Finally some sightseeing. Have you seen my tent?
Trip Start
Aug 04, 2008
1
19
33
Trip End
Ongoing
Popayan, Colombia
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Before I got to Bogotá I thought I'd do a little sightseeing in the South. It really felt like I hadn't done any for a while as we'd spent alot of time surfing then I stayed in Quito. Its not really my thing but whilst travelling I guess you have to do it once in a while. First I went to see a gothic church by the border. this is in a really spectacular location -basically built on a bridge over a gorge- and its only slightly marred by the tat-mile you have to walk to get there.
Next I went to see some pre-incan tombs hewn out of the rock. They weren't particularly impressive but the steps leading down to them were quite cool as each one was made in a different pattern; spirals, zigzags, random, two-tier etc. Plus the walk around them afforded my first really great views of Columbian forests and mountains.
To get to Bogotá from there I had to take the long way as Avalanches (I think they mean rock-slides) had blocked off some of the roads. So i took a bus to the middle of nowhere and found a motorbike that would take me to the bridge i needed to get to. I've never actually been on a bike before and laden down with my bag on my back in Columbia with no helmet probably wasn't the safest way to start. We got there without incident though. The bridge turned out to be a foot-bridge (think Indy-Jones) where the person before me literally put his foot through one of the planks of wood! Whilst I was waiting someone tried to ride a motorbike across it which nearly ended in tragedy. Next was a bus equivalent of a true classic american cadillac and the driver was crazy and wore a cowboy hat. He spoke double-spanish, which is like normal spanish only completely incomprehensible, and drank cognac. Then from there just one more 9 hour bus and I'm in Bogotá.
The only problem is that I no longer have my tent which must have fallen off at some point. I'm guessing the bike ride. Its a real shame cos I was looking forward to camping the Caribbean.
