Eje Cafetero in Colombia.

After exploring Medellin for about two weeks, we decided to take a little adventure and explore the Eje Cafetero ( Coffee growing axis); we couldn't miss having the experience of visiting the famous Colombian coffee plantations! 
There are three major cities who are part of the Eje cafetero; Manizales, Pereira and Armenia. All of them are part of what is known as "El triangulo del cafe" (Triangle Coffee); After doing a little searching about this amazing area and finding the way to get there, we were ready to go for the adventure!
In Medellin there are two bus stations, terminal south and north; to go to Eje Cafetero we had to take a "buseta" (small bus) to our first stop in Manizales at the terminal south. No need of making reservations, just go to the terminal and you will see the signs to Manizales or some guys on the hallways announcing the departure... "Salida a Manizales!" :O)





These buses are very cozy so we felt like in a can of sardines, that wasn't the worst; the road was very curvy and the bus driver drove like a maniac... I felt like a pig in one of those trucks we see sometimes on the freeway... OINK OINK OINK! hahaha
It was a four and a half hour ride from Medellin to Manizales, going through the mountains and having some amazing views paid off for the crazy ride experience... which was part of the adventure!

We arrived at the bus station and took a taxi to our hotel situated in the "zona rosa" (pink zone); then we found out that this is the upper scale neighborhood in town. We stayed at Hotel Estelar El Cable, a very modern, comfortable place with great staff and service; the best part of staying at this hotel was that everything was within walking distance.

Manizales is a beautiful university city up in the mountains and in the heart of Colombia; walking around gave us the feeling that we were in the city of San Francisco with the streets going up and down the hills. 
Zona rosa is the area that has all the cute outdoor cafes and international restaurants, this is the perfect location to hangout and be seen. The students love to be around the main square, specially in the afternoons after finishing with school.

 Downtown is about 30 min walking distance from the zona rosa, so we decided to take a walk and explore the historical district; as we walked through the main avenue, we didn't see anything to be impressed with but the view changed once we got closer to the center. We found an impressive main square with a beautiful cathedral surrounded by other nice spots and buildings.

Not far from downtown there is a lookout called " El Chipre" this is the highest point in Manizales; the views of the mountains from here are very nice. By the time we made it to this point, we had been walking for about three hours; we were tired and hungry so we decided to enjoy the view while having a well deserved and delicious lunch at one of the outdoor restaurants.

Manizales has beautiful parks to visit and spend time in the outdoors. We visited park Los Yarumos, this is a beautiful place overlooking the city where you can just go for a walk, appreciate the amazing metal sculptures, relax by reading a book or you can have an exciting time by doing some ziplining.

Our experience in Manizales was excellent and we would've liked spending more time here and explore more of what the city offers but, we had other places to visit within the Eje Cafetero, specially a charming little town called Salento... To be continue!

Safe Travels!

The 6 hours walking adventure around Medellin, Colombia. (Part 5)

The third day after arriving in Medellin, we decided to go for a short walk; we just wanted to do our little workout routine. I read about "Plaza Botero" which is a little park right in downtown that has many sculptures of Fernando Botero, a sculptor from Medellin, Colombia.
Getting to this plaza from our apartment was supposed to be about 30 min. but, we got lost and it took about two hours to find it... It´s all part of the adventure!
Plaza Botero is a mix of art, culture and nature; it´s the perfect place to walk around and admire the 23 bronze sculptures that this park exhibits.

Our little walking adventure continued so we kept exploring downtown Medellin; we didn't have a map of the city so we let our traveler senses guide us... that is how we discovered some other nice places like "El parque de los pies descalzos" (Barefoot park); this place is the perfect spot to relax, walk barefoot on the warm sand and recharge the energies by meditating in the zen garden complete with live bamboo.

By the time we were trying to find our way back to the apartment, it was starting to get dark; then we remembered that it was the last day of the Christmas lights show. "El Alumbrado" (The lighting) is a traditional event that Medellin has every year, where the city hangs millions of Christmas lights and holds cultural events by the Medellin river... We were very impressed with such an amazing show!

This is how we ended our "short walk" around Medellin... What a great experience! 

To be continue...
Safe Travels!

Subway ride to the Botanical Garden in Medellin, Colombia. (Part 4)

The sunshine woke us up one more time this morning through our bedroom's window, like letting us know that it was time to enjoy the new day. While JJ and I were having a cup of coffee in the back patio and letting our bodies absorb the energy of Mr. Sun, we decided to explore the Botanical Garden. 
We love to walk, it keeps us in shape and it's a better way of "getting lost" in the city and find all those amazing hidden places. Today, we walked to the subway station of El Poblado and took the ride to downtown where the Botanical Garden is located; we wanted to have the subway experience in Medellin.
We weren't disappointed at all, the metro is really a great transportation system that takes you all over the city; it is clean, well organized, safe, it has air conditioner and it´s very affordable (COP $2000... $0.85 USD).

The Botanical Garden is right in the heart of the city and it's about 40 acres of outdoor space; here is where all the locals and its visitors escape to relax and enjoy a good quality time with their loved ones.

Walking through its paths is like getting into an enchanted place full of a diversity of plants and trees; the lake brings so much tranquility and invites you to sit down by the calm water and forget about your daily routine. As we kept exploring the garden, we found some secret spots where you can read stories about these magical beings that protect the park.

The butterflies house is a little sanctuary where you can interact with these beautiful creatures and appreciate their vivid colors; being around them, it's like going back in time to our childhood when we used to believe in the magical fairies... I am sure I saw some of them flying around and smiling at me! :O)

This Botanical garden also has some restaurants, so you can enjoy a delicious meal at the end of your adventure; but you can always bring a basket with some bread, cheese and a bottle of wine... what a better way of spending some quality time!

 What a great day we had at the Botanical Garden... it feels good to be a child for a day and forget about all the responsibilities of being a grown up.

To be continue...
Safe travels!