Villa de Leiva Hotels
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Wot no drugs still?
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Up early yesterday to get our bus out of Bogota further north to see a bit more of the country. We head out of the city (which is also very westernised by the way the inevitable McDs and pizza hut etc but not over the top). Through lots of toll roads and around dangerous bends into the green countryside.
We first stop at Tunja which is quite a high city and quite cold and has a mixed reputation for being cold and a bit dull. Not entirely sure why we are stopping here! But anyway we walk through the old town and to the main squre which is lovely and very big. We go and see some old house that was for the founder of the city which is colonial and has great ceiling murals. Then wander back through old town past lots of locals who seem to spend all day conjugating the verb "llamar" (to call) asking people if they want to use a mobile to phone someone! Then onto El Fosil just outside our desination which is a huge fossil of a kronosaurus. Is actually very impressive despite my initial lack of enthusiasm. Then into Villa d L which is a beautiful huge cobbled streets old town full of fantastic old buildings and flowering bushes. It is protected and no high story buildings are allowed. Think it is a fantastic place.
Anyway despite being here we have very important things to do. That is find somewhere to watch the England match (esp as we have a Swede in teh group too). We go past a few local cafes with tvs and eventually come across a huge stable in a courtyard where we wander in to see a bar and a massive screen with teh football on and a couple of locals in cowboy hats watching. Very amusing! Great spot to watch it and we have a sweepstake on the final result with them. After another frustrating match we decide to actually look at the town and again in twilight which is pretty magical. Drink a bottle of local wine which is actually very nice and then go out to a local restaurant where we try trout (local speciailty) again v nice. Then head to main square for a nightcap of canelazo - mixture of aguardiente (local firewater), hot water, lemon and cinnamon again v nice and only thing it reminds me of is lemsip although it is a lot lot nicer than that!
Today we have a last wander around and find the river and old mills and churches. Are told a story by Luis of the girl who got given rollerblades as a christmas present and was trying to use them here! Very cruel but funny. Have never seen such huge cobble streets are more like rocks! Next head to nearby archaelogocial site of El Infiernito which is a solar calendar and aslso to see some phallic carved stones which have some significance they havent quite worked out. Then onto Raquiara which is an artisinal village with loads of tacky kitsch souvenir stalls (Columbia is famous for kitsch apparently!) they also make earthenware pottery here and have great garden pots of all shapes and sizes for virtually nothing. Almost wish we could ship some home. Then we go onto our next stop - a dairy farm for lunch again something else I wouldnt expect here!
It is not tipping with rain and we enter into Zipaquira another oldish town which is most famous for its salt mines. We are going to the salt cathedral which was opened in 1995 after the old one was collapsing. I was expecting a big white traditional cathedral in a cave but it is actually a set of 14 chambers each with carvings in the rock salt signifying the 14 stages of the cross. We then reach the main cathedral. It is all very simple, austere and very modern. It is an amazing place. Due to 15% of impurities in the rock its is a greyish black with white streaks. Dave got some great photos (apols none up here yet as cant find anywhere to upload them here).
Then back to Bogota for dinner at local restaurant which is actually eastern really but very nice although my chicken is not cooked so I get a free meal! More thumbnails ...
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