colombia


Jose Fernando & Endre withH.pedunculatissima in Caicedonia in the Valle del Cauca Colombia	Jose Fernando, Endre & Jairo on a bambu bridge in Caicedonia in the Valle del Cauca Colombia

My wife, Celeste and I flew to Cali, Colombia on Tuesday, September 9, to participate in the 2nd International Congress of Tropical Flowers. Upon arrival Dr. Mario Sánchez and his beautiful wife Matilde were waiting for us. We got in their car and started our hour and a half journey to Tuluá in pitch darkness. We drove through the completely deserted road in complete safety.

Upon arriving to Tuluá, in the Valle del Cauca, one hour drive from the Choco Valley, we checked at the Hotel Príncipe, a 50 room, 4 star hotel. Fantastic cut flowers were on display at the hotel. We got a very comfortable, beautiful, enormous room, with a refrigerator, color TV and hot water. My first impression from Colombia was safety, beauty and friendly, hospitable people. This impression increased as the Congress progressed.

On Wednesday, September 10, after a marvelous breakfast at the hotel, we were taken to a large shopping complex called La 14, where the congress was held. Again, this place was decorated with enormous quantities of the most marvelous fresh cut flowers in artistic arrangements. The conference room, hosting 350 participants, had one entire wall with a color poster with the title and pictures of incredibly beautiful flowers. The other three walls were decorated with large but same size posters of the 27 sponsors. The Tuluá Chamber of Commerce was the host.

During the entire day we participated in a flower arrangement workshop given by Iván Moreno, a truly amazing artist. He designed 12 arrangements, one more beautiful then the other, explaining how to do it as he went along. I almost got interested in flower arrangement, but then I remembered that I do not like to cut flowers, so I had to calm my urge to become an artist.

That night a most important event took place. Six participants competed on the Firt Competition and Awards of Heliconias ever. Each of the astonishing plants was identified by a number only; the name of the competitor was not disclosed. The judges were four heliconia experts and they took their function very seriously. Since it was the first event of this kind to ever take place, the judges had no guidelines to go by and they made the judging criteria as they went along with the process.

While the judges went about their historic task, Mario introduced me to many growers. Two of them José Fernando and Jairo invited me to their farm next morning, which I promptly and irrevocably accepted.

To my surprise and delight José Fernando and Jairo got all the three prices:

I was happy that next day I would have the opportunity to see these three exquisitely beautiful plants in their natural growing habitat. At the end of the competition we went back to the hotel where we had a marvelous supper.

What surprised me most in this first day was the complete security in Tuluá. We took taxis back and forth and we only saw beautiful, kind, friendly, helpful people; not one beggar, or drug addict or thief any place in town. In the Congress itself the four beautiful hospitality girls asked us every ten minutes if we needed something. The first day was a truly exceptional day and we went to sleep happily and felt as secure as if we had been in Abraham's lap.

The second day, Antonio Vázquez, a student in Environmental Engineering, our newest HSI member from Colombia, came to look for me in Tuluá and at 6:00 AM we were on our way to Caicedonia. The Colombian countryside is mesmerizing. We were climbing to 4,500 feet. All the valley was covered by the morning mist. We saw the beautiful Palma de Cera, the colorful Guayacon (Purple and Yellow) trees, Mata Raton trees, (some calves were devouring its lower branches) the enormous Saman trees, which live for 500 years and plantations of marawya with papayas around them.

In Caicedonia we met José Fernando. He took us further up on the montain, where his farm was. There his wife prepared us a wonderful breakfast: Calentado de Frijoles, Eggs Pericos, Arepa, Chocolate and Cheese. This delicious and nutritious breakfast could give energy for at least two days of montain climbing. With full stomachs and energized bodies, we started our treck to see José Fernando and Jairo's farm. Before allowing us to place one foot on the soil we had to disinfect our shoes. In every segment of the farm we had to disinfect our shoes again. I gladly complied; it was fun. Later on in the Congress I understood the importance of this precaution. I have never seen any place in the world, soil as fertile as the Colombian montain soil. It was completely black and porous.

