Colombian Countryside

We left at 5:30 Thursday morning for the Colombian countryside. Diego's car isn't permitted inside Bogota after 6:00am so we had to rush out of the city.  It was a long drive through beautiful mountains and valleys until we finally reached our destination of Villa de Levya. Isolated even by today's standards, it was built some 400 years ago as a monastic retreat as well as a quiet place where soldiers retired. Back in those days most people did not survive the journey for any number of reasons - bandits, natives, disease, and fatigue. 

Main Plaza with Church, Villa de Leyva

The town still radiates charm with preserved cobblestone streets and the simple Spanish colonial design contrasting with the enormous mountains behind it. This part of Colombia is on the edge of a desert which limits the amount of flora. The roads were all gravel and dirt, which sucked when it rained and they turned to mud. Our little car barely managed to get through some passes.  


Like Cartagena, Villa de Leyva had beautiful flowers hanging from the balconies. I was surprised to see at this altitude varieties of plumbago, bougainvillea  and oleander. The buildings were simple Spanish mediterranean design, painted white of course. Tiled courtyards were few and far between which surprised me given the amount of clay in the area. Apparently, just four inches below the grass is clay. 

Bonnie and William - Fanica Mawasi

We tried lots of local foods, especially potato varieties unique to this particular area of the country. We stayed with Bonnie, a colleague of Diego, at her farm called Fanica Mawasi just outside of Villa de Leyva. Its mountain-top location offered spectacular panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. She and her husband William built several small houses by hand as well as lush gardens complete with small streams, ponds, and stone pathways. 

Agapantha and Guest House - Fanica Mawasi

A biochemist by trade, her hobby has migrated to botany and clay engineering. She explained to us how they have composted materials to provide organic soil for flower beds and tree basins; created natural water purification ponds to recycle toilet and shower water; and the techniques they have discovered - that's right, DISCOVERED - working with clay to support heavy structures. 

"Hey man, what you
got in your hand?"

One local attraction we returned to was an ostrich farm. Other animals were there as well, including llamas and donkeys. We joined a tour walking through the ostrich pins and I must say they are quite bitchy animals. Anything shiny translated to potential food for them, so they would peck at your hands overall were very bothersome. We got our revenge at lunch time when ostrich steaks were served. 

Playing Tejo

Weary from an early start and long journey, we had a nap before going out that night. After grabbing a light dinner we found an out-of-the-way place to play Tejo - the Colombian version of corn hole.  Players toss metal 'pies'  to try and hit gunpowder filled triangles in a clay pit. Similar to darts, the closer to the center, the more points you get. We had a good time playing, though since we weren't drinking, probably could have been better.  Some locals next to us were really good, tossing the weights across the whole room whereas our field of play was half the size. I hit the triangles twice with explosions while Alex only got one. Sadly, none were captured on camera.  When we got back to the farm we sat outside in the chilly air drinking wine and gazing at the stars. I have never seen so many in my life. 

Villa de Leyva

For breakfast we had a traditional soup called caldo de costilla. It's made from a special potato indigenous to the area and paired with beef ribs. 

Heading back to Bogota, we stopped by the 2,000 year old penis sculpture garden to marvel at how pre-Colombians perceived their manly goods.  To what end I am still not sure. 

The scenic route to Bogota included a cliffhanger - literally: a completely dirt gravel road on the side of the mountain - one lane have you- with a 1,200 ft drop on our side. Eeek!! 

Hard as a rock!!!