Blogs from Boyacá, Colombia, South America - page 3

Our visit to andres restaurant was an amazing experience. The car park, just for the restaurant clientele, is huge. At the entrance we were provided with a large basket of big strawberries and then some sweets like turkish delights. We entered through a turnstile, just like going to a football match! Inside the restaurant it was a surreal experience. The large restaurant is divided into many different areas and there are numerous objects of all descriptions hanging from the ceilings and walls. Many people are wandering around -people in fancy dress,musicians and dancers. There is a great atmosphere with good music and the waiters are all young friendly people, There was a large area devoted to activities for children who could make things, have face painting etc. The food was excellent and the beef and chicken ... read more

El Dorado is Spanish for "the gilded one" and was the name of the ancient Muisca tribal chief. The legend states that Zipa the Chibchas chief covered his body in gold dust and submerged himself in the Guadavita Lake. Beautiful gold artefacts were also offered to the god of the lake. Many people have searched for the gold including the conquistadors. The lake has also been partly drained to aid the search for gold. A visit to the Guadavita Lake involves a steep climb up many steps. The scenery along the way is magnificent. Unfortunately we didnt find any gold but the circular lake is a spiritual place and the walk is one to remember.... read more

I am backed up on blog entries, but I have a few in the pipeline. So here I sit in Pamplona, Colombia. It is a small town (45,000 people) near the border of Venezuela, about 2 hours from the actual border town of Cúcuta which is described in guidebooks as "a hot, muggy, filthy, crime-ridden city; its most well known attraction is the notoriously dodgy bus station. A town better known for contraband than its sights, though you may need to stop here if you're crossing the border." This means that I finally decided to cross over to Chávezland after going back and forth with the idea. Many people have bad things to say about Venezuela so 2 things compelled me to go for it. Guide books don't often have good things to say about it ... read more