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Monthly Archives: September 2014

Finca San Pedro in Sogamoso – Defining Cozy in the Valley of the Sun

06 Saturday Sep 2014

Posted by Anita in Colombia, South America

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Hikes

Finca San Pedro

Finca San Pedro

Of course, Kwame and I couldn’t leave Villa DeLeyva without one more indulgence at thePasteleriaFrancesa.  We even dragged our luggage in with us, recognizing we were going to have to carry it all the way to the bus station after.

We didn’t care. It was so worth it.

Mmmmm....cappuccinos!

Mmmmm….cappuccinos!

Last breakfast at Pasteleria Francesa

Last breakfast at Pasteleria Francesa

Both in starch and sugar comas, it was an easy and straightforward one plus a second three hour bus ride to Sogamoso- a town north of Bogota that is in an area known as The Valley of the Sun in Boyacá.  I was interested in visiting Lago Tota as well as doing some hiking in the area, especially to the Paramo de Oceta, which offers a unique landscape at over 4000m in altitude.  We’d be staying at a hostel called Finca San Pedro.

At 2569m or 8428 ft, Sogamoso was rather chilly, especially in the mornings and evenings.  And so, out came the fleece pants that Kwame refused to be out of for more than a quick, hot, shower.  They were powder blue, and were total river waders (way too short for his 6ft 5″ frame), exposing Kwame’s lower legs and ankles so he’d have to wear his long socks to avoid any exposure of his hot-blooded Caribbean skin.  So sexy.  Luckily, he also had a substantial hooded North Face fleece jacket, so complaints of how cold it was were only uttered every few hours.

The Yoga Studio

The Yoga Studio

Kwame had stayed at this hostel before when he first arrived in Colombia in March.  Juan, the owner, is also a yoga instructor and runs month-long yoga intensives which Kwame completed.  It involved 4 hours of yoga and 2 hours of lecture each day, six days a week.  We did one class together the morning after our arrival, and I can tell you – it was so intense, I cannot imagine repeating it twice a day for an entire month.  Juan was there to greet us on our arrival and treated Kwame like he was the prodigal son who had returned.  Juan and his mother run the hostel but they treat each guest as if they were friends just hanging out in their home.  That’s why Finca San Pedro is so unique and cozy.

Fire time...complete with famed fleece pants

Fire time…complete with famed fleece pants

Coziness

Coziness

The hostel has several buildings to it, and is set in a farm-like area of gardens and vegetables, with the yoga studio adjacent.  The main “house” feels exactly like a house, not a hostel, with creaky wooden floors, colonial style wooden furnished bedrooms and common areas complete with ample couch seating and open fireplaces.

Kwame and I with Juan

Kwame and I with Juan

Juan and his mom would always be working or hanging out in the main house amongst the ten or so guests staying there.  We’d sit around the dining room table with our laptops, gather around the couches when mom would light the fire around 6pm (Kwame making a bee-line to warm himself up) and then retire to the movie room in the evenings to catch a flick and a late supper of scrambled eggs on toast.

That’s why this was one of the coziest hostels I’ve ever stayed at.  I would be so excited at some point in my future life, to own a place like this.  Where I could make every guest feel like they were at home, offer personalized advice on where to go and what to do in the area- and offer rides back out to the bus stations just as Juan did.

Beautiful Laguna Tota

Beautiful Laguna Tota

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Me at Playa Blanca

Me at Playa Blanca

Since Kwame had stayed here so long before, he knew exactly where to go in town to find the best produce- so we decided that we’d cook and eat for ourselves during our stay.  We made smoothies multiple times a day, and a great big steak salad.  Kwame worked during the day, and I went exploring the area.

On our first full day, I traveled by bus to Lago Tota and Playa Blanca.  At 3100m, you don’t expect to find a tropical-looking white sand beach set against gorgeous azure waters- but there it is.  Stunning.

Unfortunately for me, it was not only very cold and windy, but began to pour rain upon my arrival.  I met up with a Brit and Australian girl as we decided to wait out the weather by having a plate of fries and a hot chocolate.  After a few hours and a short explore on foot in the rain, it looked like it wasn’t letting up any time soon and I headed back to the Finca for some afternoon coziness.

