A day in the life of Glamping Jardin’s Caretaker:
An interview with Don José
If you’ve stayed at Glamping Jardín, chances are you’ve seen a man with a big smile, a quick joke, and maybe a machete in one hand and a bunch of bananas in the other. That would be Don José—or as everyone around here calls him, Conejo.
We sat down with Conejo over a cup of coffee—brewed from the coffee beans he hand-selects to ensure the perfect cup every time—to learn more about his life and work here at Glamping Jardin.
Where did the name “Conejo” come from?
My name is José, but I’m better known as “Conejo”, which means rabbit in Spanish. I owe this name to the people of Jardín, who have nicknamed members of my family this for generations. In Jardin, we love to give each other nicknames almost as much as we love coffee.
When did you start working with banana and coffee plantations?
I was born and raised right here in Jardín. I grew up in a big family with 7 siblings. I went to school for a couple years and learned how to read, write, and do math. Once I had learned these skills, I left school and started working on the farms, just like many of my brothers and sisters did. Back then, it was normal. We worked young, and we worked hard.
I’ve been taking care of the land ever since. I have always loved to work in the fields, taking care of nature and tending to the banana trees and coffee plants. After all these years, I know this land. It’s my home. I have spent my life learning about the fields and fincas in this part of Colombia.
What does a regular day look like for you?
On a normal day, I wake up early, around 5:00 AM, and make myself some coffee. Most days, I drink two cups of coffee sitting among the banana trees and coffee plants surrounding my house while I watch the clouds roll over the hills. Once I’ve enjoyed my coffee, I put on some Colombian music—my favorite is “La Piratia”—and get to work on whatever needs to be done.
When I started working with Glamping Jardin back in 2022, I would spend the first hour of my day walking from town. But in January of this year, Suzan and Jamie built a house for me on the land so I wouldn’t have such a long commute every day. I much prefer my current mornings where I get to wake up among the plants I care for. I love living here. It’s changed my life.
How do you harvest bananas?
Today I’m harvesting bananas. They grow fast here—really fast. When they’re ready, I cut down the whole tree to harvest the fruit. It sounds dramatic, but that’s how banana trees work.
Once I have cut the trees, I take off the blue plastic bags we use to protect the bananas from birds and bugs. Then I cut the bunches from the branch ,wash them and sort them. We grow a few types of bananas here and I like to keep them all organized.
Than a buyer from town is coming to pick them up. I’ll always check that so they don’t give us a bad price for the bananas!
It’s a job that takes a little art craftmanship a little muscle. Luckily, I’ve got both.
How do you harvest and produce the coffee here?
The coffee here is special. We’re up in the mountains, and that makes the beans grow slower, with more flavor. That’s why people say the coffee from Jardín is the best in Colombia. The coffee from here has a beautiful aroma due to the perfect altitude our finca is at.
The process begins with picking the coffee beans. The coffee harvest takes place almost year round, so some days I spend hours picking coffee fruits. This can pose a challenge sometimes, as coffee loves to grow on steep hills. It can be tough work, but it’s peaceful. Just me, my music, the trees, and the birds.
After picking, I use a machine to separate the fruit from the beans. Then I wash the beans and lay them out to dry. Here in Jardín, the weather can change quickly—one minute sun, the next minute rain—so I have to watch the sky closely. As soon as the rain comes, I cover the beans to protect them. Once they’re dry, I sit by my window, looking out over the hills, and I sort them by hand. That’s my favorite part.
After that, I bag the beans to be taken down to town to roast and sell. It’s the best coffee in Jardín. I am very proud of it.
What else do you do around Glamping Jardin?
The climate of Jardín is perfect for growing all different kinds of plants and trees, which makes this area such a beautiful, green place. Since everything grows so easily, the trees and plants on our land must be regularly maintained.
Recently, I made a staircase from the social area to the tents. It was a long project and I am very proud of it. They even named the path “Camino Conejo!” I didn’t ask them to do that but it makes me smile.
What do you do in your free time?
After a long day, I head back to my house, take a shower, and sit for a while listening to the sounds of nature—birds, frogs, and the rain. I also like spending some time with my friend Due, the dog. Later in the evenings, I walk to the local bar nearby to meet up with friends. We laugh, listen to Latin music, and talk about life. Sometimes they have fun events, like bingo!
Tomorrow is Sunday, which is my day off. In the morning, I go to mass at the Catholic church in town. Then I might play billiards or soccer with my friends. I might drink a cold beer or two. You never know on a Sunday.
Do you like working at Glamping Jardín?
Working here is different. I’ve worked a lot of places, but here, they really care. Suzan and Jamie treat me like family. They built me a home. We eat breakfast and lunch together each day and they bought me a cake and presents for my birthday.
They respect the land and the people, and that means a lot to someone like me, who’s been working in these hills since I was young.
We hope that this blog gave you a bit of insight about the life of Don José! Would you like to meet him in person?
Book your stay at Glamping Jardin today!
