Villa d Leyva

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Last year when I was travelling people had told that me that Colombia was fantastic and it really was no word of a lie.......and thats why Ive been so poor keeping the blog up to date. And here I am with only 2 weeks left and struggling to fit it all in....

After Bogota I went to a place called Villa de Leyva. After a long winding mountain route I arrived to a very pretty colonial town...a place where a lot of Bogotanios go on the weekend or for holidays.....and when you get there you know why. It is nestled in the mountains and is a world away from the hustle of the city....the ground is a rich brown, the streets are cobbled, the walls are white -washed with ornate shutters and beautiful fuscia and orange flowers spill over onto the rooftops...... a very pretty place.

I stayed in a place called Colombian HIghlands...about a kilometer out of town but with nice views of the mountains...especially where my room was located up on stilts. I arrived in the afternoon to baking heat but it was just about time for the daily afternoon showers so apart from a leisurely mosey about town I didnt do an awful lot. The following day I went horse-riding for the morning, with stops along the way to see fossils and ruins in the countryside. Awaiting us were 4 horses......all of which could have done with a good feeding to be honest......I probably should have carried the horse on my back. I was a little bit dubious at first because there were no hats around and neither were they on offer. But nonetheless I ended up with a "goer" of a horse and because we were on dirt-tracks for much of the way I was able to motor on at speed with my trusty steed!! It was a great morning of riding and the scenery was beautiful....but because I had no hat, I thought I better leave the camera with the guide so that I could concentrate on getting back in one piece. Trust me, the scenery was nice.

After the mornings excitement, I headed up to a mirador...a lookout near the hostel. They kindly gave me a rough map of the track and said it was easy enough to find so I was happy to go off on my own. But not long after I left did I find that it wasnt so much a track but an overgrown route that doesnt see too many visitors. I continued on anyway and did eventually get there but not without exploring some alternative routes that led to thick undergrowth first. The lookout wasnt the most impressive, my legs were torn from the branches and the sky was starting to darken so I scrambled back quickly before the rains. I wont be recommending that walk to many.

So after a very relaxing 2 nights in Villa I marched away in the baking heat of the morning for the onward trip to San Gil via Tunja. Drenched in sweat Im always delighted to hand over the rucksack and slip under the fan. It was a really lovely town and worth the stop.

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