Heading out on our hike from Mongui

Heading out on our hike from Mongui

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Steep climb out of town

Steep climb out of town

On my last day, I got up at the crack of dawn to prepare for my hike to the Paramo de Oceta.  Creeping out of our room, Kwame still happily asleep and ensconced in his cocoon of sheets and blankets, I jumped in Juan’s car with two English peeps staying at the hostel who were accompanying me to Mongui – where we would be meeting with our guide, Maria, to attempt the 8 hour roundtrip hike that would take us to an altitude of just over 4000m or 13,100 feet.  Mongui itself was a charming little town which contained lots of homes that were over 500 years old and built by the first Spanish settlers.

This high altitude mountain landscape is famous for it’s other-worldly Freilejon (plants that live at a high altitude in the Pàramo ecosystem.)  It was a tough hike starting out very steeply, and I was glad for all the extra layers of clothing I had stuffed into my tiny day pack (having been warned by Kwame who’d already completed this hike months ago.)

Unfortunately for us, about two and a half hours into our climb, a massive storm erupted and the rain was coming down in sheets, and then sideways.  Not having any rain pants with me, my legs were soon soaked and I could feel the wind biting into my skin below.  We huddled up by a large rock to see if there might be any respite in the weather.  Unfortunately, the wind picked up and the rain showed no signs of weakening.  We made the decision to turn around, and I soon discovered that my boots were far from waterproof and I was soon sloshing around in my boots, my feet soaked.

Getting drowned and frozen at the turnaround point

Getting drowned and frozen at the turnaround point

Still smiling!

Still smiling!

At one point, I was so cold on the descent that I actually became concerned about hypothermia.  I started trying to visualize being in a hot shower, that I would soon be able to bring back some feeling to my extremities.  On arrival back in Mongui, Maria was kind enough to take us to a general store where us girls bought some new leggings so that we wouldn’t be sat in our soaked pants on the bus ride back to Sogamoso.  I was very grateful for that, but not as grateful as I was to Kwame, who jumped up astonished at the drowned-and-frozen-rat look I was sporting upon my return to go make me hot tea while I got in the shower.

What the Paramo is supposed to look like (taken by Kwame)

What the Paramo is supposed to look like (taken by Kwame)

It took that shower, tea, warm dry clothes and snuggling in front of the fire before I began to feel normal again.

Juan later reported to us that it was the most rain the highlands had received on any day so far that year.  How lucky am I?

Actually.  I felt very lucky indeed.  Lucky enough to have that beautiful warm fire, in this beautiful and cozy place, with a beautiful man who insisted on wearing even more beautiful fleece pants.

Finding Heaven in Villa De Leyva – My Favorite Colombian town

02 Tuesday Sep 2014

Posted by Anita in Colombia, South America

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Cycling, Food, Villages

Villa De Leyva's beautiful town square

Villa De Leyva’s beautiful town square

I love Villa de Leyva.  It is a gorgeous small town north east of Bogota, nestled in the desert-like mountains, with an old-world charm still reflected in the enormous main plaza and the streets still covered in huge cobblestones.  It makes getting around by any other method other than strolling rather bumpy, so strolling is the preferred method.  It is a chic destination, and many of Colombia’s elite come here to eat, drink and spend money on their weekends.

Kwame and I got a bus leaving San Gil for Tunja and then hopped onto a small transfer shuttle to Villa De Leyva.  We arrived just around dusk to see a small preview of the core part of town before we managed to find a cab to take us to the hostel we’d been recommended to stay at: Colombian Highlands Renacer Hostel.

