Salento

After arriving in Pereira at 11:15pm, we had an hour long taxi ride to The Plantation House – our lodging in Salento. After 3 flights and nearly 20 hours of travel, we were desperate to get some sleep. The braying of the donkeys, crowing of the rooster, and barking of the dogs didn’t bother us at all.

Since we arrived at night, we didn’t have much cognizance of our surroundings – other than the hills which strained the taxi’s engine. When we woke up, however, the stunning beauty of the mountains and valleys was on full display.

We started the day with an in-depth tour of the finca, or coffee plantation. I will spare details here, but just know that we now know nearly all there is to know about how coffee is grown, harvested, classified, roasted, and marketed. We were able to taste two different kinds of beans roasted in 3 different ways to fully explore the impact of the roasting process on the flavor.

Plus, DOGS! The finca owner has half a dozen dogs who were our adorable co-guides.

After a quick walk through town, we had a fabulous brunch at a place ingeniously named Brunch. Salento is bigger than I expected, and with a much more visible tourist population. I’m not surprised – it is a gorgeous place surrounded by phenomenal natural beauty and a wide array of outdoor activities.