
We got let off on the side of the highway with all our gear with instructions to cross to the other side and flag the next bus down heading the other way to Salento. We were understandably a little nervous about hanging around on the edge of a Colombia highway with all our cash, cards and passports, but sure enough after less than 10 minutes and one false start on the greenest roadside I've ever seen, a shuttle bus came past and we jumped on. 30 minutes later we were in Salento in time for lunch!
After a beautiful little downhill walk out of town we shortly arrived at "Finca Del Ocaso." As we walked into the property, about 15 different local coffee pickers popped their heads out of the bushes with cheeky smiles to wish us "buenas tardes."
Next we got to get our hands dirty, planting seeds from scratch and then moving seedlings into fertilized soil to grow. We then were set loose in an area of the plantation and got to pick our own coffee "cherries" from the trees before bringing our harvest back to be peeled. We then saw the more industrial size operation of washing, drying and sorting the beans for quality.