A Sense of Adventure

Whenever an opportunity arises to do something adventurous and different, I try to take it (although I chickened out on bungee jumping!). Here’s a taste of some of the fun activities I’ve tried here in Colombia.

1.       Horseback riding

Okay, horseback riding isn’t overly adventurous. But, it’s not readily available in Chicago so I’m including it. And I was riding for a few hours through wilderness -- it seemed adventurous!

2.       Caving

I’ve had several opportunities to do some spelunking and explore caves in Colombia. The best part is that we hike for an hour or more to get to a deserted spot (with a local guide, of course) and then just wander in. No sign, no admission fee, no maps, just a hole that we explore. So cool!

3.       Rappelling

Sometimes, that hole is in the earth (and not a mountain side) so you can’t just walk in. So, I tried my hand at rappelling.

I’ve tried rappelling several times before. Always in the past, we hiked up to the top of something and then rappelled back down. This time, it didn’t occur to me in advance how we were going to get back out of the hole. Turns out, they expected us to climb. . .that was a fun, unexpected challenge!

4.       Trekking

One afternoon, a couple of us went on a hike in the middle of nowhere with a local guide. No marked trails, no maps. He told us about a trail along a ridge that was very beautiful. It’s called the Paseo del Angel (Angel’s Stroll). Sounds lovely, right? So, turns out, this ridge is between two canyons: one 150 meters down, the other 160 meters down. And it’s quite narrow. The pictures don’t really show how steep this is!

At one stage, the path narrows to about 18 inches wide. And while I can normally walk across 18 inches without thinking about it, when looking over the edges on both sides, it can play tricks with your mind! Took me about 5 minutes of positive self-talk to walk across that path.

And after I did it, Augusto (our guide) laughed and explained that we weren’t actually going that way and we needed to cross it again to head back! More positive self-talk. . .

5.       Paragliding

I’ve always wanted to paraglide. It just seemed like such a cool, adventurous thing to do. In San Gil, a town in northern Colombia, I had the opportunity. I got strapped into the seat (and attached to a professional) and within 2 minutes, we were airborne. The wind just lifts you off of the hill – so quick and easy. No time to overthink it and get nervous. Once up there, it’s so peaceful and relaxing. And the views are incredible! I would recommend paragliding to anyone – nothing scary about it! 

6.       Bullriding

Given the opportunity to safely ride a bull, what adventure-seeker would turn that down?

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I Wish I Could Fly!

When thinking of the wildlife of South America, the first thing to come to mind is always the ostrich. . . right?

Okay, maybe not. Yet I’ve been to two ostrich farms while in Colombia. Ostriches (avestruces) are native to Africa but, apparently, are farmed around the world for their feathers and their meat. While in the small town of Villa de Leyva, I saw signs for an Ostrich Farm and had to go. . .it was so random, I couldn’t miss it. And I’m glad I went because I learned a lot about these impressive birds!

First, they lay the largest eggs of any living animal. They are about 6 inches long and weigh about 3 pounds! Ironically, however, these eggs are the smallest eggs relative to the size of the adult. For those trivia buffs. . .

Second, ostriches are the fastest two-legged animal – they can run at maximum speeds of 43 miles (70km) per hour. (Considering these birds live in Kenya, this shouldn’t be surprising!)

Third, they don’t bury their head in the sand. This is a myth. When frightened, they lay flat on the ground and appear, from a distance, to be a mound of dirt. But when cornered, they attack using their long, powerful legs. After seeing their claws up close and personal, this doesn’t look like fun!

Finally, they can’t fly. So sad to be a bird and not be able to use those huge wings. But I guess if I could run over 40mph, I wouldn’t mind!

So, after holding an egg and watching a movie about ostriches and learning about their lifestyle and habits (quite a test for my Spanish skills!), we went into the fields and got to see these animals up close and personal!

We even had the option to feed them. They don’t really have teeth, but those beaks can snap shut so quickly, it can really pinch! And they’re quite determined to get every last little bit of food. . .

I had a great afternoon with these amazing birds. . . and before I left, this little lady even gave me a curtsey.

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Under the Sea!

The town of Villa de Leyva, which is currently over 7000 feet above sea level, is in the heart of an area that was once under the sea. When walking around the town and the surrounding countryside, this becomes obvious as there are nautical fossils everywhere (from the Mesozoic and Cretaceous periods).

The majority of the fossils are ammonites, an extinct species of marine invertebrate. Here’s a drawing of one of these little fellows alive.

     

These ammonite fossils can literally be found inside rocks all over the countryside. Many locals have found dozens and now sell them to tourists. Many more are on display in museums.

 Other small fossils are common as well. . .all sorts of extinct animal parts can be found in the area. . .

In fact, fossils are so common that they have been used for hundreds of years in Villa de Leyva as decorative elements in architecture. Homes, restaurants, and monasteries all have floors full of fossils. This can turn a casual walk through town into a visit to a museum. Although, admittedly, it feels a bit strange to be walking all over the exhibits!

The most famous fossil to be found in Villa de Leyva, however, is El Fósil.

El Fósil is a 12 foot fossil of a kronosaurus found in a field outside of town in 1977. Here’s an artist’s rendition of a “living” kronosaurus:

At the time of the discovery of this huge, nearly complete, fossil, a decision was made to leave it for study and display, in the same spot. So a museum was created around the fossil.

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Small Town Girl

Since I am spending so much time in South America, learning Spanish is a priority for me so that I can get the most out of my time here and can really enjoy meeting and talking to the people. In fact, my initial reason for coming to Colombia was to take Spanish classes. The word in South America is that Colombians have the easiest accent and they speak the most slowly and clearly. In fact, movies dubbed into Spanish usually use Colombian actors and call centers for Spanish-speaking countries usually employ Colombians so people from all over South America can understand. (Does that mean that Indians speak the best English???)

Once I got to Colombia, I had to decide where to actually spend some time and take classes. After a day trip to the small town of Villa de Leyva, I knew I had found my spot! I was immediately charmed by this small town and its people.

Villa de Leyva is located about 4 hours north of Bogota. With a  population of 8000, it’s a small town, very safe, and easy to get to know and call “home.” In 1954, the town of Villa de Leyva was declared a national monument, and accordingly, this colonial town has been preserved in its entirety with cobblestone streets and whitewashed buildings.

Most towns in South American have a central plaza, usually with the town’s main church and other important buildings lining it. The plaza is usually the center of the town’s social scene with people gathering outside to talk to neighbors and observe the goings-on. Villa de Leyva is known for its 120m x 120m plaza – one of the largest in all of South America! Pretty impressive for such a small town!

Villa de Leyva was a charming place to spend a week. If you find yourself in central Colombia, make a point to visit!

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