Flowers

During our trip, Becky made a point to stop and "smell" the roses.  The flowers in Colombia are gorgeous and just about everywhere.  Although some of these pictures are mine, most come from Becky's iPhone, which I begrudgingly admit has an excellent camera.  Here is just a sampling:

Sogamoso and Bogota

Our last day in Sogamoso was Good Friday where just about everything was closed down, including most public transportation.  We hired a taxi for most of the day to take us to the sites still open.  Our first stop: the Batan Termales.  The termales were mainly just warm, sulfuric pools with families enjoying a swim.

We then spent a couple hours at an ecological park that a family had recommended.  It is a small zoo area geared towards families, but it was a beautiful day to just amble along outside.

Admit it: we look stunning in the required swim caps, no?

With it being Good Friday, there were no direct routes to Bogota, so we hopped on a bus that stopped at every small town.  Due to traffic, the would-be-four-hour journey turned to five.  Since Becky and I were sitting almost all the way in the back, we saw four young men quickly climb into the dark luggage unit at the very rear of the bus when we had been driving for about an hour.  The bus helper told us they were stowaways and had to stay in the rear while we passed a checkpoint.  Even after we passed it, though, the bus became too crowded, so the guys had to ride in the hold for hours.  Luckily, they had beer to pass the time and seemed quite jovial when they were finally invited to join the lighted bus again. 

That night, we stayed in the nicest place yet....with real, hot-water showers.  Needless to say, we lazed a bit in the morning, going so far as to order an extra cup of tea after breakfast.  One has to enjoy the finer things in life when they pop up, no?

After dining on Mexican for lunch, we went to Parque Simon Bolivar.  This park is massive, so much so that even though it is in the middle of a huge city, one feels like she is in the country out for a stroll.  Families were everywhere playing soccer, reading, picnicking, etc.  

Becky and I picked a spot under a tree and read for a bit of the afternoon before heading to the airport......four hours early.  We had mistaken the time our flight left and wound up with far too much time to hang out around an airport.

This turned out to be fantastic luck: not only did we partake in some delectable ice cream, but I bought two dresses as well in a mall only fifteen minutes away!

Healthy for the bananas: our bodies needed the potassium after all our workouts.

Sogamoso - El Salto Waterfall

Our last main adventure on our trip was to El Salto Waterfall.  It was over an hour and a half bus ride to the roadside town of Corinta, but when we alit, we were in warmer, tropical forests. 

The actual hike was relatively easy, but it did have some steep inclines that got our blood pumping.  Poor Becky was sunburned from our bike ride the day before, so she wore a light jacket the whole time.  I truly don't know how she did it because the humidity was intense.

Upon arriving at the waterfall, there was another family just getting ready to leave, so we had the place to ourselves for about ten minutes or so.  Sitting on a large rock perched midway up the cascades and surrounded by utter magnificence was the best part of the day.

Pictures really don't do justice to the place, but at least you can hear the crashing of water with video.

Orange flowers springing up on the side of the hill.

After admiring the views and munching on a snack, we headed down to the river where one could bathe.  Yeah, no.  We were dripping sweat, but the water was freezing. 

Thankfully, we only had to wait twenty minutes to flag a bus back to Sogamoso....and we got seats!  Life just doesn't get any better.

Sogamoso - Lake Tota

Our next stop: Sogamoso.  You know what I love about these places?  The cheap meals to be had.  Just outside the bus station, we dined on a full meal with soup and fresh mango juice for just five mil!  Plus, the people working there were very friendly.

After dropping off our stuff, we headed to Punta Larga Vineyard, a place with great views but just average wine.  That didn't stop us from sharing a bottle of riesling, Afterward, we walked around the quaint town of Nabso and ate yet again before returning to our hostel.

Our hostel was Finca San Pedro, a commune-type of place.  We were in a large room with a bunch of other people, and the showers were outside.  The next morning, Becky and I were up earlier than most of the others.  While taking a shower, I realized I couldn't turn the water off, which is my habit while soaping up.  Plus, I didn't have my contacts in, so it was near impossible to see what was going on.  I quickly finished my shower and lightly dried off before sticking my head out to get help.  (I hate wasting water.)  The only person around was an older gentleman that was tending the gardens.  I asked him for help while wrapped in my rather skanky towel.  His eyes didn't know where to look, and he promptly walked away when I explained about the tap being stuck.  Sigh.  

Luckily, there was a European man in the kitchen (attached to our bedroom) when I went searching for someone else.  He wasn't nearly as stunned by my mostly nude body (rather insulting, actually) and came to my aid to turn off the water.  Only then did the older gentleman return with someone in tow to help.  Of course, people heard about it during our breakfast.....

While waiting for a bus outside the hostel, a family from Bogota offered us a lift to the lake.  They were quite amicable, and we stopped often to take pictures.  We had them drop us off in the small town of Aquitain, though, so we could rent bikes....again.

Lago Tota is the second largest lake in South America, and views of it are impressive.  During the whole drive and most of our bike ride, the scent of onions permeated the air.  The reason: acres and acres of onion fields.  People were harvesting the onions the whole day, and it looked like back-breaking work.  

