Cocora Valley

We saved the best for last during our stay in the Coffee Triangle. Today's tour took us first to the Cocora Valley, where we spent the first half of the day hiking. Since our very friendly guide had much to say and broke the magical barrier of a thousand words within half an hour, we were excellently entertained throughout the tour.

The iPhone weather app predicted rain, but once again we were lucky; it was sunny all day long. Our friends Dirk and René would say: always having luck is also a skill! That's true!

Once again, we were able to admire breathtaking views, as well as the national tree of the country, the wax palm. These trees, which can reach heights of up to 80 meters, are simply impressive. The valley was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for a reason and is a MUST when visiting the region. The pictures speak for themselves.

After the lunch break, things got exciting. We went horseback riding. The group had some doubts about whether our prior knowledge in this area would be sufficient to make the ride through the prairie enjoyable for both horse and rider. However, Jade, our guide and the local horse whisperer, was optimistic. A brief instruction - Left, Right, Stop... then up onto the horse and off we went. Riding can be that simple.

By the time we rode through the river, I felt like Little Joe Cartwright on the back of my gray mare, Sophia. If there had been a sunset, I would have ridden right into it. But okay, I'm digressing...

Our path now led us to a local coffee farm. The caffeine cowboys parked their horses and walked through the farm on foot. After being told last year in Bali how the best coffee in the world is made, we heard it once again from a Colombian perspective today. Fun fact: we have already drunk the one and only best coffee twice. Let someone else try to top that...;-)

The return journey started with a spirited gallop of our horses, which caused some slight facial distortions, especially for Nadi. The staff found that amusing, however. My twelve-year-old Sophia threw in the proverbial towel after this brief sprint; from then on, we progressed only at a leisurely pace. I have no idea what caused that... certainly not me.

Back in Salento, we treated ourselves to a drink to conclude the day. At the hotel, it was then time to pack - we continue early tomorrow morning.

Medellin, qué chimba!