We went to El Valle de Cocora the second day of our adventure. It was a truly stunning sight, and many say say that it's a lush version of Switzerland. I believe it! The landscape was really unique. In fact, I had never seen anything like it. It was a broad, green valley framed by mountain peaks; however, since we're so close to the equator, there were also tons of palmas de cera, or wax plam trees. It was a beautiful combination. 
To get there, we first went to Salento, a small, old, colonial town. The main square was really pretty, and we were able to climb a huge hill to have a good look of the mountains. Interestingly, Salento was "attacked" by guerrillas in 2000. But nothing really happened, and nobody was hurt. Apparently when guerrillas used to take pueblos, they would kill la policia and take over the buildings until the army arrived. In 2000, however, they came in, and within hours, a huge force of more than 1,000 soldiers was there (at least this is what our guide told me).
Anyway, from Salento we had to take a willi to get to el valle. Willis are a prime mode of transport in la zona cafetera, kind of like a jeep safari vehicle. Let's just say that my mother would not have approved. Everyone sits in the back, and they usually fit up to eight or nine people in there with people hanging off the back. Don't worry, I didn't do any hanging. We were really high on the mountain and there weren't any guard rails. This is the willi we took right before we got in. It took about thirty minutes to get there....lots of bouncy, rural roads, and lots of sharp curves. Yikes!
To get there, we first went to Salento, a small, old, colonial town. The main square was really pretty, and we were able to climb a huge hill to have a good look of the mountains. Interestingly, Salento was "attacked" by guerrillas in 2000. But nothing really happened, and nobody was hurt. Apparently when guerrillas used to take pueblos, they would kill la policia and take over the buildings until the army arrived. In 2000, however, they came in, and within hours, a huge force of more than 1,000 soldiers was there (at least this is what our guide told me).
Anyway, from Salento we had to take a willi to get to el valle. Willis are a prime mode of transport in la zona cafetera, kind of like a jeep safari vehicle. Let's just say that my mother would not have approved. Everyone sits in the back, and they usually fit up to eight or nine people in there with people hanging off the back. Don't worry, I didn't do any hanging. We were really high on the mountain and there weren't any guard rails. This is the willi we took right before we got in. It took about thirty minutes to get there....lots of bouncy, rural roads, and lots of sharp curves. Yikes!
We rode horses through the valley for about an hour until we got to this waterfall. Like I said before, it was a combination of landscapes. Arid in some parts, and then all of the sudden we were in the tropics, but colder. As you can see above, this is the tropical area. Really beautiful. That's Olivia on the left; she's from Belgium.
Here you can see Diego and Caro riding their horses with the gorgeous scenery in the backround. Again, my apologies. My photographic skills are especially limited when on a horse. And may I just say, I always seem to get stuck with the bad horse. Or maybe I'm just a bad rider. I was realllly slow. I was like the grandma of the trip. The day before I was the really slow one in these race cars we drove around and then today I was waaayyyy in the back with the guide. Like my mother, I don't like speed. :)
After our ride, we ate lunch at this delicious restaurant surrounded by the green valley. Trout is a regional specialty. I don't normally like fish all that much, but I thought it would be lame to not eat the specialty. I was glad I ordered it, because it was fantastic. I think the owner had gotten the trout that same day and she cooked it up right there. Yum!
Just another mountain view. Do you see those thin lines sticking up on the dark hill? Those are the palmas de cera, Colombia's national tree!
xoxoxoxoxo
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