sightseeing in Colombia

After my month of birding was over, I had more time to spend in Colombia, having accepted an invitation to spend Christmas in Bogota with a colleague.  This didn't work exactly as planned, as her mother fell ill and so the whole family turned up leaving no room for me to stay in the apartment.  Nevertheless it gave me the opportunity to explore the attractions of Bogota and the area around it.  Highlights were the Gold Museum and the salt cathedral at nearby Zipaquira, low points were the cold, wet weather and travelling on the Transmilenio buses during rush hour.

After Christmas we travelled to the pricey but relaxing resort town on Paipa.  There we spent time in the thermal mineral baths as well as visiting some important historical sites in the country's battle for independence from colonial rule.

From there I went on to Villa de Leyva, a beautifully preserved colonial town with the largest plaza in Colombia. 

Although around the same altitude (2,500m) as Bogota, it was much warmer with clear blue skies for most of my four-day stay.  I went on some long walks along country lanes to visit blue pools, a pliosaur fossil, and a collection of 3,500-year-old stones in some kind of solar observatory, and I saw in the New Year with 20,000 others in the plaza watching the fireworks, followed by the traditional burning of effigies by each family, through which all of the previous year's concerns and disputes are supposed to go up in smoke so as to start the year with a clean slate.

Then New Year's Day saw a long hike up a mountain for a great view over the town and surrounding area.  I must have got fitter during this trip and wonder if there is a way to maintain it once the holiday is over?

After Villa de Leyva I travelled to the Caribbean coast for a few days in Cartagena.  This beautiful city was founded in 1533 and its city wall, defensive forts and solid old colonial houses are incredibly well preserved.  Other than a half day visiting a thermal mud bath and one classical guitar concert ($3 for a seat only ten rows from the front in in a large modern auditorium!) I spent my four days there just wandering around the old streets, stopping for coffees, platters of fruit and coconut drinks of to do the odd bit of shopping.  I even day-dreamed a little about going to live there until I heard that the old houses start at $1million!