It felt surreal—staying at a 150-year old converted stable
in a 200-acre ranch surrounded by rolling verdant hills and infinite quiet. At this ranch in a small village in Salento in
Colombia’s Eje Cafetero, we spent several
days without aim, simply relishing the stillness of the place and the luster of
each moment.
We stayed at this hostel in Boquia, Salento, Colombia. |
We wandered around the ranch, visited the horses, and took
endless siestas in the hammocks by the pool. We walked through mud, dodged piles
of animal manure, jumped over ditches, and hurdled fences to reach what we
thought was a river but looked more like a creek. When we wanted to go to Salento’s
town center, the hostel manager suggested that we take the shortcut. So we did. The shorter route turned out to be
a 20-minute climb up an incredibly steep hill with increasingly dense
vegetation—an unexpected adventure that left us gasping and exhilarated.
Giant wax palms are strewn about verdant hills and valleys in Valley de Cocora. |
One morning, we took a shared jeep from the town square to
the famous Valle de Cocora, home to Colombia’s national tree, the wax palm tree that grows to over 60 meters
tall. We were driving for half an hour
when, through the dusty windscreen of the vehicle, the hills came into view. The first sight of those trees framed by misty
green hills and valleys lifted my spirits. The driver dropped us off near the
trailhead where we began our hike to the valley. As we walked along the dirt path, a landscape so
beautiful and sublime as to stamp itself forever in our memories unfolded
before our eyes. And I felt right then
that I am doing exactly what I should be doing in life at that very moment.
2 comments:
The place is a beauty.
Pictures don't do it justice. It's way more stunning in person. :)
Post a Comment