Delectable coffee, lots of cows & an attempted robbery in Salento, Columbia

We'd heard lots of great things about Salento, a small village in the hills of the 'Triangula de Cafe' region. Coffee is Columbia's second largest export (after Cocaine) and as we discovered on this trip, all the best coffee is exported overseas with only the 'inferior coffee' being consumed by the locals. Doesn't seem very fair to us, as the good coffee is absolutely delicious in this region.







We booked onto a full day coffee tour at Sachamama's, Pedro's home. We had a 2 hr trek to get there, where we waded knee deep through streams and up and down hills. Pedro moved his family from the nearby bustling and dirty city of Armenia to an isolated and stunning spot looking over the valleys of Salento. When he bought the land he then built his home and has spent the last 5 years working on reforestation and growing coffee beans. We spent the day learning about the coffee growing and refining process, drinking the freshest coffee and watching tropical birds - toucans, woodpeckers and hummingbirds flit about in his backyard. I even had an avocado fall out of the tree and almost hit me on the head. A truly amazing place.










Fresh coffee beans plucked straight from the tree


Coffee beans out to dry


De-husking and roasting the beans, ahhh the aroma



The following day was eventful to say the least. We trekked through the Valle de Cocora, a beautiful area in the hills where the clouds float in the valleys and the massive wax palms (the tallest palm trees in the world) are silouetted on the hilltops.









We spent the late afternoon in yet another pool hall, only to find ourselves in a bar at midnight. Tom's bag was stolen just before closing by a very intoxicated local thief. Lucky for us, the bar staff were on our side and located the cousin of the thief. The cousin was shaky and scared because the offender was allegedly dangerous, however not to fear as the friends responded by they lifting their shirts to reveal massive machetes tucked down their trousers! We freaked a little and marched to the Police Station as it seemed the better option than getting involved in a knife fight at 1am! The Police were totally unhelpful until Claire explained that we were going to the offender's house with or without their assistance and that it wouldn't look good for them if we got shot. It was remarkable how quickly they reacted when threatened with this prospect. Upon raiding the thief's house, not only did the Police find Tom's bag with all of the items hidden in cupboards and drawers, but they also found stacks of other stolen goods. Needless to say the offender spent the night locked up behind bars.








The Police raid!