Bogota, Villa de Leyva, Tota, Aquitania, Mongui, y Parque Nacional El Cocuy, Boyoca: COLOMBIA

After spending about two months in San Gil, Santander, I decided it was finally time to leave and continue my journeys. I spent a week in Bogota, getting to know the city a little better. Bogota is a big city, that can be ugly sometimes, but in that ugliness I found much beauty as well. I hoped to call Bogota my new home for now, but not until after I continued my travels. I went to Villa de Leyva next, where I stayed with Jaime, a nice man who spent some time in the U.S. during the 60´s, 70´s and 80´s. Let us just say he knew a thing or two about the changes that were a goin´on. There I also met Jose, a Bogotano, who I traveled with to Lago Tota. Tota is the largest lake in Colombia. The people who live in the towns of Tota and Aquitania are very proud of their lake. After Lago Tota we went to Mongui, a small, quiant, and beautiful town in Boyoca. After spending a few days hiking and enjoying the small town we went to Parque Nacional Cocuy. There we spent 5 days hiking, camping and enjoying La Naturaleza. My next plan is to go for a ten day retreat in which I will meditate and not speak to anyone, good luck to me. Then....MEXICO????

BOGOTA: Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Colombian author died in April, 2014. 

Graffiti in La Candelaria. 

Military Museum.

Quebra Canto, famous salsa club in Bogota in La Candelaria. 

VILLA DE LEYVA, BOYACA

View from the top of el mirador. 

LAGO TOTA, PLAYA BLANCA

AQUITANIA, BOYACA

JC

MONGUI, BOYACA: Capital of futbol production in CO.

MONGUI

EL COCUY!!!

Snow!

Glacier Toti

with Jose

Glacier Toti and Pan de Azucar in the background.

Valle de Los Frailajones, special little plants that grow on Paramos in the Sierra Nevada.

Touching snow on Nevado Ritacuba.

 

Frailajon, it takes several years for this plant to grow 1 cm. So this plant is probably over a hundred years old. 

Statue in Guican, a little town outside of Parque Cocuy. 

Locals in Guican, looking at the procession for a Virgen. In this area of Colombia they drink alot of Poker, which they call Pola, which is cerveza. 

Uh-oh, getting busted by the Colombian Police, is actually all in good fun. Just Kidding!! These guys kindly indulged me, sorry mum!