Adventures in Colombia

On Friday we decided to visit Chingaza National Park. I found out about it on a blog that I follow called Colombian Culture, Colombian Adoption, and Raising Colombian Kids. The woman said that it is about an hour outside of Bogota. The photos she posted looked beautiful and the description sounded like something we wouldn’t want to miss, especially if we enjoy the outdoors and taking photographs. So, off we went at 10:00 a.m. with Reynel, our taxi driver. We headed north, and the scenery was beautiful once we got outside of the city. We even reached a point where we got an excellent view of all of Bogota.

After about an hour we drove through this nice little town called Calera, where Reynel parked the car and said we could get out. We weren’t sure why, but it was a beautiful town square area so we thought it would be a good place for all of us to stretch our legs. The kids enjoyed running around, and we enjoyed taking everything in around us.

Kevin loves a good old door!

About ten minutes later we were ready to get back in the car and get to the National Park. Reynel stopped to ask for directions at a gas station and then we headed on our way again.
Minutes later he stopped at a mechanic’s shop to ask for directions again, and a minute after that he stopped and asked directions from a fellow taxi driver who was waiting on the side of the road. All of us just kept looking at each other, wondering what the problem was. Reynel then turned to us and said (in Spanish, as he only speaks a tiny bit of English – although with my tiny bit of Spanish we were able to communicate without too much of a problem!) that Chingaza was another three hours north and asked us if that was a problem. “Si, es un problem!” I responded. Maria was already wiggling like crazy and climbing all over me. Another three hours in the car was not going to work! So we asked him if there was another park that he could take us too. He thought for a moment and then asked if Parque Duque was okay. I remember hearing that name before so we said yes, let’s go there. So we turned around and started for this new park. Ten minutes later we passed this nice looking large factory and Reynel told us that it was the Alpina yogurt factory. This is the yogurt that we’ve been buying at the store for Carlos to eat. Reynel asked us if we wanted to stop and go into the store there. Why not? We hadn’t had lunch yet, we had brought a few snacks, but we thought it would be nice to have some yogurt for everyone. So, we pulled off the road and into the parking lot of the yogurt factory store. It was a beautiful building, surrounded by grass and little rock trails and large yogurt statues. We had a bathroom break, bought some yogurt, then were back in the car fifteen minutes later.

Can you believe your eyes?!?

Not long later we arrived at Parque Duque – the amusement park! Not exactly the kind of park we were hoping for! I forgot that this was the kind of park it was, and we all just looked at each other again and thought, well, okay. We got out of the car, walked to the main building, and then I looked at Kevin and asked if this was really what he wanted to do on his last afternoon in Colombia. It wasn’t. I asked him if he wanted to go to the Salt Cathedral, which was our other idea originally in the morning before choosing to go to Chingaza instead! So, we turned to Reynel and in my broken Spanish I told him that this was Kevin’s last day in Colombia and we really want to be somewhere more natural. I asked him if we could go to the Salt Cathedral. He said it was about a half an hour away and no problem. So we started to pile back into the car! Meanwhile, while we had been talking, Maria had taken care of business! There was no where to change her so Reynel offered the back of the cab. Everyone thought it would be funny to document this wonderful moment!

After the dreadful deed was taken care of, we were off once again!

Ahhh, the Salt Cathedral. This was more like it! Reynel said he’d meet us at the entrance in two hours. After another bathroom break, we were ready to go the 600 feet underground! (Just as a side note, public bathrooms here in Colombia are different in many ways from those in America. IF they have toilet paper, it’s on one large roll at the entrance of the bathroom, so you need to anticipate your needs. And the toilets typically do not have seats, so squatting is the method we women must employ. Colombianas must have strong thigh muscles!)
Anyway, the Salt Cathedral was beautiful, and here are some photos to prove it:

This is the actual cathedral.  They hold a mass here every weekend.

My first jewelry shopping experience, looking at emerald jewelry as Colombia is first in the world I believe in emerald exports/production.  $950 for that tiny pair of stud earrings??  Yikes!  "Gracias, Senor" I said and then we kept walking!

The city of Zapaquira where the Salt Cathedral is located

Whew – what a day! We thanked Reynel for giving us a tour of Colombia, and we were back to the hotel in time for dinner. Kevin said it was a great way to spend his last day in Colombia!

This is us on the ride back to the hotel.  The kids were a bit worn out!

Yesterday we went to the market again so that Mom and Dad K. could have that experience. (And there were a few things that Kevin wanted me to pick up that we hadn’t the previous weeks.) Tracy and her son Matias joined us for the excursion as her husband and three year old daughter went back home to Minnesota the same day as Kevin. It was a very nice way to spend the morning and afternoon, and thank you Tracy for putting up with all of our delays along the way! (I can’t seem to do anything quickly these days! Good thing we’re running on Colombian time here!)

And then here are a few random photos from Sunday morning, before going out to the market: