I ventured out of Medellin today. My destination was Guatape, a small town a couple of hours from Medellin.
My friend Jim suggested that I hire a driver that he has used frequently, Nick. What a great idea. Nick is Colombian, fluent in English and a lovely guy.
Because i’m still having computer problems.I’ll just give you the highlights and let the photos speak for themselves. We stopped briefly at an area that had llamas and other animals for a look see.
Penol is a new city that was built after the original town was flooded to make way for a hydroelectric dam. We spent a short time in the reconstructed old city. I found it kind of an odd notion. But the new town is beautiful with lots of artwork.
In fact, everywhere we went today there was sculpture and paintings and murals. The towns are clean and prosperous looking.
Then, it was on to Guatape. I fell in love with the town. Everything is extremely colorful. There were decorative paintings depicting local scenes on every building. The local transport, known as motochivas, putt putt around the city. They are similar to tuk tuks in Asia. Each one is fancifully decorated in a unique way.
One of the big attractions is the rock at Guatape, an enormous boulder. There is a staircase that leads up to the top for a view of the area. However, there was no way I was going to climb up the seven hundred and forty zigzag steps, leading to the top.
On our way back to Medellin we stopped at a woodworker’s studio. The photos speak for themselves.