The Level of Danger

Oct 23, 2009
Manizales, Colombia
Elevation 2094m

Alexandro offered to take me to the main market here in Manizales today. He thought that it is not safe for me to go by myself. The market was amazing. Today, for the first time I got to see an entire pig butchered and seperated into smaller parts. An entire pig disappeared into smaller geometeric shapes right in front of me in under 20 minutes. The speed and the skill of the butchery is amazing.

Nothing is wasted here. Everything is used for something. I watched butchers labouriously take off the skin on a cow´s head, pick off whatever bits of meat there is on the head along with cataledge and whatnot for what Alexandro describes as a meat jello like dish.

Here in Colombia, everytime I ask someone about the market, where it is or how I can get there, they look at me and tell me that its not really safe to go. I go anyways. I have never felt unsafe or sketchy when I am in the market, surrounded by butchers, carcass, vegetables and fruit sellers. The most profound and basic thing happens here in these markets and my danger alarm never has gone off. I am uncertain as to why the constant warnings. Perhaps I am not seeing the danger, perhaps I am being a little too naive, or perhaps these nice Colombians just don´t want anything to happen to me and end up with a negative impression of their beloved country.

Alexandro was really excited that he got to take me to the market today and show me around. Towards the end of the morning, he asked me what I thought of it and why do I like it so much. I told him that I like the market because it exists without my gringo dollars. The market happens irrespective to what the flow of tourism is or isn´t. It is authentic and it is real and it is life at its most basic, independent of backpackers or how wildly visted a country is.

*I had some amazing pictures for you but I lost my blackberry (where the pictures are stored on) on the bus ride out of Manizales...so I am afraid that you will have to wait until the end of December when the website gets overhauled with all the new images from Latin America.

Coffee Facts

Oct 22, 2009
Manizalea, Colombia
Elevation 2094m

I went to a coffee farm today for a tour as I am in the Zona Cafetera region of Colombia. Our guide´s name is Alexandro and this is what I learned:

- a 10 kilo bag of raw beans sells from $1.25-$2 USD depending on the harvest and market demand.

- a 10 kilo bag of raw beans will yeild approx 3 kilos after roasting.

- this particular coffee farm has 20-30 works on staff but will add another 50-80 seasonal worker for the harvest season.

- the seasonal harvest workers vary in age, anywhere between 13-70 and there used to be a lot more women 10-15 years ago than now.

- the climate change is effecting the harvest and the crop. previously they were getting 80% of their harvest to be of export quality where as now they are only getting 30% that are good enough for export.

- export quality beans look and tasts vastly different than that of domestic consumptn. domestic consumption are of inferior beans are burnt and often infested with worms. the same quality of beans are what is used in the likes of Folgers or instant coffee.

- harvest workers are paid by the kilos, 400COP (approx $.50) per kilo. if the harvest is good, they can pick as much as 100 kilos a day

- a coffee tree can produce berries for 5 years then its dormiate for 2 years. every 7 years modifications needs to be made to the tree, such as trimming it back, in order for it to produce berries again in another 5 plus 2 year cycle.

- during harvest season, the prices for goods in surrounding towns fluctuate depending on the quality of the harvest. if its a good year, food and goods are more expensive as the workers have more money to spent. where as if its a bad harvest season, things are cheaper.

Alexandro said that he loves giving tours for the coffee farms as coffee is such an important part of the region and his culture that he feels like he is sharing a part of himself with us, "showing us himself" as he says.