Armenia - after a 10hr bus drive I finally made it there. This trip to Armenia wasn't planned at all. Last minute, I decided that I really wanted to go experience a coffee making plantation, and therefore decided to head towards the Triangulo del Café.
Problem was it happened to be the week of Semana Santa (Easter), and all buses were fully booked!
I had to beg a lady at the counter to let me buy a return ticket to either Manizales, Pereira or Armenia. There was only availability to Armenia, and I convinced her to also book the return ticket for me, as I had to make sure I would be back on time for my flight to Quito.
So, as this trip wasn't planned, I had no idea where to go, or what to do… Luckily, while chatting with the lady sitting next to me on the bus, she told me exactly where to go, what to do and how to get there!! Just as good as a travel agent.
Once again, Colombian people at their best! Seriously impressed at the level of kindness I experienced in my 1,5 weeks in Colombia.
When I arrived in Armenia, I jumped on a mini bus to Barcelona. Yes, you read it correctly, Barcelona. Yes, there is a Barcelona city in Colombia as well - what did I tell you about BCN following me everywhere?? ;p
I went there to visit this amazing Coffee plantation, Recuca:
Had to walk 2km to get there, it was well worth it, beeeeautiful banana plantations on the way:
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| Dressed-up like locals ready to go coffee-bean picking! :) |
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| Lovely coffee break with panela (sugary!!!) |
The hall of shame! ahah I might start a new fashion and go to work like this moving forward!! :)
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| So, the same way you can be a Sommelier for wine, you can also be for Coffee making, the ART of making a great coffee! |
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| Amazing local lunch to finish the morning experience! |
I got on the bus again, with my dearest backpack, on my way to my next stop:
Salento!
Very cute little town just off Armenia, the place where I saw more tourists in Colombia, it's like everyone came here! It's a town made for tourists, a stop-over to head to Valle de Cocora.
I stayed here for 1 night at the Los Colibries hostal, http://www.hostelsalentocolibries.com - only 9$ a night, my cheapest in the whole trip, and I ended up having the whole room for myself, again!!
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| A quick peak from the bus on the way! |
Valle de Cocora!
"It is located in the Central Cordillera of the Andean mountains. "Cocora" was the name of a Quimbayan princess, daughter of the local chief Acaime, and means "star of water". The valley is part of the Los Nevados National Natural Park, incorporated into the existing national park by the Colombian government in 1985. It is the principal location of the national tree and symbol of Colombia, the Quindío wax palm, as well as a wide variety of other flora and fauna (some endangered), all of which are protected under the Park's national status."
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocora_valley)
To get here, you go to Salento's main plaza, and then get on a 4x4, through a bumpy and curvaceous road. I made friends with one of the Horse Guides, and we basically spent the whole day together, him teaching me everything about this place, figures, history, etc etc.
This was my personal favourite spot in the whole trip.
Here, I had the chance to mingle with the locals, spent the whole day with them, taking care of their horses, brushing them, setting the saddle, changing the horseshoes, cleaning up the leaves from the garden, eating local traditional food, teaching English to a local baker (customer service main sentences for his shop)…. just an amazing day! the BEST day I had.
Will definitely come back and sign up for the 3-day tour in the Valley, beautiful beautiful!
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| The horses I took care of on the left side |
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| The famous endangered Wax Trees! |
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| They are the tallest palm trees in the World, they can go as high as 50 metres, and can live as long as 100 years old!!!
"Under ideal growing conditions the wax palm can grow to a height of 50 meters (160 ft)—or rarely, even as high as 60 meters (200 ft)—making it the tallest palm and by extension the tallest monocot in the world. The leaves are dark green and grayish, with a petiole up to 2 meters (6.6 ft) long. The trunk is cylindrical, smooth, light colored and covered with wax, When the leaves die they fall and this forms a dark ring around the trunk. The palm is recognized as the national tree of Colombia, and since the implementation of Law 61 of 1985 it is legally a protected species in that country."
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceroxylon_quindiuense)
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| Sr Pepe!!!! Amazingly skill full! |
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| The tour guide, a great person. Grand. |
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| Quindío River |
I absolutely fell in love with this place, and I cannot wait to return.
After spending the whole day here, I returned to Salento, get on a bus back to Armenia, then another night bus back to Bogotá, and hopped on a plane to Quito, where I would work on my next volunteering project - a big surprise!
Next stop: Quito, Ecuador!!!
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