Salento, Colombia – Safety, Hiking and Shopping Mania

Ever worry about being kidnapped in Colombia?  Then here’s what you need to know.  My local guide told me that there are army/military troops who station themselves at various locations on roads in Colombia, and they are watching cars for a SIGN.  What kind of sign, you ask?  Either a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down.  If you show thumbs-down, this will signify that there is something not good (no Bueno!) about your car/bus/van/etc.  The army will stop your driver and pull you out to safety.  I don’t know about you, but I find this system a lot easier than sending Liam Neeson, like in the movie Taken.  However, let me also say that kidnappings in Colombia appear to be pretty rare these days – as long as you stay in decent areas, I doubt that you will need to worry about getting help from either the army or Liam.
Now back to my travel story.   We leave Armenia early in the morning and drive to Salento (giving the army a thumbs-up on the way).  We check in at a charming little hotel (Hotel Salento Real) and get ready for a hike.  Today’s hike is of the Corcora Valley, which is known for its beauty, greenery, and palm trees.  On the way to the hike, we pick up some hitchhikers – young travelers from Chile and Argentina.  Our hike is picturesque and relatively easy.  We have some people in their 70’s with us, and they seem to manage just fine (even though the trail does get steep at some parts).  My personal highlight was seeing a few donkeys stumble down a steep area of rocks.  They made it, but not without a cartoonish lack of gracefulness.  Near the end of the hike, it starts raining.  If you do visit the Corcora, the rain comes on quick – bring a poncho!
In the afternoon/evening, we head back to Salento.  It’s just absolutely adorable.  There is one main street with lots of colors, balconies, colonial warmth, Christmas lights and dogs.  Most of the people in the town are actually wearing ponchos and little white panama-style hats.  We swoon.  And then, in a turn we don’t expect, the shops are actually…trendy.  Within minutes, our desire to shop turns into a full frenzy.  We fall hard for the glittery jewelry (as all girls do), skull-patterned tank tops, wildly-colored stretch pants, and slip-on hemp shoes.  There are multiple hat shops where you can start to fit in with the locals, and Adrienne makes a great purchase at one.  There is live music at bars throughout the way – we stop at El Tejadito de Salento Café Arte to listen to a fantastic live band while having a drink.  As we’re leaving, we see a hipster coffee bar (yes, hipsters even made it to rural Colombia, it seems) called Matto.  We didn’t have a chance to try it – but next time, I guess!
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