In the coffee triangle of Colombia - Salento

Between St. Agustin and Salento, we made a one-day stop in Cali, which was not really worth mentioning. This was partly due to the city of Cali and partly due to the people. So the camera preferred to stay in the hotel room during our short trip to downtown Cali. We didn't really feel comfortable and were glad when we continued to Salento the day before yesterday. Somehow Cali lacks a bit of charm and care.

We had a taxi take us to the bus station early in the morning and after a pleasant three-hour bus ride, we arrived in the small town of Armenia.

At the bus station in Armenia, we looked for the minibuses that regularly travel further up to Salento and found them after a short time. The bus was packed to the last seat, and after a short wait, we left Armenia and arrived at the bus station in Salento after about an hour. The sky became darker and darker during the trip, and just before reaching the final destination, it started pouring rain. Hail, heavy rain, torrential streams shooting down the steep streets of the mountain town. Unfortunately, our bus driver was very insensitive and dropped us off right in front of the door (while he stayed in the bus until the end of the rain...).

After half an hour in the rain, partly protected by an awning, partly in the water, we set off on foot to the hotel. We arrived here soaking wet and were greeted warmly but with a power outage - no hot shower for us... However, at the end of the day, normalcy returned and we strolled to the nearby downtown of Salento in search of dinner. We enjoyed a rustic but extremely delicious Colombian dinner and later fell asleep tired in bed.

Coffee, coffee, coffee...

On the first full day, we went to the Momota Coffee Farm in Salento after spending the morning at our beautiful hotel. Since we didn't have rubber boots with us, we hoped for the best and somehow made it through the deep mud and mud to the owner Carla. For three hours, she told us a lot about ecological coffee cultivation, the nature on her farm, and how she lets everything grow and thrive in a natural balance. The coffee plants impressed us the most. But we also found bananas, oranges, lemons, papayas, passion fruits, avocados, and much more on the farm. Unfortunately, we didn't see the Momota bird, which gives the farm its name, but we did see a large hairy tarantula that luckily only briefly peeked out of its hole and disappeared again.

A thunderstorm eventually forced us to go inside, and we tested various roasting levels of coffee and different preparation methods. We also learned something about the processing of the beans in the mill and the roastery and returned to the town full of new impressions.

Cocora Valley - The Valley of the Wax Palms

We actually traveled to Salento for the Cocora Valley and we weren't deterred by the previous thunderstorms and just hoped that the nocturnal downpour spared the hiking trails.

Every morning, old rickety jeeps called Willys start at the Plaza, the central square in Salento, loaded with tourists for the half-hour drive through the mountains and fields to the starting point of the hikes. For about 1 euro each way, you get a (half) seat in the fully loaded jeep, and if you can't even catch a seat, you have to stand on the running board and hope that your strength is enough to hold on during the wild ride. That's how a single old jeep takes 14 tourists on a tour...

The wax palm is the national tree of Colombia and the tallest palm species in the world, reaching a height of up to 60 meters. It was discovered in 1801 by the Berliner Alexander von Humboldt. They can live for several hundred years. We were very lucky to find passable hiking trails despite not having rubber boots. And the weather, which seemed so gloomy and dark in the morning, was on our side as well. After several sweaty climbs and steep descents, we were rewarded with incredibly beautiful views at many places. The pictures speak for themselves. And since we are in the so-called Cloud Forest, a mystical foggy atmosphere prevails all around. Simply fantastic...

During our hike, we also came across a few small hummingbirds. We had wished for that and were naturally even happier to actually see the lightning-fast creatures.

On the way back, we were lucky to see a jeep that wasn't fully loaded. We quickly shouted "dos personas?" and sprinted, sitting together on the loading platform and enjoying the breeze on the way back to Salento.

Since our feet weren't bleeding yet, we decided to visit the viewpoints in Salento. For this, you have to climb a steep hill and then countless steps - but in the end, you are rewarded with a great view.

Finally back at the hotel, the caretaker quickly chopped a coconut from the tree and served us the flesh - it doesn't get any fresher and friendlier than that. While doing so, we also watched Tada, the parrot that belongs to the house.

Conclusion Salento

We really like our hotel, the staff, Carla from the coffee farm, the small town of Salento, the restaurants, and small shops, and above all, the landscape. It is quite clear that tourism is a major focus here, which is something we are experiencing for the first time in Colombia. Many hostels attract backpackers from all over the world, the weather is pleasant, and the general atmosphere is relaxed. We feel a bit reminded of the time in northern Thailand.

This morning, we took a small plane from the nearest airport in Pereira to Medellin. We will spend the next few days here and thoroughly explore the city.