Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Salento and the Coffee Lands - Colombia


This is my second trip to Colombia. The first one focused more on the towns and parks on the Caribbean Coast, but I yearned to go back and see the coffee lands. I mean, I grew up with Juan Valdez and see the 100% Colombian everywhere I buy coffee. This was THE place to learn about coffee.

Well, it was worth the wait. The flora and fauna was lush and filled with many shades of vibrant greens. Also Colombia is #1 in the world for birds, which meant a chorus of sounds better than the philharmonic.
We stayed on a hacienda for two nights where I swung on a hammock and relaxed in nature and then moved on to Salento, a UNESCO World Heritage town, where the colonial architecture is beautifully preserved. The mythical Jeep Willys were everywhere and smooth Colombian coffee pepped me up to be able to make the most of it all.

I also visited the majestic Valle de Cocora, located in the Andean mountain range near Armenia, Colombia. It is most famous for being the main location where the national tree of Colombia, the Quindío wax palm lives. This palm is the tallest in the world and can grow up to 180 feet and live for 200 years. As you can see they are quite a sight to see!


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