Nous voici avec Rafael, spécialiste coffee in Colombia, 100% Arabica coffee. We som my therefore the best place in the context of our world tour of coffee. We climb to 4x4 board, the same as the father of Laetitia, another good sign for those who like to see wherever it is possible to see, I think I'm one of those there, especially when omens are good! We are happy to see us and Rafael is delighted to welcome us into his country. We arrive in the re presidency of Rafael, we come to the gate, the guard opens. We feel that the patient ys is not safe. The residence consists of a set of small buildings rather modern. Ana-Lucia-wife of Rafael, is there and she is also delighted to see us. Time to put our affairs in a room they had prepared for us and we start dinner in a mall, not just any Carrefour. When you go around the world, we must expect toujou rs to experience new and novel. Rafael and Ana Lucia are very curious about our journey, we tell them everything in detail. Obviously the conversation drift itself to the cafe. Rafael is inexhaustible, we can grant him the title of professor as his knowledge is extensive on the subject. We also p Arle program he has prepared. Visit the factory where he is the manager, a sorter coffee, but also visit a farm that produces one of the best c EFA in the region of Tolima, the local headquarters of the "Federació we Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia ", visit one of the warehouses largest exporter of coffee Col umbilical, a natural fertilizer company that specializes in coffee ... the next few days will be charged, we will no time to rest, but whatever. Back to the Appartem nt, Rafael offers us coffee, how could I refuse? He released his roasting machine, a few minutes later the sweet smell of coffee starts to spread throughout the apartment. Green beans begin to brown and to take this beautiful coffee color. Then he grinds and still other flavor ss'en emerge. Happiness and bliss when it serves us coffee, coolest we had the opportunity to taste from our visit a farm at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro. We want a good e each night and will reach our rooms. We jump da ns a double bed with thick mattress, fitted with sheets, fluffy pillows. What happiness today.
Seven o'clock Rafael tape to our door, it's time to get up, take a shower, a coffee and go visit his factory in few miles away on the road Bogotá. But before I talk about this visit, we will cause the farm we did the next day, which will facilitate understanding of the process. We leave very early for a farm to two hours drive from Ibague, for a good hour we knew ivone 
Road Bogot to before turning my the mountains where the coffee grows, usually be 1000 and 2000 meters for arabica. We begin to snake on the sublime Colombian roads before arriving at farm we take a break o p take breakfast to Colombian fashion: Hot , patacones (ban asses crushed and fried). U not ten minutes later we approach roads muddy and stony as the 4x4 goes without any problem. We park and finish the journey on foot. Medium sized farm from the multitude of those who produce the famous Colombian coffee that you find at your favorite grocer regularly. A woman greets us very gentian and we start the tour. First we start on the green hills where seasonal workers are reaping huge hand on red berry-laden branches like clusters of grapes. Then we headed toward a building where sanitary landfill of baskets in a machine that will remove the skin, then the berries pass on a conveyor which takes them to a machine that will wash out with plenty of water. The final step is drying in a dryer that will dry the berries very quickly. Once dried the bay, which still have their yellow hull, are bagged, the bags will be transported to warehouses for sorting plant as Rafael. Now I can go back the visit of the day, the plant Rafael. I'll spare you the details but I will still describe to you the essence of the process. Trucks loaded with sacks of grain to arrive the factory, they are weighed and then discharged. Once in the warehouse they are emptied 
're in the sorter, 30 meters high, 20 wide on a good Quaranta 
ine long. It to this time that the grains are separated from their shells, then they are sorted for re learn the wrong seeds. Depending on demand the client, the sort can be very precise s, and for most demanding clients, a manual selection can be made. Usually only the best coffee s undergo this final step, because it increases the price significantly. The grains are then repacked into bags which are sampled that are enjoyed by people from the laboratory to evaluate the different properties, defects and grain qualities and aromas that are rated at the catation, a process similar to the wine. Subsequently bags for export controls will face Colombian Customs and sometimes very harsh U.S. before leaving for different parts of the world. Only by entering the destination country that the grains are roasted, each country has its method, but also for a simpler reason is that once roasted coffee loses its flavor quickly and must be ground and drunk within two months. One of the biggest names in home roasting is Illy in Trieste, Italy, also on our return we intend to take a walk, to complete our round the world enjoying the best coffee the world.
During the day we will visit the headquarters of the local cooperative of coffee, one of the most important institution in Colombia because it manages about 50% of domestic production and help farmers through programs of education for children, helps construction of roads in rural areas and coffee plantations, but also involved in health programs ... We also go to a farm that produces organic fertilizer by industrial means. All this took us three big days. Our knowledge of coffee is now almost professional!
