Cuenca Travels: Post Salinas

We have been without internet for a while. We are now in Columbia and are connected but the connection is slow. It is difficult to download pictures, so that will have to wait until we return to the U.S.

We succumbed to temptation, in Salinas, and looked at property for sale. There are incredible deals to be had. We are going set that aside for now, but the investment opportunities are tempting. We successfully, made it to Manizales. We are being treated like royalty, as usual. Columbia is in a transportation crises. Heavy rains for months have caused landslides on major roads throughout the country. Roads out of Bogata are closed. The main transportation route now runs through Manizales. Hundreds of trucks line up on the Pan American highway everyday waiting to through the city to their destination. It is hurting many things. Most places are running on generators. The main water plant has been down for a few months. Water is difficult to keep in supply.Unfortunately, a number of people have lost their lives in the landslides. Valen's father has had many challenges. His main milk farm was cut off by mudslides. He has had a very difficult time getting his milk to market. Many farmers are having to dump milk as they have no way of transporting the milk. So, in that sense, Julian is somewhat lucky. Despite all this everyone keeps their patience and good spirits. It is very heartening.

We have been to many places in our short stay here. We have been on gondola rides, to a botanical garden and two thermals (hot springs). It has been a lot of fun. The pictures will tell a better story. We are now at Valen's grandmother's farm. The internet is good, but slow. So, the posts will be brief. Will fill in on our return. Today, we are going to a valley that produces very different types of produce. There is a restaurant that has a fantastic vista. I think we are having lunch there. We never know for sure - we roll with the flow. Valen's brother, Julian, arrives tonight from Bogata. The only way to get here is by plane. Seats are hard to come by - he arrives late at night.

Should be able to have better updates, now. Report on the day, later.

Apparently, this didn't get posted when written. I will add to it (as we are back in the states now). We did enjoy our day in Valle. It is a rich agricultural area. We had lunch at a very nice restaurant overlooking the valley. The views were wonderful. We could see the various fields with different crops, including papaya plantations. This valley is, also, known for its grape/wine production. We took a tour of a winery. This winery has been in operation for over 50 years. Unfortunately, one of the children or grandchildren of the original owners succumbed to the temptations of the drug cartels a few years back. The bad guys were caught and the winery is now being run by agents of the government. Very sad. On our last day, in Columbia, we toured a small pueblo and surrounding region. We went to the coffee farm of la tia de Valen. It was very beautiful. We had hoped to see her father's farm but the road situation made it unrealistic. Later Becky and I rode horses with Valens's brother Julian (II). The horses belong to her uncle Mario. He has 7 Paso Fino horses. They are very beautiful, but very high spirited. The are fun to ride, however, as they have the specialized gait that is very smooth. Mario says it is smoother than a Mercedes Benz.

Logistically, our travels have been fairly uneventful, with some minor exceptions. Naturally, our last leg, from Parerria to the US was something of a disaster. The airport, in Columbia was closed, for most of the morning of our departure (our flight to was supposed to leave at 7:30 am). We could not get anything on Avianca (very good Columbian airline) that would get us into Atlanta that day. So, for various resins, we ended up going to Miami, renting a car and driving all night to Athens. We got in about 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday. We left Bogata about 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Made it home fine and had to jump right into an OCAF (art foundation) event. Should be able to get back to normal soon. I am going to post the final pictures. I will do a final wrap up for the blog.