Chillin' in the hammock

Chillin’ in the hammock

Our room and patio at Colombian Highlands

Our room and patio at Colombian Highlands

As the cab drove farther and farther out of town up very steep streets, we began to question our choice about staying so far away.  That fear soon dissipated when we saw the hostel itself.  It was simply beautiful.  Simple brick building nestled in the hills, surrounded with gardens, outdoor seating, verandas and open community spaces that let the breeze run through them.  There was a clear view of the surrounding mountains and each night, the sky would light up with lightning storms from places far enough away that we didn’t hear the thunder.  The best part was the sound – nothing.  We quickly realized once we were settled in our darling room, complete with its own private patio and hammock, vaulted ceiling covered in wood vines and hanging candled lighting, that San Gil had been very noisy.  Here, you could only hear the wind blowing outside and the sound of our own voices which we felt compelled to use in a whispered hush.

It was ridiculously romantic.

Our plan had been to head back to town for dinner, but we soon discovered that the restaurant at the hostel had sushi which we couldn’t believe, and decent wine for sale!  So we ordered our food and had a very peaceful and cozy evening enjoying and sharing the serenity of the space.

Strolling down the cobblestone streets

Strolling down the cobblestone streets

The following day, we enjoyed our eggs and coffee/hot chocolate (typical Colombian breakfast) outside in the courtyard café, though we had to bundle up in sweaters to stay warm in the morning mountain air.  We spent the day wandering around the city – doing a little bit of shopping because I really needed a warmer outer layer, having left my one warm fleece in the bag my friends took to Bogota for me! And, of course, our other favorite activity – eating.  We had the most incredible Thai steak and Fish ceviche at Zarina – a gorgeous little eatery with outdoor seating next to small waterfall.  We then strolled to the main square where the kite festival was still in full swing – there’s even specialized hardware in the stone work of the main square where people can anchor their kites!  We took photos and watched the colors change as the sun began to set.  We took dessert at a lovely little café and ordered tres leches cake, a chocolate caramel mousse and cappuccinos.

I reveled in having Kwame with me to share this all with.  Villa De Leyva is most definitely not a town to come explore on one’s own.  It begs to be experienced with someone.

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More evening scenes from the center of town

More evening scenes from the center of town

Catching a cab back, we noticed yet another massive storm brewing – so we grabbed blankets from our room and the rest of the wine we hadn’t finished the night before, and set up lawn chairs around the fire pit to watch the show in the night sky.

On our last day in Villa De Leyva, we wanted to get out and do some hiking/biking.  We ended up deciding to do a combination of the two and rented two (rather shitty) bikes from the hostel which we planned to ride to Santa Sofia on, do a hike called Angel’s rest, and then ride back, stopping at the famed “El Fossil” – a fossil of an aquatic dinosaur – before riding home.

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Gleeful at Pasterleria Francesa

Gleeful at Pasterleria Francesa

Since it was an ambitious itinerary – we decided to first stop at a French bakery that we’d been told was excellent for a combination breakfast/lunch.  We had to be determined as we soon found that riding the bikes over the cobblestones was practically impossible without causing oneself serious injury to an area God only meant to be treated nicely.  We finally found it – Pasteleria Francesa.

Oh. My. God.  Words cannot describe the sheer gastronomic delight this place delivered. Never in all my trips to France have I ever tasted pastry this fluffy, almond croissants this gooey in the center, and béchamel sauce this rich and flavorful.  Kwame and I sat, speechless, stuffing our faces with sweet and savory delicacies for well over an hour until we could barely breathe and reached a jitters-inducing sugar coma.

In a sugar coma

In a sugar coma

Pure heaven.

We decided to take a taxi/truck to the trailhead as it was going to be too much to bike both directions (we asked some locals who explained that it was quite an uphill slog to get to Santa Sofia.)  Every time the truck headed downhill, Kwame and I looked at each other with dread, knowing the challenge that awaited us on the return.

The hike itself was short but spectacular.  It followed the spine ridge of a mountain and you could look far down into both valleys either side.  Streams were running but they were very low due to the dry season.  We hiked as far as a waterfall and then realized we could go no further as we were at the top of the falls themselves and anything further would require a rappel.  We sat and ate a snack and took in the views before turning around to face our long bike ride home.

