Salento Photos (53)
Coffe Planation Photos (34)
Flower Photos (18)
The mood in Salento was distinctly different than the cities I had been in previously - a very chill, small town residing in the green mountains in the middle region of Colombia. I liked it the minute I stepped off the bus, and wished I could have stayed longer.
The town had some interesting architecture from years past - wood
houses painted bright colors in a style all their own. There was little to do in town beside just taking a stroll and enjoying the view, but that was part of the allure. Nearby was the Valle de Cocora, which is described by most as a green, lush Switzerland. Haven't been, so I can't corroborate or elaborate, only speculate, but it was certainly a beautiful walk. Heavy rain made the morning a bit chilly and the trail very muddy, but it was still wonderful to walk under the thick canopy of cloud forest, alongside rushing rivers, occasionally crossing them on rickety old wood bridges. (Pics CW: Salento's Square; Paisa Architecture; Salento from Lookoutpoint)
After about 2 hours we arrived at a private plot of land with hummingbird feeders where we stopped to have a warm drink and dry off. The rain had just stopped and the sun was making its way out. We passed the time trying to photograph skittish hummingbirds, which was not an easy task.
With time we left and made our way up a mountainside to a good lookout point where the whole valley could be seen. Descending back down by a dirt road we made a loop out of our trip. The forest here opened up, and now that the rain clouds had gone, we were able to see the lofty wax palm trees towering over the cloud forest canopy below. It was a beautiful and interesting sight.
Back in Salento time was passed chatting with other travelers and reading in hammocks. I ran into a friend I met in Cusco nearly 4 months ago. Those are pleasant surprises on the road that happen from time to time. The next day I went on a tour of a coffee plantation that the owner of
our hostel had just bought. Coming over from Britain to travel, Tim eventually started a hostel in an old coffee plantation building (giving the hostel its name, The Plantation House), and now is trying to revive an old, neglected coffee plantation. It was an informative tour made more enjoyable in that it was in English, a language I speak well, and we were free to ask many questions that we knew our guide understood, and we understood his responses. The farm was very much in the initial stages of revival though, so while I enjoyed the tour a lot, I resolved to seek out an operational plantation. I left Salento sooner than I would have liked, but that is an increasing reality as my funds tend towards depletion. (Pic: Skins of coffee beans after being seperated from the beans)Next up was Manizales with a visit to a fully operational commercial coffee plantation. The drive from Salento continued in what was becoming the typical beauty of the Colombian countryside. Distinctly different from Salento, the city of Manizales was nevertheless a pleasant enough, smaller-sized city in the green hills of the Zona Cafetera. Here I found my operational coffee farm, and
had an amazing tour with abundant information about coffee production and its processes. You can see the photos by following the link, with some commentary on the photos. I won't go into many details here, but I will say there is way more to producing coffee than I ever thought. Another interesting thing I learned is that Colombia exports all of its quality beans, and only the "bad beans" (they float in the water when washed) are reserved for domestic coffee. One company alone buys quality beans to serve in Colombia, and their coffee is way more expensive than anywhere else. At the end of my tour, I bought a bag of coffee from the farm and the difference is phenomenal. Counter-intuitive Moral: if you want a cup of good coffee, don't come to Colombia. Buy Colombian beans at your local vendor. (Pics Below CW: Coffee plants; Budding Coffee Beans; Roasted Beans; Ripe Red and Yellow Beans)
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