today we went to visit Cocora Valley and the nearby town of Salento.  the valley became part of the  Los Nevados National Natural Park in 1985, and was named after the Quimbayan princess, daughter of the local chief Acaime.  Cocora means star of water.

our walk was a bit overcast and rainy, but it was still a beautiful place, and very peaceful.  the valley is home to the Wax Palm, the national symbol of Colombia and has an average height of 196 feet. below is a close-up of the trunk –  the whiter part is slightly powdery & feels waxy to the touch.

after lunch at Donde Juan B, the farm at the base of the trail, we were given a wonderful treat. we were able to plant our very own wax palm on the property!  Mariano, the naturalist on the farm led the planting ceremony, which was really touching.  our palm was 3 years old, and it was about 8″ tall.  it won’t be at it’s full height until long after we are gone…..maybe i’ll leave a map in my will so one of my friends kids can go and visit on my behalf.

next we stopped off in the little town of Salento.  home to a population of 7247. although it was one of the first settlements in the region,  it is one of the quieter and more laid back towns, a favorite to backpackers and hippies the guide told us.  the main route from Popayán and Cali to Bogotá used to pass through Salento, but when the road was diverted the town became isolated and didn’t grow as quickly as some others.  it’s really charming and i wasn’t surprised to hear that Salento and Cocora Valley are among the most popular tourist destinations in Colombia.