beautiful rooms in a beautiful house surrounded by beautiful gardens - a beautiful pool and a menagerie of wildlife - including a muster of Peacocks! - plus Iguanas 6 feet long, Humming Birds 6 cm long, black headed Vultures, and a dove nesting in a plant-pot on the verandah just outside our room whose two eggs hatched overnight and tiny baby chicks got their first meal as we watched through the double doors!!
Next morning's Plantation Tour and Coffee Tasting was fascinating. Never really considered the hard work that goes into that bag of Ground Coffee on the shelf at Sainsburys! So labour intensive!! And so vulnerable to the whims of the Global Market - coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world!
The Venecias must be doing something right. When we got back to the Farm House the clan had gathered for Sunday lunch and we met the whole family - all 25 of them - across 4 generations! Shared their lunch too - although we had a separate table!! Chef told us the white meat was Peacock! Hope he was joking!!
Family left at 5 o'clock and we had the place to ourselves - the only guests - Staff left at 8:00pm after Dinner! Suddenly we were alone - very alone - although they left two Dobermans to look after us! David had just read online that 18 months ago armed robbers raided the Farm House Hotel at 10pm one night and held up the Guests at gunpoint - it's on booking.com if you think we're exaggerating! Put the Crooklock on our car, locked the 10 foot gate, walked the perimeter fence, patted the Dobermans, checked the Chicks and bolted our bedroom door!!!
