BOGOTA - 7th and 8th August

After 5 days here at La Casona Del Patio Amarillo, everyone is very familliar, and breakfasts are not a quick in-&-out anymore. Tables & people (both guests & staff) merge informally like a big family, and talk about their experiences and the "spell" of Colombia. Letay too keeps tabs on everyone's goings-about and is the only child.

There is an American family here from New York down for a Colombian student's wedding. An English Journalist, Richard who speaks fluent Spanish and who does not want to go back to Europe - he's been in South America for five years and has been to England just once for a month. He is trying to get a job in Bogota to stay on. Nick is an Australian from Sydney, who worked as a publisher in Nicaragua but has been smitten by Colombia too.

Then there is a staff of 5-7 at La Casona who include the effervescent Alajendro who is never in a bad mood, and Senoras Martha and Livia for whom nothing is trouble.

On the 7th Aug (Monday) with the swearing in of Alvaro Uribe, the Colombian President, for another term in office, most shops and restaurants were shut, especially around the the main Plaza. Troops had been at almost every street corner for days. Nick & Rossini planned to make it down in the afternoon to view the ceremony at the Plaza - to be "part of this historic occasion" as Nick put it.

There were two security cordons, a larger one two blocks in every direction from the Plaza and another at the Plaza itself. We made it past the first Cordon - our Australian drivers license worked there as ID. However no one was allowed into the Plaza. What was certainly noticable was the tight security. Even the odd few other "civilians" who were within the cordoned area with us, were dressed similarly to each other,......and all had a ear-piece & microphone.
Here too we found the security personnel, even higher officials with thier impressive army uniforms & medals, very polite & courteous. Nevertheless we did not get to see Senor Uribe on this occasion. The ceremony was held behind closed doors and everyone watched it on TV. Walking around the deserted Candelaria unhindered, and taking an empty bus there and back was an experience.

Later we all met Angela at Parque 93, a park at Calle 93, that's surrounded by restaurants. Letay, Santiago, Christian a street kid and Rossini played football in the park for almost an hour with an empty beer can they fished out of a bin. Had a brilliant dinner at a Colombian crepe restaurant, now part of a chain in Colombia. Got a whole list of "Colombian Dishes & Fruit we HAD to try" from Angela. Said our goodbyes - knowing that the next time we might meet may be in Australia, when they visit.

8th August Tuesday - Leaving Bogota today going north. Lots of sad goodbyes to people at La Casona. The Taxi driver, decided to take us on a "long tour" of Bogota on the way to the Bus Station, thinking we were new. After Deepa let him have a piece of her mind (poor fellow), he graciously (out of self preservation ?) charged us half the fare.

We were very impressed at the efficient way the buses operate throughout Colombia. Within 30 minutes we had bought tickets, checked in the bags and were in the bus, on our way to San Gil.

The bus ride to San Gil, in the central Colombian Santander Department, was spectacular. The 7 hour journey took us through Tunja, Barbosa, Socorro, through the eastern Andes, over winding roads and green mountains, up in the clouds, with the occasional dense forest on the way.

San Gil is a small town at 1100m, which reminded us very much of Panjim, in Goa (without the sea). It's a destination for white water rafting and eco-adventure tours. We decided to move on to an even smaller town higher up in the mountains - Barichara. We managed to catch the last bus with some help from local touts, the lady at the ticket counter, a taxi driver...and the bus driver who kept the bus waiting for us, at a point 2km from the main bus stop. All just wanting to help.

Barichara is a magic town of only 4000 people. It appears that nothing has changed or been added to the town since it was built 300 years ago in 1705. Houses, none more than 1-2 storeys high, are made up of large stones, white washed, with red tiled roofs. Every road is paved with huge flat inter-locking stones that defy imagining how they were carried, let alone put into place. The whole town appears to have been laid like a carpet, following the contours of the mountain. What is most amazing is that you can stand at any street corner and see the end of the town in any direction. It does not thin out, but just ends suddenly and the green mountain begins. The central red stone Catherdral, whose dome dominates over the roof tops giving the town a sense of Florence, seems a bit too large for this town.


We got there are 6:30pm, walked breathless to this 280yr old Colonial house, with a beautiful central shady courtyard & broad balcony running right around this courtyard, from which the dome of the cathedral was always visible, even at night. The four churches and Catherdral were lit up at all night giving the dark city a magic aura. All rooms in this house have high ceilings and the place was full of character. Very beautiful.

Understandibaly, after 7pm, we could not find any restaurant open. We managed to buy some salami & crisps from a grocery store (including great Aguila Beer)....and the local sweet Arequipes Oblea for desert. Had our first dinner in Barichara on the balcony, looking at the Cathedral. Spent the rest of the evening writing our diaries and relaxed looking forward to exploring this charming town......whilst the Cathedral bell rang every hour.