For our penultimate day in Ibague, friends of Ana-Lucia invite us to a concert. Laetitia saw the `poster in the street and tell me that it might not be our best gig. We are in the queue and we quickly separated into two queues, one for men and one for women. That of women is much longer than that of men if I were I would say that misogyny is a bad sign! We enter the VIP tent side, strangely it is the most seats at the back. Tables and chairs surround cabaret tent. All Salsa music in the background, and so far everything is going well. We are all seated at the six tasting glasses until the concert begins. We have time to finish the first bottle and initiate the second broadly. We entered the room about 20 hours, it is now more than 22 hours. That must be quite a star to afford much delay. Hall finally gets impatient when gently to 23 hours the lights go out, to thunderous applause, spotlight on the scene and at this moment it goes wrong for us. A Chilean fifties-like Julio Iglesias begins his repertoire boring to the delight of the public who takes every word in chorus about love of their idol. Our torture will last no less than two hours, also we are not alone, Rafael did not look very excited either. We say it is there because Ana Lucia invited us and it was in bad taste it left in him ... At the end of the concert comes the time when the dreaded "so what did you think of the concert?". Laetitia very diplomatically answer that is not his cup of coffee! As they say, it all started from a good feeling ...
The next day is Sunday but that's not to say that Rafael is resting. He spent the day enjoying the cafes for note. In the evening we prepare a meal to thank Rafael, Ana Lucia and friends for their invitation. They offer us gifts coffee color, and we will have a much better evening than the day before to discuss coffee, politics and the upcoming wedding of friends of Ana-Lucia to be held next week. Rafael the next day to leave for the United States for an international fair of coffee, meanwhile we take the road south towards the desert del Tatacoa.
Road Bogot to before turning my the mountains where the coffee grows, usually be 1000 and 2000 meters for arabica. We begin to snake on the sublime Colombian roads before arriving at farm we take a break o p take breakfast to Colombian fashion: Hot , patacones (ban asses crushed and fried). U not ten minutes later we approach roads muddy and stony as the 4x4 goes without any problem. We park and finish the journey on foot. Medium sized farm from the multitude of those who produce the famous Colombian coffee that you find at your favorite grocer regularly. A woman greets us very gentian and we start the tour. First we start on the green hills where seasonal workers are reaping huge hand on red berry-laden branches like clusters of grapes. Then we headed toward a building where sanitary landfill of baskets in a machine that will remove the skin, then the berries pass on a conveyor which takes them to a machine that will wash out with plenty of water. The final step is drying in a dryer that will dry the berries very quickly. Once dried the bay, which still have their yellow hull, are bagged, the bags will be transported to warehouses for sorting plant as Rafael. Now I can go back the visit of the day, the plant Rafael. I'll spare you the details but I will still describe to you the essence of the process. Trucks loaded with sacks of grain to arrive the factory, they are weighed and then discharged. Once in the warehouse they are emptied 
're in the sorter, 30 meters high, 20 wide on a good Quaranta 
ine long. It to this time that the grains are separated from their shells, then they are sorted for re learn the wrong seeds. Depending on demand the client, the sort can be very precise s, and for most demanding clients, a manual selection can be made. Usually only the best coffee s undergo this final step, because it increases the price significantly. The grains are then repacked into bags which are sampled that are enjoyed by people from the laboratory to evaluate the different properties, defects and grain qualities and aromas that are rated at the catation, a process similar to the wine. Subsequently bags for export controls will face Colombian Customs and sometimes very harsh U.S. before leaving for different parts of the world. Only by entering the destination country that the grains are roasted, each country has its method, but also for a simpler reason is that once roasted coffee loses its flavor quickly and must be ground and drunk within two months. One of the biggest names in home roasting is Illy in Trieste, Italy, also on our return we intend to take a walk, to complete our round the world enjoying the best coffee the world. During the day we will visit the headquarters of the local cooperative of coffee, one of the most important institution in Colombia because it manages about 50% of domestic production and help farmers through programs of education for children, helps construction of roads in rural areas and coffee plantations, but also involved in health programs ... We also go to a farm that produces organic fertilizer by industrial means. All this took us three big days. Our knowledge of coffee is now almost professional!
For our penultimate day in Ibague, friends of Ana-Lucia invite us to a concert. Laetitia saw the `poster in the street and tell me that it might not be our best gig. We are in the queue and we quickly separated into two queues, one for men and one for women. That of women is much longer than that of men if I were I would say that misogyny is a bad sign! We enter the VIP tent side, strangely it is the most seats at the back. Tables and chairs surround cabaret tent. All Salsa music in the background, and so far everything is going well. We are all seated at the six tasting glasses until the concert begins. We have time to finish the first bottle and initiate the second broadly. We entered the room about 20 hours, it is now more than 22 hours. That must be quite a star to afford much delay. Hall finally gets impatient when gently to 23 hours the lights go out, to thunderous applause, spotlight on the scene and at this moment it goes wrong for us. A Chilean fifties-like Julio Iglesias begins his repertoire boring to the delight of the public who takes every word in chorus about love of their idol. Our torture will last no less than two hours, also we are not alone, Rafael did not look very excited either. We say it is there because Ana Lucia invited us and it was in bad taste it left in him ... At the end of the concert comes the time when the dreaded "so what did you think of the concert?". Laetitia very diplomatically answer that is not his cup of coffee! As they say, it all started from a good feeling ...
The next day is Sunday but that's not to say that Rafael is resting. He spent the day enjoying the cafes for note. In the evening we prepare a meal to thank Rafael, Ana Lucia and friends for their invitation. They offer us gifts coffee color, and we will have a much better evening than the day before to discuss coffee, politics and the upcoming wedding of friends of Ana-Lucia to be held next week. Rafael the next day to leave for the United States for an international fair of coffee, meanwhile we take the road south towards the desert del Tatacoa.
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