TRAVERSE 185
TRAVEL - COLOMBIA
LEIGH WILKINS
MORE THAN JUST A BEAN
Dismissed with a look of disgust I reached for my latte , the lady barista , if she should be called that , rolled her eyes as I made my way to the door . Latte , essentially a café con leche , a coffee with milk that is neither frothed nor the right temperature , is regarded as heathen in this part of the world but I ’ m from Melbourne , the self-proclaimed coffee capital of Australia , no , the World .
The town square was a hubbub of activity as early morning Salento came to life . Artisans mixed with mongers , as a world so different to my latte sipping early morning Melbourne could be . I watched on in wonder as it all unfolded and I tried to come to terms with the dismissive attitude to my choice of coffee in this place that can truly count itself , unlike Melbourne , as a capital of the brown liquid .
Riding into Salento , a town steeped in tradition that sits amongst the Andean mountain range of Colombia , was like a ride back in time with the aid of hallucinogens like no other . Calle Real , the Royal Road , was a kaleidoscopic tapestry of rich colours and designs , every building adorned with images and designs depicted its purpose . Yet there was more to it than just vibrant colours , energetic bars , and culinary delights . There were cafés and a coffee culture that the citizens of my home city could only dream .
Salento sits amongst the socalled Coffee Triangle , a region of Colombia known as the Paisa region , an agricultural area that features rich soils and ideal climatic growing conditions that produce the worlds finest coffee bean within a relatively short harvest period . The Andean rainforest is a labyrinth of producers all vying for the perfect bean to export .
The history of coffee growing in Colombia is a little misty ,
TRAVERSE 185