Where We Be
| We got to play tejo -- Colombia's national sport -- for the price of a beer at our hotel's cafe across the street. What is tejo, you say? It's like cornhole but with explosions! You throw a metal disc that fits in your palm and try to hit a clay target board. If your aim is good you hit one of three gunpowder targets wrapped in folded paper at the center. A metal ring sits behind the paper so the gunpowder explodes when the tejo makes a direct hit. Boom! |
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| We couldn't resist this photo op sitting atop a packed-to-the- rafters jeep as we headed down from Mirador de Salento |
| Salento, Colombia |
A short flight to Pereira and a prearranged taxi
got us to Salento the easy way -- the hard way
would have been a 10+ hour bus ride on two
buses. We're all about the easy way these days!
Salento is a popular tourist town because it's
quaint, colorful, and close to Valle de Cocora
with its famous wax palms -- the tallest in the
world. More about Cocora on the next page.
But for our first morning we simply meandered
about town, getting a feel for Colombian village
life on a busy Saturday. We stopped for coffee
(this is coffee country after all) and enjoyed
visits to the church, the central plaza, and the
main street known as Calle Real. Like everyone
else we took way too many photos of all the
brightly painted buildings -- a Salento specialty.
We finished with a short hike up to Alto de la
Cruz Mirador. Calle Real literally dead-ends into
stairs which climb steeply up to a lookout point.
From here you get great views both of the town
and the surrounding mountains. Follow a path
downhill to the left for an even better mountain
view at Mirador de Salento. You can continue
hiking downhill from here and back into town.
got us to Salento the easy way -- the hard way
would have been a 10+ hour bus ride on two
buses. We're all about the easy way these days!
Salento is a popular tourist town because it's
quaint, colorful, and close to Valle de Cocora
with its famous wax palms -- the tallest in the
world. More about Cocora on the next page.
But for our first morning we simply meandered
about town, getting a feel for Colombian village
life on a busy Saturday. We stopped for coffee
(this is coffee country after all) and enjoyed
visits to the church, the central plaza, and the
main street known as Calle Real. Like everyone
else we took way too many photos of all the
brightly painted buildings -- a Salento specialty.
We finished with a short hike up to Alto de la
Cruz Mirador. Calle Real literally dead-ends into
stairs which climb steeply up to a lookout point.
From here you get great views both of the town
and the surrounding mountains. Follow a path
downhill to the left for an even better mountain
view at Mirador de Salento. You can continue
hiking downhill from here and back into town.
| Pose at the colorful Salento sign at the mirador. (Good luck finding it empty of people!) |
| Facing away from town you'll get fine views of the surrounding mountains. Be sure to follow the downhill trail (rather than going back down the stairs) for more great views at Mirador de Salento. |
| The church at the center of town is simple but lovely |
| We especially liked the stained glass windows |
| Sitting inside makes for a nice respite after the climb to the mirador |
| Fruit heaven! Bountiful fruit stands like this one on Salento's main plaza are common to every Colombian town. |
| Colorfully painted buildings are a common feature of coffee towns in Colombia |
| We walked up this street a lot to get to the main plaza from our Beta Hotel |
| Be sure to bring your camera! |
| Back down the hill we go! |
| You'll find lots of good photo opportunities here |
| Calle Real is where the action is -- especially on a Saturday morning |
| Colorful buildings abound |
| And the people are super friendly -- like these Colombians and expats we met in Salento who were traveling together |
| Beta Hotel is a few blocks off the town center and offers tranquil lodgings |
| Past Mirador de Salento we saw another couple posing atop this jeep and decided to pay the 10,000 pesos (~$3) to have our pictures taken too -- complete with sombreros and ponchos |
| We even got bonus pics of Robin sprouting angel's wings and me parasailing |
| Let's start with our short but steep climb to the top of Alto de la Cruz Mirador |
| You can see the church steeple at the center of town. What a lovely setting! |
| The views of Salento are terrific from here |
