Salento

Coffee has become part of my morning ritual. Replacing yoga it is my wake up God send. So im in Colombia and i now "get" coffee. How fitting.

This morning i found myself in my dorm with a male staff member and a huge saw. The lock (coded) to my bag stopped working so i needed it to be broken!
Salento is a very beautiful place to be. At night time the path to my room is lit with glow in the dark flies and stunning moonlight. Insects and birds sing all hours of the day and night, an orchestra of musical nature lulling me into the moment. I got myself a Sansa last night and have been enjoying jamming with the locals and trying my feet at salsa... On Saturday night i stayed up with four men and one woman, all Colombian. We drank and talked and danced and laughed our way through the moving stars and dawn. I had wanted the night to go on and on and on, lost in the moment for a long time and actually slightly depressed when the next day showed signs og begining! "Im not ready to go to bed!" says my playful joyful mind.

But next days were filled with joy also. Exploring he near by "cocora" was great, one of the attractions that called me here in the first place. It makes for a stunning walk and includes a visit to a hummingbird centre along the way. The locals had a good idea in setting up this centre. A simple idea... put a few stands of food around to attract the many free flying hummingbirds that lived here, then charge tourists on the cocora trail to come and enjoy the plethora of birds buzzing around and sipping sweet nectar. No cadges, much to my liking. Included in the visit is a hunk of local and delicious cheese and a mug of hot chocolate. A nice stop-off point just before the steep ascent to the mountains top...where the views would have been spectacular if it wasnt for the clouds. Ah well, It was still very very worth while. Seeing the tall palm trees is rather surreal. Especially the ones in a field of cows: Cow next to tall palm tree is an odd sight...almost an oxymoron.

Its nice just spending the day walking around the town here; a peaceful and beautiful place to hang out, full of friendly people. The locals really are lovely. On one day i went for a walk in the rain under a thunder storm. On the way back to my hostel a few men (who worked in various shops scattered along the pathway) called me over and gave me a towel and a cup of coffee. Free coffee happens alot around here! Another happy encounter happend two days ago when i was writing in my journal and swinging in a litle park on a mountain over looking the town. A sweet girl nearby was playing on her guitar and i went and joined her. We ended up spending the afternoon together, walking around and myself being introduced to her arty hippy friends. I do like the arty musical types, keep finding myself chilling out with them.

On the weekend its very busy as alot of Colombians come here to enjoy their free days off off work. Its claimed to be one of the 10 most beautiful places in Colombia. ATMs stop producing money as they are so overused at this time! The main plaza is full of fruit stalls and artists selling their hand-made produce. The whole town is so vibrant and colourful. Houses and shops are painted in bright and cheerful colours. Jeeps roll around in clouds of music. Sweetcorn pancakes line the streets and funky traditional bars open up at night offering a real taste of Colombian country life.

Im really enjoying having use of a kitchen here too. Today i plan to purchase some interesting ingrediants and cook up something creative...ready steady cook style?? There is a lounge with fireplace next to the kitchen, which is a wonderful addition. I do love fire, it sooths my soul.

ok coffee has kicked in, im now going to walk under a blanket of bird songs and the golden sun light. Might visit the local grave yard too...