visiting boyaca...

Gator says on May 22, 2006, 20:53:

I assume.. you mean the entire Departmento(state) of Boyacá. Tunja is the capital. Never stayed there over night but worth a stop to see the old colonial buildings and church. I would say Villa de Leva, Ráquira and Paipa would be definitely. Villa de Leva boasts of the largest plaza in Colombia and it really a town that time forgot. I can HIGHLY recommend staying at the Hosteria del Molino La Mesopotamia. It's a 435-year-old wonder. It is a 435 yearold sugar mill coverted to a hotel. The floors are made of bricks of terra cotta mud you can still see the foot prints of the Indians who made and laid them. The old mill stream still runs through the dining room and the bar it in a stone store room, You would swear Símon Bolivar could walk in at any minute. Park and walk-everything is close by.

If you ever wondered where all that neat pottery, plates, etc come from go to Ráquira, a short hike down the road, and everything in the way of fired pottery is there.

Paipa noted for it's hot springs. We have stayed at the Hotel Sochagota and the Hacienda Casona del Salitre (btw, Símon Bolivar really did stay here.)The is hot sulfur spring heated swimming pool, and it is HOT, is on the property .

"SIC FRIATUR CRUSTUM DULCE. OBESA CANTAVIT."

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

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dwmte says on May 23, 2006, 04:48:

thanks, gator.... i really do appreciate it. can't wait to get there. in all the years i worked around the world, i NEVER was a tourist. i never went to see the sights in the countries i found myself in. this is true of colombia as well. i know well the surrounds of medellin and cartagena, but outside of that, zip. it's a bloody shame in some ways, but i was always a workaholic and just kept my nose to the grindstone and in so doing, stayed out of trouble. i was in some way violent places but with just a few exceptions, i never had trouble...this applies as well to colombia. i've been in some way dangerous places there as well but no problems.

can't wait to see boyaca...although, once again, it's a lot to do with business, now, finally, maybe i and laura can be a bit the tourist and enjoy it.

again...thanks a million.

douglas

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dwmte says on May 23, 2006, 04:49:

gator... about the closing line in your post...is that one of the secrets held within the divinci code?

dw

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Gator says on May 23, 2006, 06:08:

Humm, Could Be... The translation it:

It is thus the cookie crumbles. The fat lady has sung.
"SIC FRIATUR CRUSTUM DULCE. OBESA CANTAVIT."

BTW, how do you plan on traveling? I would certainly put Bogotá on the stop and if so go for a rent a car on the north end and drive. It is one of the places I really don't have a problem in driving to provided, as always, confined to daylight hours. One of the interesting spots along the way is the location of the Battle of Boyaca, (Puente de Boyacá) where Bolivar defeated the Spanish in Colombia August 7, 1819. On the right before Tunja(look for the tall flag poles.) Good place to have lunch on the way and for a little break is after you cross Chivor dam (Guatavita Lake). Up the hill and on the right you will see a restaurant with a large area overlooking the lake. Good food and the rabbit (conajo a la plancha) was great.

BTW-weekends tend to be very crowded with weekenders from Bogotá so book ahead.. Both the places I mentioned should be no more than about $125.000+- a night double with breakfast.


"SIC FRIATUR CRUSTUM DULCE. OBESA CANTAVIT."

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

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dwmte says on May 23, 2006, 14:46:

gator.... i have a number of questions to ask, but since there's no pm anymore, could you e me of site? it makes it easier.
dwmte at bellsouth.net
thank you,
douglas

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webmanco says on May 25, 2006, 04:52:

Nobsa Boyaca is a big department, it has many nice views on the road. Some towns no mentioned before are Isa Chiquinquira and Nobsa, the latest one is a nice "pueblo artesanal" were they hand made sweaters and the alike from sheeps wool. Villa de Leiva in Boyaca and Barichara in Santander are two of the most nice colonial towns in Colombia.

Tibasosa, the town of La Freijoa
Aquitania, the town of the onion

Other towns to the other side of Boyaca are Otanche, La Capilla, Guateque, Chivor, Valle de Tenza, etc.
I you are adventorus, try Sierra Nevada El Cocuy, this one is far and requires more time to explore.



Sierra Nevada el Cocuy


Boyaca

Casa en Iza


Iza


Baños termales




Niños en Puente de Boyaca


Sierra Nevada el Cocuy

Fraylejon








Paisaje en Laguna


Escalada


Ermitaño, next day he shaved




Caída


Alegria de Colombia

Ruta

...A yo, déjenme queto y no me jodan má! ...

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dwmte says on May 25, 2006, 20:45:

webmanco... thank you.

i need a bit of clarity, i talked to my friend in bogota, bob summers and he said it's shirt sleve weather like medellin. now you show pics like it's the altaplano, with snow caps.

i can't make it everywhere, as it's a mixture of business and pleasure. i'm researching the pottery and the stone carving. too, i'm traveling with my thirteen-year-old daughter who's not really experienced in 'roughing it'. so i need to keep it somewhat civilized.

does anyone know where they make the stone fountains and balastrades?

dw

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webmanco says on May 26, 2006, 06:40:

Well Boyaca is a little be colder than Medellín. The weather is nice, more like in Bogotá.

You could say the weather in Villa de Leiva is a little bit warmer than Bogotá, the pics with the snow are also in Boyaca but in Sierra Nevada el Cocuy.

I also need a bit of clarity, by pottery I guess you mean ceramics, or "ceramica" and stone carvig would it be the same as working with marmol??
They do it in Villa de Leiva but you can find places as well in Bogotá.

La Rebeca, símbolo de Bogotá

"Y antes que acabase de hablar
en mi corazón, he aquí Rebeca,
que salía con su cántaro sobre su hombro;
y descendió á la fuente, y sacó agua;
y le dije: Ruégote que me des á beber"


By Jorge Silva


Andrea Echeverry from Aterciopelados

...A yo, déjenme queto y no me jodan má! ...

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dwmte says on May 26, 2006, 08:20:

pottery....yes, ceramica. the nice thing about the terra cotta (barro rojo) is that it's done in a 'raku' technique, used a lot in japan. as a result you can see the high fire marks on the resulting materas.

you mentioned work done in bogota...tell me more.

the stone fuentes i'm familiar with are a porus stone akin to the stone here in florida. it's called cocina, here.

more infor is always helpful. if you prefer, you can e me off site at: dwmte at bellsouth.net.

do you live in bogota?

dw

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