El Penol to Guatape
Trip Start
Feb 06, 2007
1
35
332
Trip End
Jan 14, 2008
Guatape,
Colombia
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
It rained almost all night but by 9am had diminished to drizzle. We caught a bus to La Piedra, the 200 metre rock that can be seen from El Penol. It was the 6.30am bus from Medellin, and the sight of 2 foreigners woke everyone up. The Senora across the aisle fished out her bag of mostly religious items she had bought in Medellin to sell in small towns and tried to sell us the lot. Someone asked if we were gringos, but we said no, Aussies, so we were asked where we had come from in Colombia, where we were going, what our weather was like, did we like Colombia etc. Everyone farewelled us when we got off at the rock.
The rock is a monolith with a cleft down the centre. A set of concrete steps that would fail every single Occupational Health and Safety rule at home were built in the cleft, up to the top, where there was the ugliest 3-storey building you can imagine
Galapa1
. There would have been a stupendous view of the reservoir and islands from the top, but we had to content ourselves with the view a bit at a time as the clouds scurried across the land below us. We were amazed to see bromeliads and orchids clinging to near-vertical granite surfaces.From the rock we walked to the next town of Guatepe which is right beside the dam/lake - it looks like a natural lake but for the total absence of birds except the ever-present black vultures. It is a huge dam, 6,365 hectares, and the water is used to generate 30% of Colombia's electricity supply. Guatepe is a quaint small town with beautifully decorated front walls of houses, shops and the church, and prettily-painted verandas. The lowest metres of the walls are adorned with cement relief figures or geometric patterns, all painted. We saw sheep, owls, butterflies, orchids and scenes of people at work. The cement reliefs are called socales (no equivalent in English), and we were told they were made in situ, like the decorative plasterwork on many old and repro houses in Adelaide. Barb took lots of photos and is planning on Pete copying some of the designs on our home when we get back.
Disaster struck whilst bushwalking and taking in the scenery, Pete lost his goretex jacket. Two people travelling together where one has a lot of attention to detail and one without much does create its share of problems and there is a bit of friction today
Galapa2
. After a lot of stuffing about trying to find it it was back to town.While walking along the Malecon (the road above the lake) we said hello to a ground of young people, who turned out to be media students. Here was their chance, to interview a couple of Aussies. Barb fielded numerous questions on our travels, how long had we been in Colombia, did we like the country round Guatepe, what our jobs had been, translated a few questions directed at Pete, with the students all the while recording what was said on their mobile phones. It was just like a TV interview, and good fun, though quite a challenge for a limited Spanish vocab.
On our return to El Penol the rain started in earnest again. Tomorrow we were planning to take a bus to San Rafael, and to visit a park near the rock, but that depends on the weather. We had to use our umbrellas most of today to keep the drizzle off, but heavy rain is another thing, not much fun.