Heading out on Angel's ridge

Heading out on Angel’s ridge

At the top of the waterfall

At the top of the waterfall

It was certainly tough over those first initial hills (all of which I’m proud to say I was able to complete without dismounting!) but then we reached an incredible stretch of downhill and it was pure joy whizzing past each corner, feeling the warm air hit our tired bodies and taking in the surrounding countryside.

We stopped for a water break at this gas station and as I treated our two liters, Kwame had a few bags of his favorite snack – Platanos Verdes chips.  I will always associate him with those chips…oh lord.  We sat inside what was a nice little bar/restaurant in the gas station and watched some very funny Colombian daytime TV.  It’s funny the things you plan the least sometimes turn out to be the most memorable part of the day.  I will always remember the fun we had at that gas station.

Kwame: fashion conscious for cycling in his Duke sweat pants ;-)

Kwame: fashion conscious for cycling in his Duke sweat pants 😉

We made it as far as El Fossil on bikes and found we were completely spent.  The museum was well worth the visit and had numerous examples of the paleontological wealth this area contained.  The main fossil is almost completely intact and was discovered in 1977, the museum later build literally on top of it.

El Fossil

El Fossil

Villa De Leyva evening

Villa De Leyva evening

We grabbed some Colombian Red beer and ordered another “truck taxi” to take us back to the hostel from the museum.  After a hot shower, we ordered Greek Souvlaki from our hostel restaurant and excitedly sat down in the community room’s theatre to watch Avatar.  Unfortunately, the DVD player was so bad it kept skipping every few seconds making the movie impossible to watch…which is funny now, in retrospect.  Exhausted, we headed to sleep early as we were facing another travel day tomorrow.

We were heading (back, for Kwame) to Sogamoso in the morning.

San Gil – Learning to take things easy in the Adrenaline Capital of Colombia

01 Monday Sep 2014

Posted by Anita in Colombia, South America

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Adventure Sports, Cycling

Day Trip with Colombian Bike Junkies

Day Trip with Colombian Bike Junkies

I spent three more days in San Gil after my day hike to Guane with Kwame.  Unfortunately, whatever had plagued me on day 3 of my hike to the Lost City also returned and my symptoms were very strange.  Mostly I was exhausted, but I’d developed a fever one evening and almost fainted at a bus stop from dizziness and nausea.

It wasn’t until just over a week later, on my way to the Choco (Pacific Coast of Colombia) with Kwame that we both realized I must have Dengue Fever.  That third episode was the most severe by far.

I awoke that Monday intending to go on a downhill mountain biking day tour with Colombian Bike Junkies, but I was just not feeling up to it.  After a pancake breakfast with Kwame at Mike’s, we decided we’d have a relaxing day down at Parque Gallineral – a park by the river that was famed for it’s trees that were covered in a hanging moss that resembled an aging man’s beard.

IMG_0820

Beautiful Parque Gallineral

Beautiful Parque Gallineral

We packed a blanket, a mango to share, some sunscreen, books to read and walked down there.  We had a blissfully relaxing and lovely morning/afternoon napping in the sun, talking, and enjoying each other’s company.  We had the kind of day when you haven’t a care in the world, no time schedule to keep, and you can let yourself be fully in the moment and share a perfect day with someone.

We had fruit smoothies at a café on the way back to the hostel, and since I was really starting to develop a fever, opted for a movie and a couch for our evening.  We watched one of my favorite films – The Untouchables – and I had as much fun watching Kwame laugh hysterically as I had watching the movie for myself the first time.  If you haven’t seen it – do yourself a favor and rent this movie today!

Taking things easy

Taking things easy

Kwame - so tall he has to bend over to get through a vine-covered walkway

Kwame – so tall he has to bend over to get through a vine-covered walkway

Determined to feel better and do the bike ride the following day – I went to bed and fell fast asleep at only 8pm.  Unfortunately, I still felt strange and weak the following morning and had to cancel again.  After a very lazy morning, Kwame and I headed to the bus stop to catch a ride out to the local waterfall.  Unfortunately, I started feeling dizzy and nauseous, so we took a cab back to the hostel and elected to rest by the pool and take it easy.

