ARMENIA & PARQUE NACIONAL DEL CAFE

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We left Medellin on Saturday, after partying all night long.We had a surprise party for Rob, our lovely British friend and went to Candela Res to celebrate him turning 27. So I got only 3 hours of sleep, woke up at 6.30am, packed only essential stuff for the trip, had to go teach for 4 hours (and btw, did a BRILLINAT job!)and rushed to the South Terminal to buy the tickets which I stupidly postponed purchasing til the last minute. I panicked as the girls were running late and started calling them to make sure they make it on time.

We were all on board at 3pm :Caro (aka my Colombian twin), KOK, AIESEC trainee from China and I. After a 6-hour journey we finally got to Armania-Quindio and the minute we got off, there was a car waiting to pick us up.Talk about fast service!

Aiesec Armenia, the committee organising the event gave us stricly 30 minutes to freshen up and get ready for the party. On our first night there they took us to GUITARRA Y RUMBA where they had a life band playing ranchera (not really my cup of tea),salsa and reggeton. We got back to the place where we were staying at about 4am absolutely knackered and yawning, only to wake up 6 hours later and hit the road again.

Next on the itinerary: VALLE DE COCORA. We went to visit Salento , a small country village where they make traditional handicraft for tourists. I couldn't help myself and ended up buying a dozen necklaces and souvenirs.I also tried some yummy coffee cookies, absolutely delicious!!

We got soaking wet as it rained all day and we were all sqashed in the back of a trunck singing our way through Valle de Cocora heading towards a rustic restaurant. Once we got there, we had some hot chocolate with cheese!!chocolate con queso which was pretty tasty. In Valle de Cocora we could also admire the beatiful 60m tall Palmas de Cera.

We had to wake up really early on Monday to go to the COFFEE PARK ( PARQUE NACIONAL DEL CAFE) which is actully more than anything else, an entertainment park where they grow coffeee, or a coffe plantation put together with an amusement park . There is the COFFEE MUSEUM at the entrance, the ECOLOGICAL PATH, THE TRADITIONAL COFFEE PLANTATION, an Indain cemetery, a garden of Coffee Varities, the Forest of Myths and Legends, Bolivar Square, two train stations, an Archeology Museum, a rollercoaster , Orchid's Forest, San Jeronimo Chapel etc. We were allowed only about 5 hours to try and see everything, so we actaully didn't have time for a complete tour, whish is a real shame!

It took us another 6 dreadful hours to get back to Medellin.Que pereza! Got back home at 9.30pm , went straight to bed and slept like a baby for 10 hours!!

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Photos

parque nacional del cafe
in departamento del Quindio

SALENTO
making PATACONES CON POLLO and PATACONES CON QUESO yummy yummy

SALENTO
want some PATACONES CON QUESO Y GUACAMOLE??

SALENTO
typical Colombian country pub- CANTINA

SALENTO
before climbing the hill to get on the top of the mountain :)

SALENTO
me and KOK

SALENTO
foggy mountains

SALENTO
and we are hitting the roads again!!

SALENTO
my passion: HORSES!!!!!

SALENTO
in the back of a truck covered with a huge plastic bag, still got soaking wet, but how much fun it was indeed!!!!

SALENTO
every trip in Colombia is an adventure!! every single one an unforgetable one!!

parque del cafe
el teleferico

la rumba :)
GUITARRA Y RUMBA, in ARMENIA

Comments

[Ruthie]

Great comments. I have been to Parque del Cafe twice and it is FANTASTIC.