We have seen really astonishing heliconias, most of them endemic to the Valle del Cauca, collected in the wild by José Fernando. Many of them are new species. Among the pendants we saw beautiful fuzzy pink, new yellow, "serpiente", pedunculatissima (12 feet long inflorescence), dielsianas, intermedia with frizzled edges and the inflorescence starts at the middle of the stem, nariniensis and rostratas. Among the erect ones we saw bourgeana, burleanas, Piton Point, Brasilian Bomber, orthotrichas and many other more common ones. The griggsianas grow completely wild on the riversides. We may be able to obtain some of them.

I do not drink coffee, but I could not resist and had to try the fantastic "Cafe Montañero Colombiano" prepared with "agua de panela" instead of sugar. It was exquisite. I took some pictures; the best four pictures were taken by Antonio. I definitely felt like Alice had to feel in Wonderland, or as Mark and Alan had to feel in their first visit to a South American Rain Forest. When I close my eyes I still see these wonderful images which I will treasure and cherish forever.

At noon we arrived back at Tuluá. In the afternoon we attended the conferences. I spent most of the time with Dr. Lucía Atehortua talking, surprise, about heliconias. In the evening we had cocktails and a truly fable-like show of adorable small children modeling and impersonating Colombia, its birds, flowers, fruits, produce and people with a soft spoken commentator accompanied with soft music. At night we ate supper at a nice open air restaurant with a singer and harp background music. It was a very, very pleasant evening.

Friday, the last day, we dedicated the whole day to the conferences. In the morning I gave my conference directed to the small growers and the amateurs which was well received and to my surprise I talked slowly and apparently understandably. Dr.Lucia Atehortua gave her very interesting conference also in the morning. The technical conferences were truly world class. After Dr. Rebecca Lee's conference I understood the need for the meticulous precautions in the farms. Colombia exports two billion US dollars a year in agricultural products: 800 million in coffee, close to 700 million in ornamentals, 400 in bananas, and 200 in sugar cane. Colombia cannot risk diseases to attack agricultural products.

The Congress went as clockwork. It was very well organized: attention was paid to minute details, the technical support was excellent and the 350 participants were enthusiastic and eager to learn. It was a very successful Congress to promote and advance the knowledge of heliconias. We have to congratulate Mario and his team, the Tuluá Chamber of Commerce, the 27 sponsors, the lecturers, the judges, the technical and hospitality support staff, the competitors, and the 350 participants for organizing and delivering such a world class event.

My wife, Celeste, and I came to Colombia to encourage the Colombian Heliconia enthusiasts to join HSI and to find out first hand if Colombia would be a good site for the HSI Conference 2008. Our impressions are the following: Colombia would be an ideal site.

1. Colombia opened its doors to the world. There is incredible enthusiasm and fermentation going on with heliconias.

2. Colombia is completely safe. Obviously it is not advisable to parachute into the middle of the impenetrable jungle.

3. Both Dr. Lucía Atehortua and Engineer Mario Sánchez would like the HSI Conference 2008 to be held in Colombia

4. There are 350 enthusiastic Colombians already interested in Heliconias; some are HSI members, many are joining currently, and many more will join during the following years.

10. There is a large network of Botanical Gardens, many of which have extensive collections of heliconias

11. The Colombians are hospitable, friendly,intelligent, helpful, kind, marvelous people.

12. Colombia is a magnificent country, has many things to offer to the visitor, and deserves to be visited.

13. Colombia is a very economical country to visit. The change is 2,800 pesos for one US dollar.

15. The Colombians are a very industrious people. The business connections that can be made are endless.

16. The Colombians are very advanced in agricultural technology. The interchange of technical information on Tropical Ornamentals can be very fruitful

17. We can all learn a great deal from the Colombians on plant hygiene and disease prevention.