Right now we are in the Bogota airport, delayed on our way to Cartagena, so we are taking advantage of the free wifi (in what is a pretty nice airport) to update you on our time in Salento, a tiny town in the coffee region about an hour's flight northwest of Bogota.
We awoke on the morning of July 20 happy to find out from the owner of our hotel (a very charming Hostal Ciudad de Segorbe) that Salento was celebrating Colombian Independence Day - and Colombia's Bicentennial - with a parade through town. We headed out onto the streets and witnessed a very interesting parade primarily featuring several different branches of the military, along with a Simon Bolivar reenactor, and children dressed to represent different historical figures and time periods. Much to Steve's disappointment, however, there were no fireworks.
Salento is a wonderfully restored town and in addition to being known for its very charming historical buildings, it is also known for its trout (which nearly every restaurant serves in multiple forms, almost always on a patacon - think of a giant tortilla chip made of pressed plantains) as well as its proximity to the Valle de Cocora, which we experienced in a day hike yesterday.
The Valle de Cocora is most famed for its wax palms, which are the highest palm trees in the world and very unusual. The scenery is breathtaking (and so is the walk, which was pretty strenuous in the high altitude!). One of the highlights was getting to see the multitudes of hummingbirds that gather at one of the stops - Acaime - along the trek.
Today, we are in route to Cartagena, where we will experience a change from the cool mountain air we've been enjoying. Still, we are excited to spend the next few days exploring such a historic and iconic city. We'll post back soon!
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