Wonderful Colombia

This weekend I was treated by Jorge and Ofelia Tellez (friends & colleagues for more than 15 years) on a visit to Villa de Leyva, a quaint village about three hours driving from Bogota. On the route we stopped at a monument where Simon Bolivar fought a few hundred years ago a decisive battle against the Spanish.

The small little white bridge in the background of the photo with Ofelia and Jorge is the bridge the Spanish army and Bolivar's army were fighting for. Hard to imagine, but then anything from those years is hard to imagine.

Fast forward to the walk we had in Villa de Leyva upon arrival. All streets like above and very visitor and pedestrian friendly. With a touch of Dutch influence as well.....

Opposite of the "Van Gogh Restaurant" we visited a small colonial museum:

It is amazing to think about but millions of years ago this area - now 2,000 meters above sea level - was part of the ocean. They have found thousands of fossils that prove this. One of the floors in this little museum had some of these fossils worked into it:

 We visited some of the art galleries and I know some folks who would love to shop here....

Villa de Leyva has a huge central "plaza" with a wonderful atmosphere. Not easy to make photos that do justice to the place, but I tried....

We walked to one of the local hotel resorts and Mary, we will have to go there one day!!

Who would want to hang out for a few days in this place?

After the walk and lunch in town, we drove to the "cottage" of Ofelia and Jorge. They bought the land about 25 years ago when this place was still little known. During a 10 year period they build the place little by little and they have enjoyed their retreats here during the past 15 years:

The view from their place. And a view of the interior:

Well.... Ofelia insisted on making this photo and I had to promise to post it on the blog....
Jorge and Ofelia decided to sell the place, so if you have some cash lying around and want a retreat in this very nice place in Colombia a few hours away from Bogota, bring $200,000......

 

We went back in town for dinner and the rain started shortly after we arrived there. On the way back we had a pretty muddy adventure to get back to the cottage.....

The next day we took a different route back to Bogota and stopped in a very artistic village:

 

Raquira

 

 

Question: find the old man in the photo above.......

And one of his buddies watching all the visitors in the "plaza" of this town...

In the "plaza" a few pieces of art-work showing the pottery work over the centuries. And nearby some other expressive art-work. "Manneke Pis" in Antwerp, Belgium is not the only one....

Ofelia and Jorge, thank you so much for a wonderful weekend together. You are special people!