WELCOME TO 2-2-2 TUESDAY
Here are 2 Cultural Highlights, 2 Quotes, and 2 Brief Stories for you to enjoy.
Inspired by Minca and Jardin, Columbia
2 CULTURAL HIGHLIGHTS
1.
“It’s Like Being In A Rodeo,”
Farah exclaimed as she returned from the bus bathroom.
Why did the journey to Jardin, Columbia feel like a bucking bronco? Surprisingly, it was NOT the bus condition. Nor was it the driver. Nope. It was…the conditions of the route. As a passenger, you travel along steep, narrow, winding two-lane road. As a natural result, you experience constant jerking motions from the repetitive braking and accelerating. As if that wasn’t enough, the driver was forced to continuously dodge large semi trucks and motorcycles heading the opposite direction.
Overall, the experience was net positive. How? Aside from the convulsions and involuntary jolting, the views were spectacular. The road route passes through mountainous terrain and offers stunning panoramas of the lush green valleys and landscapes. If you take on this drive yourself, be prepared for a challenging but rewarding experience.
2.
Wings of Wonder: Is This The World’s Most Interesting Bird?
We’re not “birders,” per se, but the Rupicola Peruvianus captured our full attention a few days ago.
What makes this bird so compelling? She features the full package of interesting sites, sounds and personality. They make a series of deep calls that sound like a mix of low-pitched honks and whistles. In appearance, feathers are vibrant, orange and red bird with a large, impressive crest on its head. The complete trifecta for an interesting bird!
And that’s not all. There’s a fourth dimension of interestingness. Her name. In English, this odd flying creature is known as the “Cock of the Rock.” The name comes from the tendency to build nests on rocks and ledges.
But wait, there’s more! Just when you thought this bird piqued in fun facts, consider her diet. She doesn’t just eat delicious fruit and insects. She’s far too quirky for that boring food. She enjoys the finer things in life: small frogs and reptiles.
Anyways, we were fortunate to see over a dozen, very active Rupicola Peruvianus. Turns out, they only live in tropical and subtropical rainforests. They are also common in Peru. In fact, they claim her as their national bird. If we’re lucky, we’ll see more of the red flying wonder as we trek to Machu Picchu next month. Stay tuned.
2 QUOTES TO CONSIDER
- “The best things in life are not things at all.” – Unknown
- “Travel and experiences are the only things you can buy that make you richer.” – Unknown
2 BRIEF STORIES
1.
Bon Appetít: A Charming Family Owned Restaurant
Do you enjoy a nice meal at a restaurant? Silly question. Of course you do. We all love food. Some might say that we (humans) are just as food motivated as the pets we love. Yes, but restaurants deliver more than just meals.
Recently, we stumbled across a tiny Columbian restaurant with only four small tables: Artesanal Cocina Gourmet.
Why did we love it? Well, the first positive impression was in the food. It really was exceptional. We loved the aroma of sizzling garlic and spices mingling with the vibrant colors of fresh basil and ripe tomatoes. There’s nothing like fresh ingredients. Right?
But that’s not what brought us back for a rare repeat visit.
So what was the main attraction? The experience. In this case, it was not a mix of elaborate decorations or eye popping entertainment. Rather, it was the warm and cozy feeling of a restaurant operated by a happy little family.
Picture this. Mom and Dad divide and conquer the tasks of greeting hungry customers, and preparing the food. Yes – they are both chefs. Somehow, they seem to run the whole show. For example, at one point during our meal, Mom took off on her scooter and returned moments later with a basket of more ingredients.
How is that possible? Well, neither the restaurant staff nor the customers seem rushed in this region. Isn’t that how it should be?
To top it off, we loved watching the many interactions of the small boys running in and out of playing on the cobblestone streets. Multiple times, they stormed in and excitedly yelled, “Papi,” followed by a short presentation of something they’d discovered or accomplished. Each time, the parents laughed, showed interest, and gently encouraged them back into play mode.
As we paid for our meal, we explained how much we loved the place. The owners asked us to please share our experience on social media as business was slow. We did. Almost immediately, other travelers in the area showed interest.
As we enjoyed our second meal a couple nights later, we met a young man from Australia who came in based on the review Farah posted. We chatted about our travel interests and plans. Bonus! We made a new friend while giving our restaurant owners a small boost.
Social media is the new word of mouth.
2.
What’s Above The Waterfall?
Last week, we explored the magic of Pozo Azul. Nature provided surround sounds of birds chirping and rushing water crashing around us. In a blissful state, we laid back in brisk, freshwater pools. Feeling completely refreshed and rejuvenated after a challenging climb, we surveyed 360 views of lush green tropical rainforest. It was 8 am, and the birds were very active.
“I can’t believe we have this place to ourselves” I reflected.
How did we get here? We had climbed up a waterfall and traveled upstream for a couple of miles. We passed multiple waterfalls until we found a spot that spoke to us.
After some time, another couple emerged from a distance and approached us. They had an initial look of shock, which quickly transformed into friendly, warm smiles. After greeting us, they explained they had never seen others in this area. As it turned out, they were locals and this was one of their favorite spots.
We immediately felt connected and took turns sharing adventures and interests. They seemed as curious about us as we were about them. After a half hour or so, we wished each other well and moved on to another long day hike.
About two hour later, we summited a small mountain on the way to a bigger peak. As fate would have it, our two new friends were standing at the top. We were headed the same direction, so we hiked together until we reached a small beautiful restaurant hotel. Mundo Nuevo.
At about that time, the weather took drastic turn as it started downpouring heavy the way only rainforests can do. We spent a couple of hours talking, laughing, and enjoying food with our new friends as we waited for the the storm to calm.
In the end, we decided to treat our new friends to lunch before parting ways.
That should have been the end of a wonderful day of excursions, but our grateful new friends insisted we join them on another adventure. This time, they proposed we hike back to their car, so they could drive us to their favorite mountain views for a sunset. Yes please! How could we refuse?
It was incredible as Jorge and Lara added context and layers to everything we experienced. We learned there are three hundred bird species in the area. Together, we spotted dozens of species (new to us) during our time together. Fortunately, our flexible style of traveling paid off in a big way.
In the dark, after twelve hours of a magical day with new friends, we said our “see you laters.”
Thanks for tuning in to 2-2-2 Tuesday!
If you have any feedback, comments, or suggestions, we’d love to hear from you. Have a wonderful week!
– Zack and Farah
