Portrait of Colombia

Santa Rosa is a large, densely populated town with a population of about 60 thousand.  Buildings are close together, like a city, and most of the buildings are under 4 stories.  Many of Santa Rosa's buildings are wood structures built with local species of bamboo.  Other construction materials include brick and concrete.  The streets are full of motorcycles and old jeeps.  The occasional farm animal is being herded by a farmer; animals such as horses, cows and goats.  Horse drawn carts in the cities are to be expected.  In the town square there are frequent celebrations that brings together large crowds.  There is a liveliness to the experience.  You can grab a coffee and enjoy the social atmosphere. Produce stand in Santa Rosa In Santa Rosa, you can grab an ice cream, or visit various vendors and pick out souvenirs for friends and family.  There are many custom furniture stores, shoe shops, and clothing stores.  It's a great place to get some food.  The town has bars a

Santa Rita is in the valley below I have walked on several day trips through the mountains around the rural village of Santa Rita.  The trails are negotiable, though muddy at times, and reveal spectacular views of mountains, forests, rivers, and waterfalls.  Taking a jeep ride into Santa Rita is very bumpy, but it brings you to a place that is quite and beautiful.  The village is of only a few hundred people, but it covers a large area of what is mostly farmland.  You'll see cows, horses, dogs, chickens, and a lot of coffee. This mountainous area of the Andes is home to some of the most coffee production in the world.   People plant coffee here, and then hand pick each bean, husk it, and sort it based on grade.  The work is hard, but it is how many Colombian farmers make a living. Sunset in Santa Rita In the early morning from up on the ridge line (1,800 meters above sea level) you can sometimes see the clouds that have managed to cross over the first of the t