We get up early on Friday to meet our tour bus at Parque El Poblado at 7:30am. We are going to Piedra del Peñol and the town of Guatape. The tour is so popular there are two buses today. We are in the English-speaking bus.
About an hour after the busses first roll we stop at a roadside restaurant. A typical Columbian breakfast is included in the tour, which consists of coffee or hot chocolate and a torta with slabs of relatively tasteless cheese. I drink the hot chocolate, which is very good, but can only finish half of the torta with cheese. We talk with a couple from the U.K. in their 30's who are finishing up a year of travel. They sold their home and most of their possessions and took off to see the world. The only exception is the two months they spent in the U.K. after he fell out of the top bunk at a hostel in Vietnam. Following surgery in Vietnam they flew home where the surgery was re-done and he completed his recovery.
About an hour after the busses first roll we stop at a roadside restaurant. A typical Columbian breakfast is included in the tour, which consists of coffee or hot chocolate and a torta with slabs of relatively tasteless cheese. I drink the hot chocolate, which is very good, but can only finish half of the torta with cheese. We talk with a couple from the U.K. in their 30's who are finishing up a year of travel. They sold their home and most of their possessions and took off to see the world. The only exception is the two months they spent in the U.K. after he fell out of the top bunk at a hostel in Vietnam. Following surgery in Vietnam they flew home where the surgery was re-done and he completed his recovery.
Our next stop is the town of Marinilla. We stop first at Capilla Jesus Nazareno then walk to the town square and Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion. Along the way we see a few zocalos, the decorations on houses which tell a story or make a statement about the family and/or community.
After our short walk around town center we are back on the bus, destined for Piedra del Peñol. The area nearby was flooded when a large dam was built and as part of the project an entire town of 10,000 people was relocated. The hydro-electric dam provides 35% of Colombia's electricity.
After our short walk around town center we are back on the bus, destined for Piedra del Peñol. The area nearby was flooded when a large dam was built and as part of the project an entire town of 10,000 people was relocated. The hydro-electric dam provides 35% of Colombia's electricity.
We are told that one family owns the huge rock and the nearby land - wow, talk about a cash cow! There are 742 stairs to reach the top of Piedra del Peñol and an admission fee of $6 for the experience. William decides to forego the climb, but I happily pay the fee and set a goal of the observation ledge, about half way up. As I start up the curvy stairs I realize an additional challenge - while I am going up others are coming down the irregular stairs. During the trek I stop a few times when there is a small landing to take photos and catch my breath. 360 stairs later I reach my goal. Yeah! More photos and then the careful journey down.
When I reach the base I find William sitting in a cafe enjoying a cerveza. The waiter happily brings me a bottle of agua con gas. For entertainment we sit back and watch the locals and the tourists until it is time for the bus to leave.
A short drive takes us to the town of Guatape, where we start with lunch at a small restaurant. I have a typical Columbian lunch consisting of pork belly, sausage, ground beef, beans, rice, something like a hard biscuit, and a large slice of avocado. It is very filling, and I leave all of the beans and most of the rice uneaten! During lunch a trio performs local songs for tips. They are not very good, but they try hard.
When I reach the base I find William sitting in a cafe enjoying a cerveza. The waiter happily brings me a bottle of agua con gas. For entertainment we sit back and watch the locals and the tourists until it is time for the bus to leave.
A short drive takes us to the town of Guatape, where we start with lunch at a small restaurant. I have a typical Columbian lunch consisting of pork belly, sausage, ground beef, beans, rice, something like a hard biscuit, and a large slice of avocado. It is very filling, and I leave all of the beans and most of the rice uneaten! During lunch a trio performs local songs for tips. They are not very good, but they try hard.
After lunch we go on a group walk of the town learning more about the zocalos and then have 45 minutes to explore more on our own. William and I check out the town square with it's Catholic church (Nuesta Señora Del Carmen De Guatape) and it's park, amazingly not named for Simon Bolivar, but instead named Parque Principal.
The bus is pretty quiet on our two hour return journey. Everyone is tired from the busy day. William and I are very happy we took the tour.
The bus is pretty quiet on our two hour return journey. Everyone is tired from the busy day. William and I are very happy we took the tour.
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