Villa De Leyva

Villa de Leyva

From Zipaquira to we caught a bus on a very bumpy road to another and a third which had some mechanical problem with the rear wheel and arrived at Villa de Leyva. Villa de Leyva is a colonial town whose center is a preserved as a historic monument. Bogotanos come here on the weekend and the place booms. The streets are paved with round river rocks which are rough for cars and for walking. From the bus terminal we hired a ride in a pickup truck from a guy named Cesar. He was very friendly and when Curtis quizzed him about eating options he called a buddy and came up with La Guaca Restaurant. We stayed at Renacer hostel in a little cottage. The place was out of town on a dirt road past an army base. 

Cobbled streets of colonial Villa de Leyva

In the evening we went down to La Guaca which in fact is four restaurants arranged around a courtyard in an ancient colonial house. We got an excellent seat and people started coming and filled the place. There were burning fires and hanging plants, terracotta floors and rustic wood and plaster. There was a trio playing Colombian songs that everybody knew and Sheri loved. We had a fine time.

The antique Casa La Guaca

The town plaza is a huge thing set on a bit of a slope. The cathedral is on the east side on a raised platform and there are three steps down from the shops and cathedral on that side to the plaza. On Saturday night hundreds of people come with bottles of vine or spirits and sit on the steps and talk and sing songs into the night.  

Saturday night on the plaza steps

Army patrols have tamped down rebel activity in most of the highlands, so people feel much safer than just a few years ago.

During the day we walked around town and trudged up on the mountains next to the town. We ate a place on the plaza, Wrap and Roll, where a Colombian couple struck up a conversation. He (Victor Rayo) had been working in Westchester County, New York for 15 years and she was a lawyer in Bogota. He was relocating back. They were super friendly and showed a bunch of places to go on her Iphone. He gave us is card and told us to call him if we had and questions or problems. 

Ranacer Hostel

Rancer Hostel

Porch of our cabana

One day we had Cesar take us up the entrance to Iguaque National Park. We walked up a steep trail through the woods to a lake above tree line at about 3340 meters (11,000 feet). For the indigenous people Laguna de Iguaque is the place of origin for humans. It is set in a cirque bowl and surrounded by “paramo” which is a high altitude bog with interesting plants (yellow-flowered frailejon). An Italian women came up after us. We left and headed down and fortunately for us made it most of the way out before a heavy rain started that made the rock and mud trail slick as can be. Not sure what happened to the Italian women. 

Start of Laguna de Iguaque hike

Laguna Iguaque

Sheri and a Frailejon plant

We caught a ride in the back of an open truck in the rain to the “main” road. Shortly a beat up bus showed up and we rode back to Villa de Leyva. Riding along with the driver grinding gears and blasting Colombiano music; passing by little rough and tumble farms on the windy mountain road in the rain; my feeling was we had arrived in South America.

El Gallo Cafe - cooked up a fantastic vegie arepa (fried corn meal cake). Server wouldn't accept a tip.

Cobble streets and antique houses