South American charm

by Kristine Kristensen (Denmark)

I didn't expect to find Bolivia

In my two months of traveling through South America, i did for the first time leave my group and went on a solo adventure. Before the bustling city of La Paz started to awaken a cab came and picked me up. In real south American style there was some trouble with one of the wheels, so before leaving town we drove to one of the many mechanics, who fixed the car while we made a smaller traffic jam. When finally leaving the city it was like driving in to a fairytale. We drove on the winding road in between the green misty mountains. Upon arrival at the coffee plantation I was asked the unavoidable question; how much coffee do you drink per day? To be polite I simply answered not very much, but as of matter of fact the correct answer would have been, never. Completely unexpected I did for the first time ever, like coffee and an espresso normally is not for a novice. If it was the wonderful green mountain setting or the anticipating from my two private guides and the chauffeur, I don’t know but all of a sudden I did understand all the hype. The enthusiastic worker at the plantation took me through the production, while the guide, with almost worse English than my Spanish explained. We started looking at the fresh coffee plant and fruit. Who would have thought that the fresh coffee fruit would taste so sweet and not at all bitter. I was shown how the fermentation, drying and roosting process. This little coffee plantation only kept the best quality bean and with as little as possible of the peel which normally is the part that could course stomach ache and headache. The last part of the production, the roasting, I had to grapple with. To top the fantastic experience they served me a llama fillet with a sweet coffee sauce and a Bolivian special dried potato gratin. The dessert in coffeeparadise was of course vanilla ice cream with coffee. Hours later we were again driving through the “maravillosa” landscape while slowly but steady getting closer to the city much worth a visit. The kind guide short time after sent me a mail with “photographies”, what a sweet name for the pictures he has taken at the plantation. Just like the warm of all the South Americans I met.