By this point, I was staying in San Gil longer than I’d originally anticipated, but having met Kwame was definitely a welcome change to my plans.  I was still determined to do the mountain biking before heading to Villa De Leyva.  Then I got the idea that Kwame and I should just make the most of having met one another and I suggested we take a trip to the Pacific Coast of Colombia.  It is an extremely remote part of the country with Afro-Colombian culture, humpback whales, long stretches of wide black sand, with about as laid back of a vibe as a place can have.  I figured, after spending time in a part of the country where everyone stared at Kwame for being such a tall black man, that it would be funny to visit a part of the country where he’d look like the local and I’d be the odd one out.  Well, that, and I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to him in five days.

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Downhill bike adventures in Barichara

Downhill bike adventures in Barichara

After a long chat, and working through logistics of flight changes (thank you to my sister, Monica for her help!), charter flights out of Medellin to Bahia Solano, a return flight for me from Bogota to Medellin and agreeing that we’d take a week or so to visit Villa De Leyva, then back to Sogamoso (where Kwame had done a month long yoga retreat back in March) where I’d site-see during the day while Kwame worked (he works remotely while traveling) we made all the arrangements together giggling away with our laptops and feeling like silly sixteen year olds.

It’s not like this was the first time I was doing something crazy and irresponsible!

IMG_0850The following day, still a little weak and wobbly, I left Kwame working and finally joined a tour group going downhill mountain biking outside of Barichara (which I’d briefly visited with Kwame when we hiked the El Camino Real) with Colombian Bike Junkies.  I love their tag line which is “Put a little fun between your legs.”  Though still physically weak, I couldn’t turn down the challenge of not needing to get off the bike when we came across steep uphill sections, and only dismounted from the end-of-day cross country section when the rain was coming down so heavily that a river had been created under my bike tires, making it hard not to slide and crash.  We had some incredible vistas to enjoy, the downhill sections were long and quite challenging, but the quality of the bikes themselves made it an altogether fantastic experience.

Afternoon at the pool of our hostel

Afternoon at the pool of our hostel

I almost lost a limb when I crashed into a bridge post when failing to dismount in time for what ended up being a complete “break” in the path coming around the end of a pedestrian bridge that looked like it was one complete track.  Somehow the bike got caught between my legs and I was pinned between the bridge and a tree, with a six or seven foot drop below me.  I screamed and screamed for assistance, imagining that I was re-tearing my now almost healed hip flexor tendon.  Luckily, once they pulled the bike off me and I regained a normal pulse, I found that I’d escaped injury.  In retrospect, it was quite funny, but I did make the leader promise to warn cyclists to dismount at the end of that bridge in the future!

I will never forget the end to that day as we were covering the cross country section of trail.  The sky darkened and the thunder began to rumble.  When the rain came it was just a surreal experience to be cycling through this beautiful countryside, the sky so dark it felt like night, with lightning striking all around me and the thunder roaring as I continued to try and keep up the energy it was taking to ride the hills and maintain control on the way down.  Getting in the jeep that had been following us just seemed silly after I was soaked to the skin after only a few minutes of rain.  I luckily had brought a change of clothes with me in my daypack which was dry and in the truck.

Band parade at 7 in the morning!

Band parade at 7 in the morning!

Bike race underway!

Bike race underway!

The following day, on our last morning in San Gil, we were awoken at 5am by the sound of construction and a constant banging right outside our balcony window.  That was annoying enough, but then at 7am – we had a live marching band blaring its music right at us from the streets below where a parade/festival was in full swing!  We opened the windows, bleary eyed in disbelief at the commotion and noise going on so early in the day.

Saying our goodbyes to the lovely Joanna who worked at our hostel

Saying our goodbyes to the lovely Joanna who worked at our hostel

It was hard to be annoyed by our sleep deprivation when we literally had the best view of the festivities in the city.

Starting to pack and get dressed, we got another surprise when we witnessed literally hundreds of pro cyclists gather outside on the parade route, which was now clearly the starting line for a bike race.  We cheered and watched as the gun was shot and the cyclists sped off in a large group.  What an ending to our stay!

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anitagotravel

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