This morning started on the road with a jeep again (it’s so much better for selfies than regular cars !) to the Cocora Valley. Cocora is the village in the middle of the valley, in which we are dropped-off to start our hike. We are at the border of a National Park, the climate is ever so gentle, but the landscapes are a bit mountainous and look a bit more like home (maybe because of the cows pasturing, maybe because of the pine trees and open fields instead of the infinite forest).
The valley is famous and protected because of its wax palm trees (for candles, and they can grow to 60 meters !), which were threatened with extinction in the 80’s. Now, they are far less threatened but the park is still protected and looks… well… like an alpine valley with palm trees !
As you can see, the weather betrayed us. It started well but the fog went up before midday and, without ever being dangerously thick, it varied all along the hike.
Anyway, we started walking on the valley bottom and went later on inside the forest (yes, of course, we always end up in a forest !). As usual, waterfalls and hanging bridges gave us a good time !
We then went up the forest to get a nice view on the cloud, which was racing towards us at this point, and then down slowly, stopping for a picnic at some point, and getting back to where we started.
We had bought an avocado, and we ate it with the help of a german friend met on the hike. Yes, it took three of us. It weighed at least 3 pounds and was as big as a melon. And it was delicious. It almost makes me want climate change so we can make them at home !
We came back to town on a jeep, standing behind the hatchback, with wind in the hair, surrounded by coffee plants covered hills.
It’s time to go, we are going to a bar for beers with our german friend, and tomorrow, we leave early for Manizalès !
Bonus : steps in the life of a plant with spores. It was cool to observe but we have no idea about the science stuff there !
