Colombia - A Dream Come True - Salento and a Dusty Jeep Ride Up the Mountain

Our host at the finca spoke so highly of the trout dinners served at a restaurant up the mountain from Salento, that we were eager to go. He was kind enough to escort us. Wow-what breathtaking scenery! And what a beautiful little town!

Church on the square

Salento attracts quite a crowd from the cities on the weekend. Luckily, we arrived early. I was enthralled by the seemingly "step back in time".

The old fashioned way!

Of course I was thrilled to see Paso Finos again.

Paso Fino waiting for the ride home

The sleepy town was just beginning to wake up.

Early Morning Pool

We walked around and stopped at a lookout to view the magificant scenery.

Wow!

View From Lookout

Then we strolled back to the square to check out the transportation for our trip up the mountain to the restaurant.

Which One Should We Choose?

Willis Jeep

As we began our trip, we noticed that our driver put a cloth in his mouth. Hmm, well I soon found out why. Dusty!! I soon joined him inside the jeep (not much better).

Dusty!

The dusty drive was well worth it, though.

Restaurant on the Mountain

We took our host's suggestion and ordered the trout. Delicious! He was also especially proud of the fact that they used unprocessed sugar (panela). We agreed that it was very tasty. On a later post I will take you to a sugar mill and you can see how it is produced.

Menu - Trout Featured

Our host showed me the Chiva buses that people from Pereira take up to the restaurant. What a fun country! The buses are decorated in bright colors and play  music. Those Colombianos know how to have a good time.

Our Host Showing Me the Chiva Buses

Apparently the restaurant offered horse rides to little children. Yet another Paso Fino. I'm in heaven!

Boy Leading Paso Fino

The national tree of Colombia is the Palma de cera. They are abundant on these mountainsides.

Palma de Cera Trees

After a full day we were pooped and dozed a little on the ride back to the finca. After a nice dinner we slept soundly. We were looking forward to our next sojourn--a trip to the National Coffee Plantation.

Stay tuned!