The sound... of silence

Now this is what I am talking about!

Since I couldn't be home for this May long weekend, the Valley of Cocora, which is situated slightly outside Salento will forever rank highly in my memory as a terrific replacement. 

I spent a full day in the countryside and though I started out with two other travellers and later our group expanded to five with the addition of two Colombians visiting from Bogota I still managed to spend the majority of the day on my own (who knew I was such a speedy walker?) just enjoying the stunning scenery and contemplating all I´ve seen and done in the past 4 months.

The trail took about 5 solid hours for me to complete and was bookended with 45min jeep rides to and from Salento, but it was really a spectacular day. 

Walking in some seriously muddy conditions (check out the team to the left) I was very thankful our hostel provided rain boots for the adventure. Especially since many people chose to ride horses as opposed to walking and the cows and horses leave tons of ¨landmines¨. The trail takes you through cow fields, across rivers, into a nature reserve focusing on hummingbirds, up a ¨mountain¨ that rose to 2,950m (because what South American adventure is complete without a little thin air) and finally through the ancient wax palm forest I had truely been looking forward to.   As I walked into the valley for the last 90minutes it was like the trees were insulating the path and I was in another world.

As I close in on the final weeks of my trip I am often distracted by all I am missing at home by being here. Can you believe it! ´The grass is always greener´ theory is such a monster.

At home I can´t contain the excitement I build up when I start thinking about taking these trips and then when I am away I slowly start to think more & more of home.  Today, however, was an exception. Though I do miss home and am endlessly thankful to have a family, friends and a country I adore, today I focused on all the incredible memories I´ve accumulated through this 7 country adventure. I am really so very lucky. Make no mistake home was on my mind when I passed this insanely coloured mushroom & Eriskay´s smile popped into my mind. But, I know I will see her and V soon enough and for now there are a few more gems to try to visit before I board my AC flight for a summer in Canada!   

xoxo b