Our goal for this bike ride was Playa Blanca, a beautiful crescent of white sand along the shore.  The actual route there was very hilly and took over an hour to accomplish, making it another great workout.  Once there, we relaxed and dined on some fresh trout before pedaling back to Aquitain.  

That night, we treated ourselves to pizza and the leftover Riesling.  We had definitely earned it.

Biking Riding Around Villa de Leyva

The day after our hike, we rented mountain bikes and proceeded to follow the directions given to visit  the Ecce Homo Monastery.  Well, afer an hour of literally pedaling uphill, a lady told us we were heading in the oppostite direction of our destination.  Of course, I was laughing gleefully to myself because we had just gotten an awesome workout, but I don't think Becky was quite as happy.  Heehee! (We stopped frequently after that to make sure we were on the right path, and everyone was extremely helpful.)

Along the thirteen-kilometer route, we stopped on the top of a very large hill (most of the route was at a steep incline) to walk around Pozos Azules, a scenic area with pine trees and artificial pools made torquoise by salt and minerals in the land.  

The various colors and scent of the pine trees were well worth the layover.

For about five whole minutes, we sped down the road, reveling in the ease of just cruising on our bikes and trying not to think about the return journey.  At the bottom, we dined at a roadside restaurant that served gigantic portions.  

Upon reaching the monastery about an hour later, a moment of deja vu flashed at me: I had been to this place before with Kerri.  For the life of me, I cannot recall how we arrived, but I am pretty sure I would've remembered if we had biked.  

The Ecce Homo Monastery no longer functions as a convent, but is more of a museum.  The tranquility of walking around and stretching our legs was more than welcome.

Amazingly enough, it only took us an hour (total trip: seven hours) to bike home, and that included some uphill walking.  It had been a wonderful and challenging day spent outdoors.  What better way to celebrate than to go out for dinner?

We met Cordula (the lady we met at the vineyard and later went to the observatory with) at La Arcadia Restaurant in the plaza where my pasta dinner hit the spot.  The best part?  Toasting with canelazos as our after-dinner drink.  Canelazo:  a hot drink with Aguardiente (Colombia's hard liquor), cinnamon and brown sugar water....all rimmed with sugar.  Absolutely amazing!

Iguaque Hike

Our first activity in Villa de Leyva came in the form of a hike to the second largest lake in Latin America (right after Lake Titicaca) in Parque Iguaque.  It was a thirty-minute drive to where the taxi dropped us off....three kilometers of steep walking from the park's entrance.  Thankfully, a kind couple from Bogota asked if we wanted a lift shortly after we started the climb.  

At 8,850 feet, the beginning of the climb already gave us an excuse for panting.  Luckily, half of the nine-kilometer (total) hike was through dense, Andean forests with moist air.  There were some steep stretches here, but nothing compared to when we exited the forest and hit the mostly bare patches of scree.  This precipitous part was at 11,000 feet with the wind trying to buffet us off the mountain.  The bonus:  gorgeous panoramas of small towns and farmland off in the distance.

The lake...lagoon really....was rather disappointing after the beautiful views surrounding the mountain.  We were now at 12,467 feet, and it was cold.  For the Muiscas, an indigenous group that lived in the area, this sacred lagoon was the start of civilization.  According to legend, the goddess, Bachue, emerged from the lake with her baby boy in her arms.  Once her son was old enough, they procreated, starting humanity on Earth.  Once Bachue grew older, she and her husband/son turned into serpents and returned to the lake.  

About a kilometer from the trailhead is a restaurant.  The barley soup, grilled trout, and mango juice were more than welcomed after the strenous hike.  

The walk down to meet the taxi was relaxing as we passed quiet farmhouses and cows grazing in the fields.

 

That night, we indulged on dessert first and then dinner in the large main plaza, satisfied with our exercise of the day.

Semana Santa

Semana Santa: the last long vacation of the school year.  Becky and I had planned on some high-altitude hiking in the Cocuy region, but due to strikes, the park was shut down.  The Friday of our trip, we quickly changed our plans and decided to pretty much wing it.

Our first night was spent in Bogota before taking a bus to Villa de Leyva the following day.  Kerri and I had stopped in this quaint town seven years ago, and it was, and still is, one of my favorite places in Colombia.  Cobblestone streets, friendly people, good food, beautiful scenery: there's not much to dislike about the area.

Our first stop: Marques de Villa de Leyva, a vineyard known for its Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet.  Honestly, neither wine was excellent (being the connoisseur that I am), but the the views and overall relaxed feeling made the wines taste that much better.  

There was a thirty-minute wine tour that ended with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

Since we hadn't eaten since breakfast, a meat and cheese platter was the obvious choice of nourishment....with some more wine, of course!

That night, our new friends from the vineyard invited us to the Observatory a half-hour's drive away.  There were six of us crammed into the car taking us to some man's house further up the mountains.  He had a couple of telescopes out, which we were able to view the moon and three of Jupiter's moons, but most of the time, he gave us a tour of his collections: planes, space stuff, aliens, fossils, etc.  He is a guy who wants to share his knowledge, but the ongoing monologue was rather tiring.  If only we had wine during it....

Luckily, we slept extremely well that night and were gung-ho for the next day's hike.