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Published: April 19th 2010
Knowing that we wouldn't be back, I was sad to leave our hotel in the morning, but I was looking forward to the tour of the surrounding area we had planned for the rest of the day. A breakfast of
huevos pericos, juice, and coffee was served in the dining room, and then we were on our way.
Our first stop was the Finca de Avestruces (Ostrich Farm). We followed guided lectures on the ostriches, but unfortunately it was all in Spanish, so I couldn't say I'm any more an expert on the animals than before. Clara ibeth was always making sure we understood bits and pieces from the tour guide, though. The kids seemed to enjoy feeding these monstrous birds with what looked like a handful of kibble. Monte and I opted to keep our distance from the towering behemoths. We were warned that they won't hurt you by pecking with they're sharp beaks (yeah, right!), but to be careful if a bird was to raise one of his legs since they attack by slicing you across the midsection with they're razor sharp claws! No thanks.
The next stop up the road was a visit to
Ostrich Nursery
So, the babies are kind of cute.El Fosil. Monte knew only a few Spanish words before this trip, but I can tell he has picked up a lot in the past week because he correctly translated this as "the fossil". Little local boys bombarded the car as we turned onto the dirt road leading to the ancient relic, trying to sell us pieces of fossils they gathered on the ground. Technically a museum, the single room building houses an almost complete fossil of a kronosaurus (looked like a huge crocodile with flippers) found in exactly that spot of land in 1977. The dinosaur was surrounded by smaller artifacts and marine life fossils. We were really getting an eclectic tour of the area around Villa de Leyva.
Being that the micro-climate of this region is very dry and rocky, it happens to accomodate one of the very few vineyards in all of Colombia. We visited Marques de la Villa winery to take the small tour of the facility and cellar, and to sample. Looking forward to sampling a flight of reds and whites, we were a little disappointed that the only way to taste the wine was to buy a bottle and ask for 9
Scary Birds
I don't ever need to be that close to an ostrich again. glasses. After asking for a recommendation, we tried a bottle of the Sauvignon Blanc. It lived up to the reputation most Colombian wines have earned as a watered down version of what wine should taste like. If I had to pinpoint a prominent tasting note, I would say grass. We didn't bother to try their cab after that, but visiting a winery is always fun.
We stopped at a very rustic roadside restaurant for lunch. All the Boadas were excited to see a soup called
cuchuco con espinoza de cerdo on the menu. Since it translated to wheat soup with pork spine, I was only brave enough to try some from Clara ibeth's bowl. It was so good, though. I've come to the conclusion that if you don't know what to order from one region to the next, you can't go wrong with the soup in Colombia. Monte ordered a
bandeja tipica or typical plate, thinking he was going to get the same combo of beans, rice, chicharon, etc. that he has ordered several times now, but the typical plate of this area was something entirely different, so he picked through a tough, boiled chicken dish instead. It
looked pretty bad.
For the rest of the afternoon we worked off our lunch shopping in Racquira. This town had one main thoroughfare of huge craft stores, and their specialty of pottery shops. The whole street was so colorful with the wares pouring out of the wide open doors and hanging from the ceilings of the loudly painted buildings. It was totally packed, but lots of fun. Realizing that we really only had a couple of days left, we stocked up on a few gifts to take home. I wish I could have bought some of the beautiful pottery, but it never would have made it back on the plane ride home.
Splitting up into our 3 vehicles for the 3 1/2 hour car ride back to Cerinza, Monte and my dad and I found ourselves together again in one car. With no radio stations we're particularly fond of, we spent the entire ride telling stories. Mostly, it was me asking the questions, my dad doing the talking, and Monte doing the listening. It made the long trip seem short, and oddly enough, I will probably remember it as another highlight of the trip.
No Thanks.
I would not trust that bird near my hand. As the last night of the festival in Cerinza, the party was extra crazy in the streets upon our return. I'm not sure if anyone in town actually stayed in their house for fear of missing all the fanfare. What made this last night especially festive was a competition on stage for something sort of like "Miss Cerinza". Clara ibeth explained that girls from different regions were supposed to showcase their hometowns wearing typical dress, and performing a typical dance. Her young cousin was actually competing to retain her current title. We bundled up in warmer clothing and joined the crowd to watch the performances. I wish I had gotten better pictures, but I really enjoyed watching the dances since I learned a lot of them when I was younger. It was a great end to our time in Boyaca. We went out with a bang.
Actually, we literally knocked ourselves out with a bang of coffee (to warm us up before bed) mixed with shots of aguardiente (to help us pass out). Even with the exhausting day, we knew the festival noise would keep us up, so the sleep-inducing booze concoction was a great help. Goodnight, Cerinza.
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