Chat Zone for The Big Big Trip Journal!

[cwskas]

My day was far from boring, dull and uninspirational but that snake sign stuck in my head until I arrived and kept me on my toes (literally!) all day long!

Eyelash Viper Wikipedia

 

[cwskas]

Seems the snakes would be hard to spot since they are small, nocturnal and usually in branches or other camouflage.

How about the Howler monkeys?

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Seems the snakes would be hard to spot since they are small, nocturnal and usually in branches or other camouflage.

How about the Howler monkeys?

You're giving me the heebie-jeebies

Nocturnal they may be but tree branches are everywhere and sometimes in my wheels!

This was my road yesterday - a landslide on one side, a road collapse on the other

And look at all these big feckin' red things!

Didn't see any monkeys but was happily mauled by two big, playful, happy dogs!

 

[CharlesF]

Loved the last few posts with the wild roads and rain; some great descriptions there! I hope your ankle is improving, even if only slowly.

 

[Scoosh]

WOW ! You've really got an adventurous being/spirit inside you !

I do wonder though, has this being/spirit always been evident to you or has this trip and its adventures stimulated it to the extent that it is now overflowing in joyful abandon ?


Wondered when you'd get to the victory over the ABs ! . Well done Ireland !

 

[Shadow]

Finally caught up with this thread and the Big Journal one - its taken me days! I've had questions, replies and comments to make but they have all got lost in my foggy head. Note to self: must make more effort to stay up to date.

Coffee. You are in coffee country. (I still do not know/recognise a coffee plant- in spite of your photos!). So, a few queries:

What makes the Colombian coffee you are enjoying so good? How does it differ from 'good' coffee available in europe?
When you take your coffee at 'the Plaza' (it does not matter in which town!), what do you actually ask for? Does it generally arrive as you requested? (or does it come as the proprietor/server think you should have it!)
How do you like your coffee - e.g. milk, cream, sugar? Has your taste changed since being in Colombia?

 

[Alex321]

A lot of the best coffee available in Europe comes from Colombia - So Hobbes is getting it from the source

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Loved the last few posts with the wild roads and rain; some great descriptions there! I hope your ankle is improving, even if only slowly.

Thanks Charles
The ankle is still sensitive but not hampering me anymore.
I'm genuinely surprised it hasn't happened before!

 

[HobbesOnTour]

WOW ! You've really got an adventurous being/spirit inside you !

I do wonder though, has this being/spirit always been evident to you or has this trip and its adventures stimulated it to the extent that it is now overflowing in joyful abandon ?

Interesting question and I'm not sure I'm best placed to answer it!

I'd think that certainly I was a bit adventurous when I was younger but that I lost that for quite a while.

I think getting on a bike and going for a ride was a catalyst for some of it coming back.

I think I made the point that I may not have enjoyed the completely unexpected road surface a few years ago..... But these days it was beyond fabulous!

There's probably a few reasons for that;
I'm confident in what I'm doing. And I have the gear that I need. Plus, I've been on the road for a while.
I feel very comfortable where I am - that makes adventure easier.
My head is in the right place.

I think I was trying to make the point in the post that, for me, the idea of being able to attempt a big adventure came from completing lots of small adventures.
And every bike ride can be a small adventure.

Wondered when you'd get to the victory over the ABs ! . Well done Ireland !

Our first victory against them was in 2016! We've now won three times in 5 years! (Or 100+). Of course, they still win the ones that count.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

What makes the Colombian coffee you are enjoying so good?

The coffee served here is second grade - the good stuff is exported. So there's that.
Having said that, it is still pretty good in comparison to what is served in other places.
Honestly, I think a huge part of the enjoyment is the location and the overall experience.
That coffee I get when I roll into the Plaza of a new town? There's all kinds of flavour in there! Adventure, comfort, the "I'm home" flavour. Another day safely negotiated.
And of course, I get to plonk my ass down and watch the world go by.

How does it differ from 'good' coffee available in europe?

In the service.
I have a choice of coffee - filtered or from an espresso type machine.
I prefer the filtered, it's cheaper and the experience is better. The filtered here knocks the pants off the filtered at home. And it's fast!

When you take your coffee at 'the Plaza' (it does not matter in which town!), what do you actually ask for? Does it generally arrive as you requested? (or does it come as the proprietor/server think you should have it!)

From a vendor with flasks I'll ask for a "tinto". A black coffee. Usually it is already sweetened. It will usually be served in a plastic, disposable cup and I'll have a choice of big or small, nearly always described in terms of price.
They normally expect the foreigner to want it "con leche" (with milk) but I've weaned myself off that. I'm not sure the milk was agreeing with me. Sometimes I have to insist!

From an espresso type machine it can be more variable - I'm not sure everyone is familiar with the machines. For years my goto coffee in such a place is a latte. I prefer to avoid them here. If it's my only choice I'll have an "Americano".

How do you like your coffee - e.g. milk, cream, sugar? Has your taste changed since being in Colombia?

My "comfort" coffee is a latte.
Generally, I prefer a milky coffee in the morning but these days its black.
I'd normally take my coffee sweet but the prevalence of "panela" from sugar cane is game changing! Wonderful stuff!

Prices vary hugely! A tinto from a street vendor won't exceed 1000 pesos and often cheaper. From a coffee "wagon" with "proper" machine 3000 or more.

 

[Shadow]

A lot of the best coffee available in Europe comes from Colombia

Yes, I am aware of that. My query was poorly worded, I should have said '...in europe, imported from anywhere but Co.'

 

[Shadow]

My head is in the right place.

^^^ this. many times this.

And every bike ride can be a small adventure.

^^^ and this! (Even near home).

Thanks for expanding on the coffee, fascinating and invariably leads to more mental meanderings from me:

The filtered here knocks the pants off the filtered at home.

I wonder how and why. Does the vendor almost make a new batch for each customer? Or is the vendor generally busy so the coffee does not go stale?

Usually it is already sweetened

With what? What if you like unsweetened coffee?

the prevalence of "panela" from sugar cane is game changing

What is 'panela'? How is it game changing?

 

[Shadow]

'All those meters climbed and for absolutely nothing! '

Ha! Your attitude to hills is soooo different since being in Co and also since ascending Alto de Letras with (relative) ease. The Intrepid Condor!, perhaps.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

I wonder how and why. Does the vendor almost make a new batch for each customer? Or is the vendor generally busy so the coffee does not go stale?

I have no idea!
I have seen filter coffee being poured out of a big "machine" then being poured back through the coffee grinds at the top.
The flasks are premade so I have no idea how that is made, if differently.

You have to remember that I'm an "experience" kind of guy. I'm in Colombia drinking coffee after riding past coffee plants growing in some pretty spectacular places. I don't want to separate that from what's in my hand. 😊
You'd need to do a triple blind taste test on me and there's no guarantee it would back up what I'm writing

With what? What if you like unsweetened coffee?

You ask for it! Maybe they have it, maybe not. Sometimes the coffee is unsweetened and I need to add sugar. Perhaps it's a regional thing?
I'm assuming it's sweetened with sugar.

What is 'panela'? How is it game changing?

It's a type of sugar from sugar cane. Very smooth, it has flavour over and beyond being sweet and is less sweet than sugar. It seems to combine better with the coffee.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

'All those meters climbed and for absolutely nothing! '

Ha! Your attitude to hills is soooo different since being in Co and also since ascending Alto de Letras with (relative) ease. The Intrepid Condor!, perhaps.

Relative ease???
It was bloody hard work!!
But immensely enjoyable.

I'm just a bit more confident now, is all.