YES! more travel blogging, who doesn't love to travel?! This great project has definitely changed my life and is bringing the best out of me in all personal aspects. Being that I was rewarded with more than what I had ever imagined on my delayed introduction to the steemit community, today I felt I had to do something to show my gratitude and pay it back to the users and its creators.
Located in the heart of Colombia's Coffee Cultural Landscape (declaration the UNESCO gave this region) The Cocora Valley is the home to the endemic Wax Palm of Quindio our national tree (Ceroxylun Quindiuense) the tallest palm in the world of its kind. This beautiful and unique palm is the only palm that can grow in altitudes between 6000-9000 feet and its lifespan is about 180 years reaching a height of 200-250 meters (you would only expect to find palms at the beach). It's located inside of the 58.000 hectares that make up the Natural Park of Los Nevados where the palm is conserved and protected.
I've heard from the wise that a human being in life has three purposes, plant a tree, write a book and having a child. Today I already achieved one of those purposes , so on behalf of everydoby in the steemit community, I planted the wax palm in the Cocora Valley hoping this project keeps growing for as long as the palm lives!
WARNING!!
These pictures can make you a feel a high level of good jealousy, so start packing your bags and get your passports ready because this place is waiting to captivate you!
Marino Toro, local echologist has planted more than 2500 wax palms with more than 78 nationalities and the FIRST palm for Steemit!
My accomplice, my sidekick, my everything, helping out with the cause!
Finishing the Job!
After a hard day of labor, time to relax!
Breathtaking!
Nature keeps showing us that is bigger than us, don't understimate it!
Echogolical garbage cans!
3 foreigners and a local, I saw them with all this crazy photography equipment so I started to talk to them about steemit and how they could help contribute to the world by speaking about their experiencies in our country and at the same time get paid for it. I could see it in their eyes that they thought I was absolutely crazy, here was a complete stranger speaking to them about cryptocurrencies, which they had no clue what it was but still took the picture with me! gotta keep steem preaching!
Enjoying lunch with a view, Grilled trout, smashed fried plantain (Patacones) and natural lemonade!
Yes, that's a donkey in the middle of the street in the colonial town of Salento!
Colorful balconies!
Typical colonial architecture!
Jeep Willys, served as ambulances during WWII and after the war they were imported into the country and were used to get products and raw materials in and out of the mountains. Nowadays they also make part of the cultural heritage of the region and is used as local transportation!
Couldn't have made it through the day to get home to write this, without a cup of one the of best coffees of Colombia. When you make it to Salento you can't go home without visiting Cafe Jesus Martin!
Coffee Plantations!
Finishing the day with this beautiful view its just priceless!
We're waiting for you with open arms, you are all kindly invited!